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-19Active Cases Recovered Casualties  
India224,15542,086,383511,935
World68,779,228349,751,3215,903,704

VACCINE AND TESTING

Goa achieves 100% COVID-19 vaccination target

The state of Goa has achieved a major milestone of administering both the doses of COVID-19 vaccines to its entire eligible population of 11.66 lakh. The State Directorate of Health Services has said that it will shut down all its COVID-19 vaccination centers and club them into the normal immunization programme. He also clarified that 100 per cent vaccination does not mean the programme will be stopped. The state government’s vaccination programme continued for the past 13 months. |Live Mint

Government panel recommends EUA for Corbevax 

An expert panel of India’s central drug authority on Monday recommended granting restricted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to Biological E’s COVID-19 vaccine, Corbevax, for age group of 12 to 18 years subject to certain conditions. The Corbevax vaccine is administered through an intramuscular route with two doses scheduled 28 days apart. According to the Health Ministry, the company has conducted phase 1/2, 2/3 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the country. Further, it has conducted a phase 3 active comparator clinical trial to evaluate superiority against Covishield vaccine. |India Today

Glenmark Pharma, SaNOtize Research launch nasal spray for COVID-19 

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and its partner SaNOtize Research, a Canadian biotech firm have launched the Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) for the treatment of adult patients with COVID-19. In India, the product is introduced under the brand name FabiSpray. The spray has proven anti-microbial properties with a direct viricidal effect on SARS-CoV-2 and when sprayed over nasal mucosa it acts as a physical and chemical barrier against the virus. The companies have decided to manufacture, market, and distribute NOSA for COVID-19 treatment in India and other Asian markets. |Economic Times

RESEARCH

COVID-19 Vaccinations boost mental health along with immunity

Data from a nationally representative study of 8,090 adults who were interviewed regularly between March 2020 and June 2021 revealed declines in COVID-19 related risk perceptions and psychological distress following vaccination. The study was conducted by the people from Department of Sociology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA. Reductions in distress were partially explained by declining risk perceptions following vaccination. The largest reductions in distress were observed among American Indians (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) individuals, who have suffered disproportionately from COVID-19. |Science Daily

Genome Sequencing used as a tool to study RNA variations in SARS-CoV-2 

A multi-institutional team at the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur studied the RNA variations of COVID-19 virus using genomic Sequencing. The research team observed 16,140 iSNV (intrahost Single Nucleotide variations) sites spanning the virus genome. High density alterations were present in the critical areas that could alter or override the body’s ability to trigger immune response. iSNVs were found in most of ten delta and kappa variants before their fixation as SNVs by February 2021.The identification of iSNVs can help in identifying the key sites in viral RNA that are responsible for the survival of viruses. |Times of India

ECONOMY

The 1918 pandemic led to greater economic disparities than 2020

A comparison of Spanish flu in 1918 and COVID-19 in 2020 reveals that the 1918 pandemic had a devastating impact on economy. Real GDP growth was at a high inflation, a combination far worse than any other disaster to hit India. The 1918 disaster caused an economic downturn lowering GDP as well as employment. Though many businesses, institutions were forced to close, the impact was less severe on them when compared to the 2020 pandemic. Some argue that the economy recovered within two to three years, while others argue that it took a longer time during the flu pandemic. |Times of India

EDUCATION

COVID-19 has locked children out of their education with girls at highest risk 

The impact of COVID-19 on children’s education has been profound. At present, 38 million children, worldwide, are entirely lacking schooling. The effects of this lack of schooling will be far-reaching for the most vulnerable. School closures impact children beyond their learning, targeting their mental health and well-being. As the pandemic continues to unravel, school closures and remote learning will remain a challenge, affecting a generation of children’s learning, development and well-being. |World Economic Forum

Technology trends can encourage a holistic learning environment: 

Online learning has witnessed a lot of infrastructural development and prospects for collaborations between universities and businesses. The increasing number of webinars has given students a chance to interact with professionals from various industries worldwide, making their education more flexible, opening more ways to connect with the community. Disciplines like digital business execution, digital technologies, digital transformation, fintech etc., can be made part of the curriculum to give students a genuine understanding of these areas. |Digital Learning

MENTAL HEALTH

COVID-19 linked with increased risk of Mental Health Disorders

COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, substance use, and sleep disorders. According to a US study, COVID-19 infections have contributed to more than 14.8 million cases of mental health disorders worldwide. Researchers compared mental health outcomes in the COVID-19 dataset with two other groups of people not infected with the virus and found that people with COVID-19 showed a 60 percent higher risk of any mental health diagnosis or prescription. The research suggests that tackling mental health disorders among survivors of the disease should be a priority. |NDTV

TRAVEL

Revised travel guidelines take effect

Incoming travellers will have to upload their COVID-19 vaccination certificates on the government’s Air Suvidha portal aimed at digitally documenting relevant details of international passengers. Mandatory seven-day home quarantine after arrival is also required. India no longer requires negative RT-PCR reports from fully vaccinated travellers from 86 countries. “On the basis of reciprocity, the travellers from only such countries which provide quarantine-free entry to Indians will be allowed for relaxation under certificate of completing full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19 vaccination,” says the guidelines. |Hindustan Times

Where can we get authentic information about Coronavirus?

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Was Bulletin 62 informative? Let us know your suggestions

Bulletin 62 Team

  1. Architha R
  2. Delma M D
  3. Lakshana B
  4. Mahisharthi V
  5. Shabnam S
  6. Shivani S
  7. Vaishnavi Bose S

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