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 
 
India2,202,24025,227,740322,982
World14,418,872152,297,1563,540,426

The above graph depicts the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases as of May 28, 2021. From the graph it is observed that the daily cases are falling across all states in India. |Prof. Shamika Ravi

VACCINE AND TESTING

Triaging in Coimbatore 

Triaging is a process to decide the order of treatment. A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 is contacted by the Coimbatore corporation and is asked to visit the nearest triage centers. The oxygen saturation level, respiratory rate, blood pressure and sugar levels are checked in the triage centre and depending on the results, the Doctors suggest the mode of treatment (home-quarantine or COVID Care Centers).  The staff in the triage centers arrange for hospital treatment based on the bed availability. Awareness on Triaging centers is required as many people with mild symptoms of COVID-19 seek admission in hospitals, leading to unwanted crowding and occupancy of beds. Currently, there are 4 triage centers in Coimbatore. |The Hindu 

Vaccine ‘highly effective’ on COVID variant : Pfizer

Pfizer, which is ready to offer 5 crore doses to India between July and October this year, has told the Indian authorities that the vaccine is highly effective on the COVID-19 variant in India. It has also stated that the vaccine is suitable for everyone aged 12 years and above. While India has administered over 20 crore doses so far since the launch of its vaccination drive in mid-January, it still has a long way to reach the vaccination for the entire population. The Pfizer vaccine has undergone significant development over the last six months which includes improvement in storage conditions at 208 degrees for over one month (31 days) at the site of vaccination. |Live Mint 

RESEARCH

Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection 

The researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, U.S noted that the immune cells which produce antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while. This means that those infected with mild COVID-19 have lasting antibody protection. According to the researchers, in patients with mild COVID-19, the virus is cleared from the body two to three weeks after infection. Hence, the virus does not drive the active immune response seven to eleven months after infection. The immune cells are quiescent and secrete antibodies indefinitely providing long lasting immunity from COVID-19. |The Hindu 

Long term lung damage post COVID-19

Findings from a study in the UK  revealed that COVID-19 results in a persistent lung damage at least three months after the patient is discharged from the hospital. The researchers used cutting-edge imaging techniques and found that many patients experienced breathlessness several months after they were discharged, despite their normal CT scan results. According to the study’s Principal investigator, Professor Fergus Gleeson, these findings serve as an important step to understand the biological basis of long COVID-19 which in turn will prove to be helpful for developing more effective and efficient therapies. |Deccan Herald

ECONOMY

Mongolia: New World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework to Focus on Sustainable and Resilient Recovery

Over the past decade, Mongolia’s economy has grown rapidly and has made important progress in reducing poverty and improving people’s wellbeing. The Country Partnership Framework has three key focus areas: Strengthening economic governance, Boosting competitiveness, Improving quality of life. The strategy is anchored by Mongolia’s national development strategy – Vision 2050 – as well as the government’s program and the World Bank Group’s twin goals of eradicating poverty and boosting shared prosperity. |World Bank 

Global economic recovery – Uneven?

Beyond the virus, there are a number of related economic risks to consider. A slow recovery could result in permanent scarring exhibiting hysteresis (when long time unemployment renders workers unemployable owing to an erosion of skills). Also, how much deleveraging there will be among highly indebted firms is to be noted. Apart from these, another area of concern is socio-political: will rising inequality become an even more salient source of instability and depressed aggregate demand? Likewise, the macropolicy stimulus implemented so far should be examined as it could lead to inflation. Keeping all of these uncertainties in mind, the recovery currently looks like it will be stronger than other nations. |The Guardian

GST Council Meet

The meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) focuses on discussions relating to seeking a cut in the GST rates on essential Coronavirus supplies. The Finance minister said that the 5% waiver on COVID-19 vaccines will negatively impact the prices as “manufacturers would be denied input tax credit who will, in turn, pass on this to the consumers as a cost”. States were promised compensation for five years after GST implementation in July 2017 to make up for revenue shortfall, if any. This was done as states lost autonomy over indirect taxes due to the GST rollout. | NDTV

EDUCATION

Delaying board exams will hamper college admissions: Principals

The CBSE has proposed conducting the exams between  July 15 and August 26 and the result to be declared in September.The board also proposed two options: conducting regular exams for only major subjects at notified centers or holding shorter-duration exams at school where the student is enrolled. The new proposal is likely to cause a ripple effect in the education space as delaying exams lead to delay in admissions as well. The decision regarding the revised examination period must have been taken after a lot of critical thinking and brainstorming. |Times of India 

PUBLIC HEALTH

Patients in TN struggle as hospitals unable to procure drugs for black fungus

The Tamil Nadu government has passed an order that only hospitals can place orders to procure drugs like Remdesivir, Liposomal and Amphotericin B. This can be done by registering on a portal run by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation, where hospitals with due identification can order the drugs. Affected people claim that the cost of the whole treatment itself is very expensive but the bigger problem is the non-availability of the medicine. The order also said that family members of the patient cannot directly buy the drug. This move was apparently to curb hoarding of essential medicines and to also ensure families of patients do not crowd retail outlets, possibly creating a COVID-19 cluster. |The News Minute

MENTAL HEALTH

Climate crisis inflicting huge ‘hidden costs’ on mental health

Climate crisis is damaging the mental health of a lot of people around the globe. Scientists have reported that heatwaves and air pollution are increasing rates of suicide, extreme weather is leaving victims traumatised, and loss of food security, homes and livelihoods is resulting in stress and depression. Anxiety about the future is also harming people’s mental health.Tackling climate change could turn this into a virtuous circle. Action by individuals, communities and governments not only cuts the impacts of heating but also boosts people’s mental wellbeing by giving them healthier lives and a sense of hope and agency. The number of cases of psychological trauma arising from a disaster can exceed physical injury cases by 40 to one, a report said. |The Guardian 

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.

TO MAKE A DONATION
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