Kumaraguru Action for Relief and Empowerment (KARE), was founded in Nov, 2015 during the Chennai floods. KARE supports the victims of natural disasters such as floods, cyclone and other calamities and has supported during Kerala floods & Gaja Cyclone. This is a volunteer movement of Kumaraguru Institutions where many join hands when the need arises.

KARE COVID 19 Response Bulletin is an effort by a group of Kumaraguru alumni, students & informed citizens alike to clear the clutter around COVID 19 by providing informative, insightful news, articles & data around the world under various tags such as Research, Technology, Education, Economy & Insights with a short summary for each.

COVID19 Basic Info & Previous Bulletin Link: tinyurl.com/blog-KARE

STATISTICS

India vs the World – Global fight against a virus

COVID-19
 		Active Cases
 		Recovered
 		Casualties 
 
India3,618,42320,795,335270,319
World17,147,759142,725,7023,385,554

The above graph depicts the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases as of May 15, 2021. From the graph it is observed that the daily cases are falling across many states and are stabilizing across few. However, in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, the daily cases continue to rise. |Prof. Shamika Ravi

WHO Says no to Ivermectin Use

The WHO has issued warnings against using ivermectin to treat mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients. This directive comes after a national clinical guideline compiled by the ICMR task force and AIIMS, Delhi, listed the drug under the “May Do” category for COVID-19 patients under home quarantine. The makers of the drug have also claimed that there is little evidence to support its efficacy against the coronavirus. This guideline, like the liberal use of remdesivir, plasma therapy and hydroxychloroquine has been criticised by health experts world over as these methods of treatment still need to be proven efficient against COVID-19. |New Indian Express 

B.1.617 – Variant of global concern

The earliest version of the B.1.617 variant of the Coronavirus that was first discovered in India in October 2020 is a “variant of concern at the global level” according to the WHO.  This variant has a higher “transmissibility” rate and has also spread to a few other countries across the globe. Further, Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the WHO has said that Together for India, a campaign to raise funds for oxygen, PPE kits and medicines will be launched soon. |The Hindu

US approves vaccines for 12-15 age groups

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 10, 2021, authorised the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 15 years. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19  vaccine has also been determined to be more than 91 percent effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 at least six months after the dose. The most commonly reported side effects in the adolescent clinical trial participants, which typically lasted 1 to 3 days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain. The FDA further said that not every individual’s experience will be the same, and some people may not experience side effects. |The Quint

Covaxin to start phase 2/3 clinical trials for 2-18 years

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) on May 11, deliberated upon Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s application seeking permission to conduct phase II/III clinical trials to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of Covaxin jabs in children aged 2 to 18 years. After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended for the conduct of the proposed phase II/III clinical trial subject to the condition that the firm should submit the interim safety data of phase II clinical trial along with DSMB recommendations to the CDSCO before proceeding to phase III part of the study. |Money Control

Black fungus spectre amid COVID rampage in India

An alarming rise in the deadly fungal disease mucormycosis, in patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in several states, has prompted the Centre to take steps for ramping up the production of amphotericinB, an injectable medicine used to treat the condition, is normally caused after exposure to mucor mould commonly found in soil, plants, manure and decaying fruits and vegetables, but is being reported in people following recovery from COVID-19. The condition, with an overall mortality rate of over 50%, affects the sinuses, the brain, eyes and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients or people with HIV.| The New Indian Express

Vaccine cocktail: Will mix and match of two COVID-19 jabs defend Coronavirus?

In the number of cases of COVID-19 everyday, a question arises as to whether a mix of the vaccines help. The first dose primes the immune system and the second dose boosts it. Mixing doses of two leading COVID-19 vaccines increased patients’ side effects such as fatigue and headaches in early findings that have yet to show how well such a cocktail defends against the virus. However, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier warned against the mixing of vaccines unless there is a shortage of the first dose vaccine because of production or distribution problems. |One India 

Scientists probe impact on vaccines of Covid variant found in India

Recent incidents have proven that individuals who have taken both doses of the vaccination have been tested positive for COVID-19. The question scientists must now answer is whether the so-called “vaccine breakthrough” cases can be explained by the sheer number of people contracting COVID-19 in India and the efficacy of the shots. While most scientists remain confident that the current crop of vaccines would protect against severe symptoms and death, there is growing consensus that at least one of the three descendant lineages of the variant initially found in India is partially vaccine-resistant. |Financial Times 

Vaccine shortage – A global concern

Worldwide, 250 vaccine candidates are being developed, of which at least 10 have received emergency approval in different countries. Most of these vaccines make use of 2 different technologies that had not been used in the vaccines for humans before –  mRNA vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, and the viral vector based AstraZeneca-Oxford and Sputnik V. Apart from this, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine and China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines use the common technology of inactivated viruses. Another 50 vaccines are in the pipeline, and several of them are in the last stages. Despite so many vaccines, there is still a shortage of jabs across the world. By the time the vaccine shortage is solved, the virus might mutate and become even more dangerous, ultimately becoming a global issue if not controlled soon. |Financial Express 

Gap between two doses of Covishield extended

A government panel has recommended extending the time interval between 2 doses of Serum Institute of India’s Oxford COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ to 12-16 weeks. Currently, the time gap between the 2 doses was 4-8 weeks. Those who have tested positive for COVID-19  and are waiting to take the vaccine should defer vaccination for six months after recovery, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommended. No change in dosage level for Covaxin has been suggested by the panel. |India Today 

Delaying second COVID-19 vaccine doses can help reduce deaths

Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, a study showed. The U.S. study, published in the BMJ British medical journal, suggests that under specific conditions a decrease in cumulative mortality, infections, and hospital admissions can be achieved when the second vaccine dose is delayed. The specific conditions include having a vaccine with a one dose efficacy of at least 80% and having daily immunisation rates of between 0.1% and 0.3% of a population. |Reuters 

Where can we get authentic information about Coronavirus?

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KARE COVID-19 Response So Far

43038 Cooked meals
2279 Volunteering hours clocked.
10 Tons of Vegetables transacted so far.
28+ Number of Farmers impacted so far.
640 Helpline Calls.
500 Grocery Kits & 500 kg Rice
50+ hours of student mentoring & 8 Gadgets
1400 Liquid sanitizer packs
5500 Masks
₹ 4,95,141 Funds Raised.
₹ 6,50,000 Funds Spent.
63000+ Lives Impacted

Impact areas: 

Chinnavedampatti, Saravanampatty, Vellaikinar, Sathyamangalam, Sulthanpet, Paapampatti, Sulur, Thondamuthur, Narasipuram, Kangayam, Coimbatore & Pollachi.

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KARE Bank Account Details

Account name: KCT KARE
Account number: 1245155000078376
Bank: Karur Vysya Bank
Branch: KCT Extension Counter
IFSC: KVBL0001245
Bank address: Kumaraguru College of Technology, Chinnavedampatti, Coimbatore – 641036