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

COVID-19
 		Active Cases
 		Recovered
 		Casualties 
 
India450,87130,014,713408,792
World12,002,283171,629,1124,050,192

The above graph depicts the status of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases across the country as of July 10, 2021. In Kerala and the Northeastern states, the cases are higher than the national average. |Prof. Shamika Ravi

VACCINE AND TESTING

Testing tech for COVID-19 evolves

COVID-19 diagnostics have changed immensely in the past few months. The RT-PCR tests have evolved in terms of requirement of time, manpower, and incubation period. The new ones can deliver results in a matter of five minutes. With some countries demanding RT-PCR reports that are taken four hours before boarding, such quick tests are an advantage. Similarly, Mumbai-based Medicircle Health Pvt Ltd uses Israeli Technology to detect COVID-19 in seconds and the results are also transferred to the ICMR’s COVID portal instantly, enabling quick tracing of cases. |Times of India

WHO recommends Interleukin-6 receptor blockers for COVID-19

Patients critically ill with COVID-19 often suffer from an overreaction of the immune system, which can be very harmful. Interleukin-6 blocking drugs – tocilizumab and sarilumab – act to suppress this overreaction. These are the first drugs found to be effective against COVID-19 since the recommendation of corticosteroids by WHO in 2020. According to the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,  these drugs offer hope to the patients and families, who suffer from the devastating impact of critical COVID-19. To increase access to these drugs, WHO calls on manufacturers to reduce prices and make supplies available in areas where COVID-19 is surging. |WHO

RESEARCH

Antibodies fall against Delta, may require booster

The ICMR study has indicated that  lower levels of neutralising antibodies against the Delta variant in a small portion of Covishield recipients might just tip the balance in favour of a third booster shot. The study indicated that serum of COVID-19 recovered participants and the breakthrough cases had higher neutralising antibody titres compared to non-COVID participants who had received one or two shots of Covishield. Another important aspect of the study was the finding that breakthrough cases have significantly less severity and mortality. |Times of India

Study reveals how our immune system reacts to COVID-19 variants

Vaccines offer a much broader protection against COVID-19 and its variants than the body’s natural immune response following infection, which is usually only protective against the variant of the virus that the person was infected with. SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses are sustained for up to seven months post-infection. The immune response remained stable in some individuals, while it decreased in others. Antibodies generated after early infection displayed a significantly reduced antibody binding and neutralization potency to globally emerging viral variants. |Science Daily

Second wave lingering or early signs of 3rd wave

India had a massive hit during the second wave, and in early June, the cases plummeted. Recent statistics emphasize the need for caution as COVID-19 inappropriate behavior is seen from many places. Here are 3 points which are of rising concern.

  1. New infections are not rising, but they also are not falling fast enough
  2. Rise in positivity rate
  3. 7 day average of new cases and positive rates are rising in various states. |Hindustan Times

ECONOMY

Unfortunate turn: Damages to a growing Indian Economy

Thirty years ago, what was a newly transformed Soviet styled Indian economy that eventually pulled about 300 million out of poverty, fueling one of the biggest wealth creations in history; now received a huge blow with the virus dramatically shrinking the consumer economy yb 32 million.The International Monetary Fund expects India to grow 6.9% in the next fiscal year that starts in April 2022, lower than the more than 8% needed long term to reach which was originally expected as promised by the PM’s administration. With several other key factors including the FDI; and a probable K Factor recovery for India, the nation sure has a long way to go. |Economic Times

Indian rupee has stayed firm despite COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the Indian economy into an unprecedented recession. Hundreds of small businesses have shuttered, unemployment is on the rise, and household incomes are dwindling. But despite this upheaval, the Indian currency has remained surprisingly stable. With interest rates in other countries low, global investors flocked to emerging markets, flushing India with liquidity. So basically, even when the Indian economy was staring at a recession, foreign investors were putting their money into the country. India also remains a favored destination for investors because of the low per capita income in comparison to other Asian economies. |QZ  

EDUCATION

Govt committed to inculcating culture of innovation, research in higher education 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Directors of centrally funded technical institutions via video conferencing. He said that there is a need to adapt higher education and technical education to keep in tune with the changing environment and emerging challenges. He added that this requires the institutions to reinvent and reevaluate themselves, develop alternative and innovative models in accordance with the present and future needs of the country and society. He emphasized that our higher educational and technical institutions need to prepare our youth for continuous disruptions and changes, keeping in mind the fourth industrial revolution. He said that access, affordability, equity, and quality should be the core values of such education models. |Live Mint

ENVIRONMENT

Prevention versus cure: The Climate and Health agendas

A speech prepared for delivery at ‘Public Health from Climate-related threats’, on the margins of  the 2021 United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, emphasized on actions that ward the health impacts of climate emergency. Actions to curb climate change are actions that protect Public health. Climate effects are often unequal, and low income countries  need support and solidarity to avoid suffering poor health outcomes. In order to improve human health, climate science and medical science need to be brought together. The speech also put forth the importance of making wise choices, especially with pandemic recovery,  so that millions of lives can be saved, paving the way towards a greener, healthier future. |UN Environment Program 

MENTAL HEALTH

Doomscrolling during the pandemic 

The COVID-19 pandemic saw people turn to the internet for information and answers to allay their fears. Experts say that unlimited access to information on societal factors drives stress and anxiety. Compulsively scrolling through content on social media that is depressing or worrying is called doomscrolling. Doomscrolling disrupts sleep and creates havoc on our circadian rhythms. This habit has become particularly prevalent among people with mental health conditions. Deciding on screen free hours, and embracing phone free habits are some of the ways as to how we could avoid doomscrolling. |World Economic Forum

The kids are (not) alright: Europe sounds the alarm as Delta variant soars among teens 

The majority of COVID-19 infections are among young, unvaccinated people who are less likely to fall seriously ill, because of Spain’s high vaccination rates. England has decided to greatly ease its COVID-19 restrictions and drop quarantine requirements for those returning from “amber” list countries like Spain, just as its case numbers have risen to the highest in Europe. A study led by researchers at Imperial College London found that England is “experiencing a substantial third wave of infections” and that between June 24 and July 5, men in England were  more likely than women to test positive for COVID. So, it is said that the mental attitude of youngsters on vaccination must be kept positive for betterment.| Fortune

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