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 
 
India423,99330,227,792413,123
World12,750,780173,626,2484,094,934

The above graph shows the status of the vaccination drive across the country as of 16th July, 2021. Around 8.5 percent of the eligible population have been fully vaccinated in India. |Prof. Shamika Ravi

VACCINE

WHO warns people for Vaccines Mix and Match

It’s the Public health agencies, and not the individual, who can decide on mixing and matching of different vaccines based on the data from immunogenicity and safety evaluations. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strate=gic Advisory Group of Experts on vaccines said in June that the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) vaccine could be used as a second dose after an initial dose of AstraZeneca (AZN.L), if the latter is not available. A clinical trial led by the University of Oxford in the UK is ongoing to investigate mixing the regimen of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines. The trial was recently expanded to include the Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) and Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) vaccines. |Reuters 

UNICEF signs supply agreement for Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine

The goal of the COVAX Facility is to help address the acute phase of the global pandemic by providing rapid, fair and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines for all participating countries and territories regardless of income level by the end of 2021. On behalf of COVAX Facility, a long-term agreement has been signed between UNICEF and Sinopharm on 12 July, 2021 through which UNICEF will have access to up to 120 million doses of the BBIBP-CorV inactivated virus vaccine. This is the 7th supply agreement UNICEF has signed for COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of COVAX. Previous agreements have been announced with the Serum Institute of India, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Human Vaccine, Moderna and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. |UNICEF 

RESEARCH

Lung diseases worsen COVID-19 by altering airway genes

Chronic lung diseases (CLD) that block the airways such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis increase a patient’s risk to severe COVID-19.  Genetic changes are said to occur on the epithelial cells lining the airways, which make the cells even more vulnerable to the virus. The researchers, however, were only able to examine cells from lung-disease patients without COVID-19. Even so, their study is said to highlight crucial areas for future research into the pathogenesis of COVID-19 in patients with CLD. |Reuters 

Airway cells of patients with chronic lung diseases “primed” for infection 

Patients with chronic lung disease are molecularly primed to be more susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2. Researchers have found changes in lung cells and immune cells. Cytokine storms in COVID-19 patients unleash a cascade of immune cells that flood the lungs, causing severe organ damage. “The genetic changes in immune cells, especially in specialized white blood cells known as T cells, may diminish the patient’s immune response to viral infection and lead to higher risk of severe disease and poor outcomes in patients with chronic lung disease,” said Linh Bui, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Banovich’s lab, and one of the study’s lead authors. |Science Daily 

86% of vaccinated Indians who got COVID-19 were infected by Delta variant 

A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) clinically characterized 677 participants with COVID-19. The participants’ genome was analysed and it was found that the overall majority of the breakthrough infections was caused by the Delta variant (B.1.617.2). 9.8 percent of the positive COVID-19 cases required hospitalization while fatalities were observed only in 0.4 percent of cases. The study also suggested that vaccination does provide a reduction in hospital admission and mortality. The ICMR study is the first such analysis on breakthrough infections post-vaccination. |India Today

ECONOMY

COVID-19 second wave poses challenge for FMCG industry

The severity of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in the country poses a key challenge and remains a key monitorable for the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry in the near-term. The supply chain is fully operational, so constraints in the number of operating outlets and limited hours of operation continue to pose front-end challenges for the FMCG industry. Less severe restrictions, a more prepared organized sector and a pick-up in vaccination coverage present some of the key mitigating factors going forward. With structural drivers of growth firmly in place, the pace of economic growth is expected to pick up over time. |New Indian Express 

ENVIRONMENT

COVID-19 and the Environment

Diseases passed from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases) are on the rise, as the world continues to see unprecedented destruction of wild habitats by human activity. Human activities that drive climate change and biodiversity loss also drive pandemic risk through their impacts on our environment. 2020 was expected to be ‘Super Year for Nature,’ with a number of major international meetings and negotiations on environmental issues. Given the continued uncertainties arising from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including those related to restrictions on travel and the convening of large physical gatherings, many environmental negotiations have been postponed. |Geneva Environment Network 

TOURISM

Tourism Minister appeals to tourists to maintain COVID-19 protocol 

The government does not want to stop tourists but appeals to follow certain protocols to keep COVID-19 at bay. “Opening up these rituals and enabling people without vaccination to go scot-free in these mass gatherings are potential super spreaders for the COVID-19 third wave,” the Indian Medical association (IMA) said in a statement. “Each individual of this country has to be a COVID warrior and only then can we defeat this. The government does not want to stop tourists but it is our responsibility to keep everyone safe,” added the Tourism minister. |New Indian Express

MENTAL HEALTH

Impact of COVID-19 on parents with newborns

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on parents. A large-scale study examined parental outcomes, relational outcomes as well as life satisfaction among parents with a newborn. The study reported an improvement in their co-parenting experience despite the many challenges they faced during the pandemic. More than 90 percent of parents reported spending more positive and quality moments with their parent and child since  the beginning of the pandemic and 85 percent reported feeling more invested in their parental responsibilities. |World Economic Forum

Mental health ‘crisis’ for young people

A research published by Mind Cymru demonstrated the effect of pandemic and the lock down periods on the mental health of young people. 106 people aged 13-24 in Wales were spoken to, and 68% reported that their mental health had worsened during the pandemic. Ensuring that people have access to the right kind of support for their mental health needs is a priority. Responding to the impact of the pandemic on mental health will require a multi-faceted approach from several agencies. |BBC

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