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News & Politics Viral

Myths Surrounding The Intensity Of COVID-19

HT News

COVID-19 became a known thing to science within a few months of coming into the world. It arrived from oblivion and spread like a wildfire. Today, it has taken the entire world in its grip but there seems to be no end to this pandemic.

Some most important and unanswered questions about COVID-19

Q.How does it spread?

The SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 2 million people in the world and resulted in over 10,000 deaths. It is passed through tiny droplets from coughing and sneezing.

Q: Is there any fear of reinfection

It is largely unknown but some people in China and Japan got re-infected from the virus. But it could be a low level of infection from the earlier infection.

Q: What is the number of coronavirus cases in the US?

Until the US start mass testing for COVID-19, determining number of infected cases could be anybody’s guess. There could be people with mild infection or the number could be scary.

Q: How deadly COVID-19 is?

Presently, some countries are facing higher deaths than others. Wuhan, the epicentre of infection, has a death rate of 1.4% but it was 5.8% in late February. On the contrary, South Korea’s due to COVID-19 is less than 1%.

Q. Is it seasonal?

Some viruses become less transmissible in high temperature and it is expected that COVID-19 will also become less intense in the coming months but it would be too early to say anything about this deadly virus.

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Viral

India Shuts Down To Battle Coronavirus Outbreak

HT News

The government banned international flights for a week staring this Sunday in order to escalate measures to fight coronavirus. Also, PM Modi urged children below 10-years and people above 65-years should stay inside. Meanwhile 18 new COVID-19 cases took the total number of coronavirus cases to 173 on Thursday. The pandemic has claimed over 8,000 lives globally.

Highlights of the story

• People above 65-years are advised to stay indoors until necessary. Only public representatives, doctors and government employees should come outside.

• All concessional travel except for students, patients and people with special needs are suspended by railways and airlines.

• Private sector employees are urged to work from home across all states, except for emergency and essential services.

• Fourth COVID-19 death of a 70-year old man with travel history to Germany was reported from Punjab. The earlier three deaths were from Delhi, Punjab and Karnataka.

• Punjab suspended public transport services in addition to restricting public gathering to less than 20 from Friday night. It became the first state to do so.

• The centre has sent 50% of his employees to work from home in addition to staggering working hours for the staff.

• India is on the Stage 2 of the outbreak. It suggests that the transmission is local and traceable. The health ministry said that there was no sign of community transmission.

• Schools, colleges, theatres, malls and shopping areas have been shut down and religious gatherings and weddings have been put off across the country.

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Viral

Chloroquine Prices Sliced To 2015 Level To Fight Global Coronavirus Pandemic

HT News

A New Jersey based drug company Rising Pharmaceuticals doubled the price of its chloroquine phosphate tablets in late 2019. But the increased price was soon rolled back after the medicine is touted as a promising coronavirus treatment.

Treating COVID-19 with chloroquine

The publishing and analytics company Elsevier compiled a report on price increase by the said pharma company. The report said that the price of chloroquine phosphate tablet was increased by 98% between December 2019 and January 2020. The data provided to STAT revealed that cost of a 250-miligram tablet was increased from $3.87 to $7.66.

The company increased the cost of the drug months before the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and much before the tablet was perceived as an effective medicine in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Chloroquine phosphate is usually given in malaria treatment but its demand increased in the past two weeks due to COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO of company explained price decrease

Ira Baeringer said that the price of the drug was reduced to 2015 level for all customers once the whole issue of COVID-19 pandemic started to explode. Even the President Trump said that the drug chloroquine was an effective treatment against coronavirus and that it was “approved for prescription.”

Food and Drug Administration contradicted Trump

Stephen Hahn interrupted to correct Trump almost immediately saying that any opinion on the efficacy of the drug should be made only after conducting clinical trials. Chloroquine phosphate has been manufactured since late 1940s and used as an antimalarial drug.

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National Viral

PM Modi’s Will Address The Nation On COVID-19 Outbreak

HT News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the coronavirus outbreak and the steps taken to combat its further spread during his address to the nation at 8 pm today. He took the decision after chairing a high-level meeting to review the efforts to contain COVID-19.

PM Modi’s address to the nation

India has over 150 coronavirus cases and three deaths – Delhi, Mumbai and Karnataka. The government has decided to spread awareness about the issue and sensitize the people.

Result of the meeting

The participants discussed ways to strengthen the preparedness to battle the outbreak. It also included increasing the testing facilities. The government is seriously considering involving private laboratories in its efforts. The Health Ministry said that the situation was evolving and that the government was ready for every eventuality.

Indian Council for Medical Research (ICRM) is the nodal agency responsible for monitoring the preparedness for battling COVID-19. It has been directed to look for ways to involve private laboratories for boosting testing facilities.

Also, the government is trying to spread awareness in public and educate them about advantages social distancing in fighting with coronavirus. It is the only way of breaking the viral chain of transmission.

Steps taken to strengthen the preparedness

Various state governments have cancelled big ticket events including IPL; shut educational institutions, malls and multiplexes and banned big gatherings to initiate social distancing. The central government has shut down all national parks, museums and monuments. Private companies have allowed their employees … Read the rest

Viral

How to stay safe from COVID-19?

HT News

Together with China, India is also suffering from novel coronavirus. After China, the virus is wreaking havoc in different parts of the globe. However, it is under control in India right now and the stakeholders are spreading awareness about COVID-19. But there are more rumours than information.

Things to do to prevent coronavirus

• Practice personal hygiene

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand rub

• Keep washing hands even when they look clean

• Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or tissue paper while coughing and sneezing

• Dispose off the used tissue safely

• Maintain a safe distance(1 meter/3 feet) from others especially those with flu-like symptoms

• Sneeze on the inner-side of the elbow and not on palms

• Monitor your body temperature and respiratory symptoms especially when feeling unwell. Wear a face mask while visiting a doctor

What not to do with coronavirus

• Avoid shaking hands

• Stay away, if you have flu-like symptoms

• Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth

• Don’t sneeze or cough on your palms

• Don’t spit at public places

• Avoid unnecessary travel especially in affected areas

• Neither sit in groups nor participate in events

• Don’t spread rumours

Coronavirus status in India

There are total of 166 coronavirus cases in India. So far, Maharashtra has received highest number of cases followed by Kerala. Also, 4 cases are reported from Noida in Delhi NCR. The government has ordered closure of schools and colleges till further notice to contain coronavirus.

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International Viral

United Way Creating Pandemic Response Fund To Fight COVID-19

HT News

The United Way of Miami is working with funders to create a fund to help combat the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. The President & CEO Maria Alonso of this nonprofit said in an email that the organization was working with funders to activate a Miami-Dade Pandemic Response Fund to help individuals, organizations and charities.

Maria Alonso explained the fund

He said that the fund would be used to allocated resources to those battling the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways from short-term impacts to long-term resilience of the community. The community invited hundreds of seniors to identify people that need home meal-delivery services. The organization is also working Miami-Dade County Public Schools with the district’s meal outreach.

The volunteers and staffers of the organization provide help in sorting, packing and handout meals to students and families of different schools including Comstock Elementary School, Miami MacArthur Educational Center, North Miami Elementary School and Santa Clara Elementary School.

Also, the United Way has created a web page for convenience of its users. The page will provide information about volunteer needs. Also, it will allow people to sing up for volunteer service for future events.

United Way findings

The nonprofit organization found that 59% of community families were living on one emergency away from poverty that make them potential to COVID-19. Reduced hours, business closures and potential layoffs are really worrisome and it highlights the existing needs of families. The United Way wants to serve all these families.

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Viral

West Bengal Reporting First COVID-19 Case Takes Total Tally To 142

HT News

After 142 coronavirus cases and 3 deaths, the government has stopped people coming from infected nations including European Union, Malaysia, Philippines and Afghanistan. Also, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has started exploring possibility of testing people with no travel history. ICMR is also considering including private laboratories for mass testing.

Highlights of the story

• West Bengal got its first COVID-19 case when a man arrived from England was tested positive in Kolkata airport. He was immediately admitted to infectious diseases hospital.

• Maharashtra with 39 COVID-19 cases is still the worst hit state in India.

• The man who died in Mumbai recently came from Dubai on March 5. He was admitted to a private hospital for respiratory problems but test positive for coronavirus. His wife is also infected with virus but she is stable.

• In Noida, two more people are tested positive for coronavirus. In Ladakh, three more coronavirus patients took the toll to 6.

• Presently people with a travel history to infected countries are tested for COVID-19 due to limited testing facility. But there is a loud cry to test everyone with coronavirus symptoms. South Korea showed by aggressive testing can help control COVID-19.

• ICMR director told that they weren’t averse to private labs testing COVID-19 and that they were making safety rules to allow private labs in mass testing.

• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned of economic devastation in the next six months due to coronavirus.

• Kerala government launched a mass hand washing campaign named “break the chain”.

• The World Health Organization appreciated India’s response and commitment to control COVID-19.

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Viral

British Study Predicts 22 Million Dying Of Coronavirus In US And 5 Million In Britain

HT News

A crucial projection study by Neil Ferguson, a professor of mathematical biology at Imperial College London prompted the British government to impose more stringent measures to contain COVID-19 outbreak.

Study on COVID-19

The study compares the coronavirus epidemic with the devastating flue of 1918 and draws strong parallels between the two outbreaks. The report paints a worse picture of COVID-19. Based on data collected from Italy that is the worst hit country after China, the report predicts about half a million deaths in Britain and 2.2 million in the US, if no mitigating measures are taken at all.

The report further says that even the government’s previous measures – home isolation of suspects – could result in 250,000 deaths and the health system crumbling under the pressure. But the new measures by the British government could flatten the peak.

Britain announces new measures to curb COVID-19

Prime Minister Boris Johnson closed down social life to save the world’s fifth largest economy from the outbreak. Also, people over 70-years with health issues are advised to go in isolation. People are advised to follow social distancing by avoiding clubs, pubs and theaters.

The study helped the British government changed its position on the outbreak. Those in the government said that it had acted on the advice of the experts.

British government criticized

Earlier the government was criticized for not taking swift actions to contain the spread of COVId-19. Some health experts said that Italy, Spain and France were taking better lock-down measures in comparison to Britain.

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Viral

What Are Different Stages Of Coronavirus Outbreak?

HT News

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that India was at the second stage of coronavirus pandemic. At this stage, there’s no fear of community transmission.

Stage 2 of coronavirus outbreak

ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava explained that India was on Stage 2 of the outbreak and not on Stage 3 where there was fear of community outbreak. Also, Mr. Bhargava hoped that Stage 3 would never arrive in India.

He further said that preventing the outbreak from reaching to Stage 3 depended on India’s response like closing borders and proactive stage. But he said that it was difficult to say that community transmission won’t happen.

Different stages of an outbreak

Stage 1: Transmission is imported from foreign nations through air traffic.

Stage 2: Local transmission starts after people start coming into contact with affected persons. For example, family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues of infected persons are tested positive for the infection.

In local transmission, the virus spread remains limited to certain pockets. Since its source is visible, it is easier to contain the virus at this level as opposed to community transmission.

Stage 3: It is the stage of community transmission where people start getting infection even without coming into contact with infected persons or getting exposed to infection.

At this stage, it becomes very difficult to track source of infection. Italy and Spain are in the Stage 3 of coronavirus spread.

Stage 4: It is the worst stage where disease becomes an endemic and there seems no end point. China is at the Stage 4 of COVID-19.

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Viral

Trial Of Coronavirus Vaccine Begins In US

HT News

US health officials made an announcement about start of the first human trial of a candidate vaccine against the new coronavirus in Seattle. This test is a ray of hope in the global fight against the disease.

But the vaccine has to pass more trials in phases before it is termed safe and it could take from 12 to 18 months before it is made available for public.

COVID-19 vaccine

US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with Cambridge, Massachusetts based biotechnology company Modern has been developing a vaccine called mRNA-1273 to defeat COVID-19.

The trial involves 45 healthy adult volunteers between the age group of 18 to 55 years. They will be kept under observation for a period of 6 weeks and the trail on the first volunteer would start on Wednesday. Funding for the trial was provided by the Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

COVID-19 has already infected more than 175,000 people and claimed over 7,000 lives so far. But there is no approved vaccine for this infection. Head of infectious diseases at the NIH said that finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection was an urgent public health priority.

The Moderna vaccine will use a messenger RNA that contains the genetic information of the spike. The messenger will grow the spike inside the human body and elicit response without actually infecting a person with the full-blown virus. US-based Gilead Sciences has already developed an antiviral treatment called remdesivir and it is in the final stages of developing the vaccine.

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