covid-19 international research update · sl title pg 61 uk scientists ... 70 covid-19: lessons for...
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COVID-19 International Research Update
Compiled by: Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Team:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
1. LayaMadduri, IAS, State Project Director, ARIAS Society 2. ParijatChowdhury, Sr. ICT & Infra Specialist, ACCSDP 3. NibhaKumari, Agri Marketing Specialist, ASAMB-APART 4. Baljeet Singh, Market Analyst & Operations Specialist, APART
March-April-May-June-July-Aug 2020
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Table of contents Sl Title Pg
1 WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 05
2 UC Davis launches two clinical studies to treat COVID-19 05
3 USFDA update on COVID-19 06
4 Coronavirus: The woman behind India's first testing kit 06
5 Russian scientists take the first photo of a novel coronavirus and fully decode its genome 06
6 Russia plans to start series production of new vaccine against coronavirus in 1.5 years 06
7 Australian researchers to trial BCG vaccine for COVID-19 07
8 University of Birmingham joins COVID-19 genome sequencing alliance to map spread of coronavirus 08
9 University Of Glasgow Leads Covid-19 Research Response In Scotland 09
10 Germany : DZIF Coronavirus Researchers use “Fast Track” 10
11 WHO says early data show some drugs ‘may have an impact’ on coronavirus, but more research is needed 12
12 USA: Study will test if hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19 12
13 USA: Florida Research Company Prepares for COVID-19 Vaccine, Treatment Clinical Trials 12
14 Europe : Severe COVID-19 cases to be offered new clinical trial programme 13
15 USA Free access to AI Clinical Research Navigator tool for COVID-19 researchers 14
16 The US Army's Virus Research Lab Gears Up to Fight COVID-19 15
17 Rapid COVID-19 escalation pushes world past 900,000 cases/ COVID-19 detected in cat & dogs 15
18 Germany :COVID-19: Study Reports High Viral Shedding Among Early-Stage Patients 15
19 Australia begins animal trials for COVID-19 vaccine 15
20 DRDO develops bio suits for doctors, paramedics engaged in treating coronavirus patients 16
21 USA : COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise 17
22 British Colombia: Trial drug can significantly block early stages of COVID-19 in engineered human tissues 17
23 University of California: Removing the novel coronavirus from the water cycle 18
24 Common Anti-Parasitic drug may help in stopping novel coronavirus,- Australian Scientists’ research 19
25 Study lists 69 existing drugs to target novel coronavirus 19
26 Researchers announce promising coronavirus vaccine candidate 19
27 Shocking Study Theorizes Compelling Mutated Coronavirus Origins 20
28 Researchers warn possible coronavirus treatment HCQ may be toxic when combined with Diabetes drug 21
29 COVID‐19: Characteristics in children & considerations for Dentists providing their care 21
30 Convalescent plasma transfusion shows promise for severely ill patients with COVID-19 22
31 Researchers have identified potential target for antiviral treatment for COVID-19 22
32 Covid-19: EU to push for coordinated virus-tracking mobile apps 23
33 Coronavirus latest: CERN scientists join the COVID-19 fight 23
34 COVID-19: Genetic network analysis provides 'snapshot' of pandemic origins 24
35 UK doctors to research more severe COVID-19 impact on Indians 24
36 Two-Thirds of Severe Covid-19 Cases Improved on Gilead Drug 25
37 COVID-19 vaccine: Could human challenge trials speed up the process? 25
38 Indian Summer may hold a pleasant surprise; could slow down corona spread 26
39 Marine red algae may hold key to preventing spread of COVID-19: Reliance researchers 27
40 Loss of taste and smell is an important symptom for COVID-19 27
41 Coronavirus can infect cats but pet owners need not worry 27
42 Universiti Malaya leads clinical trials for Tocilizumab in COVID-19 treatment 28
43 New drug promises to change Covid-19 response, gets nod for human trials 28
44 Study finds evidence of COVID-19 in air, on hospital surfaces 28
45 How AI helps scientists find reliable coronavirus research 29
46 US Homeland Security Lists Blockchain As Critical Tool To Combat Covid-19 30
47 COVID-19: New research examines wastewater to detect community spread 30
48 Early peek at data on Gilead coronavirus drug suggests patients are responding to treatment 31
49 Experts warn of urgent need for COVID-19 mental health research 32
50 COVID-19: Harvard study suggests bouts of social distancing required till 2022 32
51 What can data on testing tell us about the pandemic? 33
52 Reports suggest many had coronavirus with no symptoms 36
53 Researchers have identified potential target for antiviral treatment for COVID-19 37
54 COVID-19: Genetic network analysis provides ‘snapshot’ of pandemic origins 38
55 World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research 39
56 NIAID strategic plan details COVID-19 research priorities 40
57 Increasing pessimism about ‘return to normal’ by June from COVID-19 crisis, shows poll 41
58 'No evidence' yet that recovered COVID-19 patients are immune, WHO Says 41
59 New York clinical trial quietly tests heartburn remedy against coronavirus 42
60 Shiv Nadar University-led researchers find new way to treat respiratory infection caused by COVID-19 43
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61 UK scientists plan to expand human trials of potential COVID-19 vaccine 44
62 Studies find men more prone to COVID-19 death 44
63 COVID-19 shot protects monkeys 45
64 US germ warfare research leads to new early COVID-19 test 46
65 R&D Blueprint and COVID-19 47
66 Update on WHO Solidarity Trial – Accelerating a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine 48
67 Israeli research team gets a step closer to developing a COVID-19 vaccine 48
68 Israel develops key Covid antibody that ‘attacks and neutralises’ the virus in patient’s body 49
69 Italian Researchers Claim World’s First COVID-19 Vaccine That Can Stop Coronavirus From Infecting Human Cells 49
70 COVID-19: Lessons for international research collaboration and information exchange 50
71 DG, CSIR launches Compendium of Indian Technologies for Combating COVID-19 51
72 An investigation of transmission control measures during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 epidemic in China 52
73 Geolocation Study: Public Health Officials Should Prepare for Coronavirus in New Locations 52
74 Triple anti-viral drug shows COVID-19 promise in Hong Kong study 53
75 Coalition to accelerate research for COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries 54
76 Coronavirus: research reveals way to predict infection – without a test 55
77 Passive immunisation may slow down COVID-19 infection: Study 55
78 Genomic Study Points to Natural Origin of COVID-19 56
79 New Research: Now, bowel abnormalities seen in Covid-19 patients 58
80 German Researchers Develop Technique To Stop COVID Reproduction 58
81 How long can the coronavirus survive on surfaces or in the air? 59
82 New Research: Why does age make it more difficult to fight COVID-19? 61
83 Ashwagandha as Covid-19 warrior? IIT Delhi study says yes! 61
84 Researchers in India must join the fight against COVID-19 63
85 10 minutes is all it takes to get corona virus infection: Research 64
86 Implications of the COVID-19 on food production, agricultural and fishery/aquaculture supply chains and markets 67
87 Impact of COVID-19 on food and agriculture 68
88 First human trial of COVID-19 vaccine finds it is safe, induces immune response 72
89 COVID-19 patients not infectious after 11 days even if found positive: Singapore study 73
90 Serum Institute eyes COVID-19 vaccine by October 73
91 ICMR study on cluster of Italian tourists suggests COVID-19 spreads faster among close contacts 74
92 Exposed children escape infection more often than adults 76
93 Half of COVID-19 cases may experience altered sense of taste: Study 77
94 New Research: In review, what COVID-19 does to central nervous system 77
95 COVID-19 concerns increase in May following easing of lockdowns 77
96 Surgery after COVID-19 raises death risk: Global study 78
97 International community rallies to support open research and science to fight COVID-19 78
98 World leaders pledge €7.4bn to research COVID-19 vaccine 79
99 Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine May update: Moderna’s clinical trial enters phase II 81
100 Right time to fuse science with industry: Bonds built amid coronavirus will last forever 82
101 Plasma therapy safe, effective for severe COVID-19 patients: Study 83
102 Why COVID-19 fears rise in South America as Brazil becomes world’s second largest hotspot 84
103 COVID-19 and Food Security 85
104 Coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca 'on track' to roll out COVID-19 vaccine in September 86
105 Baldness, smoking among COVID-19 risk factors for men: Study 87
106 COVID-19 found its way to India via frequently travelled countries in Europe, Middle East’: Study 87
107 Coronavirus: Widespread mask-wearing could prevent COVID-19 second waves, study shows 88
108 A blood group cases develop severe Covid symptoms: New researches find blood groups play key role 89
109 COVID-19 threatens entire nervous system: Study 90
110 Risk of Covid case fatality in India relatively higher among females: Study 91
111 Patanjali CEO Balkrishna claims company found Ayurveda cure for coronavirus 91
112 COVID-19 peak in India may arrive mid-November, paucity of ICU beds, ventilators likely: Study 92
113 Global group calls for COVID-19 clinical research in poor nations 93
114 CBI warns against methanol based sanitizers 94
115 Important to use dexamethasone only for severe coronavirus cases: WHO 94
116 COVID-19 patients without disease symptoms may have weaker immune response: Study 95
117 Study identifies brain injury markers in COVID-19 patients 96
118 COVID-19 live updates- India & the World 97
119 Nigerian scientists claim to have discovered COVID-19 vaccine 97
120 Coronavirus treatment: Ramdev's Patanjali launches Coronil kit for ₹545 98
121 Coronavirus business impact 99
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122 COVID-19 impacts on fish and aquatic food systems 99
123 Coronavirus: Researchers to trial salt water as COVID-19 treatment 100
124 World’s largest public agricultural research network launches COVID-19 Hub to support global scientific response 100
125 NASA Supercomputers power COVID-19 research 102
126 Digital medicine: research for the patient’s sake 102
127 COVID-19 infected patients are more likely to suffer from strokes, a new study has found 103
128 A mobility start up in Assam develops a mobile app “Stay home” 103
129 Explained: What is Covaxin, India’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate; how long before approval? 104
130 Assam lab isolates COVID-19 virus 105
131 NE people will be more immune to COVID-19, here’s why? 105
132 WHO recommended disinfectants effective against COVID-19: Study 106
133 How Long Can The COVID-19 Coronavirus Live On Your Hair? 107
134 Coronavirus is airborne, say scientists; ask WHO to revise recommendations: Report 109
135 Bengal Announces Stricter Lockdown from July 9 109
136 Breakthrough: Indian scientists find COVID-19 gene in wastewater, hailed by global community 110
137 World Bank: Food Security & COVID-19 112
138 How do we know who is immune to COVID-19? 113
139 Boosting your immune system against coronavirus: how to minimize the risk of infection? 115
140 12 districts ban entry of people from Guwahati after massive spike in COVID-19 cases in the city 117
141 WHO convenes manufacturers, regulatory authorities meet on COVID-19 vaccines 118
142 COVID-19 vaccine development sees unparalleled progress 119
143 COVID-19 could spark a new era of piracy in South East Asia 120
144 UC Davis experts: Science says wearing masks and social distancing slow COVID-19 122
145 As Lockdown, Disease Cut Assam’s Pork Supply, Edible Insects Come Into Focus 124
146 Covid-19 vaccine update: Latest on Gilead’s remdesivir, Moderna’s experimental candidate and others 126
147 Coronavirus India lockdown Day 117 updates as on July 19, 2020 127
148 Delhi COVID-19 testing last week: Every fourth sample found positive; officials blame laxity in people’s behaviour 127
149 Coronavirus: Centre warns against use of N95 masks with valved respirators: 128
150 India and Israel join hands to develop rapid testing kits for COVID-19 in under 30 seconds 128
151 Don’t expect first COVID-19 vaccinations until early 2021 129
152 Coronavirus is surging all over Asia and Pacific: here is what rest of the World can learn 129
153 Ayurvedic treatment of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2: A case report 130
154 New app pinpoints COVID-19 hotspots, symptoms 130
155 Travel bans lead to less accurate weather forecasts 131
156 Most of asymptomatic patients didn’t transmit virus while at home quarantine: Study 131
157 To curb spread of COVID, Telangana Govt hospitals halt family planning services 133
158 COVID-19 and the great reset 133
159 How COVID-19 is affecting the globe 134
160 Southeast Asia faces 'socio-economic’ crisis 134
161 COVID-19 and food safety- Potential transmission of COVID-19 via food 135
162 How COVID-19 is affecting the globe 135
163 The COVID-19 lockdown caused seismic activity to halve around the world 136
164 Scientists scoff at Indian agency's plan to have COVID-19 vaccine ready for use next month 137
165 3 Covid-19 vaccine candidates set to enter final stage of trial. Here’s everything you need to know about them 138
166 Hong Kong offers free Covid-19 testing for all residents 139
167 Heroic Overnight Car Relay Delivers Plasma For Assam COVID-19 Warrior 139
168 UNESCO joins WHO to bolster youth actions combating COVID-19 141
169 Explained: Why Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine claims are being questioned 141
170 ICMR sets August 15 deadline for world’s 1st Covid-19 vaccine 143
171 Decoding the global search for a vaccine 143
172 Russia starts production of coronavirus vaccine, shows report 145
173 73 new variants of virus found: Study 146
175 India eyes global front runners in COVID-19 vaccine plan 146
176 3 Indian vaccines under trial 147
177 Here’s how COVID-19 smell loss differs from common cold 148
178 Successful Elimination of Covid-19 Transmission in New Zealand 149
179 Scientists recommend at least 40 pc humidity in public buildings to curb COVID-19 spread 150
180 Speed, safety, fairness key for Covid-19 vaccine: WHO regional Director 153
181 COVID-19 pandemic in Assam- introduction and spread 153
182 India accelerates PPE production with increased demand at Global platforms 154
183 Gorillas, Orangutans, Whales too at high Covid-19 risk: Study 154
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184 Here’s how effective Covid-19 vaccine needs to be to stop the coronavirus pandemic 156
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COVID-19 International Research follow up
25th March 2020: WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 25 March 2020 WHO Director General has called upon all countries who have introduced so-called “lockdown”
measures to use this time to attack the virus through following six key actions:
1. First, expand, train and deploy your health care and public health workforce;
2. Second, implement a system to find every suspected case at community level;
3. Third, ramp up the production, capacity and availability of testing;
4. Fourth, identify, adapt and equip facilities you will use to treat and isolate patients;
5. Fifth, develop a clear plan and process to quarantine contacts and;
6. Sixth, refocus the whole of government on suppressing and controlling COVID-19.
These measures are the best way to suppress and stop transmission, so that when restrictions
are lifted, the virus doesn’t resurge.
Source: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-
media-briefing-on-covid-19---25-march-2020 accessed at 12.49 IST on 27th March 2020
26th March 2020: UC Davis launches two clinical studies to treat COVID-19
Remdesivir study: UC Davis is one of approximately 75 sites worldwide evaluating the benefits of
Remdesivir for severe COVID-19 infection. Remdesivir is an investigational broad-spectrum
antiviral treatment developed by Gilead Sciences Inc. It was previously tested in humans with
Ebola virus disease and has shown promise in animal models for treating Middle East
respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which are caused
by other coronaviruses. UC Davis physicians used remdesivir in February, with emergency
approval from the Food and Drug Administration, to treat a critically ill patient who was the first
known case of community-acquired infection in the U.S. The patient has since returned home to
recover. The study will enroll up to 440 patients over the next several months, including about
10 or more at UC Davis. Among other criteria, participants must be 18 years of age or older, have
a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 test and poor lung function.
Sarilumab study: UC Davis is one of up to 50 sites in the U.S. assessing sarilumab, a drug jointly
developed by Regeneron and Sanofi pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of rheumatoid
arthritis. The drug is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks the receptor for interleukin-6
(IL-6), a cytokine that plays an important role in the body's immune response and in generating
fever and acute inflammation. The study will evaluate whether the drug can control the
progression of the inflammatory response in the lungs of patients with severe COVID-19
infection.Approximately 400 hospitalized patients age 18 and older with acute COVID-19
infection can be enrolled in the study nationwide. Individuals will be grouped according to the
severity of their illness and progression of symptoms, from severe to critical to having multi-
system organ failure as well as whether cortisone drugs were used to reduce inflammation. The
researchers will be determining whether the health of individuals with high IL-6 levels and
severe/critical levels of infection improve with the drug.
Source:https://www.newswise.com/articles/uc-davis-launches-two-clinical-studies-to-treat-covid-19
accessed at 12:35 PM IST on 28th March 2020
27th March 2020: USFDA update on COVID-19:The FDA issued a letter to stakeholders about
the imminent threat to the health of consumers who may take chloroquine phosphate products
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used to treat disease in aquarium fish, thinking the products are interchangeable with FDA-
approved drugs (used to treat malaria and certain other conditions in humans) that are being
studied as a COVID-19 treatment for humans. Chloroquine products sold for aquarium use have
not been evaluated by the FDA to determine whether they are safe, effective, properly
manufactured, and adequately labeled for use in fish-let alone humans.
Source:https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-
roundup-march-27-2020 accessed at 01:40 PM on 28th
March 2020
28th March 2020: Coronavirus: The woman behind India's first testing kit: India has been
criticized for its poor record of testing people in the battle against coronavirus. That, however, is
set to change, thanks in large part to the efforts of one virologist, who delivered on a working
test kit, just hours before delivering herbaby. On Thursday (26th March 2020), the first made-in-
India coronavirus testing kits reached the market, raising hopes of an increase in screening of
patients with flu symptoms to confirm or rule out the COVID-19 infection. Mylab Discovery, in
the western city of Pune, became the first Indian firm to get full approval to make and sell
testing kits. It shipped the first batch of 150 to diagnostic labs in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and
Bengaluru (Bangalore) this week."Our manufacturing unit is working through the weekend and
the next batch will be sent out on Monday," DrGautamWankhede, Mylab's Director for medical
affairs, told the BBC on Friday. The molecular diagnostic company, which also makes testing kits
for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, and other diseases, says it can supply up to 100,000 Covid-19
testing kits a week and can produce up to 200,000 if needed. EachMylab kit can test 100 samples
and costs 1,200 rupees ($16; £13) - that's about a quarter of the 4,500 rupees that India pays to
import Covid-19 testing kits from abroad.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52064427accessed at 02.45 PM on 28th March
2020
28th March 2020: Russian scientists take the first photo of a novel coronavirus and fully
decode its genome: Russian scientists have managed to sequence the first complete genome of
the coronavirus, the Russian Health Ministry confirmed on March 19. "This coronavirus is new to
us, so it is essential to have an opportunity to identify the path of its spread and entry into the
territory of our country, and its mutations. This information will help develop vaccines and
antiviral drugs to treat the coronavirus,” said Dmitry Lioznov, acting head of the Smorodintsev
Research Institute of Influenza, whose specialists decoded the genome. Soon, this data will be
sent to the World Health Organization database so that scientists from other countries can have
access to it. In the meantime, scientists from the VECTOR State Research Center of Virology and
Biotechnology in Novosibirsk have managed to take pictures of COVID-19 under a microscope. Source :https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/331859-russian-scientists-photo-coronavirus Accessed on 28 March 2020 ,6:00 PM
28th March 2020: Russia plans to start series production of new vaccine against
coronavirus in 1.5 years: Russia will need about 1.5-2.5 years in order to create a vaccine
against coronavirus and launch it into a series production, according to recent statements made
by Dmitry Lioznov, an acting Director of the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, one of
Russia’s leading research institutions in the field of influenza treatment.
According to DrLioznov, despite the fact that the development of vaccine is usually a quick
process for scientists, it is followed by the long procedure of its pre-clinical studies on animals as
well as studies on volunteers. So far, scientists at the Smorodintsev Institute have already
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completed the decoding of the COVID-19 genome taken from the biomaterial of a Russian
patient and are ready to begin its pre-clinical studies. Dr Lioznov comments: “Now it’s difficult
to say how much the strain, deciphered in Russia differs from the first sample of the coronavirus,
deciphered in China. Now the WHO genetics bank has sequences of several hundred samples
obtained in different countries. The variability of the virus, its evolution is necessary both for
predicting its spread and for creating an effective vaccine and drugs, but comparing the gene
structure of different strains, taken from different patients is a laborious process, which requires
the use of special computer programs. This work is ongoing."
Source:https://www.thepharmaletter.com/in-brief/brief-russia-plans-to-start-series-
production-of-new-vaccine-against-coronavirus-in-1-5-years, Accessed on: 28 March 2020, 8:26
PM
29th March 2020: Australian researchers to trial BCG vaccine for COVID-19: Researchers at
the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia are set to conduct a randomised, multi-
centre clinical trial to test the use of tuberculosis vaccine BCG against COVID-19. The BRACE trial
is intended for healthcare workers. It is based on previous study findings that BCG decreases the
level of virus in patients infected by viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2. Murdoch Children’s Research
Institute director Kathryn North said: “This trial will allow the vaccine’s effectiveness against
Covid-19 symptoms to be properly tested, and may help save the lives of our heroic frontline
healthcare workers.”The controlled trial is expected to enrol approximately 4,000 healthcare
workers at hospitals across Australia, including the Melbourne Campus’ Royal Children’s
Hospital. BCG will be assessed for its ability to mitigate the prevalence and severity of Covid-19
symptoms. More than 130 million babies currently receive the BCG vaccination for tuberculosis
each year. The vaccine is said to enhance ‘frontline’ immunity. The improved immunity is
expected to provide the time required to develop and validate a specific vaccine for Covid-19
infection. The BRACE study is based on an existing trial at the institute, which led to human
ethics approvals. The existing trial is being conducted at sites across Australia. North added:
“Using rapidly sourced and immediately deployable funds, we will be relentless in our pursuit of
preventions and treatments for this unprecedented pandemic. “These trials will allow the rapid
advancement of the most promising candidates to clinical practice, giving us the most number of
shots on goal against Covid-19 as possible.” Trials of potential vaccine candidates for Covid-19
are already underway in the US and China.
Source:https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/australia-bcg-vaccine-trial-covid-19/
Accessed on 29th March 2020,5:00 PM
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30 March 2020:University of Birmingham joins COVID-19 genome sequencing alliance to
map spread of coronavirus: The Government and the UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser have today
(Monday 23 March) backed the UK’s leading clinicians and scientists to map how COVID-19
spreads and evolves using whole-genome sequencing. Through a £20 million investment, the
consortium will look for breakthroughs that help the UK respond to this and future pandemics,
and save lives.
The COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium - COG-UK - comprised of the NHS, Public Health
Agencies and academic institutions – including the University of Birmingham - will deliver large
scale, rapid sequencing of the cause of the disease and share intelligence with hospitals, regional
NHS centres and the Government.
Samples from patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be sent to a network of sequencing
centres which currently includes Birmingham, Belfast, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter,
Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford and Sheffield. The Wellcome Trust
Sanger Institute will provide large-scale sequencing capacity and additional support.
The University of Birmingham, led by Nick Loman, Professor of Microbial Genomics and
Bioinformatics in the Institute of Microbiology and Infection, have deployed a real-time genome
sequencing facility established at the University capable of sequencing genomes of the virus
causing COVID-19 from patients in the West Midlands in less than 24 hours.
Professor Loman says: “This is a remarkable collaboration which brings together Birmingham
and the UK’s incredible depth of expertise and knowledge in viral sequencing and genomics. An
open and distributed model of sequencing involving both academia, the NHS and our public
health bodies is the right way to ensure results are delivered quickly to decision-makers. We are
now well positioned to return deep insights into understanding the rapidly-accelerating
pandemic of COVID-19, easily the most pressing infectious disease emergency we have faced in
two generations in the UK.
“The government’s investment is well-timed to accelerate the pace of viral genome sequence
production and ensure this information is openly available to epidemiologists and virologists
worldwide. This will provide an unprecedented real-time view of COVID-19 virus evolution.”
Understanding viral evolution is important for understanding how the virus is spreading in local,
national and international settings. It provides valuable epidemiological information revealing
the chains of transmission that must be stopped in order to stop this outbreak.
We also stand to observe how the virus adapts to a human host over time, and how human
interventions including drug treatments and eventually vaccines, exert pressure on the virus.
Source:https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/latest/2020/03/birmingham-joins-covid-19-genome-
sequencing-alliance-to-map-spread-of-coronavirus.aspx
Accessed on:30th March 2020,5:00 PM IST
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30 March 2020:University Of Glasgow leads COVID-19 research response in
Scotland: The MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) is at the heart of
COVID-19 research response in Scotland and the UK.Covid-19 is a new disease in humans,
caused by a member of the coronavirus family of viruses. Thought to have originated in bats, it
was first recorded in humans in China in late 2019, and can cause a fever, cough and breathing
problems. Experts currently think around 80% of cases are mild, however a small portion of
infected people go on to have complications such as pneumonia, and require a period of
hospitalisation.
So far, it has spread to most countries around the world, and has already affected more than
300,000 people, several thousands in the UK. The WHO currently estimate the death rate at
3.4%, however scientists believe the real mortality rate may be lower as there is evidence that
not everyone with mild forms of the disease have been tested.
Scientists at the CVR are working in partnership with colleagues across the UK on a range of
research areas related to the new coronavirus, including working closely with colleagues in
Public Health England to understand linkages across the UK in an effort to shut down ongoing
transmission in real-time. Research areas include fundamental studies to understand the nature
of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus which causes COVID-19, genomic sequencing and bioinformatics
analyses of the virus from patient samples, and the identification of potential therapies.
Professor Massimo Palmarini, Director of the CVR, said: “The CVR and its scientists are at the
centre of Scotland’s – and the UK’s – response to the current coronavirus outbreak. As the
largest group of virologists in the UK with the facilities to handle samples from infected patients,
we are well placed to conduct pivotal research into emerging diseases such as COVID-19.
“In the coming weeks and months, our scientists will continue to work in collaboration with NHS
Scotland, sequencing the virus, as well as conducting further research into SARS-CoV-2, its
mechanisms of action and potential therapies.”
In early March 2020, CVR scientists working in partnership with the NHS Greater Glasgow &
Clyde West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, rapidly sequenced the virus from the first
COVID-19 patient confirmed in Scotland.
Professor Emma Thomson, Dr Ana Da Silva Filipe and a team of scientists at the Centre, will
continue to rapidly sequence SARS-CoV-2 virus from COVID-19 samples obtained from patients,
from across Scotland, as long as the outbreak lasts. This genomic information will be made
publically available immediately following sequencing and genomic analysis.
Reports on the five genomes sequenced to date are available at these two sites:
http://virological.org/t/first-report-of-covid-19-in-scotland/412
http://virological.org/t/update-report-of-covid-19-in-scotland-multiple-
introductions/438
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The rapid sequencing of COVID-19 samples is essential to further research into the virus.
Scientists from around the world are able to extract information from the genetic code – or
blueprint – of this new coronavirus, that will ultimately help the creation of vaccines.
Dr Ana Filipe, Head of the CVR’s Viral Genomics facility who led the efforts to rapidly sequence
this virus said: “The rapid turnaround of the sample and interpretation of the data was only
possible due to excellent coordination between clinicians, diagnostic labs, and research partners.
These collaborations are critically important to ensuring an effective response to outbreaks like
this. Equally important is the trend of open sharing of reagents and protocols amongst
researchers and the public sharing of sequencing data, which has been a defining feature of the
response to recent viral epidemics”.
The CVR is also working to develop a toolbox of reagents that will help current and future
studies of this virus. This includes a partnership with the MRC Phosphorylation Unit at the
University of Dundee to generate antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. All of these reagents will be
made available to the research community.
The MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) was established in 2010 and
represents the UK’s largest grouping of human and veterinary virologists. The CVR is embedded
within the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glasgow which
provides excellent research opportunities to investigate virus-host interactions and immune
response to virus infection. The Centre is funded by the Medical Research Council, the UK’s
leading publicly funded biomedical research organisation, and by a variety of other funding
bodies including the Wellcome Trust, the BBSRC, EU and others.
Source:https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_714460_en.html
Accessed on: 30th March 2020,6:15 PM IST
GERMANY:DZIF Coronavirus Researchers use “Fast Track”
Research has been called to develop drugs, vaccines and testing methods as quickly as possible
to fight the SARS-coronavirus-2. A fast-track procedure has made additional funding available to
scientists at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) for this purpose.
The research package put together by scientists at the DZIF is pursuing ambitious goals: New
diagnostic testing methods, antiviral drugs and a vaccine against the virus are on the agenda. “
We are optimistic that our research work at the DZIF can make substantial contributions in the
fight against the virus,” explains Prof. Stephan Becker from Marburg University. He is the
Coordinator of the DZIF research area “Emerging Infections”.
Prevention: Vaccines do not assemble themselves on their own
DZIF scientists in Munich, Marburg and Hamburg use the expertise previously acquired from
developing a vaccine against MERS, a different type of coronavirus. They are using the same
vector virus, a smallpox virus which has been modified and rendered harmless, into which they
now insert the genetic information of a SARS-CoV-2 surface protein instead of the previously
inserted MERS information. The scientists selected a so-called spike protein, which lies on the
Page 12 of 157
surface of the virus and enables the virus to enter human cells, to use as a suitable building
block.
“This may initially sound like simple assembly work, but it does require a substantial amount of
meticulous research work,” explains Prof. Gerd Sutter, virologist at LMU Munich. First we need
to synthesise both the vector and the corona spike protein genes. Then we have to assemble
these genetic building blocks in such a way that they can finally be administered as a
recombinant vaccine. The resulting vaccine virus should be able to penetrate into the cells and
produce the virus’s spike protein in the cells so as to stimulate the vaccinated person’s immune
system. Whether this is effective will first have to be tested in a cell model and subsequently in
animal models and on humans.
“These precise testing systems have to developed alongside each other,” adds Prof. Stephan
Becker from Marburg University. “We also do this at the DZIF.” Research questions include:
Which antibodies are developed in the animal model and subsequently in humans? Are the
number of antibodies produced sufficient to provide protection against the virus and how long
does this vaccine protection last? At the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Prof.
Marylyn Addo is leading a research group which is conducting parallel analyses of patient
biosamples so as to determine the human body’s immune response more precisely. These are
important investigations which pave the way to an effective vaccine. “If the current plan works,
we should have a vaccine that works in animal models in early 2021,” Addo hopes. Prof. Marylyn
Addo will lead the clinical trials at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE).
She substantially contributed towards the development of the Ebola and MERS vaccines which
are both still undergoing clinical trials.
Treatment: Emergency drugs
The development of antiviral drugs could be faster than the development of a new vaccine. The
scientists develop in vitro assays and animal models to serve as a basis for testing antiviral
substances. Especially agents which have already been approved for other indications hold
promise as drugs which could be used in the short term.
Diagnosis: Rapid and safe tests
Shortly after the outbreak in China in January 2020, DZIF scientists at Charité –
Universitätsmedizin Berlin developed the first test for SARS-CoV-2. Using the virus’s genetic
information, Prof. Christian Drosten and his team succeeded in developing a test based on the
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technique. The test is currently being used worldwide. Now the
aim is to refine the test methods as well as to develop and validate new tests which can be used
to determine immune responses in the human body. “We will only be able to develop a vaccine
once we know what happens inside the patient’s body,” Drosten explains.
Source:https://www.dzif.de/en/dzif-coronavirus-researchers-use-fast-track
Accessed on:30th March 2020,4:00 PM IST
Page 13 of 157
31st March 2020:WHO says early data show some drugs ‘may have an impact’ on
coronavirus, but more research is needed: World Health Organization officials said early
research shows that some drugs “may have an impact” on fighting the coronavirus, but the data
are extremely preliminary and more research needs to be done to determine whether the
treatments can reliably fight COVID-19.There is “some preliminary data from non-randomized
studies, observational studies, that indicate some drugs and some drug cocktails may have an
impact,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program, said during a
press briefing at the agency’s headquarters Monday.
WHO urged countries to stop using medicines that are not proven to be effective against COVID-
19.Chloroquine has gained a lot of attention after a small study of 36 COVID-19 patients
published on March 17th in France found that most patients taking the drug cleared the
coronavirus from their system a lot faster than the control group. Adding azithromycin,
commonly known as a Z-Pak, to the mix “was significantly more efficient for virus elimination,”
the researchers said. A small study in China also found that combining chloroquine with
azithromycin was “found to be more potent than chloroquine.” Scientists and infectious disease
experts say the study’s findings were not definitive and a large-scale trial is needed to see
whether the drugs are effective.World health officials are testing four of the most promising
drugs to fight COVID-19, including chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which are anti-malarial
drugs.
Source:https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/who-says-early-data-shows-some-drugs-may-have-an-
impact-on-coronavirus-but-more-research-is-needed.html
Accessed on: 31st March 2020,11:00 AM IST
USA: Study will test if hydroxychloroquine can prevent COVID-19: The anti-malaria drug
hydroxychloroquine has made headlines in recent weeks for its potential to help with the new
coronavirus disease, COVID-19, though its benefits remain unproven. Now, a new study will test
whether the drug can prevent COVID-19 transmission.For the study, researchers in New York
and Washington state plan to enroll 2,000 participants who are close contacts of people with
confirmed or pending COVID-19 diagnoses.
Participants will be randomly assigned to take either hydroxychloroquine or a placebo for two
weeks, and they will be tested daily for COVID-19, according to a statement from the University
of Washington (UW), which will collaborate on the study with New York University (NYU).The
trial is expected to last eight weeks, and researchers hope to have the results by summer.The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that hydroxychloroquine and the
related drug chloroquine should only be used as prescribed medications under the supervision
of a health care provider. In addition, people should never ingest non-pharmaceutical forms of
chloroquine phosphate.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/hydroxychloroquine-prevent-covid-19-study.html
Accessed on: 31st March 2020 at 11:30 AM IST
USA:Florida Research Company Prepares for COVID-19 Vaccine, Treatment Clinical Trials:
Pharmaceutical companies are currently working with existing products and creating new mixes
to see what may pass clinical tests and prove viable.Carlos Orantes is CEO of Amplify Clinical,
the company that owns Meridien Research and NeuroStudies in Central Florida.Thecompany is
Page 14 of 157
among thousands now working to be involved in clinical testing of potential vaccines and
treatments for COVID-19.
“Right now, more than ever, we need everybody to be collaborating, to accelerate, to do it right
and do it fast,” Orantes said. “Research is done right, but not fast because there’s so much risk
involved and time involved, but right now we don’t have the time, we have to act
quickly.”Orantes said treatments and medications can typically take 7 to 10 years - vaccines
typically take 1-2 years and more than $1 billion to develop.He estimates many of the nation’s
75,000-80,000 clinical trial firms in the United States could have a role in testing potential
vaccines and treatments.The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency authorization
allowing hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to be used for potential coronavirus treatment.
The drugs have long been used for malaria.
Clinical trials often happen in phases.In this case, pharmaceutical companies may experiment to
come up with various treatments or vaccines, which companies will then put through clinical
trials.Phase I is the very start of a test phase with a small group of human volunteers.Each phase
of the clinical can take months to conduct and analyze, with each round using a larger pool of
volunteers.Johnson& Johnson announced it has made strides in developing a vaccine for
COVID-19, which could be available by early 2021. The National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases also started a clinical trial of a potential vaccine.
Source:https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2020/03/30/florida-researchers-
covid-19-vaccine-trials
Accessed on: 31st March 2020 , 4:45 PM IST
Europe: Severe COVID-19 cases to be offered new clinical trial programme: Clinical trials
investigating the efficacy of using the rheumatoid arthritis drug, Kevzara, in patients
hospitalised with severe COVID-19 have now been expanded to include the EU.The clinical
programme that is being run by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi for all countries outside the
US is the second trial as part of the Kevzara COVID-19 programme, which was first trialled this
month in the US.To qualify, patients must have pneumonia and be hospitalized with laboratory-
confirmed COVID-19 that is classified as “severe or critical,” or be suffering from multi-organ
dysfunction.
After receiving the study dose, patients will be assessed for 60 days, unless they die or are
discharged before that.The trial will be conducted in Italy, Spain, Germany, and France as well as
Canada, Russia, and the US, and is expected to enroll about 300 patients.According to a
preliminary study, the drug, which is currently approved in multiple countries to treat adults
with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, may be able to calm the overactive
inflammatory response in the lungs of patients who are severely or critically ill with COVID-19
infection.In a 21-patient cohort infected with COVID-19, patients were found to have
experienced rapidly reduced fevers and 75% of them reduced their need for supplemental
oxygen within days of receiving a similar medication.“Despite this encouraging finding, it’s
imperative to conduct a properly designed, randomised trial to understand the true impact of
Kevzara, which we are now doing through this global clinical trial program,” said George D.
Yancopoulos, co-founder, president, and chief scientific officer of Regeneron, the biotechnology
Page 15 of 157
company responsible for running the clinical trial in the US.For the moment, the use of Kevzara
to treat the symptoms of COVID-19 has not been evaluated by any regulatory authority.
Source:https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/severe-covid-19-cases-to-be-
offered-new-clinical-trial-programme/
Accessed on: 31st March 2020 5:30 PM IST
1 April 2020: USA- Free access to AI Clinical Research Navigator tool for COVID-
19 researchers: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the creators of the Clinical Research
Navigator (CRN) tool have offered free access to their system for biomedical researchers. Expert
System Enterprise, an artificial intelligence (AI) company, has offered biomedical researchers
free access to its AI-based Clinical Research Navigator (CRN) tool, effective immediately through
at least 1st July 2020.CRN contains over 100 million documents and reference information on 12
million clinical researchers, updated in near real-time and structured so it is searchable by
disease, drug, mechanism of action, organization, researcher and geography.
The system constantly monitors and mines biomedical content from an array of sources,
including MEDLINE publications, clinical trials, National Institutes of Health-funded research, US
patents, news and social media streams. CRN then aggregates and sorts the information based
on the searchable fields listed above. Using natural language processing (NLP) the technology
recognizes related terms (eg, COVID-19, coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2) and puts them into
context.
Source:https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/59010/free-access-to-ai-clinical-research-
navigator-tool-for-covid-19-researchers/
Accessed on: 1st April 2020,4:15 PM IST
The US Army's Virus Research Lab gears up to fight COVID-19: The Pentagon's
Institute of Infectious Diseases has been handling the world’s most dangerous organisms for
decades. Now they're researching the new coronavirus.Today, the germ warriors of USAMRIID
are hunkering down to fight the novel coronavirus. They are figuring out how it spreads, and
learning how it infects different lab animals. This information is vital in order to accurately test
new vaccines and therapeutics against the virus. One of their main tasks will be to develop an
animal model which can be used to test possible treatments before they reach human clinical
trials. Senior science adviser Louise Pitt directs the aerobiology lab at USAMRIID and has
worked on Ebola, anthrax, ricin and the Marburg virus in her 30-year career here. Pitt says her
team is gearing up for an expected rush of work in the coming weeks as more vaccines and drugs
candidates that are being advanced by academic and commercial labs come online. (Their lab
has several dozen cooperative agreements to test contenders that arise from separate agencies,
labs, and universities.)
Source:https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-armys-virus-research-lab-gears-up-to-fight-
covid-19/
Accessed on: 1st April 2020,5:00 PM IST
Page 16 of 157
1st April, 2020: Rapid COVID-19 escalation pushes world past 900,000 cases/ COVID-19
detected in cat & dogs: Spurred mainly by rapidly growing pandemic activity across Europe
and the United States, the global total today is at 926,924 cases in 180 countries, which includes
46,252 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.India is just a few days into a
21-day lockdown, which stranded migrant workers without food and shelter and triggered other
problems. The country now has 1,998 cases, 601 of them reported today. In Hong Kong today,
health officials reported the first COVID-19 detection in a cat, which belongs to an owner who
tested positive for the virus. The cat's oral, nasal, and rectal samples were positive for the virus.
The cat hasn't shown any clinical signs and will be quarantined. Two dogs in Hong Kong were
positive for the virus in earlier instances, one of which was also positive on a serology test.
Source:http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/rapid-covid-19-escalation-
pushes-world-past-900000-cases
Accessed on 2nd April 2020 at 07:34 AM IST
Germany: COVID-19: Study reports high viral shedding among early-stage patients: A
detailed virological analysis of nine patients in Germany has revealed that COVID-19 infected
people 'shed' or excrete more viral particles during the first week of symptoms. The study also
highlights that the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 actively replicates in the upper respiratory
tract of the patients and hence results in high levels of shedding during the early stages of
infection, when the patients have mild symptoms.In the study, the German scientists analysed
the throat and lung samples, sputum (mucus from the respiratory tract), and stool, blood and
urine from the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Munich. The scientists were able to isolate
the infectious form of the virus from the throat and lung samples until eight days of symptoms.
Only two of the nine patients, who showed early signs of pneumonia, continued to shed high
levels of the virus until day 10 or 11.
The analysis also shows that the virus was present in sputum of patients even after the end of
symptoms. Interestingly, the virus was not detected in blood or urine samples. The researchers
report that they did not find any replicating form of the virus in the stool samples, even though it
contained high concentrations of viral particles. Therefore, the evidence so far suggests that the
novel coronavirus may not be transmissible via stool. However, researchers say that larger
sample studies are necessary to test this theory.Overall, the study suggests that patients with
early-stage symptoms are likely to shed more of SARS-CoV-2 in the first week. However, studies
have also shown that infected people can continue to shed coronavirus for up to 8 days after
symptoms have disappeared.
Source:https://weather.com/en-IN/india/coronavirus/news/2020-04-01-covid-19-study-
high-viral-shedding-among-early-stage-patients
Accessed on: 2nd April 2020 , 6:15 PM IST
Australia begins animal trials for COVID-19 vaccine: Trials on ferrets expected to take 3
months, says Australia's science agency: Australia's science agency announced on Thursday it
has begun trials on ferrets to produce a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. A statement
released by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) - the
country's national science agency - said that scientists have commenced the first stage of testing
for potential vaccines."We have started pre-clinical trials for two vaccine candidates," it
added."The testing [is] expected to take three months," the statement said, adding that the
Page 17 of 157
process was underway at the CSIRO's high-containment biosecurity facility in Geelong,
Victoria.The statement said the CSIRO established its biological model last February but that its
researchers have been studying the coronavirus since January."It is the first in the world to
confirm ferrets react to SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19]," the statement added.
Source:https://www.aa.com.tr/en/health/australia-begins-animal-trials-for-covid-19-
vaccine/1789443#
Accessed on: 2nd April 2020, 7:00 PM IST
3rd April 2020:DRDO develops game-changing bio suit for doctors, health workers to keep
them safe from coronavirus: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has
developed a bio-suit to keep the medical, paramedical and other personnel engaged in
combating COVID-19 safe from the deadly virus. Scientists at various DRDO laboratories have
applied their technical know-how and expertise in textile, coating and nanotechnology to
develop the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) having a specific type of fabric with coating.
Efforts to ramp up capacity to 15,000 suits per day: The suit has been prepared with the help of
the industry and subjected to rigorous testing for textile parameters as well as protection
against synthetic blood. The protection against synthetic blood exceeds the criteria defined for
body suits by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The DRDO is making all efforts to
ensure that these suits are produced in large numbers and serve as a robust line of defence for
the medics, paramedics and other personnel in the front line combating COVID-19. The industry
is geared up for production of the suit in large quantities. Kusumgarh Industries is producing the
raw material, coating material, with the complete suit being manufactured with the help of
another vendor. The current production capacity is 7,000 suits per day. Another vendor is being
brought in with the experience in garment technology and efforts are on to ramp up the capacity
to 15,000 suits per day.
The game-changer for the textile industry: The bio-suit production in the country by DRDO
industry partners and other industries are being hampered due to non-availability of seam
sealing tapes. The DRDO has prepared a special sealant as an alternative to seam sealing tape
based on the sealant used in submarine applications. Presently, bio suits prepared using this
glue for seam sealing by an industry partner has cleared test at Southern India Textile Research
Association (SITRA) Coimbatore. This can be a game-changer for the textile industry. The DRDO
can mass produce this glue through the industry to support the seam sealing activity by suit
manufacturers. The DRDO has developed a number of products and technologies for defence
against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) agents. Defence Research and
Development Establishment (DRDE) Gwalior, a laboratory of DRDO, has developed Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Permeable Suit Mk V. Fifty-three thousand suits
have been supplied to Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). For first responders
attending to radiological emergencies, a reusable suit has been developed by Institute of Nuclear
Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) Delhi. Aerial Delivery Research and Development
Establishment (ADRDE) Agra has developed various types of parachutes with fabrics similar to
protective technical textiles.
Source:https://www.ibtimes.co.in/drdo-develops-game-changing-bio-suit-doctors-health-
workers-keep-them-safe-coronavirus-816578 Accessed on 3rd April 2020 at 11.45 AM IST
Page 18 of 157
USA: COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise: University of Pittsburgh, School
of Medicine scientists today announced a potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the new
coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. When tested in mice, the vaccine, delivered
through a fingertip-sized patch, produces antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 at quantities
thought to be sufficient for neutralizing the virus.The researchers were able to act quickly
because they had already laid the groundwork during earlier coronavirus epidemics.Compared
to the experimental mRNA vaccine candidate that just entered clinical trials, the vaccine
described in this paper -- which the authors are calling PittCoVacc, short for Pittsburgh
Coronavirus Vaccine -- follows a more established approach, using lab-made pieces of viral
protein to build immunity. It's the same way the current flu shots work.
The researchers also used a novel approach to deliver the drug, called a microneedle array, to
increase potency. This array is a fingertip-sized patch of 400 tiny needles that delivers the spike
protein pieces into the skin, where the immune reaction is strongest. The patch goes on like a
Band-Aid and then the needles - which are made entirely of sugar and the protein pieces --
simply dissolve into the skin.When tested in mice, PittCoVacc generated a surge of antibodies
against SARS-CoV-2 within two weeks of the microneedleprick.Importantly, the SARS-CoV-2
microneedle vaccine maintains its potency even after being thoroughly sterilized with gamma
radiation -- a key step toward making a product that's suitable for use in humans.They are now
in the process of applying for an investigational new drug approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration in anticipation of starting a phase I human clinical trial in the next few months.
Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200402144508.htm
Accessed on 3rd April 2020 at 3:00 PM IST
British Colombia: Trial drug can significantly block early stages of COVID-19
in engineered human tissues: An international team has found a trial drug that
effectively blocks the cellular door SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect its hosts.The study provides new
insights into key aspects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and its interactions on a
cellular level, as well as how the virus can infect blood vessels and kidneys.
ACE2 - a protein on the surface of the cell membrane - is now at centre-stage in this outbreak as
the key receptor for the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2.In earlier work, at the University of
Toronto and the Institute of Molecular Biology in Vienna first identified ACE2, and found that in
living organisms, ACE2 is the key receptor for SARS, the viral respiratory illness recognized as a
global threat in 2003.The new study provides very much needed direct evidence that a drug -
called APN01 (human recombinant soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 - hrsACE2) - soon
to be tested in clinical trials by the European biotech company Apeiron Biologics, is useful as an
antiviral therapy for COVID-19.Now its known that a soluble form of ACE2 that catches the virus
away, could be indeed a very rational therapy that specifically targets the gate the virus must
take to infect humans.
Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200402144526.htm
Accessed on: 3rd April at 3:30 PM IST
Page 19 of 157
British Colombia: Trial drug can significantly block early stages of COVID-19
in engineered human tissues An international team has found a trial drug that effectively blocks the cellular door SARS-CoV-2
uses to infect its hosts.The study provides new insights into key aspects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus
that causes COVID-19, and its interactions on a cellular level, as well as how the virus can infect
blood vessels and kidneys. ACE2 - a protein on the surface of the cell membrane - is now at
centre-stage in this outbreak as the key receptor for the spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2.
In earlier work, at the University of Toronto and the Institute of Molecular Biology in Vienna first
identified ACE2, and found that in living organisms, ACE2 is the key receptor for SARS, the viral
respiratory illness recognized as a global threat in 2003.The new study provides very much
needed direct evidence that a drug -- called APN01 (human recombinant soluble angiotensin-
converting enzyme 2 -- hrsACE2) -- soon to be tested in clinical trials by the European biotech
company Apeiron Biologics, is useful as an antiviral therapy for COVID-19.Now its known that a
soluble form of ACE2 that catches the virus away, could be indeed a very rational therapy that
specifically targets the gate the virus must take to infect humans.
Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200402144526.htm
Accessed on 4th April 2020 at 3:30 PM IST
4th April 2020: University of California:Removing the novel coronavirus from water cycle:
Scientists know that coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-19 virus responsible for the COVID-19
pandemic, can remain infectious for days or even longer in sewage and drinking water.Two
researchers, Haizhou Liu, an Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at
the University of California, Riverside; and Professor Vincenzo Naddeo, Director of the Sanitary
Environmental Engineering Division at the University of Salerno, have called for more testing to
determine whether water treatment methods are effective in killing SARS-CoV-19 and
coronaviruses in general.
The virus can be transported in microscopic water droplets, or aerosols, which enter the air
through evaporation or spray, the researchers wrote in an editorial for Environmental Science:
Water Research & Technology, a leading environmental journal of the Royal Society of
Chemistry in the United Kingdom.Fortunately, most water treatment routines are thought to kill
or remove coronaviruses effectively in both drinking and wastewater. Oxidation with
hypochlorous acid or peracetic acid, and inactivation by ultraviolet irradiation, as well as chlorine,
are thought to kill coronaviruses. In wastewater treatment plants that use membrane
bioreactors, the synergistic effects of beneficial microorganisms and the physical separation of
suspended solids filter out viruses concentrated in the sewage sludge.However, since most of
these methods have not been studied for effectiveness specifically on SARS-CoV-19 and other
coronaviruses, additional research is required.
Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200403132347.htm
Accessed on4th April 2020 at 6:00 PM IST
Page 20 of 157
Common Anti-Parasitic Drug May Help In Stopping Novel Coronavirus, Says Australian
Scientists’ Research: Amid a barrage of research on finding treatment for new coronavirus,
Australian scientists have found that a common anti-parasitic drug killed SARS-CoV-2 virus,
growing in cell culture, within 48 hours in lab settings.Ivermectin is an FDA-approved anti-
parasitic drug that has also been shown to be effective in vitro against a broad range of viruses
including HIV, dengue, influenza and zika virus.
Published in the journal Antiviral Research, the study from Monash University showed that a
single dose of Ivermectin could stop the coronavirus growing in cell culture effectively eradicating
all genetic material of the virus within two days. However, it is cautioned that the tests conducted
in the study were in vitro and that trials needed to be carried out in people.
Source:https://swarajyamag.com/insta/common-anti-parasitic-drug-may-help-in-stopping-
novel-coronavirus-says-australian-scientists-research
Accessed on: 4thApril 2020 at 6:45 PM IST
5 April 2020: Study lists 69 existing drugs to target novel coronavirus: Scientists mapped
out human proteins that interact with those of the virus: In a breathtaking feat, nearly a
hundred scientists from across the globe worked together to study the genes of the coronavirus
(SARS-CoV-2) and have published a list of drugs that can be re-purposed to treat COVID-19.
They have also mapped out the human proteins that interact with those of the virus.
The proteins of the virus must attach to the human proteins to cause the infection. The team
studied 26 coronavirus genes that help in the production of these proteins. It also studied
human proteins and found 332 SARS-CoV-2 and human protein interactions. The team then
listed 67 human proteins that can be targeted by 69 drugs to fight the infection. These drugs
include the existing FDA-approved drugs, drugs under clinical trials and/or preclinical
compounds.When the virus invades the cells, it hijacks the cells’ molecular machinery to
replicate itself because it cannot do this on its own. The drugs we have identified may be able to
inhibit these molecular machines so that the virus can no longer use them for its own survival.
Thus, we hope some of these drugs will be able to decrease viral load and disease severity for
patients.The list includes unexpected candidates such as entacapone used to treat Parkinson’s
disease and antiviral medication named ribavirin, which was administered to Nipah patients in
Kerala during the 2018 outbreak. Chloroquine, an antimalarial drug, and metformin, used to
treat diabetes, were also found on the list.It was said future studies are geared up to more
deeply understand the exact molecular mechanisms used by the coronavirus to drive disease in
humans. This could reveal additional drug targets and drugs to treat COVID-19.
Note:The study was posted on preprint server bioRxiv on March 27, which is yet to be peer-
reviewed and published in a scientific journal.
Source:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/existing-drugs-that-prevent-coronavirus-
replication-identified/article31258840.ece
Accessed on 5th April 2020 at 6:00 PM IST
Researchers announce promising coronavirus vaccine candidate: The drug is
delivered through a band-aid-like patch — not a needle. Researchers at the University of
Pittsburgh, School of Medicine announced today that they have developed a promising new
COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Page 21 of 157
Early animal trials have shown promise so far, but human trials are still in the planning stages.
The researchers already had a big leg up from past epidemics.From previous experience on
SARS-CoV in 2003 and MERS-CoV in 2014,these two viruses, which are closely related to SARS-
CoV-2, teach us that a particular protein, called a spike protein, is important for inducing
immunity against the virus,” Gambotto explained. “We knew exactly where to fight this new
virus.
The vaccine dubbed “PittCoVacc” (Pittsburgh Coronavirus Vaccine) works in the same basic way
as a flu shot: By injecting lab-made pieces of viral protein into the body to help it build an
immunity.When tested in mice, the researchers found that the number of antibodies capable of
neutralizing the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus surged two weeks after delivery.Instead of being
delivered through a needle, the new drug is administered through a microneedle array, a Band-
Aid like patch made up of 400 tiny microneedles. Once the patch is applied, the microneedles,
which are made entirely of sugar and protein dissolve, leaving no trace behind.According to the
researchers, these patches can be easily manufactured in massive “cell factories” at an industrial
scale. The vaccine doesn’t even need to be refrigerated during storage or transport — a massive
complication for other vaccines.Before starting human trials, the researchers are currently
applying for drug approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Source:https://futurism.com/neoscope/researchers-promising-coronavirus-vaccine-candidate
Accessed on 5th April 2020 at 6:30 PM IST
6th April 2020: Shocking Study Theorizes Compelling Mutated Coronavirus Origins:New
studies suggest that while some coronavirus cases emerged from the wet market, earlier cases
likely emerged from somewhere else.Many scientists have pointed towards the Wuhan seafood
market as the origin of the Coronavirus (CODIV-19) outbreak in early 2020. New studies and
findings suggest that while some cases emerged from the wet market, earlier cases likely
emerged from somewhere else.A study from The Scripps Research Institute found two possible
sources of coronavirus, which may explain the emergence of the initial wave of COVID-19 cases
in November 2019, prior to the cluster of cases that emerged in the Wuhan seafood market.The
researchers identified the two origins to be: natural selection in an animal host before zoonotic
transfer and natural selection in humans following zoonotic (animal-to-human) transfer.
Coronavirus Could Have Mutated Within The Human Body: The first origin—mutation in an
animal host—would mean that a form of virus mutated within wild animals in the likes of bats
and pangolins before spreading to humans.In this scenario, humans got in direct contact with
animals that had mutated viruses within them, causing the first animal to human transmission to
occur. Researchers say that it is difficult to conclusively state that the Wuhan wet market is the
origin of coronavirus because of the undersampled nature of studies that made the link between
the market and the virus outbreak.Prior to the batch of cases that were reported from the
Wuhan seafood market, individuals reported coronavirus symptoms by as early as November
2019, which indicates that the coronavirus outbreak began before the wet market reported new
cases.
The second scenario—natural selection in humans following zoonotic transfer—suggests that a
lesser form of coronavirus may have transferred from a bat or a pangolin to a human body, and
the virus mutated within humans afterward.As the virus started to mutate, it also began to
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transmit from humans to humans, causing the outbreak to start.Recent research papers show
that scientists are still discovering new data about coronavirus, and as time passes, scientists are
becoming increasingly skeptical towards the initial understanding of the origin of the virus.
Source:https://www.ccn.com/shocking-study-theorizes-compelling-mutated-coronavirus-
origins/
Accessed on: 6th April 2020 at 6:00 PM IST
Researchers warn possible coronavirus treatment Hydroxychloroquine may
be toxic when combined with Diabetes drug: Researchers have warned that
hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ), two similar drugs repeatedly touted by
President Trump to be promising treatments for COVID-19, may be deadly when combined with
a common diabetes drug.The new study was published yesterday online on scientific pre-print
server BioRxiv and shows that 30-40% of mice treated with a combination of HCQ or CQ and
diabetes drug metformin, died. Treatment with the same dose of either drug alone had no effect
on the survival of the mice.
HCQ and CQ are typically used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid
arthritis and lupus, but have also shown some early promise in the treatment of certain types of
cancer, with several clinical trials ongoing.Although no work has yet been done in humans to
evaluate this interaction, there is also a plausible scientific reason by which these two drugs may
negatively interact. Both of them affect a process called autophagy, which is where cells recycle
proteins to enable them to make more.“Autophagy” literally stands for “self-eating” and is a form
of “quality control” that most cells in our body engage in to recycle aging proteins so as to
synthesize new ones. HCQ and CQ are both agents that inhibit autophagy and in fact this is the
property that is important for its use in tumors like pancreatic cancer.Metformin, on the other
hand can actually induce autophagy, so it is possible that two drugs interfering with this
recycling pathway at the same time could be toxic. The work in the recently published study
was done before the coronavirus outbreak, with the researchers testing HCQ/CQ and metformin
for pancreatic cancer and coming up with this perhaps, serendipitous finding
Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/04/05/researchers-warn-that-
covid-19-treatment-touted-by-trump-may-be-toxic-when-combined-with-diabetes-
drug/#5346d3d355f8
Accessed on: 7th April 2020 at 10:37 AM IST
7th April 2020: COVID‐19: Characteristics in children and considerations for Dentists
providing their care: The emergence of the novel virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV2) has caused a global pandemic called Coronavirus Disease
(COVID‐19) and has become one of the most significant challenges to the healthcare profession.
Dental practices are focal points for cross‐infection and care must be taken to minimise the risk
of infection to, from, or between dental care professionals and patients. The COVID‐19 disease
epidemiological and clinical characteristics are still being collated but children’s symptoms seem
to be milder than those that adults experience. It is unknown whether certain groups, for
example, children with comorbidities, might be at a higher risk of more severe illness.
Source:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ipd.12653 accessed on 7th April 2020 at
10:12 PM IST
Page 23 of 157
Convalescent plasma transfusion shows promise for severely ill patients with COVID-19:
Preliminary research has shown the potential of convalescent plasma therapy to improve
clinical outcomes of patients with severe disease related to COVID-19. Results of an
uncontrolled case series, conducted in China showed five patients critically ill with COVID-19
and acute respiratory distress syndrome demonstrated improvement in clinical status after
receiving convalescent plasma that contained neutralizing antibodies. In a separate feasibility
pilot study — also conducted in China — 10 patients with severe COVID-19 all showed
significant improvement in clinical condition within 3 days of receiving convalescent plasma,
which is derived from donors who recently recovered from the infection.
“The situation is so acute and so serious that we have to try many different things,” Laurence
Corash, MD, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Cerus Corp., told Healio. “But, of all the
different things that have been tried thus far, convalescent plasma has shown the most
consistent and best responses. Based on previous experiences with convalescent plasma in other
viral diseases with high death rates, I am optimistic that this will work here.” Convalescent
plasma has “an old history,” Corash said. It showed some benefit for a small number of patients
in during the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1918. It reduced mortality from 16% to about 1%
among individuals with Argentine hemorrhagic fever, it decreased time to hospital discharge
among people in Hong Kong with severe acute respiratory syndrome, and it also has been used
to treat Ebola, Corash said.
Cerus Corp. has formed a collaborative research group designed to optimize convalescent
plasma therapy for patients with COVID-19. Donating plasma is different than donating blood.
Plasma is extracted from the donor using a specific machine, with red blood cells and platelets
returned to the donor. Donors can give about 850 ml of plasma per session, and based on the
preliminary data from China, this can treat up to four patients with severe symptoms related to
COVID-19, Corashsaid.“The people to go after immediately are those who had documented
COVID-19 disease and have recovered to see if they are willing to donate plasma,” Corash said.
“The idea is to create a huge inventory of this plasma that can be readily available. We already
collect and transfuse plasma for other diseases, such as auto-immune and immune-deficiency
diseases.”
Source:https://www.healio.com/hematology-
oncology/hematology/news/online/%7B75453a03-ea98-4c57-8b50-
7997853beabe%7D/convalescent-plasma-transfusion-shows-promise-for-severely-ill-patients-
with-covid-19 accessed on 7th April 2020 at 10:24 PM IST
8 April 2020: Researchers have identified potential target for antiviral treatment for
COVID-19: NEW YORK: Researchers have identified a possible target for antiviral treatment for
COVID-19 by assessing the overall mechanism by which the novel coronavirus enters host cells,
and comparing it with the process seen in other similar viruses. The researchers, including those
from Cornell University in the US, compared the molecular sequence of small proteins involved
in the fusion of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and the SARS virus behind the 2002-03
epidemic, with the host cell membrane.
The scientists assessed the intricate procedure of membrane fusion in the viruses, which they
said is a critical part of the mechanism by which coronaviruses spread. The virus then attaches
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to the host cell receptor by way of the spike protein on its surface.According to the scientists,
this process is followed by a piece of the spike protein, called the fusion peptide, interacting
directly with the host cell membrane and facilitating merging to form a fusion pore, or
opening.Researchers said the virus then transfers its genome into the host cell through this pore,
and eventually hijacking the host cell's machinery to produce more viruses.In the study, the
research team found that charged atoms of calcium interacting with the fusion.
Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/researchers-
have-identified-potential-target-for-antiviral-treatment-for-covid-9/articleshow/75041596.cms
Accessed on : 8 April 2020 at 8:00 PM IST
Covid-19: EU to push for coordinated virus-tracking mobile apps: A pan-
European approach for COVID-19 mobile apps should be drawn up by April 15, the EU said in
new proposals aimed at using virus-tracking digital tools safely and more effectively."As a
matter of urgency” the 27 EU nations should develop common standards for virus-tracking
technologies, according to recommendations signed off by the European Commission.Measures
should be aimed at making the apps interoperable and nations should even potentially develop a
single app across the bloc, the EU’s regulatory arm, said in the document.
The proposal puts "in motion a European coordinated approach for the use of such apps and
data, without compromising on our EU privacy and data protection rules, and avoiding the
fragmentation of the internal market."With developers in the UK, Germany and elsewhere
working on mobile phone apps to track people who’ve been exposed to the coronavirus, the EU
is looking to establish common standards that would make the data more comparable. The
benchmarks for contact tracing apps are part of a broader effort by the EU to coordinate exit
strategies when member states slowly lift existing lock-down measures. Virus-tracking apps
could help authorities find people who have been exposed to COVID-19 so they can be isolated and
may ultimately lead to a way out of the restrictive social-isolation measures that are keeping
schools, shops and restaurants closed.
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2020/04/08/covid-19-eu-to-push-for-
coordinated-virus-tracking-mobile-apps
Accessed on 8th April 2020 at 8:45 PM IST
9 April 2020: Coronavirus latest: French ConseilEuropéen pour la
RechercheNucléaire(CERN)- European organization for nuclear research scientists join
the COVID-19 fight: More than 100 researchers and staff members at CERN are finding
innovative ways to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Scientists, engineers and technicians at
the world’s largest particle-physics laboratory, near Geneva, Switzerland, are teaming up to fill
crucial gaps in the local and international responses to the outbreak — from manufacturing and
distributing large quantities of hand sanitizer to designing an open-source ventilator. One of
CERN’s strengths is its ability to connect people across a wide range of expertise and locations,
says Beniamino Di Girolamo, a CERN particle Physicist and the Chair of the CERN against COVID-
19 task force. The group is working closely with local agencies, biomedical experts and the
World Health Organization to ensure that CERN’s resources are being put to best use and that its
designs are safe for patients. One of its main projects so far is the design of the High Energy
Physics Community Ventilator, HEV. Because the researchers and technicians who work on
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CERN’s Large Hadron Collider have extensive experience in managing gas flows and control
systems. The team posted its ventilator designs on the arXiv preprint server on 1st April and is
currently soliciting feedback on a prototype from several medical professionals. The design
should be ready for production “in a month, maximum”.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00154-w
Accessed on 9th April 2020 at 09:00 PM IST
10th April 2020:COVID-19: Genetic network analysis provides 'snapshot' of pandemic
origins: Researchers from Cambridge, UK, and Germany have reconstructed the early
"evolutionary paths" of COVID-19 in humans - as infection spread from Wuhan out to Europe
and North America - using genetic network techniques. There are too many rapid mutations to
neatly trace a COVID-19 family tree. They used a mathematical network algorithm to visualize all
the plausible trees simultaneously. These techniques are mostly known for mapping the
movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA. They think this is the first time they
have been used to trace the infection routes of a coronavirus like COVID-19. Importantly, the
researchers say that their genetic networking techniques accurately traced established infection
routes: the mutations and viral lineages joined the dots between known cases. Phylogenetic
network analysis has the potential to help identify undocumented COVID-19 infection sources,
which can then be quarantined to contain further spread of the disease worldwide.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200409085644.htm
Accessed on: 10th April 2020 at 8:30 PM IST
UK doctors to research more severe COVID-19 impact on Indians: A report by the UK's
Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC) this week revealed that the country’s
ethnic minority population is more likely to require intensive care admissions, nearly triple the
13% proportion in the UK population as a whole. Indian-origin doctors in the UK have begun
putting in place processes to conduct in-depth research into the role of ethnicity in greater
susceptibility of some patients of South Asian origin to develop more severe symptoms of the
novel coronavirus and die of the disease.The reasons behind this trend will not be any one thing
but a complex set of factors, be it Vitamin D deficiency, the lack of social distancing measures
within a large Indian family household set up or a genetic predisposition. We will know only
once we have the relevant data to analyse.The most recent ICNARC data of UK intensive care
unit attendance is- some of the first signals of the concern that COVID-19 has a more severe
(lethal) phenotype in BAME [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic] groups, with more than 25 per
cent being Black or Asian, and more than a third being non-Caucasian.
Source:https://www.livemint.com/news/world/uk-doctors-to-research-more-severe-covid-
19-impact-on-indians-11586434628264.html
Accessed on: 10th April 2020 at 9:00 PM IST
11th April 2020: 2/3rd of Severe Covid-19 Cases Improved on Gilead Drug: Gilead Sciences Inc.’s experimental drug for patients with severe Covid-19 infections showed
promise in an early analysis, raising tentative hope that the first treatment for the novel virus
may be on the horizon.The report published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 53
people in the U.S., Europe and Canada who needed respiratory support, with about half receiving
mechanical ventilation and four on a heart-lung by-pass machine.All received remdesivir for up
to 10 days on a compassionate use basis, a program that allows people to use unapproved
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medicines when no other treatment options are available. Over 18 days, 68% of the patients
improved, with 17 of the 30 patients on mechanical ventilation being able to get off the
breathing device. Almost half the patients studied were ultimately discharged, while 13% died.
Some scientists though have expressed skepticism with regard to the results.It was said “In
studying remdesivir, the question is not just whether it is safe and effective against Covid-19, but
in which patients it shows activity, how long should they receive treatment and at what stage of
their disease would treatment be most beneficial. Many answers are needed, which is why we
need multiple types of studies involving many types of patients.”Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum
antiviral, is viewed by researchers and doctors as one of the most promising agents against
Covid-19 to enter human trials to date. In lab studies conducted prior to the Covid-19 outbreak
on numerous compounds, researchers at the University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt
University found the drug had potent activity against a wide variety of coronaviruses similar to
the new coronavirus.
Source:https://www.bloombergquint.com/coronavirus-outbreak/two-thirds-of-severe-covid-
19-improved-on-gilead-s-remdesivir
Accessed on: 11th April 2020 at 9:26 PM IST
COVID-19 vaccine: Could human challenge trials speed up the
process?:Challenging times call for heroic measures. Scientists are now mulling human
challenge trials to speed up the process of making a viable COVID-19 vaccine. Under these trials,
scientists will infect healthy volunteers with the virus, to study the efficacy of their vaccines.To
be sure, the vaccine trials for COVID-19 are already on a super-fast track: a vaccine is expected
between 12-18 months compared with the 6-10 years that it normally takes to develop a
vaccine. Indeed, some vaccine candidates have even reached the human trial phase in less than
four months after the world learnt about a new “mystery” pneumonia virus. Many other
potential vaccines are also in the pre-clinical or animal testing phase.Though the process is not
as simple as it sounds. There are many safety and ethical considerations along with some
technical aspects that the research team considers - right from choosing the candidates, the
exposure of the microbe these volunteers would get and the vaccine schedule.All the volunteers
would be told all about the study before enrolling so they know exactly what is being done. Only
consenting candidates will be taken in.
The main reason why scientists are proposing human trials is to be able to skip the most lengthy
phase of vaccine development - the final phase of clinical trials that would require them to enroll
thousands of volunteers and test vaccine safety and efficacy. Clinical trials have three phases
with an increasing number of candidates.
Generally, even after a vaccine has crossed the final clinical trial phase, licencing and quality
control takes a lot of time before the vaccine can be launched in the market and made available
to the general public. With human challenge trials, they would be able to skip the final phase of
clinical trial and can apply for licencing quickly. This would significantly compress the timeline
for developing the vaccine.
Source:https://www.firstpost.com/health/covid-19-vaccine-could-human-challenge-trials-
speed-up-the-process-8248221.html
Accessed on: 11th April 2020 at9:00 PM IST
Page 27 of 157
12 April 2020: Indian Summer may hold a pleasant surprise; could slow down corona
spread: The scorching sun in the summers could considerably slow down the transmission of
the coronavirus infection in India, according to the country's two high profile microbiologists
who have worked with National Institutes of Health(NIH) and the World's largest biomedical
research agency located in Maryland, USA.The Indian microbiologists suggest that during
summers, the rising mercury can alter the rate of transmission at which the deadly COVID-19
infects people. Renowned Indian microbiologist, Professor Y Singh, who worked with NIH and
also with the US Army Lab on 'project anthrax' told IANS that an expected temperature of over
40 degrees by the end of April, can slow down the affect of the coronavirus.
"The rise in temperature can alter the rate of transmission of virus, which transfers through any
surface or through aerosol to humans. The duration of survival of the virus on any surface would
be less when temperature is high. But let me clarify, if a person carries the virus in his body, the
outside temperature would then have no affect on the infected person," said Professor Y Singh who
has been Chief Scientist at CSIR, Institute of Genomics and Integrated Biology.A detailed study
conducted by the Centre for Infectious Diseases, Edinburgh University, found that three types of
coronaviruses obtained from patients of respiratory tract infections showed winter seasonality.
The viruses, study revealed, seemed to cause infection between December to April, a pattern
observed in spread of Influenza. The microbiologists are of the view that there are early hints
that COVID-19 may also vary with the seasons. The outbreak of the new virus suggests that it
has preferences over cool and dry regions.
Source:https://www.socialnews.xyz/2020/04/11/indian-summer-may-hold-a-pleasant-
surprise-could-slow-down-corona-spread/
Accessed on 12th April 2020 at 6:00 PM IST
Marine red algae may hold key to preventing spread of COVID-19: Reliance researchers:
Marine red algae may hold key to prevent spread of coronavirus as biocompatible compounds
extracted from them can be used as a coating material on sanitary items, a new research by
scientists at Reliance Industries has concluded. COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed
thousands of lives around the globe, spread without any solid anti-viral antidote. Researchers
worldwide are attempting to make antidote for this virus.Research carried out indicates sulfated
polysaccharides (carrageenan) are selective inhibitors of several enveloped and non-enveloped
viruses and act predominantly by inhibiting the binding or internalization of virus into the host
cells. Polysaccharides produced from Porphyridium sp. are sulfated polysaccharides which are
promising antiviral agents against respiratory viruses from the family of coronavirus. These
biocompatible compounds can be used as a coating material on the sanitary items for COVID-19
prevention. Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/marine-red-algae-may-hold-key-
to-preventing-spread-of-covid-19-reliance-researchers/articleshow/75106481.cms
Accessed on: 12th April 2020 at 8:00 PM IST
13th April 2020: Loss of taste and smell is an important symptom for COVID-19: The latest
analysis of data from the COVID Symptom Tracker app suggests a loss of sense of taste and smell
may be the best way to tell whether someone has COVID-19. The app, which was developed by a
King’s College London team in association with the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust,
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and a healthcare start-up ZOE Global Ltd, asks users to log
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their symptoms (or lack thereof) daily. By the end of March, 1.8 million users in the UK had
signed up to log their symptoms daily.
Between 24th to 29thMarch, 2020,26% of the 1.5 million app users reported one or more
symptoms; 1,702 of this 26% reported having been tested for COVID-19, with 579 positive
results and 1,123 negative results. In addition, 59% of those patients who tested positive for
COVID-19 reported a loss of taste and smell, compared with just 18% of those who tested
negative for the disease. Despite not yet being added to the World Health Organization’s COVID-
19 symptom list, lead researcher Tim Spector said: “When combined with other symptoms,
people with loss of smell and taste appear to be three times more likely to have contracted
COVID-19 according to our data, and should, therefore, self-isolate for seven days to reduce the
spread of the disease.”
Source:https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid-19-latest-scientific-developments/
Accessed on:13th April 2020 at 6:14 PM IST
Coronavirus can infect cats but pet owners need not worry: A study from Harbin Veterinary
Research Institute in China suggests that cats can be infected with COVID-19 and spread it to
other cats via respiratory droplets but other animals including dogs, chickens, pigs and ducks, are
unlikely to catch the virus. The results follow recent reports of a cat in Belgium being infected
with COVID-19 a week after its owner began showing symptoms. During the study (which was
uploaded to the preprint website bioRxiv this week and is yet to be peer-reviewed), five cats
were deliberately infected with COVID-19. Three of the cats were placed in cages next to cats
that had not been given the virus. One cat became infected with the virus and researchers
believe that transmission occurred via respiratory droplets. The findings were replicated in a
second group of cats.
Virologist Linda Saif from the Ohio University in Columbus, who was not involved in the study,
says that cat-owners need not be alarmed just yet as there is no direct evidence that infected cats
can infect people and the study does not reflect real-life interactions between people and their pets.
During the SARS pandemic in 2003, similar studies showed that cats could be infected and pass
it on to other cats but “there was no indication that SARS-CoV became widespread in house cats
or was transmitted to humans”, Saif told Nature. Nonetheless, the authors of the study say that
their work provides important insight into the animal reservoirs of COVID-19. Pet owners are
advised to continue to follow usual precautions such as regular hand washing.
Source:https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid-19-latest-scientific-developments/
Accessed on: 13th April 2020 at 6:17 PM IST
13th April 2020: Universiti Malaya leads clinical trials for Tocilizumab in COVID-19 treatment:
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia is embarking on a clinical study to evaluate the drug Tocilizumab for the
treatment of severe cases of COVID-19.Sold by its trade name Actemra, Tocilizumab has been
used for years in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, giant cell arteritis and conditions
involving excessive inflammation.
There is growing evidence that a specific cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a critical component of
the COVID-19 cytokine storm. Blocking IL-6 may stop the progression of the disease into its
most critical stage. This is where Tocilizumab, a drug specifically designed to block the negative
Page 29 of 157
effects of IL-6, exerts its actions.According to researchers, COVID-19 patients who develop the
cytokine storm syndrome at the University of Mississippi Medical Centre (UMMC) have shown
encouraging results after Tocilizumab use.
Source:https://www.nst.com.my/education/2020/04/583940/um-leads-clinical-trials-
tocilizumab-covid-19-treatment
Accessed on:13th April 2020 at 8:00 PM IST
New drug promises to change COVID-19 response, gets nod for human trials: Scientists are
hopeful that a new drug — called EIDD-2801, could change the way doctors treat COVID-19. The
antiviral shows promise in reducing lung damage, has finished testing in mice and will soon move
to human clinical trials.The regulatory body for drugs in the United States, the Food and Drugs
Administration (FDA) has given a go-ahead for the human clinical testing of a new drug being
developed by researchers of Emory University.
Named EIDD-2801, the drug is being touted as a 'relief drug' for COVID-19. The results of the
anti-viral drug being developed by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global
Public Health was recently published, which showed that it could “prevent severe lung injury in
mice infected with the associated virus SARS-CoV”. Similar results were visible with cultured
human lung cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 as well. The EIDD-2801, is a simple new anti-viral
drug which has shown effective results against COVID-19 and can be taken as a pill.This new
drug not only has a high potential for treating COVID-19 patients but also appears effective for
the treatment of other serious coronavirus infections.When given as a treatment 12 or 24 hours
after the infection has begun, EIDD-2801 can reduce the degree of lung damage and weight loss
in mice, which is expected to be longer in humans.Clinical studies of the drug in humans are
expected to begin in a few weeks time. If successful, the researchers hope this drug to be the first
line of defence against the coronavirus, preventing future outbreaks.
Source:https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/new-drug-promises-to-change-covid-19-
response-gets-nod-for-human-trials-1666240-2020-04-12
Accessed on: 13th April 2020 at 8:30 PM IST
14th April 2020: Study finds evidence of COVID-19 in air, on hospital surfaces:A study published
late last week in Emerging Infectious Diseases found a wide distribution of COVID-19 virus genetic
material on surfaces and in the air about 4 meters (13 feet) from patients in two hospital wards in
Wuhan, China, posing a risk to healthcare workers.While the findings of the environmental
sampling study do not indicate the amount of live virus, if any, or precisely determine the
distance of aerosol transmission, the authors say that they confirm that the virus spreads in
aerosols in addition to large respiratory droplets. The researchers tested surface and air
samples from an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and general coronavirus ward at Huoshenshan
Hospital from Feb 19th to Mar 2nd to detect evidence of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes
COVID-19. Fifteen patients were in the ICU, while 24 were housed in the general ward. The
investigators used quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to identify virus in
swabs of floors, computer mice, trash bins, bed handrails, patients' face masks, health workers'
personal protective equipment, and air vents.
Page 30 of 157
The relatively high rate of positivity for floor samples in the ICU (7/10) (70%) and general ward
(2/13) (15.4%) may have been due to gravity and air flow causing most respiratory droplets to
fall to the ground and spread via clinicians' shoes, the authors surmised, noting a 100%
positivity rate on the pharmacy floor, where no patients were housed and three samples were
taken.Half of the swabs from the soles of clinicians' shoes tested positive, indicating that the
virus may spread this way. "We highly recommend that persons disinfect shoe soles before
walking out of wards containing COVID-19 patients," they said.The highest rates of positivity
from objects came from computer mice (6/8)(75%) in the ICU; (1/5)(20%) in the general ward),
trash cans (3/5)(60%) in the ICU; (0/8) in the general ward, bed handrails (6/14) (42.9%) in
the ICU; (0/12) in the general ward; and doorknobs (1/12) (8.3%) in the general ward.
Patient masks had a high rate of positivity because they contained exhaled droplets and saliva,
which the authors said suggests that the masks should be disinfected before disposing of them.
Some positive results came from clinicians' sleeve cuffs and gloves, which the researchers said
indicates that staff should wash their hands immediately after patient contact.
Source:https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/study-finds-evidence-covid-
19-air-hospital-surfaces
Accessed on: 14th April 2020 at 8:00 PM IST
15th April 2020: How AI helps scientists find reliable coronavirus research:As the world
unites in the fight against COVID-19, scientists and researchers around the world are studying
the novel coronavirus and publishing their findings in peer-reviewed journals and pre-print
servers.Scattered across these research papers might be the pieces of the puzzle that will unlock
the cure or vaccine for COVID-19 or new ways to treat patients and prevent the spread of the
virus. Unfortunately, no single person can go through tens of thousands of documents, and the
thousands more that are being added every week.
This is where the artificial intelligence community enters the scene. Among other efforts to help
fight the coronavirus pandemic, AI researchers are fast busy developing tools that will help
medical scientists navigate the fast-growing corpus of literature surrounding coronavirus. The
concerted effort to process COVID-19 papers, which has brought together government agencies,
tech giants, universities, and research labs, will be a measure of how useful our state-of-the-art
AI algorithms have become. In March, the U.S. government teamed up with tech giants Microsoft
and Google to gather research papers about COVID-19. The corpus was compiled into a dataset
named COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19) by the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) in
partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Georgetown University’s Center for Security
and Emerging Technology, Microsoft Research, and the National Library of Medicine at National
Institutes of Health, in coordination with The White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy.
CORD-19 was released in mid-March and made accessible to AI researchers to use it to create
machine learning models that can help scientists find the information they need. Following the
release of CORD-19, Kaggle, the Google-owned hub for data science and machine learning
competitions, launched the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset Challenge. “We are issuing a call to
action to the world’s artificial intelligence experts to develop text and data mining tools that can
help the medical community develop answers to high priority scientific questions,” the
challenge’s description reads.To be able to measure progress and success, the challenge has
been broken down into a list of 10 tasks that can help better understand new information about
Page 31 of 157
COVID-19, patient care, and cure development. For instance, one task involves non-
pharmaceutical interventions. The AI that tackles this task should be able to peruse the dataset
and find papers that discuss NPIs and their effectiveness, such as how travel bans and school
closures are helping in flattening the COVID-19 curve. Another task involves gathering the latest
findings on COVID-19 risk factors.But the silver lining is that this particular challenge involves a
very narrow field of research. As opposed to general natural language understanding, the CORD-
19 Challenge has a very specific requirement: Searching for information about one virus and one
disease.
Source:https://thenextweb.com/neural/2020/04/14/how-ai-helps-scientists-find-reliable-
coronavirus-research/
Accessed on:15th April 2020 at 8:00 PM IST
16th April 2020: US homeland security lists blockchain as critical tool to combat COVID-
19: Amid growing COVID-19 cases in the US, Homeland Security has drafted a list of critical
services, including blockchain, to combat the outbreak. Responding to guidelines issued by
President Donald Trump, the Cyber-security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had
added this technology to the list of critical infrastructure services needed to tackle the spread of
this disease. Since blockchain can accurately monitor and trace the movement of goods in a supply
chain, it can essentially be leveraged to control the spread of Covid-19.
Healthcare blockchains – as they exist today – are being developed to manage and verify patient data. This application in current circumstances can help onboard medical practitioners as they combat the spread of the virus. Another use case is in pharmaceutical supply chains. These can leverage blockchain to ensure compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).
Source:https://analyticsindiamag.com/us-homeland-security-lists-blockchain-as-critical-tool-
amid-covid-19/
Accessed on: 16th April 2020 , 8:10 PM IST
COVID-19: New research examines wastewater to detect community spread:Scientists and
researchers across the world have been vigorously examining ways to curtail the spread of novel
coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Surveillance, tracing and detection of community spread
continue to be the key to containing the outbreak. This prompted researchers to look at
wastewater samples from a treatment plant in Massachusetts for measuring the prevalence of
SARS-CoV-2 virus in a given community. At least 440 people were likely infected with COVID-19 in the area around the treatment facility — much higher than the reported cases — researchers from Biobot Analytics, a biotech startup, along with a team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital estimated. The researchers collected samples in late March 2020 from the plant serving a large metropolitan area in Massachusetts. They found that the amount of SARS-CoV-2 particles in the sewage samples indicated a far higher number of people likely infected with COVID-19 than the reported cases in that area.
In another study published by KWR Water Research Institute, the Netherlands, researchers described detecting the novel coronavirus in sewage samples — sometimes even before public health officials reported the first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in a given community.The idea to begin testing wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 emerged after recent research revealed that virus particles could be shed through stool and other bodily fluids. The testing begins with collecting sewage samples from local treatment plants and running them through a process that creates millions of copies of viral RNA to study the pathogen in detail.Another process then looks for
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specific markers on SARS-CoV-2, to distinguish the virus from other microbes in wastewater samples
Wastewater has been used in other ways as a public health surveillance tool. Biobot, which was spun out of MIT, has also been involved in efforts to detect opioids in wastewater as a way to help communities track patterns of drug use. European countries have long been involved in surveillance of the spread of antibiotic resistance through wastewater.The new research comes at an unprecedented moment in public health: The difficulty and expense of obtaining individual tests for millions of people combined with the virus’ rapid transmission means that public health officials are looking for other ways to grasp the scale of the spread. Source:https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/covid-19-new-research-examines-
wastewater-to-detect-community-spread-70489
Accessed on: 16th April 2020 8:35 PM IST
17 April 2020:Early peek at data on Gilead coronavirus drug suggests patients are
responding to treatment: A Chicago hospital treating severe COVID-19 patients with Gilead
Sciences’ antiviral medicine remdesivir in a closely watched clinical trial is seeing rapid
recoveries in fever and respiratory symptoms, with nearly all patients discharged in less than a
week, STAT has learned.Remdesivir was one of the first medicines identified as having the
potential to impact SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, in lab tests. The
entire world has been waiting for results from Gilead’s clinical trials, and positive results would
likely lead to fast approvals by the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies.
If safe and effective, it could become the first approved treatment against the disease.
The University of Chicago Medicine recruited 125 people with COVID-19 into Gilead’s two Phase 3 clinical trials. Of those people, 113 had severe disease. All the patients have been treated with daily infusions of remdesivir. In a statement, the University of Chicago Medicine said “drawing any conclusions at this point is premature and scientifically unsound.”“The severely hit patients are at such high-risk of fatality. So if it’s true that many of the 113 patients were in this category and were discharged, it’s another positive signal that the drug has efficacy,” it was said, adding that it will be important to see more data from randomized controlled studies. Gilead’s severe COVID-19 study includes 2,400 participants from 152 different clinical trial sites all over the world. Its moderate COVID-19 study includes 1,600 patients in 169 different centers, also all over the world. The trial is investigating five- and 10-day treatment courses of remdesivir. The primary goal is a statistical comparison of patient improvement between the two treatment arms. Improvement is measured using a seven-point numerical scale that encompasses death (at worst) and discharge from hospital (best outcome), with various degrees of supplemental oxygen and intubation in between.
Source:https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/16/early-peek-at-data-on-gilead-coronavirus-
drug-suggests-patients-are-responding-to-treatment/
Accessed on:17th April 2020 9:00 PM IST
Experts warn of urgent need for COVID-19 mental health research: London
(CNN)Mental health and brain research must be a higher priority in the response to the
coronavirus pandemic, scientists have said, warning that the crisis could have a "profound" and
"pervasive impact" on global mental health now and in the future.
In a paper published Wednesday in the Lancet Psychiatry journal, researchers called for better monitoring of mental health as part of the global response to the pandemic. The outbreak has
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infected more than 2 million people and killed over 128,000 worldwide, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.The paper, which draws on the work of 24 mental health experts, including neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychologists and public health experts, also noted that little is known about the impact of COVID-19 itself on the human nervous system.Other coronaviruses, the paper said, have passed into the central nervous system. Experts warn that more research, as well as a database to monitor the psychological or brain effects of COVID-19- is urgently needed to understand the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the human brain and nervous system. Researchers noted that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, may infect the brain or trigger immune responses that are detrimental to brain function and mental health in patients. The paper, which cited a poll of more than 2,000 people with lived experience of mental health problems, their supporters, healthcare professionals, researchers and the general public with an interest in the topic, and a survey of more than 1,000 of the UK's general population found that the public were already concerned about coronavirus and mental health, and were worried about the effect of social isolation or social distancing on well-being, including increased anxiety, stress and depression.Many survey respondents said that they worried about becoming mentally unwell and being unable to access mental health services during the pandemic, as did people who worried about loneliness as a result of being trapped and isolated.
Source:https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/15/health/covid-19-mental-health-pandemic-
wellness-intl-scli-gbr/index.html
Accessed on:17th April 2020, 9:15 PM IST
18 April 2020: Covid-19: Harvard study suggests bouts of social distancing required till
2022: Intermittent social distancing may be required lasting up to 2022 to lessen the pressure
on healthcare systems across the globe and to reduce to impact of the novel coronavirus
outbreak, according to a recent study by Harvard scientists who modelled the pandemic's
trajectory.The Harvard team's computer simulation mapping the trajectory was published in a
research paper in the journal Science.“Intermittent distancing may be required into 2022 unless
critical care capacity is increased substantially or a treatment or vaccine becomes available,” reads
the study.
“Experience from China, Italy, and the United States demonstrates that COVID-19 can
overwhelm even the healthcare capacities of well-resourced nations. With no pharmaceutical
treatments available, interventions have focused on contact tracing, quarantine, and social
distancing. The required intensity, duration, and urgency of these responses will depend both on
how the initial pandemic wave unfolds and on the subsequent transmission dynamics of SARS-
CoV-2,” it said.The study assumed that the COVID-19 disease will become seasonal similar to other
diseases caused by closely related viruses such as flu or common cold with higher transmission
rates in colder months. However, much information about the virus is yet to be discovered
including the immunity acquired by the previous versions of the virus and the time period for
which it lasts.
“The intensity and timing of pandemic and post-pandemic outbreaks will depend on the time of
year when widespread SARS-CoV-2 infection becomes established and, to a lesser degree, upon
the magnitude of seasonal variation in transmissibility and the level of cross-immunity that
exists between the beta coronaviruses,” the study said.“The total incidence of Covid-19 illness
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over the next five years will depend critically upon whether or not it enters into regular
circulation after the initial pandemic wave, which in turn depends primarily upon the duration
of immunity that SARS-CoV-2 infection imparts,” it further said. According to the study, until a
definite treatment or vaccine is available to curb the outbreaks, social distancing is the most
effective way to ensure that the outbreaks do not peak.
Source:https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/covid-19-harvard-study-
suggests-bouts-of-social-distancing-required-till-2022/article31345971.ece
Accessed on:18thApril 2020 at 8:30 PM IST
19 April 2020: What can data on testing tell us about the pandemic?
Testing data provides us with two indicators of the quality of data on COVID-19
No country knows the true number of people infected with COVID-19. All we know is the infection status of those who have been tested. The total number of people that have tested positive – the number of confirmed cases – is not the total number of people who have been infected. The true number of people infected with COVID-19 is much higher. Whilst there is no way to infer the true number of infections from testing data, it can help give us a strong indication of the quality of a country’s data on the pandemic and an idea of how informative the number of confirmed cases in a country may be.
Testing coverage
The chart here shows a measure of testing coverage – tests per thousand people. Countries are reporting testing data in different ways: some report the number of tests, others report the number of people tested. This distinction is important – people may be tested many times, and the number of tests a person has is likely to vary across countries. Across different countries, we see an enormous range in testing coverage. In Iceland there have been more than 100 tests per thousand people – far more than in any other country. In Indonesia, testing coverage is very low – only 0.1 tests per thousand people. Generally, we would expect that more testing means more reliable data on confirmed cases, for two reasons. Firstly, a greater degree of testing provides us with a larger ‘sample’ of people for which their infection status is known. If everybody was tested, we would know the true number of people who are infected.Secondly, it may be the case that countries with a high capacity for testing do not need to ration tests as much. Where the capacity for testing is low, tests may be reserved (or ‘rationed’) for particularly high-risk groups. Such rationing is one of the reasons that tested people are not representative of the wider population. As such, where testing coverage is higher, the ‘sample’ of tested people may provide a less biased idea of the true prevalence of the virus.
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The number of tests per confirmed case
A further complication with using testing coverage as an indicator of reliability, is that the number of tests needed to have an accurate picture of the spread of the virus varies over the course of an outbreak.At the beginning of an outbreak, where the number of people infected with the virus is low, a much smaller number of tests are needed to accurately assess the spread of the virus.As the virus infects more people, testing coverage also needs to expand in order to provide a reliable picture of the true number of infected people.For this reason it is helpful to look at the number of tests performed for each confirmed case. This gives us an indication of the scale of testing that accounts for the different stages each country may be in its outbreak.The bar chart below shows the number of tests, or people tested per confirmed case. The data can also be viewed over time in this chart. The key insight from this metric is that there are very large differences between countries.In some countries the number of tests are many times higher than the number of confirmed cases. As of 11th April, 2020, in Vietnam more than 400 tests had been conducted for each confirmed case. In Taiwan and Russia there had been around a hundred tests for each confirmed case.But in other countries testing is very low relative to the number of confirmed cases. The US, the UK and Ecuador had performed around 5 tests or fewer for every confirmed case.
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What can we learn from these measures about the pandemic?
Both testing coverage and the number of tests per confirmed case help us understand what we can know about the true spread of the virus from data on confirmed cases.But it is the number of tests per confirmed case that is arguably the most helpful in this regard, because this accounts for the fact that a smaller outbreak requires less testing.
A country that performs very few tests for each case it confirms is not testing widely enough for the number of confirmed cases to paint a reliable picture of the true spread of the virus. Whilst
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those people with the most severe symptoms may have been tested in such countries, there are likely to be many times more people with mild or no symptoms that were never tested.The intuition behind these researchers’ estimates is that where the number of confirmed cases looks low against the number of deaths, this is a clear indication that the true number of cases is likely to be much, much higher. But the fundamental reason for this is the limited extent of testing.The rate of tests per case thus gives us another useful way of approaching the same question, by looking at the extent of testing relative to the number of cases directly. Source:https://ourworldindata.org/what-can-data-on-testing-tell-us-about-the-pandemic
Accessed on: 19th April 2020 at 7:45 PM IST
20 April 2020: Reports suggest many had coronavirus with no symptoms: In the last week,
reports of silent infections have come from a homeless shelter in Boston, a US Navy aircraft
carrier, pregnant women at a New York hospital, several European countries and California.
A flood of new research suggests that far more people have had the coronavirus without any symptoms, fueling hope that it will turn out to be much less lethal than originally feared.While that's clearly good news, it also means it's impossible to know who around you may be contagious. That complicates decisions about returning to work, school and normal life.In the last week, reports of silent infections have come from a homeless shelter in Boston, a US Navy aircraft carrier, pregnant women at a New York hospital, several European countries and California.The head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 25 per cent of infected people might not have symptoms. The vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Hyten, thinks it may be as high as 60 per cent to 70 per cent among military personnel.None of these numbers can be fully trusted because they're based on flawed and inadequate testing, said Dr. Michael Mina of Harvard's School of Public Health.Collectively, though, they suggest "we have just been off the mark by huge, huge numbers" for estimating total infections, he said.
STEALTH CASES
Based on known cases, health officials have said the virus usually causes mild or moderate flu-like illness. Now evidence is growing that a substantial number of people may have no symptoms at all.Scientists in Iceland screened 6 per cent of its population to see how many had previously undetected infections and found that about 0.7 per cent tested positive. So did 13 per cent of a group at higher risk because of recent travel or exposure to someone sick.Aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, where one crew member died from the virus, "the rough numbers are that 40 per cent are symptomatic," said Vice Adm. Phillip Sawyer, deputy commander of naval operations. The ratio may change if more develop symptoms later, he warned. In New York, a hospital tested all pregnant women coming in to deliver over a two-week period. Nearly 14 per cent of those who arrived with no symptoms of coronavirus turned out to have it. Of the 33 positive cases, 29 had no symptoms when tested, although some developed them later.Previously, tests on passengers and crew from the Diamond Princess cruise ship found nearly half who tested positive had no symptoms at the time. Researchers estimate that 18 per cent of infected people never developed any(symptoms). FLAWED METHODS
These studies used tests that look for bits of the virus from throat and nose swabs, which can miss cases. Someone can test negative one day if there's not much virus to detect and then positive the next.Symptoms also may not appear when someone is tested but turn up later. One Japanese study found more than half of those who had no symptoms when they tested positive later felt sick.Better answers may come from newer tests that check blood for antibodies, substances the immune system makes to fight the virus. But the accuracy of these, too, is still to be determined.On Friday, researchers reported results from antibody tests on 3,300 people in
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California's Santa Clara county: Between 1.5 per cent and 2.8 per cent have been infected, they claimed. That would mean 48,000 to 81,000 cases in the county - more than 50 times the number that has been confirmed. The work has not been formally published or reviewed, but some scientists were quick to question it. Participants were recruited through Facebook ads, which would attract many people likely to be positive who have had symptoms and want to know if the coronavirus was the reason. Some neighbourhoods also had way more participants than others, and "hot spots" within the county might have made infections seem more common than they are elsewhere.
NEXT STEPS
Antibody testing in particular needs to be done "in an unbiased approach" on groups of people that are representative of the geographic, social, racial and other conditions, Mina said. The CDC and other groups plan such studies, and they could guide public health advice on returning to normal life for people in certain areas. If infections are more widespread than previously understood, it's possible that more people have developed some level of immunity to the virus. That could stifle the spread through what's called herd immunity, but scientists caution that there is still much to learn about whether mild illnesses confer immunity and how long it might last.It will probably be months before enough reliable testing has been done to answer those questions and others, including how widespread infections have been and the virus's true mortality rate, which has only been estimated so far."If they've all seen the virus before, then maybe you can relax in that neighbourhood" and ease social distancing, Mina said. "We're not anywhere close where we need to be" on antibody testing to do that yet," he said.
Source:https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/research-suggests-many-coronavirus-no-
symptoms-1668943-2020-04-20
Accessed on:20th April 2020 at 7:30 PM IST
21st April 2020: Researchers have identified potential target for antiviral treatment for
COVID-19:NEW YORK: Researchers have identified a possible target for antiviral treatment for
COVID-19 by assessing the overall mechanism by which the novel coronavirus enters host cells,
and comparing it with the process seen in other similar viruses. The researchers, including those
from Cornell University in the US, compared the molecular sequence of small proteins involved
in the fusion of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and the SARS virus behind the 2002-03
epidemic, with the host cell membrane. In the study, published in the journal Antiviral Research,
they found that the virus that causes COVID-19, and the SARS virus had a 93 per cent similarity.
The scientists assessed the intricate procedure of membrane fusion in the viruses, which they
said is a critical part of the mechanism by which coronaviruses spread. Membrane fusion, they
explained, is a multi-step process that begins with the virus recognizing that it's found the right
type of cell to infect. To do this, the virus receives feedback from the chemical environment,
including cues like the receptor that the host cell presents, the study noted. The virus then
attaches to the host cell receptor by way of the spike protein on its surface, it said.
According to the scientists, this process is followed by a piece of the spike protein, called the
fusion peptide, interacting directly with the host cell membrane and facilitating merging to form
a fusion pore, or opening. They said the virus then transfers its genome into the host cell
through this pore, and eventually hijacking the host cell's machinery to produce more viruses.
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In the study, the research team found that charged atoms of calcium interacting with the fusion
peptide can change the peptide's structure.The study also assessed how the protein interacts with
membranes in ways that promote infection in the other coronaviruses - MERS and SARS. In
future studies, the researchers are hopeful of understanding how the virus moves into humans,
what chemical cues facilitate the process, and why the virus is able to replicate so easily in the
respiratory tract.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/researchers-
have-identified-potential-target-for-antiviral-treatment-for-covid-
19/articleshow/75041596.cms
Accessed on 21st April 2020 at 9.35 PM IST
22 April 2020: COVID-19: Genetic network analysis provides ‘snapshot’ of pandemic
origins:Study charts the 'incipient supernova' of COVID-19 through genetic mutations as it
spread from China and Asia to Australia, Europe and North America. Researchers say their
methods could be used to help identify undocumented infection sources.
Researchers from Cambridge, UK, and Germany have reconstructed the early 'evolutionary
paths' of COVID-19 in humans – as infection spread from Wuhan out to Europe and North
America – using genetic network techniques.'By analysing the first 160 complete virus genomes
to be sequenced from human patients, the scientists have mapped some of the original spread of
the new coronavirus through its mutations, which creates different viral lineages.
“There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace a COVID-19 family tree. The researchers used
a mathematical network algorithm to visualise all the plausible trees simultaneously,” said
geneticist Dr Peter Forster, lead author from the University of Cambridge. “These techniques are
mostly known for mapping the movements of prehistoric human populations through DNA. We
think this is one of the first times they have been used to trace the infection routes of a
coronavirus like COVID-19.”
The team used data from virus genomes sampled from across the world between 24 December
2019 and 4 March 2020. The research revealed three distinct 'variants' of COVID-19, consisting
of clusters of closely related lineages, which they label ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. Forster and colleagues
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found that the closest type of COVID-19 to the one discovered in bats – type ‘A’, the “original
human virus genome” – was present in Wuhan, but surprisingly was not the city’s predominant
virus type.
Versions of ‘A’ were seen in Chinese individuals, and Americans reported to have lived in
Wuhan, and mutated versions of ‘A’ were found in patients from the USA and Australia. Wuhan’s
major virus type, ‘B’, was prevalent in patients from across East Asia. However, the variant didn’t
travel much beyond the region without further mutations – implying a 'founder event' in Wuhan,
or 'resistance' against this type of COVID-19 outside East Asia, say researchers. The ‘C’ variant is
the major European type, found in early patients from France, Italy, Sweden and England. It is
absent from the study’s Chinese mainland sample, but seen in Singapore, Hong Kong and South
Korea.
The new analysis also suggests that one of the earliest introductions of the virus into Italy came
via the first documented German infection on 27 January, 2020 and that another early Italian
infection route was related to a 'Singapore cluster'.It was said that Phylogenetic network analysis
has the potential to help identify undocumented COVID-19 infection sources, which can then be
quarantined to contain further spread of the disease worldwide.
Source: https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/covid-19-genetic-network-analysis-provides-
snapshot-of-pandemic-origins
Accessed on: 22nd April 2020 at 12:00 PM IST
23rd April 2020: World experts and funders set priorities for COVID-19 research: Leading
health experts from around the world have been meeting at the World Health Organization’s
Geneva headquarters to assess the current level of knowledge about the new COVID-19 disease,
identify gaps and work together to accelerate and fund priority research needed to help stop this
outbreak and prepare for any future outbreaks.
The 2-day forum was convened in line with the WHO R&D Blueprint – a strategy for developing
drugs and vaccines before epidemics, and accelerating research and development while they are
occurring. The meeting, hosted in collaboration with GloPID-R (the Global Research
Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness) brought together major research funders
and over 300 scientists and researchers from a large variety of disciplines. They discussed all
aspects of the outbreak and ways to control it including:
the natural history of the virus, its transmission and diagnosis;
animal and environmental research on the origin of the virus, including management
measures at the human-animal interface;
epidemiological studies;
clinical characterization and management of disease caused by the virus;
infection prevention and control, including best ways to protect health care workers;
research and development for candidate therapeutics and vaccines;
ethical considerations for research; and
integration of social sciences into the outbreak response.
During the meeting, more than 300 scientists and researchers participating both in person and
virtually agreed on a set of global research priorities. They also outlined mechanisms for
continuing scientific interactions and collaborations beyond the meeting which will be
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coordinated and facilitated by WHO. They worked with research funders to determine how
necessary resources can be mobilized so that critical research can start immediately. The
deliberations will form the basis of a research and innovation roadmap charting all the research
needed and this will be used by researchers and funders to accelerate the research response.
Source:https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-02-2020-world-experts-and-funders-set-
priorities-for-covid-19-research
Accessed on 24th April 2020 at 9.30 PM IST
24th April 2020: NIAID strategic plan details COVID-19 research priorities: Urgent public
health measures are needed to control the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and
the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. A new strategic plan from the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes
of Health, details the institute’s plan for accelerating research to diagnose, prevent and treat
COVID-19.
The NIAID Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Research has four key priorities. The first involves
improving fundamental knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, including studies to
characterize the virus and better understand how it causes infection and disease. This research
includes natural history, transmission and surveillance studies to determine why some
individuals experience mild symptoms of infection while others become critically ill. The role of
asymptomatic individuals in viral spread and the potential seasonality of viral circulation also
need to be explored. Additionally, small and large animal models that can recapitulate COVID-19
disease seen in humans must be developed.
NIAID’s second research priority is the development of rapid, accurate diagnostics and
assays to identify and isolate COVID-19 cases and track the spread of the virus. Molecular
assays can detect low levels of SARS-CoV-2 and differentiate it from other related viruses.
Researchers will work to improve the speed and accuracy of these diagnostic assays to mitigate
the spread of the disease during the current outbreak and any future ones. Additionally, new and
improved serologic assays to detect antibodies to the virus must be developed to enhance
surveillance efforts and identify individuals who may have resolved a previous COVID-19
infection.
The thirdresearch priority is characterizing and testing potential treatments for COVID-
19. These efforts will include identifying and evaluating drugs already approved for other
conditions that could be repurposed to treat COVID-19 and testing novel broad-spectrum
antivirals, such as remdesivir; virus-targeted antibody-based therapies; monoclonal antibodies;
and host-directed strategies to target an individual’s immune response to the virus. To optimize
findings during the pandemic, multiple clinical trials will be conducted in parallel among various
patient populations, including hospitalized people and outpatients.
NIAID’s fourth research priority is to develop safe and effective vaccines to protect
individuals from infection and prevent future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. NIAID researchers
and their collaborators are adapting vaccine candidates and approaches previously employed to
address the related Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses and applied them to the current pandemic. For example, NIAID
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recently launched a Phase 1 clinical trial using a vaccine platform initially developed to target
MERS. NIAID will use its broad clinical trial infrastructure to advance experimental vaccines
through Phase 1 safety and dosing testing and simultaneously plan for advanced clinical testing
of the most promising candidates. The institute will work with government partners to ensure
that any safe and effective vaccine will be manufactured in sufficient quantities to allow
expedient distribution to those at highest risk for infection.
To achieve its four priorities, NIAID will build on its current resources, research programs,
clinical trials networks and collaborations with other U.S. government agencies and other
key U.S. and global partners. The new strategic plan aligns with priorities set by the White
House Coronavirus Task Force and represents a comprehensive and coordinated effort to
develop effective biomedical tools to combat COVID-19.
Source:https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/niaid-strategic-plan-details-covid-
19-research-priorities
Accessed on 24th April 2020 at 08:35 PM, IST
25th April 2020:
Increasing pessimism about ‘return to normal’ by June from COVID-19 crisis, shows poll:
People in Japan, the U.K. and Australia are most negative about a recovery by June. Optimism
over the coronavirus outbreak coming to an end in a few months has declined in most countries
surveyed by Ipsos since March in the latest global poll.
In mid-March, majorities of people in most countries surveyed believed the COVID-19 crisis was
a relatively short-term crisis which would be resolved by June, and life would return to normal.
This optimism has continuously declined in about half the countries polled since March 12-14 as
citizens appear to be settling in for the long haul. In a survey of 28,000 people across 15
countries conducted from April 2 to 4, the respondents most negative about a recovery by June
are in Japan (19%), the United Kingdom (27%), and Australia (32%).
On the other end, those most optimistic about a June recovery are in Vietnam (92%), Brazil
(85%) and Mexico (84%). The biggest change which has been seen in opinions since mid-March
about a June recovery is in countries where optimism has declined. This is led by Canada down
25 percentage points, followed by France (-23), Italy, Japan and the U.K. (-22). Overall, these
findings show that in countries where there has been a large movement in opinion about a June
recovery, the sentiment turned more negative than positive.
Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en/increasing-pessimism-about-return-normal-june-covid-19-
crisis-shows-poll
Accessed on 25th April 2020 at 8.45 PM IST
26 April 2020: 'No Evidence' Yet That Recovered COVID-19 Patients Are Immune, WHO
Says: The World Health Organization has pushed back against the theory that individuals can
only catch the coronavirus once, as well as proposals for reopening society that are based on this
supposed immunity. In a scientific brief dated Friday 24th April 2020, the United Nations agency
said the idea that one-time infection can lead to immunity remains unproven and is thus
unreliable as a foundation for the next phase of the world's response to the pandemic.
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"Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus
that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an 'immunity passport' or 'risk-free
certificate' that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are
protected against re-infection," the WHO wrote. "There is currently no evidence that people who
have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection."
The concept for such a card is largely based on the premise that an individual can only contract
the coronavirus once before developing the necessary antibodies to fight it off. That premise
undergirds another common theory: the concept, known as herd immunity, that if enough
people have been infected with the coronavirus — and are therefore immune — its transmission
will slow and the risks of infection will diminish even for those who haven't caught it yet.
But these ideas depend to a large degree on the supposition that one cannot catch the
coronavirus a second time — an idea that world health authorities said leaders should not count
on right now. As of Friday, the WHO said, "No study has evaluated whether the presence of
antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans."
What's more, data reported from the world's early COVID-19 hot spots, such as South Korea and
China, have shown that a growing number of recovered patients appear to have suffered a
relapse of the disease. "At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the
effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an 'immunity
passport' or 'risk-free certificate,' " the WHO warned.
Source:https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/25/844939777/no-
evidence-that-recovered-covid-19-patients-are-immune-who-says
Accessed on: 26th April 2020 at 7:00 PM, IST
27 April 2020: New York clinical trial quietly tests heartburn remedy against
coronavirus: The fast-growing list of possible treatments for the novel coronavirus includes an
unlikely candidate: famotidine, the active compound in the over-the-counter heartburn drug
Pepcid. On 7th April, the first COVID-19 patients at Northwell Health in the New York City area
began receiving famotidine intravenously, at nine times the heartburn dose. Unlike other drugs
the 23-hospital system is testing, including Regeneron’s sarilumab and Gilead Science’s
remdesivir, Northwell kept the famotidine study under wraps to secure a research stockpile
before other hospitals, or even the federal government, started buying it.
As of Saturday, 187 COVID-19 patients in critical status, including many on ventilators, have been enrolled in the trial, which aims for a total of 1174 people. Reports from China and molecular modeling results suggest that the drug, which seems to bind to a key enzyme in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), could make a difference. But the hype surrounding hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine—the unproven antimalarial drugs touted by President Donald Trump and some physicians and scientists—has made Tracey wary of sparking premature enthusiasm. He is tight-lipped about famotidine’s prospects, at least until interim results from the first 391 patients are in.
A globe-trotting infectious disease doctor named Michael Callahan was the first to call attention to the drug in the United States. As the COVID-19 epidemic began exploding in Wuhan, he followed his Chinese colleagues to the increasingly desperate city. The virus was killing as many one out of five patients over 80 years of age. Patients of all ages with hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were faring poorly. Callahan and his Chinese colleagues got curious about why many of the survivors tended to be poor. In reviewing 6212 COVID-19
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patient records, the doctors noticed that many survivors had been suffering from chronic heartburn and were on famotidine rather than more-expensive omeprazole (Prilosec), the medicine of choice both in the United States and among wealthier Chinese. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients on famotidine appeared to be dying at a rate of about 14% compared with 27% for those not on the drug, although the analysis was crude and the result was not statistically significant. The study’s draft protocol was aimed only at evaluating famotidine’s efficacy. Anecdotal evidence has encouraged the Northwell researchers. Those patients would be compared with a hydroxychloroquine-only arm and a historic control arm made up of hundreds of patients treated earlier in the outbreak. Source: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/new-york-clinical-trial-quietly-tests-
heartburn-remedy-against-coronavirus
Accessed on 27th April 2020, 2:00 PM, IST
28th April 2020: Shiv Nadar University-led researchers find new way to treat respiratory
infection caused by COVID-19: The therapy involves administration of ‘New Chemical Entities’
and a known drug that modulates a set of hormonal receptors in humans. Shiv Nadar University
has said it has discovered a set of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) with the ability to cure Acute
Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) or Acute Lung Injury (ALI) induced by COVID-19 (SARS-
CoV-2) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
(MERS), which are also caused by coronaviruses.
A press statement from the University said the two-fold strategy devised by the research team
involved (a) application of the NCEs to inhibit attachment, entry and infection of the new SARS-
CoV-2 through a known target on the virus; and (b) co-administration of a known drug (that
modulates a set of hormonal receptors in humans) and these NCEs to attenuate ARDS caused by
SARS-CoV-2. The researchers believe their therapy would not only prevent COVID-19 from
affecting a person’s lungs but will also address lung injuries already inflicted by the virus, in
cases the ventilators are either not proving effective or are not available altogether, bringing
much relief to COVID-19 patients suffering from ARDS. The researchers have filed a provisional
patent in India to protect the new chemical entities. The novel molecule in discovery is being
moved to the next stage of checking where its efficacy will be tested on animals.
How the treatment works
The discovery has come out of months of research conceptualising small molecule modulators of
a set of hormonal receptors in humans and how they are connected with potential receptors in
the lungs that act as the entry of SARS-CoV-2, SARS and MERS in the human host. Additionally,
the researchers looked into the patho-physiological condition of lungs during respiratory failure.
This included extensive investigations of lung specimens from patients who were
retrospectively found to have COVID-19. Using these data, the researchers designed the project
that helps in attenuating acute respiratory distress.
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/shiv-nadar-university-led-
researchers-find-new-way-to-treat-respiratory-infection-caused-by-covid-
19/article31451605.ece#
Accessed on: 28th April 2020 at 7:00 PM, IST
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29th April 2020: UK scientists plan to expand human trials of potential COVID-19 vaccine:
Even as researchers at Oxford University have begun testing their potential vaccine against
COVID-19 on a small group of human volunteers, they hope to expand the tests soon after
getting positive results from the initial trial. "Oxford University initiated trials of the COVID-19
vaccine on April 23rd 2020 and plans to vaccinate 800 volunteers in the UK over the next
month," the Oxford Vaccine Group said. "If the trial is successful in the UK, then the Oxford team
will approach scientists in the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and will approach the
Government of Kenya for permission to evaluate in Kenya," it added in an update. A vaccine
candidate for COVID-19 was identified by researchers from the Oxford Vaccine Group and
Oxford's Jenner Institute.
The potential upcoming vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is based on an adenovirus vaccine vector
and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. By vaccinating with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, the scientists hope to
make the body recognise and develop an immune response to the Spike protein that will help
stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering human cells and therefore prevent infection. According
to a report in the New York Times on Monday, the scientists plan to test the vaccine in trials
involving more than 6,000 people by the end of May. And if the trials show positive results, the
first few million doses of the vaccine may be available by September, several months ahead of
any of the other efforts announced so far, said the report.
In experiments conducted at the US National Institutes of Health's Rocky Mountain Laboratory
in Montana last month, single doses of the Oxford vaccine proved effective in protecting rhesus
macaque monkeys against the virus which is responsible for the pandemic. This has raised hope
that the vaccine might work to protect humans as well. However, it is too early to say which
potential vaccine will prove to be the most successful in protecting people against COVID-19 as it
may take some time for clinical trial data to become available. More than 70 research efforts are
on currently to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.
Source: https://weather.com/en-IN/india/coronavirus/news/2020-04-29-uk-scientists-plan-
expand-human-trials-potential-covid-19-vaccine
Accessed on: 29th April 2020 at 2:00 PM, IST
30th April 2020: Studies find men more prone to COVID-19 death: Men are more than twice
as likely to die of COVID-19 than women, regardless of age, according to a study today in
Frontiers in Public Health.
Risk of death 2.4 times higher in men: Researchers in the Frontiers study extracted data from a
case series of 43 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Wuhan, China; a public data set from the first
37 patients who died of the virus and 1,019 survivors in China; and information from 524 SARS
(severe acute respiratory syndrome) patients, including 139 who died, in 29 Beijing hospitals in
early 2003 to compare the two diseases.
In the case series, 37.2% of patients had one or more underlying conditions, such as high blood
pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic lung disorders. Male COVID-19 patients
had elevated levels of serum creatinine (indicating kidney damage), white blood cells (indicating
immune response), and neutrophils (indicating inflammation). Of the 37 non-survivors in the
public data set, 70.3% were men, 29.7% were women, and 64.9% had one or more underlying
conditions. These patients were significantly older, at 65 to 81 years, with 83.8% of them age 65
and older, versus survivors, who were 35 to 57 years old, with 13.2% 65 and older. Median time
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from symptom onset to death was 13 days. No age-groups were spared, with 30 survivors
(2.9%) younger than 14 years.
Advanced age, underlying illness lead to death in men but not women: In the PLOS Pathogens case series, researchers studied the data of 168 patients with the novel coronavirus admitted consecutively to Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China, from Jan 16 to Feb 4. Forty-eight (28.6%) of patients were critically ill. Median follow-up was 27 days. Overall, 17 patients (8.9%) died, while 136 (81%) were released from the hospital. Eleven (12.8%) of the 86 male patients died, while 65 (75.6%) were released from the hospital. Six (7.3%) of the 82 female patients died, while 71 (86.6%) were released. Fifty-seven patients had underlying conditions (33.7%). Median time from illness onset to hospital admission was 9 days for males and 7 days for females.
Striking differences between males, females: Of male patients, 36.0% had a chronic underlying
illness, especially diabetes and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. After adjusted
logistic regression analysis, males with underlying illnesses were more vulnerable to critical
illness than those without comorbidities (OR, 3.82; 95% CI, 1.28 to 11.44). However, this was
not the case for females (OR, 2.99; 95% CI, 0.94 to 9.56). After adjustment for confounding
factors, males 80 years and older were more likely to become critically ill than those younger
than 59 (OR, 9.33; 95% CI, 1.62 to 53.85). But this wasn't true for females (OR, 10.16; 95% CI,
0.91 to 113.35).
Eleven laboratory parameters were significantly higher in males, and six non–sex-specific
parameters progressively increased throughout illness in patients who died (P < .05). These
included neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein (both indicating inflammation),
aspartate aminotransferase (indicating liver damage), lactate dehydrogenase (indicating tissue
damage), and blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine (both indicating kidney damage). Other
studies have noted abnormal liver and kidney function in COVID-19 patients, but whether it is
due to drug injury or the disease is unknown, the authors said. "Considering the significant
differences in the functional indexes of the liver and kidney, more attention should be paid to the
monitoring and evaluation of liver and kidney function during the treatment of critically ill
patients," they wrote.
Men and women differ in both innate and adaptive immune responses, they said. These
disparities may be attributed to steroids and X-linked gene activity, which both regulate the
immune response to viruses. Sex-specific inflammatory responses, including relatively higher
levels of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in men, or the protective effect of estrogen in
women, may also factor into the disparities. "Sex is an important biological variable that should
be considered in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19," they wrote. "The key challenge is
how best to use this disparity for providing adequate protection in both males and females."
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/studies-find-men-more-
prone-covid-19-death
Accessed on: 30th April 2020 at 4:00 PM, IST
1st May 2020: COVID-19 shot protects monkeys: For the first time, one of the many COVID-19
vaccines in development has protected animal, rhesus macaques, from the new coronavirus. The
vaccine, an old-fashioned formulation consisting of a chemically inactivated version of the virus,
produced no obvious side effects in the monkeys; human trials began on 16 April. Encouraging
Page 47 of 157
monkey results for other vaccines are close behind. Researchers from Sinovac Biotech, a
privately held Beijing-based company, gave two different doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to a
total of eight rhesus macaques. Three weeks later, the group introduced SARS-CoV-2, the virus
that causes COVID-19, into the monkeys' lungs. None developed a full-blown infection.
But Douglas Reed of the University of Pittsburgh, who is developing and testing COVID-19 vaccines in monkeys, says the number of animals was too small to yield statistically significant results. The study did address worries that partial protection by a vaccine could be dangerous. Earlier animal experiments with vaccines against the related coronaviruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome had found that low antibody levels could lead to aberrant immune responses, enhancing the infection and damaging their lungs. But the Sinovac team did not find any evidence of lung damage in vaccinated animals that produced relatively low levels of antibodies, which “lessens the concern about vaccine enhancement,” Reed says. “More work needs to be done, though.” To check the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 variants might thwart a vaccine, the Sinovac researchers mixed antibodies taken from monkeys, rats, and mice given their vaccine with strains of the virus isolated from patients in China, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The antibodies potently “neutralized” all the strains, which are “widely scattered on the phylogenic tree,” the researchers noted. Sinovac recently started phase I human trials of its vaccine in Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai, which aim to gauge safety and immune responses in 144 volunteers. The company hopes to start phase II studies by mid-May that will assess the same endpoints but will enroll more than 1000 people. If all goes well, Meng says, Sinovac will launch phase III efficacy trials that compare the vaccine with a placebo in thousands of people. Because of the low level of transmission now occurring in China, the company may run additional trials in harder hit countries. Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6490/456 Accessed on: 1st May 2020 at 7:30 PM IST
2nd May 2020: US germ warfare research leads to new early COVID-19 test: Scientists working for the US military have designed a new COVID-19 test that could potentially identify carriers before they become infectious and spread the disease, the Guardian has learned.
In what could be a significant breakthrough, project coordinators hope the blood-based test will be able to detect the virus’s presence as early as 24 hours after infection – before people show symptoms and several days before a carrier is considered capable of spreading it to other people. That is also around four days before current tests can detect the virus. The test has emerged from a project set up by the US military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) aimed at rapid diagnosis of germ or chemical warfare poisoning. It was hurriedly repurposed when the pandemic broke out and the new test is expected to be put forward for emergency use approval (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within a week.
While pre-infectious detection would improve the efficiency of test-and-trace programmes as governments worldwide relax lockdowns, DARPA cautioned that it must wait until after FDA approval is given and the test can be put into practise for evidence of exactly how early it can pick up the virus. If EUA is granted, the test should start being rolled out in the US in the second half of May. Approval is not guaranteed, but DARPA scientists are enthusiastic about the potential impact as governments loosen lockdowns amid worries about controlling potential second-wave outbreaks.
Page 48 of 157
The test would up the possibility of isolating pre-infectious cases and closing down transmission chains. It could also dramatically reduce quarantine periods for people exposed to COVID-19 spreaders, allowing them to go back to work within days. “It could have exceptional demand,” said Chris Linthwaite, the chief executive of Fluidigm, a California (based) life-sciences technology company that is part of the project, who believes frequent testing can help manage workforces as they return to offices, warehouses and factories.
Like the viral test, the new blood test hunts for a type of molecule called RNA. In this case it is messenger RNA (mRNA). The research team is expected to publish the mRNA sequence, allowing others to create the so-called “primer” required.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/01/us-germ-warfare-lab-creates-test-for-pre-infectious-covid-19-carriers Accessed on: 2nd May, 2020 at 4:30 PM IST
3rd May 2020: R&D Blueprint and COVID-19: The current COVID-19 pandemic is
unprecedented, but the global response draws on the lessons learned from other disease
outbreaks over the past several decades.
As part of WHO’s response, the R&D Blueprint was activated to accelerate diagnostics,
vaccines and therapeutics for this novel coronavirus. The Blueprint aims to improve
coordination between scientists and global health professionals, accelerate the research and
development process, and develop new norms and standards to learn from and improve upon
the global response.
On 30 January 2020, following the recommendations of the Emergency Committee, the WHO
Director-General declared that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of
International Concern (PHEIC). World scientists on COVID-19 then met at the World Health
Organization’s Geneva headquarters on 11–12 February 2020 to assess the current level of
knowledge about the new virus, agree on critical research questions that need to be
answered urgently, and to find ways to work together to accelerate and fund priority
research to curtail this outbreak and prepare for those in the future.
The discussion led to an agreement on two main goals. The first was to accelerate innovative
research to help contain the spread of the epidemic and facilitate care for those affected. The
second was to support research priorities that contribute to global research platforms in hopes of
learning from the current pandemic response to better prepare for the next unforeseen
epidemic.
Building on the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV,
the R&D Blueprint has facilitated a coordinated and accelerated response to COVID-19, including
an unprecedented program to develop a vaccine, research into potential pharmaceutical
treatments and strengthened channels for information sharing between countries.
Source: https://www.who.int/teams/blueprint/covid-19
Accessed on 3rd May 2020 at 8:40 PM IST
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4th May 2020: Update on WHO Solidarity Trial – Accelerating a safe and effective COVID-
19 vaccine: The availability of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is well-recognized as
an additional tool to contribute to the control of the pandemic. At the same time, the challenges
and efforts needed to rapidly develop, evaluate and produce this at scale are enormous. It is vital
that we evaluate as many vaccines as possible as we cannot predict how many will turn out to be
viable.
To increase the chances of success (given the high level of attrition during vaccine
development), we must test all candidate vaccines until they fail. WHO is working to ensure that
all of them have the chance of being tested at the initial stage of development.
This is a major and extraordinary global research undertaking: WHO is facilitating collaboration
and accelerated efforts on a scale not seen before; it is convening vital communications across
the research community and beyond.
Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/global-research-
on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/solidarity-trial-accelerating-a-safe-and-effective-covid-19-
vaccine
Accessed on 4th May 2020 at 8:30 PM IST
5th May 2020: Israeli research team gets a step closer to developing a COVID-19 vaccine:
As researchers and medical labs are stepping up their efforts to find a cure for Covid-19, the
Isreal Defence Ministry said in a statement that the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR)
has completed the development phase of coronavirus antibody or passive vaccine, reports The
Jerusalem Post. The Israeli defence minister was briefed by the research team, who told that this
antibody attacks the virus and neutralises it in the body. The institute is now preparing to get a
patent for the antibody and contract for its commercial development. The defence ministry of
Israel will coordinate this with the IIBR.
Last month, IIBR told that it had begun testing the antibody-based vaccine prototype on rodents. The institute is also involved in plasma collection from people who have recovered from the novel coronavirus infection, hoping that this might help research. A second Israeli research team, MigVax, has also reported that it is close to completing the first phase of development of a coronavirus vaccine. Last week, it secured a $12 million investment from OurCrowd to accelerate the path to clinical trials. Israel has tested over 404,000 samples in the country and 16,246 came out positive. The country has reported 235 deaths till now.
Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/health/israeli-research-team-gets-a-step-
closer-to-developing-a-covid-19-vaccine-120050500302_1.html
Accessed on: 5th May 2020 at 3:00 PM IST
Israel develops key Covid antibody that ‘attacks and neutralises’ the virus in patient’s
body: Israel has isolated a key coronavirus antibody at its primary biological research centre,
Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday. He called it a “significant breakthrough” towards
a possible treatment for COVID-19. In an official statement, Bennet claimed that the
“monoclonal neutralising antibody” developed by the Israel Institute for Biological Research
(IIBR) “attacks the virus and neutralizes it” inside the virus carrier’s body.
Page 50 of 157
Monoclonal antibodies, as the name suggests, are cloned from a single recovered cell. Thus, they are much easier to create and use, as opposed to polyclonal antibodies which will have to be derived from multiple cells. In typical antibody vaccines, neutralisation occurs when the laboratory-developed antibodies mimic the body’s natural immune response and attack the virus when exposed to it.
IIBR completes development phase
According to the Jerusalem Post, IIBR has completed the development phase of the antibody formula and is now looking to manufacture it. The statement quotes IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira as saying the antibody formula was being patented, after which an international manufacturer would be sought to mass-produce it. The IIBR, a secretive research unit working directly under the office of Israel’s Prime Minister, has not released any further information about the vaccine itself. If effective, the development of an antibody is very promising, and this vaccine would join several other candidates that are already being touted as potential vaccines for Covid-19. However, most potential vaccines are currently in human trials. Though Shapira said mass production is about to begin, it is unclear whether the vaccine has been tested for safety or efficacy on humans. IIBR is a unit that works to counter biological threats against Israel and has been taking the lead in order to develop a treatment and vaccine for the coronavirus, including plasma collection that includes the testing of blood from those who recovered from COVID-19. Israel was one of the first countries to close its borders and impose increasingly stringent restrictions on movement to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus. It has reported 16,246 cases and 235 deaths due to COVID-19.
Source: https://theprint.in/world/israel-develops-key-covid-antibody-that-attacks-and-
neutralises-the-virus-in-patients-body/414570/
Accessed on: 5th May 2020 at 3:15 PM, IST
6th May 2020: Italian researchers claim World’s first COVID-19 vaccine that can stop
coronavirus from infecting human cells: Italian researchers have claimed that they have
successfully developed a vaccine to contain coronavirus (COVID-19) which is likely to work on
humans, a report said.
Luigi Aurisicchio, CEO of Takis, the firm developing the medication, said that a coronavirus candidate vaccine has neutralised the virus in human cells for the first time, the Arab News reported. "This is the most advanced stage of testing of a candidate vaccine created in Italy. Human tests are expected after this summer," Aurisicchio was quoted as saying to Italian news agency ANSA. "According to the Spallanzani Hospital, as far as we know we are the first in the World so far to have demonstrated neutralisation of the coronavirus by a vaccine. We expect this to happen in humans too," he added.
The researchers experimented with the vaccine on mice that had successfully developed antibodies that blocked the virus from infecting the cells. They further observed that the five vaccine candidates generated a large number of antibodies, and selected two with the best results. All of the vaccine candidates currently being developed are based on the genetic material of DNA protein "spike", the molecular tip used by the coronavirus to enter human cells. They are injected with the so-called "electroporation" technique, which consists of an intramuscular injection followed by a brief electrical impulse, helping the vaccine break into the cells and activating the immune system, the report said. Researchers believe that this makes their vaccine particularly effective for generating functional antibodies against the "spike" protein, in particular in the lung cells, which are the most vulnerable to coronavirus.
Page 51 of 157
Source: https://swarajyamag.com/insta/italian-researchers-claim-worlds-first-covid-19-vaccine-that-can-stop-coronavirus-from-infecting-human-cells Accessed on: 6th May, 2020 at 8:00 PM, IST
7th May 2020: COVID-19: Lessons for international research collaboration and
information exchange: ICC applauds the World Health Organization’s (WHO) landmark global
collaboration bringing together the public and private sector to accelerate development,
production and equitable global access to new COVID-19 essential health technologies.
Multilateral and multistakeholder cooperation is—and will continue to be crucial to support the
rapid development and deployment of safe and effective COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and
vaccines, and ensure equitable global access to these. The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted
the crucial need for international scientific collaboration in both the public and private sectors
to develop diagnostics, vaccines and treatments in order to tackle health emergencies. This
requires open exchange of, and rapid access to, samples and information.
Open and timely access to genome sequences of the emerging coronavirus enabled global
collaboration in the scientific community and an early start to develop diagnostics, vaccines and
treatments against COVID-19. From the day of the outbreak’s first report, it took little more than
a week for the WHO to confirm existence of the new coronavirus, then less than 24 hours from
the first coronaviruses being sequenced by Chinese public health laboratories, to full genome
data being publicly shared on GISAID1 EpiCoV™ database, a public-private-partnership. The
rapid sharing of the coronavirus genetic sequence worldwide enabled real-time progress in the
understanding of the new COVID-19 disease and allowed scientists around the world in public
and private sector research to immediately start working on candidate medical counter
measures.
This immediate international mobilisation, often through cross-border collaborations, was built
on existing cooperation between public and private sector scientists across the world who
regularly pool resources, skills and knowledge to develop global scientific solutions. The real
time response to the COVID-19 pandemic was built on a solid foundation of existing knowledge,
treatments and tools. This results from previous research, highlighting the importance of
maintaining and supporting international research collaborations and open access and exchange
of information on an ongoing basis, and not only during emergency situations. To support on-
going private and public research efforts to counter the coronavirus, as well as to prepare
against future epidemics harming human, animal and plant health, it will be important to:
Continue to support and strengthen international networks of research collaborations
within the global research community, including both private and public sector scientists,
and ensure that research cooperation is maintained even in the context of national
political differences.
Ensure that policies and regulations do not hinder effective, timely, cross-border access
to and exchange of scientific information, data and physical samples. Timely open
exchange and access to information and samples is fundamental to ensuring that public
and private sector research yields results with the speed necessary to respond to a health
emergency.
Ensure continued open and unencumbered exchange of, and access to, genetic sequences.
Care must be taken not to impose regulations at national and international level that
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would undermine the open information exchange and legal certainty necessary to
international scientific collaboration and research in both the private and public sector.
Open exchange and access to genetic sequence data has played an essential role in
accelerating and broadening public and private research efforts on diagnostics,
treatments and vaccines for the COVID-19 pandemic, and is crucial to many R&D
activities today.
Facilitate and support international research collaborations and information exchange on
an ongoing basis to build the necessary foundation for tackling future emergencies and
more globally diverse research capacity. Research in emergency situations is more
effective in addressing the crisis at hand if it can build on a thorough foundation of
existing knowledge and draw on international R&D networks spread throughout
different regions.
Source:https://iccwbo.org/content/uploads/sites/3/2020/04/icc-statement-rd-
collaboration.pdf
Accessed on 7th May 2020 at 9.30 PM IST
8th May 2020: DG, CSIR launches Compendium of Indian Technologies for Combating
COVID-19: A “Compendium of Indian Technologies for Combating COVID-19 (Tracing, Testing
and Treating)” prepared by National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) was launched
by Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, Govt. of India at CSIR
Headquarters, New Delhi. The compendium carries information about 200 COVID-19-related
Indian technologies, ongoing research activities, technologies available for commercialisation,
initiatives and efforts taken by the Government of India, categorised under 3Ts of Tracking,
Testing and Treating. Most of these technologies are proof-of-concept (POC) tested and can help
the entrepreneurs to take the product to market faster as they do not have to reinvent the wheel.
Dr. Mande appreciated the initiative of NRDC for bringing out the Compendium of Indian
Technologies for Combating COVID-19 “as it is very timely and would benefit the MSMEs,
Startups and the public at large”. Dr. H. Purushotham, CMD, NRDC, informed that team-NRDC has
made an attempt to compile most relevant and emerging indigenously developed technological
innovations, including those which are at research stage, to fight COVID-19 for the benefit of all
stakeholders and this compendium will serve as a ready-reference for policy makers, industries,
entrepreneurs, startups, MSMEs, research scholars, scientists and others. He also informed that
several of the technologies compiled are approved by ICMR.
For more information, including transfer of technology, one may reach NRDC, an enterprise of
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology,
Govt.of India at [email protected].
Source: http://www.nrdcindia.com/uploads/press/1588779121Press_Information_Bureau.pdf
Accessed on: 8th May 2020 at 09:35 PM IST
Page 53 of 157
8th May 2020: An investigation of transmission control measures during the first 50 days
of the COVID-19 epidemic in China: Responding to an outbreak of a novel coronavirus [agent
of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] in December 2019, China banned travel to and from
Wuhan city on 23 January 2020 and implemented a national emergency response. We
investigated the spread and control of COVID-19 using a data set that included case reports,
human movement, and public health interventions. The Wuhan shutdown was associated with
the delayed arrival of COVID-19 in other cities by 2.91 days. Cities that implemented control
measures preemptively reported fewer cases on average (13.0) in the first week of their
outbreaks compared with cities that started control later (20.6). Suspending intracity public
transport, closing entertainment venues, and banning public gatherings were associated with
reductions in case incidence. The national emergency response appears to have delayed the
growth and limited the size of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, averting hundreds of thousands
of cases by 19 February (day 50).
Source: https://cerahgeneve.ch/resources/covid-19-free-online-scientific-resources/?
Accessed on 9th May 2020 at 07:20 PM IST
9th May 2020: An investigation of transmission control measures during the first 50 days
of the COVID-19 epidemic in China: Responding to an outbreak of a novel coronavirus [agent
of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] in December 2019, China banned travel to and from
Wuhan city on 23 January 2020 and implemented a national emergency response. We
investigated the spread and control of COVID-19 using a data set that included case reports,
human movement, and public health interventions. The Wuhan shutdown was associated with
the delayed arrival of COVID-19 in other cities by 2.91 days. Cities that implemented control
measures preemptively reported fewer cases on average (13.0) in the first week of their
outbreaks compared with cities that started control later (20.6). Suspending intracity public
transport, closing entertainment venues, and banning public gatherings were associated with
reductions in case incidence. The national emergency response appears to have delayed the
growth and limited the size of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, averting hundreds of thousands
of cases by 19 February (day 50).
Source: https://cerahgeneve.ch/resources/covid-19-free-online-scientific-resources/?
Accessed on 9th May 2020 at 07:20 PM IST
10th May 2020: Geolocation Study: Public Health Officials Should Prepare for Coronavirus
in New Locations: RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — 2019-novel coronavirus, proclaimed by
the World Health Organization as a public health emergency of international concern, has
impacted thousands of people globally. Researchers at RTI International, a nonprofit research
institute, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University, University of Oxford and
University of Toronto, have been working to understand the spread of the 2019-novel
coronavirus by using geolocation data from the social media platform Twitter.
Donal Bisanzio, DVM PhD, Senior Epidemiologist at RTI, and Richard Reithinger, PhD, Vice
President of Global Health at RTI have been studying the virus since cases began to be reported
in early January. According to the geolocation data, public health officials should anticipate new
cases in new countries to soon be reported based on a correlation between geolocated data from
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a group of Twitter users from Wuhan and the original location of previously reported cases of
the virus.
"The researchers chose to review geolocations of Twitter users because data of travelers during
the inception of the virus had already been studied using flight information, census surveys and
mobile phone traffic — these methods do not necessarily allow identification of intermediate or
final travel destinations,” said Reithinger. “Geolocated data of Twitter users had not yet been
studied and by identifying where tweets from this time period originated, the researchers could
get a better idea of exactly where these users physically were.”
Bisanzio and Reithinger created a database of tweets during the time period of when exposure
to coronavirus first occurred up until travel into and out of Wuhan became restricted by Chinese
authorities as part of their response to the outbreak. They filtered the database to include users
who posted at least two tweets on consecutive days within the city of Wuhan to ensure that each
user was physically in Wuhan. After filtering the pool of users, they reviewed the group’s activity
on Twitter for a 30-day period to determine whether they had traveled outside of Wuhan based
on the geolocated data from each of their tweets. The researchers expect new cases to be
reported in the U.K., Saudi Arabia and Indonesia — all countries in which the group of Twitter
users traveled to based on geolocated data within 30 days after tweeting from Wuhan more than
once.
Source: https://www.rti.org/news/geolocation-study-public-health-officials-should-prepare-
coronavirus-new-locations
Accessed on: 10th May 2020 at 06:33 PM IST
Triple anti-viral drug shows COVID-19 promise in Hong Kong study: Researchers in Hong
Kong have found that patients suffering milder illness caused by the new coronavirus recover
more quickly if they are treated with a three-drug antiviral cocktail soon after symptoms appear.
The small trial, which involved 127 patients, compared those given the combination drug - made up of the anti-HIV therapy lopinavir-ritonavir, the hepatitis drug ribavirin and the multiple sclerosis treatment interferon-beta - with a control group given just lopinavir-ritonavir.
The findings, published in The Lancet medical journal, showed that, on average, people who got the triple-drug reached the point of no detectable virus five days earlier than those in the control group - at seven days versus 12 days.
"Our trial demonstrates that early treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 with a triple combination of antiviral drugs may rapidly suppress the amount of virus in a patient's body, relieve symptoms, and reduce the risk to health-care workers," said Kwok-Yung Yuen, a professor at the University of Hong Kong who coled the research. He said the lower risk to healthcare workers would be due to the combination drug's effect in reducing "viral shedding" - which is when the virus is detectable and potentially transmissible.
The study was carried out between February 10 and March 20 in Hong Kong, where everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is admitted to hospital.
The authors conceded several limitations with the trial, including that it was "open label" - people knew which drugs they were taking and there was no placebo.
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'Encouraging' findings In the trial, all patients received standard hospital care as needed, including ventilation support, dialysis support, antibiotics and corticosteroids. Yuen said the findings were "encouraging", but that the triple-drug's effect now needed to be tested in larger numbers of patients and in people with more severe COVID-19 symptoms.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/triple-anti-viral-drug-shows-covid-19-promise-hong-kong-study-200509082156229.html Accessed on: 10th May 2020 at 1:00 PM, IST 11th May 2020: Coalition to accelerate research for COVID-19 in low- and middle-income
countries: A group of scientists, physicians, funders, and policy makers from over 70
institutions from over 30 countries have launched an international coalition to respond to
COVID-19 in resource-poor settings. The COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition aims to accelerate
desperately needed COVID-19 research in those areas where the virus could wreak havoc on
already-fragile health systems and cause the greatest health impact on vulnerable populations.
In a Comment published in The Lancet, the members of the coalition argue that international
research collaboration and coordination is needed urgently to support African, Latin American,
Eastern European, and certain Asian countries to respond effectively to the worsening pandemic
and speed up research adapted to resource-limited settings.
The coalition brings together an unprecedented array of health experts, including public-sector
research institutes, ministries of health, academia, not-for-profit research and development
organizations, NGOs, international organisations, and funders all committed to finding COVID-19
solutions for resource-poor settings.
One important research response to COVID-19 has been launched already, the World Health
Organization (WHO)-led SOLIDARITY trial, an unprecedented global effort. But the authors
found that out of almost 600 COVID-19 clinical trials registered, very few trials are planned in
resource-poor settings. The authors commit to sharing their technical expertise and clinical trial
capability to accelerate COVID-19 research in these settings.
The scale of the challenge is clearly beyond the scope of any single organization. The coalition
will facilitate a coordinated approach, so that all data from all regions can be collected in a
similar fashion, pooled and shared in real-time. This will help countries and the WHO to make
rapid evidence-based decisions on policies and practice.
"We welcome the launch of this coalition, which takes advantage of existing multinational and
multidisciplinary expertise in running clinical trials in resource poor settings, and will help the
World Health Organization in its coordinating role in the global response to COVID-19," said Dr
Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization. "Although the epicentre is
today elsewhere, we must prepare now for the consequences of this pandemic in more resource-
constrained settings or we stand to lose many more lives."
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200402195443.htm
Accessed on 11th May 2020 at 09:30 PM IST
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12th May 2020: Coronavirus: research reveals way to predict infection – without a
test: The UK and some US states have set out plans for easing coronavirus lockdowns.
Ultimately, any government that attempts to ease restrictions must keep a close eye on daily
infection numbers and the spread of the virus. Ideally, every new case should be traced and
managed.
The problem is that most countries lack the resources to test and contact-trace enough people.
But the app, which is called the COVID Symptom Study and is based on some 3.4 million users in
the UK, US and Sweden logging symptoms daily, could help. In a new study, published in Nature
Medicine, it is shown that this app can estimate whether someone has COVID-19 purely based
on their symptoms – with a high degree of accuracy.
The app (formerly known as the COVID Symptom Tracker) was launched at King’s College
London in collaboration with the health technology company ZOE in March. Users are asked to
say whether they are feeling well or experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19 every day.
Within 14 days, with the help of social media, gathered 2 million users were gathered, collecting
vital information on the symptoms of coronavirus infection and the spread of the disease across
the UK.
Telling symptoms It was then investigated which symptoms known to be associated with COVID-19 were most
likely to predict a positive test. Loss of taste and smell were particularly striking, with two thirds
of users testing positive for coronavirus infection reporting them compared with just over a fifth
of the participants who tested negative.
Next, a mathematical model was created that could predict with nearly 80% accuracy whether
an individual is likely to have COVID-19 based on their age, sex and a combination of four key
symptoms: loss of smell or taste, severe or persistent cough, fatigue and skipping meals.
The implications of this are huge: in the absence of widespread, reliable testing for coronavirus,
symptom logging through the app is a simple, fast and cost-effective way to help people know
whether or not they are likely to be infected and should take steps to self-isolate and get tested.
Importantly, the results suggest that loss of taste or smell is a key early warning sign of COVID-19
infection. A loss of appetite and severe fatigue also outperformed the classical symptoms like
cough and fever. Focusing on just cough and fever will miss many cases.
This data-driven approach relies on millions of people using the app to log their health on a daily
basis. Even as we return to our normal lives, we need to stay vigilant - and people need to
understand the full range of symptoms.
Source: https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-research-reveals-way-to-predict-infection-without-a-test-138284 Accessed on: 12th May 2020 at 4:00 PM, IST 13th May 2020: Passive immunisation may slow down COVID-19 infection: Researchers have
revealed that passive vaccine or passive immunisation (PI) can provide instant, short-term fortification
against infectious agents and slow down coronavirus (COVID-19). Passive immunisation is the term used
when an antibody formed in one individual is given to another individual who is at risk of infection - the
protection is temporary.
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Finding a vaccine for COVID-19 has become a global public health priority. However, creating a viable
vaccine might take a long time; scientists estimate a vaccine may be available in between 12 to 18
months. "Using valuable plasma from recovered patients might be useful in our global war against
COVID-19," explained Foad Alzoughool from the Hashemite University in Jordan.
According to the study, published in the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, after exposure
to a viral infection, an individual's body creates antibodies to fight off the virus. These antibodies in the
blood of a recovered patient can be collected as convalescent plasma and transferred to the blood of a
newly infected patient where it can neutralize the pathogen, eliminate it from the bloodstream, and boost
immunity. While PI does not provide long-term protection against the virus, it can reduce the
aggressiveness and mortality rate of infection. The use of PI dates to the beginning of the twentieth
century during the Spanish flu epidemic when patients who received convalescent plasma serum had
lower mortality rates than others.
In one report, patients who received PI had a significantly shorter hospital stay and lower mortality than
other groups. In another, patients who received convalescent plasma before day 14 of illness had a higher
discharge rate. More than 1.5 million people have recovered from the disease, and many of them would
be willing to donate plasma to help slow down the pandemic, the researchers noted. In India, the Union
Ministry for Health and Family Welfare said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has got
approval from the National Ethics Committee for the trail of convalescent plasma therapy to assess its
effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19.
Source: https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/passive-immunisation-may-slow-down-covid-19-
infection-study-5909611.htm
Accessed on: 13th May 2020 at 7:45 PM IST
14th May 2020: Genomic Study Points to Natural Origin of COVID-19: The reassuring
findings are the result of genomic analyses conducted by an international research team, partly
supported by NIH. In their study in the journal Nature Medicine, Kristian Andersen, Scripps
Research Institute, La Jolla, CA; Robert Garry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New
Orleans; and their colleagues used sophisticated bioinformatic tools to compare publicly
available genomic data from several coronaviruses, including the new one that causes COVID-19.
The researchers began by homing in on the parts of the coronavirus genomes that encode the
spike proteins that give this family of viruses their distinctive crown-like appearance. (By the
way, “corona” is Latin for “crown.”) All coronaviruses rely on spike proteins to infect other cells.
But, over time, each coronavirus has fashioned these proteins a little differently, and the
evolutionary clues about these modifications are spelled out in their genomes.
The genomic data of the new coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 show that its spike protein
contains some unique adaptations. One of these adaptations provides special ability of this
coronavirus to bind to a specific protein on human cells called angiotensin converting enzyme
(ACE2). A related coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in humans
also seeks out ACE2.
Existing computer models predicted that the new coronavirus would not bind to ACE2 as well as
the SARS virus. However, to their surprise, the researchers found that the spike protein of the
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new coronavirus actually bound far better than computer predictions, likely because of natural
selection on ACE2 that enabled the virus to take advantage of a previously unidentified alternate
binding site. Researchers said this provides strong evidence that that new virus was not the
product of purposeful manipulation in a lab. In fact, any bioengineer trying to design a
coronavirus that threatened human health probably would never have chosen this particular
conformation for a spike protein.
The researchers went on to analyze genomic data related to the overall molecular structure, or
backbone, of the new coronavirus. Their analysis showed that the backbone of the new
coronavirus’s genome most closely resembles that of a bat coronavirus discovered after the
COVID-19 pandemic began. However, the region that binds ACE2 resembles a novel virus found
in pangolins, a strange-looking animal sometimes called a scaly anteater. This provides
additional evidence that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 almost certainly originated in
nature. If the new coronavirus had been manufactured in a lab, scientists most likely would have
used the backbones of coronaviruses already known to cause serious diseases in humans.
So, what is the natural origin of the novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic?
The researchers don’t yet have a precise answer. But they do offer two possible scenarios. In the
first scenario, as the new coronavirus evolved in its natural hosts, possibly bats or pangolins, its
spike proteins mutated to bind to molecules similar in structure to the human ACE2 protein,
thereby enabling it to infect human cells. This scenario seems to fit other recent outbreaks of
coronavirus-caused disease in humans, such as SARS, which arose from cat-like civets; and
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which arose from camels.
The second scenario is that the new coronavirus crossed from animals into humans before it
became capable of causing human disease. Then, as a result of gradual evolutionary changes
over years or perhaps decades, the virus eventually gained the ability to spread from human-to-
human and cause serious, often life-threatening disease.
Either way, this study leaves little room to refute a natural origin for COVID-19. And that’s a
good thing because it helps us keep focused on what really matters: observing good hygiene,
practicing social distancing, and supporting the efforts of all the dedicated health-care
professionals and researchers who are working so hard to address this major public health
challenge.
Finally, next time you come across something about COVID-19 online that disturbs or puzzles
you, I suggest going to FEMA’s new Coronavirus Rumor Control web site. It may not have all the
answers to your questions, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction in helping to distinguish
rumors from facts.
Source: https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2020/03/26/genomic-research-points-to-natural-origin-
of-covid-19/
Accessed on 14th May 2020 at 8.30 PM IST
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15th May 2020: New Research: Now, bowel abnormalities seen in COVID-19 patients: A
new study, published in the journal Radiology, has identified yet another way in which the novel
coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can affect the body — by causing bowel abnormalities.
The retrospective study included 412 Covid-19 patients (241 men and 171 women) admitted to
a single health facility from March 27 to April 10. Records showed that 17% of patients had
cross-sectional abdominal imaging — ultrasounds, CT scans etc. Bowel abnormalities were seen
on 31% of CT scans (3.2% of all patients) and were more frequent in intensive care unit (ICU)
patients than other inpatients.
In a statement issued by the Radiological Society of North America, Dr Rajesh Bhayana of
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, said: “We found bowel abnormalities on imaging in
patients with Covid-19, more commonly in sicker patients who went to the ICU. Some findings
were typical of bowel ischemia, or dying bowel, and in those who had surgery we saw small
vessel clots beside areas of dead bowel. Patients in the ICU can have bowel ischemia for other
reasons, but we know Covid-19 can lead to clotting and small vessel injury, so bowel might also
be affected by this.”
According to the researchers, possible explanations for the spectrum of bowel findings in
COVID-19 patients include direct viral infection, small vessel thrombosis, or “nonocclusive
mesenteric ischemia”. They added, however, that further studies are required to clarify the
cause of bowel findings in these patients, and to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 plays a direct
role in bowel or vascular injury.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/now-bowel-abnormalities-seen-in-covid-19-patients-6408654/ Accessed on: 15th May 2020 at 8.30 PM IST
16th May 2020: German researchers develop technique to stop COVID reproduction: Berlin: A team of researchers at Goethe University and the Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany have reportedly discovered a series of compounds that resulted in restricting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID disease, from reproducing.
While the present conclusions are based on a cell structure system, it requires further testing. Since the virus develops on protein synthesis in the human body, the researchers used translation inhibitors which stopped protein production, resulting in controlling the deadly virus to grow further, the study said. The researchers developed 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG), among other substances to interfere directly with the carbohydrate metabolism and stop the viral reproduction, the study suggested.
“Thanks to the mePROD-technology we developed, we were for the first time able to trace the cellular changes upon infection over time and with high detail in our laboratory. We were obviously aware of the potential scope of our findings,” researcher, Christian Munch from Goethe University told media. Notably, the substances used are components of already approved medication for treating coronavirus, a researcher added. Meanwhile, companies in the US and Canada are reportedly preparing for clinical trials based on the current findings with a different substance. Source: https://odishabytes.com/german-researchers-develop-technique-to-stop-covid-reproduction/ Accessed on 16th May 2020, 7:15 PM IST
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17th May 2020: How long can the coronavirus survive on surfaces or in the air? The
coronavirus can live for three days on some surfaces, like plastic and steel, new research
suggests. Experts say the risk of consumers getting infected from touching those materials is still
low, although they offered additional warnings about how long the virus survives in air, which
may have important implications for medical workers.
The new study, published on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, also suggests that
the virus disintegrates over the course of a day on cardboard, lessening the worry among
consumers that deliveries will spread the virus during this period of staying and working from
home. When the virus becomes suspended in droplets smaller than 5 micrometers — known as
aerosols — it can stay suspended for about a half-hour, researchers said, before drifting down
and settling on surfaces where it can linger for hours. The finding on aerosol in particular is
inconsistent with the WHO’s position that the virus is not transported by air.
The virus lives longest on plastic and steel, surviving for up to 72 hours. But the amount of viable
virus decreases sharply over this time. It does poorly on copper, surviving four hours. On
cardboard, it survives up to 24 hours, which suggests packages that arrive in the mail should
have only low levels of the virus — unless the delivery person has coughed or sneezed on it or
has handled it with contaminated hands.
That’s true in general. Unless the people who handle any of these materials are sick, the actual
risk of getting infected from any of these materials is low, experts said. “Everything at the
grocery store & restaurant takeout containers & bags could in theory have infectious virus on
them,” said Dr. Linsey Marr, who was not a member of the research team but is an expert in the
transmission of viruses by aerosol at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. “We could go crazy discussing
these ‘what-ifs’ because everyone is a potential source, so we have to focus on the biggest risks.”
If people are concerned about the risk, they could wipe down packages with disinfectant wipes
and wash their hands, she said. It is unclear why cardboard should be a less hospitable
environment for the virus than plastic or steel, but it may be explained by the absorbency or
fibrous quality of the packaging compared with the other surfaces.
That the virus can survive & stay infectious in aerosols is also important for health care workers.
For weeks experts have maintained that the virus is not airborne. But in fact, it can travel
through the air and stay suspended for about a half-hour. The virus does not linger in the air at
high enough levels to be a risk to most people who are not physically near an infected person.
But the procedures health care workers use to care for infected patients are likely to generate
aerosols. “Once you get a patient in with severe pneumonia, the patients need to be intubated,”
said Dr. Vincent Munster, a virologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
who led the study. “All these handlings might generate aerosols and droplets.”
Health care workers might also collect those tiny droplets & larger ones on the protective gear
when working with infected patients. They might resuspend these big & small droplets into the
air when they take off protective gear and become exposed to the virus then, Marr cautioned.
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A study that is being reviewed by experts bears out this fear. And another study, published
March 4 in JAMA, also indicates that the virus is transported by air. That study, based in
Singapore, found the virus on a ventilator in the hospital room of an infected patient, where it
could only have reached via the air. Marr said that the World Health Organization has so far
referred to the virus as not airborne but that health care workers should wear gear, including
respirator masks, assuming that it is. “Based on aerosol science and recent findings on flu virus,”
she said, “surgical masks are probably insufficient.”
Marr said based on physics, an aerosol released at a height of about 6 feet would fall to the
ground after 34 minutes. The findings should not cause the general public to panic, however,
because the virus disperses quickly in the air. “It sounds scary,” she said, “but unless you’re
close to someone, the amount you’ve been exposed to is very low.”
Marr compared this to cigarette smoke or a foggy breath on a frosty day. The closer and sooner
another person is to the exhaled smoke or breath, the more of a whiff they might catch; for
anyone farther than a few feet away, there is too little of the virus in the air to be any danger. To
assess the ability of the virus to survive in the air, the researchers created what Munster
described as “bizarre experiments done under very ideal controllable experimental conditions.”
They used a rotating drum to suspend the aerosols and provided temperature and humidity
levels that closely mimic hospital conditions.
In this setup, the virus survived & stayed infectious for up to three hours, but its ability to infect
drops sharply over this time, he said. He said the aerosols might stay aloft for only about 10
minutes, but Marr disagreed with that assessment & said they could stay in the air for three
times longer. She also said that the experimental setup might be less comfortable for the virus
than a real-life setting.
For example, she said, the researchers used a relative humidity of 65%. “Many, but not all
viruses, have shown that they survive worst at this level of humidity,” she said. They do best at
lower or much higher humidity. The humidity in a heated house is less than 40%, “at which the
virus might survive even longer,” she said. Mucus and respiratory fluids might also allow the
virus to survive longer than the laboratory fluids the researchers used for their experiments.
Other experts said the paper’s findings illustrate the urgent need for more information about the
virus’s ability to survive in aerosols and under different conditions. “We need more experiments
like this, in particular, extending the experimental sampling time for aerosolized virus beyond
three hours and testing survival under different temperature and humidity conditions,” said Dr.
Jeffrey Shaman, an environmental health sciences expert at Columbia University.
Munster noted that, overall, the new coronavirus seems no more capable of surviving for long
periods than its close cousins SARS and MERS, which caused previous epidemics. That suggests
there are other reasons, such as transmission by people who don’t have symptoms, for its ability
to cause a pandemic.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/how-long-can-
coronavirus-live-on-surfaces-or-in-the-air/articleshow/74690737.cms
Accessed on 17th May 2020 at 06:50 PM
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18th May 2020: New Research: Why does age make it more difficult to fight COVID-19?
Data across countries has shown that age and underlying health conditions make people more
vulnerable to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. A new study has now suggested a possible
genetic explanation for this. A group of molecules that should be fighting the virus are
diminished with age and chronic health problems, researchers report in the journal Aging and
Disease.
These molecules are tiny RNA, called microRNA, and are non-coding molecules, meaning that
they do not translate into protein. MicroRNAs play a major role in our body in controlling the
expression of genes, and more importantly in the context of COVID-19, they are part of our line
of attack against a viral infection. They fight the virus by latching on to the virus’s genetic
material (RNA) and cutting it.
But with age and some chronic medical conditions, the attacking microRNA numbers dwindle.
The researchers describe this as being much like not having enough troops on the ground in an
actual war. The coronavirus is thus better able to hijack our cell machinery so that it can
replicate. In the study, the reporters identified what appear to be the key microRNAs involved
in responding to this virus. Then they looked at existing literature on these microRNAs,
specifically in the context of age and certain health conditions.
They looked at the RNA sequence of two coronaviruses: SARS-CoV (which causes SARS) and
SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19). The samples were taken between January and April 2020
from 17 countries. The researchers observed the sequence of the microRNAs that appeared to
be attacking the virus, then used computer simulation to figure out that 848 microRNAs target
the SARS genome, and 873 microRNAs target the SARS-CoV-2 genome (558 of these target both
viruses).
Correlating with existing literature, the researchers found that many of the microRNAs targeting
SARS-CoV-2 are known to become dysregulated and/or diminish in number with age and with
underlying medical conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This is a likely factor in
the increased disease presentation and death rates seen in these individuals, they said. The
researchers have a longer-term goal of identifying the most significant microRNAs and
replenishing those. Cocktails of multiple key microRNA might help restore sufficient levels of the
key virus fighters, the researchers said.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-does-age-make-it-more-difficult-to-
fight-covid-19-6414857/
Accessed on: 18th May 2020 at 2:15 PM IST
19th May 2020: Ashwagandha as Covid-19 warrior? IIT Delhi study says yes!
IIT Delhi collaborated with National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and
Technology (AIST), an institute in Japan, in a study that discovered that Ashwagandha may
hold an efficient anti-COVID-19 drug. A collaborative study by DBT-AIST International
Laboratory for Advanced Bio-medicine (DAILAB) in IIT Delhi and in AIST, Japan has recently
discovered that Ashwagandha may hold an efficient anti-COVID-19 drug.
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The research team found that natural compounds from Ashwagandha and propolis have the
potential to be effective anti-COVID-19 drug candidates.
Natural compounds from Ashwagandha and propolis can be anti-Covid-19 drugs. In a research
paper, just accepted for publication in the J BiomolStructDyn, the research team has reported
that natural compounds from Ashwagandha and propolis have the potential to be effective anti-
COVID-19 drug candidates.
The researchers targeted the main SARS-CoV-2’s enzyme for splitting proteins, known as the Main protease or Mpro that plays a key role in mediating viral replication. They discovered that Withanone (Wi-N), a natural compound derived from Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE), an active ingredient of New Zealand propolis, have the potential to interact with and block the activity of Mpro. The team described that they have also searched for the capability to these bioactives to
modulate the protein on the surface of human cells, to which the SARS-CoV-2 binds and allows
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its entry into our cell - the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and selected
Withanone.
The study is currently under review and expected to be published in a near future. IIT Delhi
study on Ashwagandha can save time and money needed to screen COVID-19 drugs The
research team said that their findings may not only connect to save time and cost required for
screening for anti-COVID-19 drugs, but may also offer some preventive and therapeutic value for
the management of fatal COVID-19 pandemic, and hence warrant prioritized validation in the
laboratory and clinical tests.
They added that drug development may take a while and in the current scenario, these natural
resources (Ashwagandha and Propolis) may offer some preventive or even therapeutic value.
While CAPE is a major component of propolis, its amount and stability are critical factors that
could be managed by generating its complex with cyclodextrins. This has been earlier described
by the DAILAB team. Withanone, on the other hand, varies with geography/parts/size of the
Ashwagandha plant. So, in order to acquire or appreciate particular effects, we must use the
right and quality-controlled resource/extracts.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/ashwagandha-as-anti-covid-
19-drug-iit-delhi-study-1679368-2020-05-18
Accessed on: 19th May 2020, 8:40 PM, IST
20th May 2020: Researchers in India must join the fight against COVID-19: Over the last
three months, the world has changed irrevocably. The most-mentioned words around the world
in recent weeks have to be coronavirus and COVID-19.
Let’s recap the history of this pandemic. The first known case of the viral infection later called
COVID-19 was noticed in the Wuhan City of People’s Republic of China on December 1, 2019. It
was dubbed an outbreak on December 12 by the Chinese state broadcaster, and the WHO was
notified on December 30 and the viral genome sequence was decoded on January 3, 2020. The
events since then are well-known – the virus has spread to 200 countries (areas, territories),
resulting in over 4,65,900 confirmed cases as on date.
In India, the first case was detected in Kerala on January 30, 2020, in a student who had come
back from China. By this time, it had spread to several countries outside of mainland China, and
the WHO declared coronavirus as a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ on
January 31.
Till February 29, 2020, three cases were reported in India, all in Kerala. They were swiftly
identified and quarantined. This period was the first and perhaps the most important window of
opportunity for the research experts and public health specialists to come together and
contextualise the available evidence as applicable to the Indian setting in terms of testing,
treatment, prophylaxis and mathematical models of transmission and help guide policy.
Given that India has a long history of dealing with infections and the existence of a disease
surveillance programme for epidemic detection and response since 2004, and the wide
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expectation that such a pandemic was inevitable (Bill Gates spoke about exactly such a scenario
in a 2015 TED talk), the failure of the Indian research community to respond to this imminent
threat with sufficient alacrity is surprising. The first reports of coronavirus being noticed by the
Indian research community appear in the third week of February. Still, there seems to be little
urgency amongst the Indian public health community in trying to predict the impact of this
pandemic.
During this time, modelling exercises were going on around the world. The impact of science on
policy became apparent when the publication of the Imperial College modelling study forced the
British government to abruptly change its policy position from attempting to ‘ride out the storm’
and allowing the population to develop herd immunity to taking urgent steps to suppress the
pandemic. In the U.S., the calm visage of Dr Anthony Fauci has had a reassuring effect on the
American public, even as the bumbling political response has led to a crisis situation.
The Indian reaction relied heavily on the reactionary approaches to scout for evidence in the
middle of a pandemic. To date, only one data modelling on COVID-19 has been published from
India. However, this analysis did not focus on predicting the burden or behaviour of COVID-19
but to identify the effect of intervention strategies that were unlikely to work anyway. There was
enough evidence that close to 50% of infected individuals would not be detected through the
airport thermal check-based screening (the prevalent screening approach in India), and that
simply quarantining symptomatic individuals would miss large numbers of infected but
asymptomatic individuals. Thus, this report had little likelihood of informing policy
development. An editorial in British Medical Journal on the COVID-19 response in South Asia
noted “for a region that has sent rockets to Mars and includes two nuclear powers, lack of a
single academic centre with the epidemiological expertise to model a rapidly progressing
epidemic seems remarkable.”
During this time, global public health experts, including those in the WHO, were stressing of the
need to make the testing criteria liberal and adopting strict isolation policies of identified cases,
but the official response from the Indian health authorities was to reassure the Indian public
that all was well.
It was only after the mayhem in Europe, the drumbeat of voices from the U.K. and U.S., and the
appearance of expert opinions on alternative media portals, that the response changed, and the
national lockdown was implemented. The official Indian position still denies the existence of
community transmission, based on data from random testing. The design and the data that
supports this conclusion has been widely questioned, largely on the basis of the small number of
subject samples, which does not truly represent the large and diverse Indian population.
The importance and need of the lockdown at this time is not in doubt. At the time of writing, on
the fourth day of lockdown, the number of cases in India stands at 873, with 149 new cases in a
single day, a 50% jump over the rise in the previous day. Further, it is unclear whether we are
substantially expanding our testing capability. Serological tests are available now, which allow
results to become known in a matter minutes. The lockdown will end some day, and its benefits
can only be sustained only through a policy of aggressive testing, contact tracing and isolation.
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During these testing times, even as the scientific research activity has ground to a halt,
coronavirus researchers must remain busy. The basic scientists around the world including in
India are trying to understand the fundamental organism and disease biology, developing simple
and affordable test kits and vaccines.
We need to find safe and effective intervention strategies, for prevention and treatment of
COVID-19. The global standard for finding such strategies is through randomised clinical trials.
Based on anecdotal experience and pre-clinical data, one candidate molecule for such a trial is
hydroxy-chloroquine, used currently for treatment of malaria and certain autoimmune diseases.
In violation of the principle of recommending interventions only after establishing the safety and
efficacy, the national taskforce for COVID-19 issued a recommendation advocating empiric use
of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis of this infection in asymptomatic individuals including
healthcare workers. The purported evidence they use to support this recommendation is highly
speculative, has been criticised as being bad in science, and riddled with conflicts of interest.
Standing next to, and despite exhortations from U.S. President Donald Trump, Dr Fauci declined
to support its use, pointing out the need for a randomised clinical trial.
The U.K. has restrained the use of this compound outside of a trial. Under pressure, the French
authorities allowed the use of hydroxychloroquine and another antiviral drug to treat patients
infected with the coronavirus. The recommendation is highly contextual, with the statement
from France’s Director General of Health allowing “a temporary authorisation to allow certain
patients with coronavirus to benefit from this therapeutic route.” It needs to be emphasised,
however, that the authorisation is for treatment of infected individuals, and not prophylaxis.
This advisory has led to a run on this compound, making it disappear from market, putting
patients who legitimately need for treatment for other conditions at risk. Moreover, reports of
self-medication leading to complications and even deaths have been reported. The Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare has declared hydroxychloroquine as a Schedule H drug, suggesting
that it intends to double down on this poorly conceptualised recommendation.
Moreover, this recommendation puts in jeopardy any planned clinical trial of this intervention
by removing equipoise (a state of genuine uncertainty regarding the comparative therapeutic
merits) which is essential for such investigation. This is at a time when research groups around
the world, including the WHO, have started large trials in order to find effective interventions.
We have possibly lost an opportunity because the advisory will prompt healthcare providers to
adopt this approach, more so to compensate for the shortage of personal protective equipment
for healthcare workers, with potentially tragic consequences.
There can indeed be genuine tension between research and the urgent desire to help patients
with whatever is available during public health emergencies. Some caregivers may feel that
providing clinical care and conducting clinical research are incompatible. However, there is a
difference between opinion-based advice by a doctor and recommendation from an
authoritative body.
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During the recent G20 Virtual Summit, India’s Prime Minister underscored the need to put
people at the centre, freely and openly share the benefits of medical research and development,
develop adaptive, responsive and humane health care systems, and promote new crisis
management protocols. U.S. Democratic Presidential contender Joe Biden said in a tweet – “If I'm
elected president, I will always lead the way with science. I will listen to the experts and heed
their advice”.
As the country cowers in fear of COVID-19 and hopes that the lockdown will suppress the spread
of the infection and prepare to provide appropriate care to those who might develop its ill-
effects, the Indian research community must join the fight and shine the light on the path that
leads to good health.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/researchers-in-india-must-join-the-fight-
against-covid-19/article31204377.ece
Accessed on: 20th May 2020 at 8.30 PM IST
21st May 2020: 10 minutes is all it takes to get corona virus infection:
Research: This story will leave no doubt in your mind about why staying at home is the best
preventive measure against the novel coronavirus. The story is based on research that
determines how long does it takes for a healthy person to get a novel coronavirus infection from
a COVID-19 patient. The novel coronavirus spreads through body fluids coming out of the nose and mouth of an infected person. Acts of breathing, speaking, coughing and sneezing release loads of virus particles into the air. Besides, humans have the habit of spitting and blowing their noses. But how long should you be exposed to an infected person to get enough novel coronavirus
particles to turn yourself into a COVID-19 patient? Comparative immunologist Erin Bromage of
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth conducted a study to theorise a formula of coronavirus
infection: "Successful Infection = Exposure to Virus x Time". He has calculated time of exposure
for a successful infection in the cases of simple breathing and normal conversation wherein one
healthy person shares air space with an infected person. In a single breath, a person releases
50-50,000 droplets and aerosols. We don't usually realise that breathing releases so much of
fluid in air. Those wearing specs must have noticed vapour condensing on their eye glasses
while wearing a mask - that's the released fluid at work. Under normal weather conditions,
most of these droplets quickly fall to the ground under the force of gravity. Some remain
suspended for some time. There is no study on how many novel coronavirus particles come out
with every breath an infected person exhales but this study on influenza virus puts the number
at 20-33 per minute.
Assuming 20 particles per minute as the rate of release, Bromage said an infected person would
release 1,000 novel coronavirus particles - enough viral load to infect a healthy person who
breathes in the same air - in 50 minutes. But if the infected person is in conversation with the
healthy person, the infection dynamics changes quickly. Speaking releases 10 times more
droplets into air. It means a talking person would release more than 200 virus particles into air
every minute. So, a COVID-19 patient would release 1,000 novel coronaviruses into the air in
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just five minutes while speaking. If all these virus particles are inhaled by a healthy person, five
minutes is enough exposure time to catch a coronavirus infection.
However, human nostrils are not designed to suck in all virus particles like a vacuum cleaner.
This gives the healthy individual more time to flee from an infected air space without inhaling
too many particles. But the chances are still high of inhaling a large dose of released viruses, as a
recent study has found that SARS-CoV-2 droplets stay in air for up to 14 minutes.
Using his "exposure to virus x time" formula, Bromage says, "Anyone of you [Covid-19 patient] spending greater than 10 minutes with in a face-to-face situation is potentially infected. Anyone who shares a space with you (say an office) for an extended period is potentially infected."Coughing and sneezing release hundreds of millions of viruses that travel at a great speed (80-320 kmph) and have high infectability. Bromage says a healthy person just needs to go to the room where an infected person had been coughing or sneezing and take a few breaths to catch coronavirus infection. Since a large portion of COVID-19 patients have been asymptomatic, the healthy person does not know if the individual she is in conversation with or the one who is sneezing has set enough coronavirus free to infect her. This is why it is critical for people, especially those who are positive for coronavirus to stay home. Anyone can be a coronavirus carrier. And, if you have to go out, you must not forget to wear a face mask properly.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/10-minutes-is-all-it-takes-to-get-coronavirus-
infection-research-1680243-2020-05-21
Accessed on: 21st May 2020 at 5:15 PM, IST
22nd May 2020: Implications of the COVID-19 on food production, agricultural and
fishery/aquaculture supply chains and markets: The food supply chain is a complex web that
involves producers, consumers, agricultural and fishery inputs, processing and storage,
transportation and marketing, etc. As of now, disruptions are minimal, as food supply has been
adequate, and markets have been stable so far. Global cereal stocks are at comfortable levels and
the outlook for wheat and other major staple crops for 2020 is positive. Although less food
production of high value commodities (i.e. fruits and vegetables) is already likely, they are not as
yet noticeable because of the lockdowns and disruption in the value chain.
In the fisheries and aquaculture sector, the implications can vary and be quite complex. For wild-
capture fisheries, the inability of fishing vessels to operate (due to limited or collapse of market
as well as sanitary measures difficult to abide to on board of a vessel) can generate a domino
effect throughout the value chains in terms of supply of products, in general, and the availability
of specific species. In addition, for wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture, problems in logistics
associated with restriction in transportation, border closures, and the reduced demand in
restaurants and hotels can generate significant market changes – affecting prices.
Challenges in terms of the logistics involving the movement of food (not being able to move food
from point A to point B) noted at the onset mainly of the restrictions have been mostly solved by
mid-April. The pandemic is impacting on livestock sector due to reduced access to animal feed
and slaughterhouses’ diminished capacity (due to logistical constraints and labour shortages)
similar to what happened in China.
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As of May, 2020, we expect to see disruptions in the food supply chains. Blockages to transport
routes are particularly obstructive for fresh food supply chains and may also result in increased
levels of food loss and waste. Fresh fish and aquatic products, which are highly perishable and
therefore need to be sold, processed or stored in a relatively limited time are at particular risk.
Transport restrictions and quarantine measures are likely to impede farmers’ and fishers’ access
to markets, curbing their productive capacities and hindering them from selling their produce.
Shortages of labour could disrupt production and processing of food, notably for labour-
intensive industries (e.g. high-value crops, meat and fish). The closure of restaurants and street
food outlets removes a key market for many producers and processors that may produce a
temporary glut or trigger upstream production cuts as can be seen in the fish and meat sectors.
In some developing countries, urban supply and demand for fresh produce are both in decline
due to restrictions and aversion behaviour by traders and consumers.
Developing countries are particularly at risk as COVID-19 can lead to a reduction in labour force,
and affect incomes and livelihoods as well as labour intensive forms of production (agriculture,
fisheries/aquaculture). Of particular concern is sub-Saharan Africa where most of the countries
experiencing food crises are, and where the pandemic is spreading at crucial times for both
farmers and herders – when people need access to seeds and other inputs, and to their farms to
plant, and when nomadic herders need to move with their animals in search of pastures and
water sources as these increasingly dry up before the rainy season sets in.
The need to upgrade international standards for hygiene, working conditions and living facilities
on agricultural activities and on-board fishing vessels, as well as throughout the fish value chain,
need to be reconsidered in the light of the pandemic.
Source: http://www.fao.org/2019-ncov/q-and-a/impact-on-food-and-agriculture/en/
Accessed on 22nd May at 9.30 PM IST
23rd May 2020: 23rd May, 2020: Containing COVID-19 impacts on Indian Agriculture: The
ongoing health crisis around COVID19 has affected all walks of life. Protecting lives of people
suffering from the disease as well as frontline health responders have been the priority of
nations. Governments have swung into actions since the Corona virus attack created an
unprecedented situation. India declared a three-week nation-wide lockdown till mid-April in the
initial phase, which was subsequently extended for achieving satisfactory containment of the
virus spread.
During these challenging times, how does Indian Agriculture respond to the crisis and how do
government measures affect 140 million farm households across the country and thereafter
impact the economy of a very important country in the developing world? We assess the
immediate challenges that COVID19 has posed to the farm sector and suggest mitigation
measures to ensure a sustainable food system in the post-crisis period.
Immediately after the nation-wide lockdown was announced, the Indian Finance Minister
declared an INR 1.7 trillion package, mostly to protect the vulnerable sections (including
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farmers) from any adverse impacts of the Corona pandemic. The announcement, among a slew
of benefits, contained advance release of INR 2000 to bank accounts of farmers as income
support under PM-KISAN scheme. The Government also raised the wage rate for workers
engaged under the NREGS, world’s largest wage guarantee scheme. Under the special scheme to
take care of the vulnerable population, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (Prime Minister’s
scheme for welfare of the poor), has been announced. Additional grain allotments to registered
beneficiaries were also announced for the next three months. Cash and food assistance to
persons engaged in the informal sector, mostly migrant laborers, have also been announced for
which a separate PM-CARES (Prime Minister Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency
Situations) fund has been created.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has issued state-wise guidelines for farmers
to be followed during the lockdown period. The advisory mentions specific practices during
harvest and threshing of various rabi (winter sown) crops as well as post-harvest, storage and
marketing of the farm produce.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also announced specific measures that address the “burden
of debt servicing” due to COVID19 pandemic. Agricultural term and crop loans have been
granted a moratorium of three months (till May 31) by banking institutions with 3 percent
concession on the interest rate of crop loans up to INR 300,000 for borrowers with good
repayment behavior.
Immediate Challenges: In spite of all these measures and in view of continuing restrictions on
movements of people and vehicular traffic, concerns have been raised regarding negative
implications of COVID19 pandemic on the farm economy. This is the peak of rabi season in India
and crops like wheat, gram, lentil, mustard, etc. (including paddy in irrigated tracts) are at
harvestable stage or almost reaching maturity. This is also the time when the farm harvests
reach the mandis (market yards) for assured procurement operations by designated
government agencies. Moreover, any severe disruption to the supply of perishable fruits and
vegetables, dairy products, fish, etc. having mobilized to meet the increasing demand from a
bulging middle class as well as urban and rural consumers, may create irreparable damage to all
actors in the supply chain. The migration of workers from few parts to their native places has
also triggered panic buttons, as they are crucial for both harvesting operations and post-harvest
handling of produce in storage and marketing centers. The Union Home Ministry, in a very
significant move, has notified to exclude movement of farmers, farm laborers and harvesting and
sowing-related machines from the purview of lockdown.
Making the food grains, fruits and vegetables and other essential items available to consumers,
both in rural and urban areas, is the most critical challenge for Government machinery during
the lockdown period. Smooth functioning of the supply chain, with adequate safety measures for
the people involved, is of paramount importance. Transportation of public distribution system
(PDS) items to last mile delivery agents, by both rail and road, has to be ensured by respective
Government agencies. Distribution of the commodities to vulnerable population, while
maintaining prescribed guidelines and protocol, particularly of social distancing, must be
effectively monitored.
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As the ongoing lockdown coincides with the rabi harvesting season, farmers across the country
look up to the Government to ensure uninterrupted harvesting of the crops as well as smooth
procurement operations. The Union Home Ministry’s circular waiving restrictions on the inter-
and intra-State movements of farmers/laborers, as well as harvesting and related farm
machines, is indeed a step in right direction. While ensuring availability of laborers for critical
farm operations, their safety (from any COVID infection) and welfare must be prioritized by the
Government systems.
The sale of dairy products; fish; poultry, etc. has also been hit during the lockdown period as the
uptake by the organized industry players has been affected due to shortage of workforce and
transport issues. As weather has been very erratic over past few months in many parts,
harvested produce must also be protected from such risks.
Mitigation Measures: The poor sections of society are always the hardest hit in any disaster or
pandemic situation. With about 85 percent of Indian farm households being small and marginal
farmers, and a significant part of the population being landless farm laborers, welfare measures
to contain any damage from COVID are definitely going to help them with sincere
implementation. The focus of the Government therefore has to be to protect the lives of every
citizen. However, people living on agriculture and allied activities, mostly those losing their
income from informal employment at this lockdown period, have to be provided with alternative
avenues (cash transfers) till the economy bounces back (when this health crisis is successfully
overcome).
To sustain the demand for agricultural commodities, investments in key logistics must be
enhanced. Moreover, e-commerce and delivery companies and start-ups need to be encouraged
with suitable policies and incentives. The small and medium enterprises, running with raw
materials from the agriculture and allied sector or otherwise, also need special attention so that
the rural economy doesn’t collapse.
To obviate the immediate concerns of scarcity of farm labor, policies must facilitate easy
availability of machinery through state entities, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) or
custom hiring centers (CHCs) with suitable incentives. It is also suggested to explore leveraging
NREGS funds to pay part of the farm labor (with farmers paying the balance wage amount) to
lessen the monetary burden on the farmer, while ensuring wage employment to the landless
laborers and workers.
To answer queries relating to the announced measures of Government and addressing
grievances of farmers, besides providing advisories on farm operations; availability of agri-
inputs, dedicated toll-free helplines/call centers (in local/vernacular languages) must be
established by the Government.
Agriculture in India is a State subject, and as has been observed in past years, policies and
programs vary from one State to the other. However, agricultural activities, being
interconnected in neighboring regions, agri-sops or benefits must not distort the market
scenario. Waiver of farm loans, evidences suggest, have not fully benefitted the majority of small
and marginal farmers. Rather, it affects the future credit behavior of the borrowers and thus
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negatively impacts the agricultural credit culture altogether. As the kharif (rainy/wet) season is
fast approaching, institutional lending of crop loans should be expanded and facilitated for
smooth (and sufficient) flow of credit to borrowing farmers. Agri-inputs – seeds, fertilizers, agro-
chemicals, etc. – have to be pre-positioned for easy availability. Private sector must play a
significant role with necessary policy support.
Relaxation of the norms by Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) allowing farmers
to sell their produce beyond the designated mandis will certainly ease the burdens of farmers.
State Governments must gear up their machineries for smooth procurement operations of
farmers’ marketable surpluses at MSP (minimum support price) or through other price support
schemes.
Under the COVID19 pandemic, being a health crisis of unprecedented proportions, the major
share of future Budget allocations obviously (and logically so) would be apportioned for the
health sector. However, investments should not be crowded out of the primary sector to prevent
irreversible damage to the farm economy. Manufacturing and services sectors may be severely
hit in the short run till the time the economy bounces back. It will be thus very appropriate to
focus attention on the agriculture sector as a growth engine and also to bring resilience in food
(and nutrition) security. At this critical stage, where climate change is already adversely
impacting the agriculture sector, productive investments, including on research and innovation,
would be very purposeful.
Structural reforms such as land leasing, contract farming and private agricultural markets, etc.
have long been advocated to bring enhanced investments into the agriculture sector and to push
its growth. However, there has not been uniform implementation of these legislations by State
Governments and so the full potential of the sector is unrealized. These reforms need significant
political will. Concerns of a slowdown in the zeal of States, post-COVID scenario, could be tackled
with suitable incentive mechanisms by the Federal Government to the States.
With a burgeoning population, there is a corresponding rise in food demand in India. However,
the negative externalities of the Green Revolution, particularly the environmental trade-offs and
staple cereals fundamentalism, have since been realized. It is thus desirable to switch over to a
suitable model with a far stronger nutrition focus where diets are more diverse. A post-COVID
situation offers that unique opportunity to repurpose the existing food and agriculture policies
for a healthier population.
There have been global concerns, rather speculations, on restriction of exports of agricultural
commodities by a few global players. India, being trade-surplus on commodities like rice, meat,
milk products, tea, honey, horticultural products, etc. may seize the opportunities by exporting
such products with a stable agri-exports policy. India’s agricultural exports are valued at 38
billion US Dollars in 2018-19 and can rise up further with conducive policies. Development of
export-supportive infrastructure and logistics would need investments and support of the
private sector, that will be in the long term interests of farmers in boosting their income.
Many climate models predict a favorable monsoon in the 2020 season (the India Meteorological
Department has also since officially announced) as the El-Nino weather phenomenon, that
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disrupts rainfall in India, is not evident. This is indeed a good news in the COVID scenario,
assuming agriculture can practice largely unscathed.
Good news is that Government of India has now increased its focus on nutrition (besides food)-
security and raising farmers’ income (rather than enhancing farm productivity). Changing the
consumer behavior with suitable programs and incentives is already in the agenda. For all these
to happen, the existing landscape of policy incentives that favor the two big staples of wheat and
rice has to change. Designing agricultural policies, post-COVID19 scenario, must include these
imperatives for a food systems transformation in India.
Source: https://www.icrisat.org/containing-covid19-impacts-on-indian-agriculture/
Accessed on 23rd May 2020 at 12:50 PM
First human trial of COVID-19 vaccine finds it is safe, induces immune response: Beijing:
The first COVID-19 vaccine to reach phase I clinical trial is safe, well-tolerated, and capable of generating
an immune response against the novel coronavirus in humans, says a new research published in the
Lancet journal. According to the study of 108 adults, the vaccine produced neutralising antibodies, and a
response mediated by the immune system's T-cells against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. However,
the scientists, including those from the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology in China said further research is
needed to confirm whether the vaccine protects against SARS-COV-2 infection.
In the trial, carried out in 108 healthy adults, the vaccine demonstrated promising results after 28 days,
with the final results to be evaluated in six months, the study said."These results represent an important
milestone. The trial demonstrates that a single dose of the new adenovirus type 5 vectored COVID-19
(Ad5-nCoV) vaccine produces virus-specific antibodies and T cells in 14 days," said study co-author Wei
Chen from the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology. However, the researchers cautioned that the results
should be interpreted carefully.
"The challenges in the development of a COVD-19 vaccine are unprecedented, and the ability to trigger
these immune responses does not necessarily indicate that the vaccine will protect humans from COVID-
19," Chen explained. The Ad5 vectored COVID-19 vaccine used in the trial is the first to be tested in
humans, the scientists said. It uses a weakened common cold-causing adenovirus - which infects human
cells readily, but is incapable of causing disease - to deliver genetic material that codes for the SARS-CoV-
2 spike protein to the cells, the study noted. The scientists said these cells then produce the spike protein,
and travel to the lymph nodes where the immune system creates antibodies. These then recognise the
spike protein and fight off the coronavirus, the researchers explained.
In the trial, they assessed the safety and ability of the new Ad5-nCoV vaccine to generate an immune
response of different dosages in 108 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years. According to the
study, the volunteers’ blood was checked at regular intervals following vaccination to see whether the
vaccine stimulated two parts of the immune system. These are the body’s ‘humoral response’, which is
the part of the immune system that produces antibodies to fight infection, and the 'cell-mediated' arm,
which depends on a group of T cells to fight the virus, the scientists said. They said most adverse events
were mild or moderate, with 83 per cent of those receiving low and middle doses of the vaccine and 75
per cent in the high dose group reporting at least one adverse reaction within 7 days of vaccination.
These reactions were mild pain at the injection site reported in over half of vaccine recipients, fever in 50
per cent of them, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain as well. Within two weeks of vaccination, the study
noted that all dose levels of the vaccine triggered some level of immune response. Some of the
Page 74 of 157
participants, the researchers said, also exhibited a form of neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
After 28 days, they said most participants had a four-fold increase in binding antibodies.
The scientists also added that 50 per cent of the participants in the low- and middle-dose groups, and
three-quarters of those in the high-dose group showed neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. In
the majority of volunteers, they said the vaccine also stimulated a rapid T cell response. On further
analyses, the researchers said the majority of recipients showed either a positive T cell response, or had
detectable neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 as much as 28 days after vaccination. However,
they said high pre-existing immunity to adenovirus type 5 - the common cold virus vector used in the
study, may have reduced both the antibody and T-cell response in the participants.
"Our study found that pre-existing Ad5 immunity could slow down the rapid immune responses to SARS-
CoV-2 and also lower the peaking level of the responses," said Feng-Cai Zhu from the Jiangsu Provincial
Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China, who led the study. Citing the main limitations of the
trial, the authors said the study had a small sample size and was conducted in relatively short duration,
with a lack of randomised control group.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/science/news/first-human-trial-of-covid-19-vaccine-finds-it-is-
safe-induces-immune-response-11590218317015.html
Accessed on: 23rd May, 2020 at 3:00 PM, IST
24th May 2020: COVID-19 patients not infectious after 11 days even if found positive: Singapore
study: The latest findings may have implications on Singapore’s patient discharge policy. The discharge
criteria is currently based on negative test results rather than infectiousness. COVID-19 patients are no
longer infectious after 11 days of getting sick even though some may still test positive, according to a new
study by infectious disease experts in Singapore. A positive test “does not equate to infectiousness or
viable virus,” a joint research paper by Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the
Academy of Medicine, Singapore said. The virus “could not be isolated or cultured after day 11 of illness.”
The paper was based on a study of 73 patents in the city-state. The latest findings may have implications
on the country’s patient discharge policy. The discharge criteria is currently based on negative test
results rather than infectiousness. Singapore’s strategy on managing COVID-19 patients is guided by the
latest local and international clinical scientific evidence, and the Ministry of Health will evaluate if the
latest evidence can be incorporated into its patient clinical management plan, according to a report by
the Straits Times.
So far, 13,882, or about 45% of the total 31,068 COVID-19 patients in Singapore have been discharged
from hospitals and community facilities. Singapore reported 642 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on 23rd
May 2020. The government has been actively screening pre-school staff as it prepares to reopen pre-
schools from June 2. On Friday, two pre-school employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus,
bringing the total number of confirmed cases among pre-school staff to seven, according to the Ministry
of Health.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/covid-19-patients-not-infectious-after-11-days-even-
if-found-positive-singapore-study/story-bate2YpboqyVQVN6KEmcqN.html
Accessed on: 24th May 202 at 7:30 PM, IST
25th May 2020: Serum Institute eyes COVID-19 vaccine by October: City (Pune) based Serum
Institute of India has said that it expects the vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19) developed by
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the University of Oxford in the market by October or November provided the safety and efficacy
of the product is established during trials. The institute has partnered with the Oxford vaccine
project as one of the seven global institutions that will manufacture the vaccine.“In around two
weeks, we can produce five million doses a month and scale that up to 10 million after six
months while typically producing a vaccine takes a long time,” SII CEO Adar Poonawala told
CNBC-TV18.
Observing that there were a lot of people who thought that they would have a vaccine in a few
months, Mr. Poonawalla said there was, however, a strong caveat.“If the vaccine works in the
U.K. trial and we do another trial in India, which we are hoping to start shortly, in safety and
efficacy, only then will it be available by October or November and that is only if we start
producing at our personal cost in risk by the end of this month,” he said.
Further, he said the institute would be using one of the existing facilities for manufacturing the
COVID-19 vaccine, “However, it will take over two years to set up new manufacturing facility for
COVID-19 vaccine,” he added. “Typically vaccines take many years but with the regulatory
approvals in India that have been very carefully changed for this product development, we are
very pleased to announce that we will be able to do it by the end of this year,” Mr. Poonawalla
said. SII is currently looking at 4-5 million doses monthly and would start manufacturing early
to save time in the hope that the trial would be successful. “So, we hope to build up 20-40 million
doses by September-October in the hope that if the trial works, then we will have this product,”
he said.
Mr. Poonawalla said SII would be partnering with ICMR for the clinical trials and that he was in
touch with the Department of Biotechnology. Talking about the decision and the risks involved,
Mr. Poonawala said: “We are not a listed company and we are not accountable for our actions to
investors in terms of pure profits and returns. So, I was able to make this decision and take this
risk on at the cost of our other vaccines that we are putting aside temporarily so that we can
build up the scale here.” Mr. Poonawalla said that the manufacturing plant in Pune would have
an investment of ₹500-600 crore.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/serum-institute-eyes-covid-19-vaccine-by-
october/article31427592.ece
Accessed on 25th May 2020 at 12:54 PM IST
ICMR study on cluster of Italian tourists suggests COVID-19 spreads faster among close
contacts: ICMR found that the attack rate of the virus was higher at 65.4% amongst close
contacts of 23 Italian tourist group than that of those at the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship which
was 19.2% and in the Grand Princess Cruise Ship, which was 16.6%. The Indian Council of
Medical Research's epidemiological study re-confirms that coronavirus has higher transmission
rate among close contacts. India's premier research body conducted this research on the cluster
of 23 Italian tourists who visited India in March 2020.
ICMR found that the attack rate of the virus was higher at 65.4 per cent amongst close contacts
of 23 Italian tourist group than that of those at the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship which was 19.2
per cent and in the Grand Princess Cruise Ship, which was 16.6 per cent.
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"Our study cluster showed a higher attack rate than that reported in existing literature such as in
Diamond Princess Cruise ship (19.2 per cent) and in Grand Princess Cruise ship (16.6 per cent)
This may be due to the closed environment, high and persistent exposure to index case during
their tour travel (average of six hours daily for eight days)," the study confirmed.
From the group of 23 Italian tourists who reached New Delhi on February 21, along with three
Indians who visited several tourist places in Rajasthan, 17 had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2
infection by March 3, 2020.
"Of these 17 patients, nine were symptomatic, while eight did not show any symptoms. Of the
nine who developed symptoms, six were mild, one was severe and two were critically ill. The
median duration between the day of confirmation for COVID-19 and RT-PCR negativity was 18
days (range: 12-23 days). Two patients died with a case fatality of 11.8 per cent," the study
mentioned. The index patient, 69-year-old man, a resident of Lombardy Province, Italy and
family physician by profession developed fever, cough and difficulty in breathing on February
23. On arriving at Jaipur on February 28, he first saw a private healthcare provider and then
visited a private hospital from where he was referred to the SMS Medical College, Jaipur, for
COVID-19 test. When he tested positive he was isolated, his wife (70), who did not have any
symptoms also tested positive. The remaining 24 members of the group (21 Italians and 3
Indians) returned to Delhi on March 2 by the same coach and were quarantined. All the 24
individuals were initially asymptomatic. Their throat and nasal swabs were collected on March
3. Fifteen persons (including 14 Italian tourists and one Indian) tested positive and were
isolated. Of the 17 patients, nine (52.9 per cent) had or developed symptoms, whereas eight
(47.1 per cent) did not show any symptoms.
ICMR stated that the epidemiological investigation of this cluster of 17 cases was consistent with
person-to-person transmission. The ICMR also pointed out at two possible conclusions of
transmission of COVID-19 in this cluster - "First, the index patient could have been infected
during his medical practice in Italy and later transmitted the infection to his co-tourists.
According to the WHO, there were only three COVID-19 cases reported from Italy on February
21, but by February 28, Italy had 888 cases including 21 deaths due to SARS-CoV-2.
ICMR added, "Most cases had occurred in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Northern Italy
with local transmission being the main source of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Second, the tourists
could have individually picked up the infection from Italy before starting their trip to India. The
first scenario appears mostly likely, considering the duration of onset of symptoms (12 days
since their arrival in India except for the index case), the duration of viral clearance being more
than 14 days in other tourists and no history of contact or exposure to any suspected or
confirmed COVID-19 positive patients in Italy."
In conclusion to this study, scientists have said that in public health measures such as physical
distancing, personal hygiene and infection control measures are necessary to prevent the spread
of the virus.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/icmr-study-on-cluster-of-italian-tourists-suggests-
covid-19-spreads-faster-among-close-contacts-1681503-2020-05-25
Accessed on: 25th May 2020 at 4:15 PM, IST
Page 77 of 157
26th May 2020: Exposed children escape infection more often than adults: Children and
adolescents under the age of 20 are much less likely than adults to become infected by the new
coronavirus, finds a large systematic review of journal articles, preprints and reports.
Russell Viner at University College London and his colleagues screened more than 6,000 studies, of
which 18 provided data that met the authors’ criteria for inclusion. The 18 included 7 that had been
peer reviewed (R. M. Viner et al. Preprint at medRxiv http://doi.org/dwp6; 2020). Studies that
traced the contacts of infected individuals show that children are 56% less likely to get infected than
adults when in contact with an infected person. The analysis suggests that children have played a
smaller part than adults in spreading the virus in the population, but the evidence for this finding is
weak. There has not been enough research to determine whether infected children are less likely
than adults to pass on the infection, the authors conclude.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00502-w
Accessed on 26th May 2020 at 09:30 PM, IST
27th May 2020: Half of COVID-19 cases may experience altered sense of taste: Study: early 50
per cent of people who contract COVID-19 may experience altered or lost sense of taste, according to
a review of studies. The review, published in the journal Gastroenterology, could provide diagnostic
hint for clinicians who suspect their patients might have the deadly disease. "Earlier studies didn't
note this symptom, and that was probably because of the severity of other symptoms like cough,
fever and trouble breathing," said Muhammad Aziz, from the University of Toledo in the US.
"We were beginning to note that altered or lost sense of taste were also present, not just here and
there, but in a significant proportion," Aziz said. The research team analysed data from five studies
conducted between mid-January and the end of March. Of the 817 patients studied, 49.8 per cent
experienced changes to their sense of taste, according to the study. The researchers noted that the
true prevalence could be even higher because some of the studies were based on reviews of patient
charts, which may not have noted every symptom.
"We propose that this symptom should be one of the screening symptoms in addition to the fever,
shortness of breath and productive cough. Not just for suspected COVID-19 patients, but also for the
general population to identify healthy carriers of the virus," Aziz said. Previous studies have found
that a significant number of people who have COVID-19 don't know they have been infected, and
may be spreading the disease. The researchers suspect an altered sense of taste is more prevalent in
patients with minor symptoms. However, they said more studies are needed to validate that
suspicion. The researchers said changes in an individual's sense of taste could be a valuable way to
identify carriers who are otherwise mostly asymptomatic.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/half-of-covid-19-cases-may-
experience-altered-sense-of-taste-study/articleshow/76060949.cms
Accessed on 27th May 2020 at 08:30 PM IST
28th May 2020: New Research: In review, what COVID-19 does to central nervous system: As a
respiratory disease, COVID-19 primarily attacks the lungs, but other effects too have been emerging,
including in the abdomen, the skin and the brain. A new study has reviewed the existing evidence
about the last: the virus’s impact on the central nervous system. Researchers from the University of
Page 78 of 157
Cincinnati and three Italian institutions have reviewed neuroimaging and neurological symptoms in
patients with Covid-19 and published their findings in the journal Radiology. Altered mental status
and stroke have been found to be the most common neurological symptoms in Covid-19 patients.
The authors say this could help physicians notice red flags earlier.
“Studies have described the spectrum of chest imaging features of COVID-19, but only a few case
reports have described COVID-19 associated neuroimaging findings,” lead author Abdelkader
Mahammedi, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Cincinnati, said in a statement. “To
date, this is the largest and first study in literature that characterizes the neurological symptoms and
neuroimaging features in COVID-19 patients. These newly discovered patterns could help doctors
better and sooner recognize associations with COVID-19 and possibly provide earlier interventions.”
Researchers investigated neurological symptoms and imaging findings in patients from three major
institutions in Italy: University of Brescia; University of Eastern Piedmont (Novara); and University
of Sassari. The study included images from 725 hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19
infection between February 29 and April 4. Of these, 108 (15%) had serious neurological symptoms
and underwent brain or spine imaging. Most patients (99%) had brain CT scans, while 16% had head
and neck CT imaging and 18% had brain MRI.
Investigators found that 59% of patients reported an altered mental state and 31% experienced
stroke, which were the most common neurological symptoms. Patients also experienced headache
(12%), seizure (9%) and dizziness (4%), among other symptoms. Altered mental status was more
common in older adults.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/in-review-what-covid-19-does-to-central-
nervous-system-6430333/
Accessed on: 28th May 2020 at 10:00 AM IST
29th May 2020: COVID-19 concerns increase in May following easing of lockdowns: The COVID-
19 concern index, as measured by responses to an ongoing poll launched by Verdict in March, has
been tracking how the concerns over coronavirus have been changing over time. The poll asked how
concerned the respondent is about the spread of coronavirus and includes five options to choose
from – very concerned, slightly concerned, neither concerned nor unconcerned, not very concerned,
and not concerned. Concern index is based on respondents, who answered that they are very
concerned about the spread of COVID-19.
Concerns during the first half of April remained high but declined steadily from mid-April through
the first week of May reflecting confidence over the pandemic’s containment following the lock-
down announcements globally. However, as the infection rates started to drop and governments
saw the need to reopen their economies, a significant number of countries started announcing either
a partial or full reopening of non-essential businesses and national/international transport.
Following these announcements, the trend reversed from the second week of May, with a significant
increase in the number of respondents that expressed a high concern. The percentage of highly
concerned respondents, which was at a peak of 80.08% at the end of March, declined steadily to 64%
by the first week of May but reversed thereafter to reach 78.58% on 16 May.
Source: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/covid-19-concerns-increase-in-may-2020/
Accessed on 29th May 2020 at 5:00 PM IST
Page 79 of 157
30th May 2020: Surgery after COVID-19 raises death risk: Global study: The study by experts at
the University of Birmingham-led National Institute for Health Research published in The Lancet
found that among infected patients who underwent surgery, mortality rates approach those of the
sickest patients admitted to intensive care. Patients undergoing surgery after contracting
coronavirus are at greatly increased risk of postoperative death, according to a new global study that
examined data of 1,128 patients in 235 hospitals in Asia, Africa and North America. Overall 30-day
mortality in the study was 23.8%. Mortality was disproportionately high across all subgroups,
including elective surgery (18.9%), emergency surgery (25.6%), minor surgery such as
appendicectomy or hernia repair (16.3%), and major surgery such as hip surgery or colon cancer
surgery (26.9%), the study says.
It found higher mortality rates in men (28.4%) than in women (18.2%), and in patients aged 70
years or over (33.7%) against those aged under 70 years (13.9%). In addition to age and sex, risk
factors for postoperative death included having severe pre-existing medical problems, undergoing
cancer surgery, undergoing major procedures, and undergoing emergency surgery.
Co-author Aneel Bhangu of the University of Birmingham said: “We would normally expect mortality
for patients having minor or elective surgery to be under 1%, but our study suggests that in SARS-
CoV-2 patients these mortality rates are much higher in both minor surgery (16.3%) and elective
surgery (18.9%)”.
“In fact, these mortality rates are greater than those reported for even the highest-risk patients
before the pandemic…We recommend that thresholds for surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
should be raised compared to normal practice”. Co-author Dmitri Nepogodiev added: “Worldwide
an estimated 28.4 million elective operations were cancelled due to disruption caused by COVID-
19…There’s now an urgent need for investment by governments and health providers in to measures
to ensure that as surgery restarts patient safety is prioritised”.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/surgery-after-covid-19-raises-death-risk-global-study/story-fJ2FYWIyTonmsiFlZzuKaL.html Accessed on: 30th May, 2020 at 5:00 PM IST
31st May 2020: International community rallies to support open research and science to fight
COVID-19: Thirty countries and multiple international partners and institutions have signed up to
support the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) an initiative aimed at making vaccines, tests,
treatments and other health technologies to fight COVID-19 accessible to all.
The Pool was first proposed in March by President Carlos Alvarado of Costa Rica, who joined WHO
Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today at the official launch of the initiative. “The
COVID-19 Technology Access Pool will ensure the latest and best science benefits all of humanity,”
said President Alvarado of Costa Rica. “Vaccines, tests, diagnostics, treatments and other key tools in
the coronavirus response must be made universally available as global public goods”.
“Global solidarity and collaboration are essential to overcoming COVID-19,” said WHO Director-
General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Based on strong science and open collaboration, this
information-sharing platform will help provide equitable access to life-saving technologies around
the world.” The COVID-19 (Technology) Access Pool will be voluntary and based on social solidarity.
It will provide a one-stop shop for scientific knowledge, data and intellectual property to be shared
equitably by the global community. The aim is to accelerate the discovery of vaccines, medicines and
other technologies through open-science research, and to fast-track product development by
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mobilizing additional manufacturing capacity. This will help ensure faster and more equitable access
to existing and new COVID-19 health products.
There are five key elements to the initiative:
Public disclosure of gene sequences and data;
Transparency around the publication of all clinical trial results;
Governments and other funders are encouraged to include clauses in funding agreements
with pharmaceutical companies and other innovators about equitable distribution,
affordability and the publication of trial data;
Licensing any potential treatment, diagnostic, vaccine or other health technology to the
Medicines Patent Pool - a United Nations-backed public health body that works to increase
access to, and facilitate the development of, life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income
countries.
Promotion of open innovation models and technology transfer that increase local
manufacturing and supply capacity, including through joining the Open Covid Pledge and the
Technology Access Partnership (TAP).
With supportive countries across the globe, C-TAP will serve as a sister initiative to the Access to
COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator and other initiatives to support efforts to fight COVID-19
worldwide. WHO, Costa Rica and all the co-sponsor countries have also issued a “Solidarity Call to
Action” asking relevant stakeholders to join and support the initiative, with recommended actions
for key groups, such as governments, research and development funders, researchers, industry and
civil society.
WHO and Costa Rica co-hosted the launch event, which began with a high-level session addressed by
the WHO Director-General and President Alvarado in addition to Prime Minister Mia Mottley of
Barbados and Aksel Jacobsen, State Secretary, Norway. There were video statements by President
Lenín Moreno of Ecuador; President Thomas Esang Remengesau Jr., of Palau; President Lenín
Moreno of Ecuador; Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Jagan
Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies; and Retno Marsudi, Minister for Foreign Affairs for Indonesia. Leaders from across the UN,
academia, industry and civil society joined for a moderated discussion.
To date, the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool is now supported by the following countries:
Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives,
Mexico, Mozambique, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Saint Vincent and
Grenadines, South Africa, Sri Lanka,Sudan, The Netherlands, Timor-Leste, Uruguay, Zimbabwe.
Other international organizations, partners and experts have also expressed support to the initiative
and others can join them using the website.
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-05-2020-international-community-rallies-to-
support-open-research-and-science-to-fight-covid-19
Accessed on: 31st May 2020 at 08:14 PM ST
1st June 2020: World leaders pledge €7.4bn to research COVID-19 vaccine: World leaders, with
the notable exception of Donald Trump, stumped up nearly €7.4bn (£6.5bn) to research Covid-19
vaccines and therapies at a virtual event convened by the EU, pledging the money will also be used to
Page 81 of 157
distribute any vaccine to poor countries on time and equitably. But in a sign of the fractured state of
global health diplomacy, the event was not addressed by India, Russia or the US. After a weekend of
persuasion, China was represented by its ambassador to the EU.
A separate COVID-19 summit was staged earlier in the day and addressed by the Indian prime
minister, Narendra Modi, and other world leaders including the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani.
The EU-convened virtual summit was addressed in person by the leaders of France, Germany, Spain,
Italy, Canada, Japan, Jordan, Norway, Israel, South Africa and the EU, and took the form of a pledging
marathon. But the US state department released a statement welcoming what it described as “the
pledging conference in Europe”, even though the fundraising summit had always been envisaged as a
global, rather than strictly European effort.
The US also highlighted its “vaccine partnership to prioritise drug candidates and streamline clinical
trials”. Trump has suggested a vaccine will be ready by the end of the year but many scientists are
sceptical that even with global cooperation such a timetable can be met. The money is largely
designed to speed up the process by raising guaranteed funds to coordinate research and incentivise
pharmaceutical companies to distribute any vaccines and therapies to poorer countries, something
that did not happen in the 2009 swine flu outbreak.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said any distributed vaccine “won’t belong to anybody”.
“Those who invent it of course will be fairly paid, but access will be given to people across the globe
by the organisation we chose,” he said. EU officials said pharmaceutical companies who will receive
the funding will not be requested to forgo their intellectual property rights on the new vaccine and
treatments, but they should commit to make them available worldwide at affordable prices. A similar
process has occurred through Gavi, the global vaccine fund, which gives a global alliance leverage
over the distribution and price of a vaccine.
Boris Johnson was introduced to the summit by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European
commission, as “a man who has been though every possible emotion in the past month”. The UK
prime minister insisted the search for a vaccine was not a competition between countries, but
instead required cooperation that “defies the usual ways of operating”. He said: “We’ll need a truly
global effort – because no one country, and no one pharmaceutical company, will be able to do this
alone. The race to discover the vaccine to defeat this virus is not a competition between countries,
but the most urgent shared endeavour of our lifetimes. It’s humanity against the virus.”
Many leaders used their brief speeches to assert their support for the existing multilateral
architecture for global health, including the World Health Organization. The US last month
suspended funding for the WHO, criticising its relationship with China. Erna Solberg, the Norwegian
prime minister and summit co-host, said “we support the leadership of the World Health
Organization”, adding that without the UN body “an effective and coordinated response to the
pandemic would not be possible”.
She said that “multilateral cooperation is more important than ever” and the meeting was the start of
a global movement “never seen before”. At the parallel “non-aligned movement” summit, Rouhani
attacked the US decision to pull out of the WHO, describing it as “a strategic blunder”. The WHO
director general, Tedros Adhanom, in his address to the EU-convened event, pointed out how quickly
the genetic sequence of the virus had been shared by China amongst scientists globally.
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The EU said near the close of the summit that a total of 7.36bn of the €7.5bn sought had been
pledged, with the largest national pledges coming from Japan and Norway. France, Italy and
Germany all pledged around €500m each. Turkey’s contribution will be announced later in the
month. The precise value of individual countries pledges announced during the two-hour event was
hard to calculate since some leaders drew on previous pledges, or earmarked their national
contribution for specific bodies like the Red Cross, the WHO or Gavi. Von der Leyen said the summit
had revealed “fantastic momentum” and that it was possible to turn the tide against the virus.
From the €7.5bn initially sought, €4bn is for the development of a vaccine, €2bn for treatments and
€1.5bn for the manufacture of tests, according to the European commission. The precise
methodology of the new fund, including how to select a vaccine for funding and the strings to be
attached, was not made clear during the many rhetorical speeches. But the world leaders want to
work with existing global health bodies such as Gavi as much as possible.
The driving idea behind the summit, pushed by the Gates Foundation, is that an alliance is needed
not just to coordinate research for a vaccine, but also for therapies and testing. Jeremy Farrar, the
Wellcome Trust director, said: “I would have loved China and the US to be part of the fundraising
summit … both countries had incredibly deep medical knowledge innovation and expertise and a
strong manufacturing base.”
He added: “My guess is that those countries that have not yet signed up will sign up in the course of
May to make sure this is a truly global event. We need everyone.” David Salisbury from the
thinktank Chatham House noted, however: “We have to admit there is a tension between countries
that want to protect their populations and the desire to spread the vaccine equitably. It will not be a
vote winner to offer a share in available vaccine to less-privileged countries. “The factories for the
biggest vaccine manufacturers are in Europe, the US and India. Will European manufacturers be
obliged by the EU to restrict sales first to European countries?”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/04/world-leaders-pledge-74bn-euros-to-
research-covid-19-vaccine
Accessed on 1st June at 07:30 PM IST
2nd June 2020: Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine May update: Moderna’s clinical trial enters
phase II: Sinovac 99% sure of vaccine efficacy: With developing a safe, effective and accessible
vaccine for Covid-19 being seen as the key to contain the pandemic, research and trials are going on
at a fast pace across the world to find a cure for the novel coronavirus.
In latest developments, US company Moderna Inc, one of the front runners in the vaccine race, has
said it had started dosing patients in a mid-stage study while Russian scientists plan to start clinical
trials within two weeks. Around 120 vaccines are in the works across the world, of which at least 10
are undergoing human trials even as cases worldwide crossed the 61 lakh mark, including 372,566
deaths. Till date, China’s CanSino adenovirus vaccine, Oxford University’s adenovirus vaccine,
Moderna’s mRNA vaccine and Novavax have emerged as the top most promising vaccine candidates
for Covid-19.
Coming to India, where cases touched 1,82,143 on Sunday after reporting 8,380 new infections in 24
hours ,Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali group has joined the global efforts of developing a cure for Covid-19,
PTI reported.
Page 83 of 157
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/corona-vaccine-update-may-moderna-
pfizer-sinovac-6435785/
Accessed on 2nd June 2020 at 7:14 PM IST
3rd June 2020: Right time to fuse science with industry: Bonds built amid coronavirus will last
forever: Partnerships and collaborations between science and industry can deliver a real impact and
a preparedness infrastructure which can be mobilized for future outbreaks. Today, more than ever,
the entire world is looking for innovation and research to help combat the unprecedented COVID 19
public health crisis. Pharmaceutical companies are focusing significant amounts of their resources
on the immediate task ahead, which requires pushing the boundaries of science, developing
workable solutions and ensuring there is capacity to scale up manufacture once solutions are found,
while at the same time ensuring continuity of global supply for critical products.
The entire research and scientific community has not wasted a single moment in its pursuit for a
potential solution to this grave public health hazard. The global pharmaceutical associations such as
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) have publicly voiced the global
biopharmaceutical industry’s commitment towards fighting the COVID 19 crisis. These associations
have been sharing regular updates on the research that is currently underway, globally.
From these updates, it is clear, that the rapid virus sequencing has enabled researchers to
characterize and begin to understand the new threat posed by COVID-19. Analysis of drugs and
vaccines portfolios has involved scientists searching for potentially useful assets that could help with
the development of new or repurposed treatments or vaccines to fight against the novel coronavirus.
As highlighted by the global associations, no time was wasted in engaging in R&D collaboration as
well – R&D biopharmaceutical companies are part of a wider research community which is
collaborating to fast-track the development of therapeutics, diagnostics and new vaccines. Globally,
R&D biopharmaceutical companies are already engaging with existing networks such as CEPI
(Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) and Europe’s IMI (Innovative Medicines
Initiative).
These partnerships and collaborations facilitate the creation of networks of centres of excellence
that can deliver a real impact and a preparedness infrastructure which can be mobilized for future
outbreaks. As reported, there are companies working on phase I studies for both vaccines and
treatments, and one potential treatment already being tested for another disease is now in Phase III
clinical trials. Potential treatments include both antiviral medicines and immunotherapies. It is
estimated that there are (as of March 2020) nearly 80 clinical trials for experimental new treatments
and vaccines in development for coronaviruses including COVID-19, Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia,
SARS and MERS. Several biopharmaceutical companies are researching vaccine candidates for
prevention and collaborating in the share of existing technologies that can be leveraged to allow a
rapid upscale of production once a vaccine candidate is identified.
As part of the global health community, research-based pharmaceutical companies have a strong
sense of responsibility to act together, as well as in partnership with the World Health Organization
(WHO), governments and health systems across the world in a concerted, collective response.
Page 84 of 157
Back home, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been undertaking studies on COVID
19 in the Indian sub-continent and has been sharing scientific updates and information on rapid
response, tests and treatments. Recently, ICMR has shared that it will collaborate with the World
Health Organization for the public health emergency SOLIDARITY TRIAL – An international
randomised trial of additional treatments for COVID-19 in hospitalised patients.
The industry is committed to playing its role to help respond to this epidemic and we commit to
continue collaborating with government agencies, academia and other healthcare stakeholders to
ensure patients get the medicines and care, they need. All this can happen only as a result of one core
competency-innovation. Innovation promotes development of new treatments and new cures to
address unmet medical needs. Let’s remain steadfast in our commitment to research and
development of new medicines that will allow patients live fuller and happier lives.
Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/science-industry-pharmaceuticals-coronavirus-
vaccine-academia-covid-19/1955388/
Accessed on 3rd June, 2020 at 7.10 PM IST
4th June 2020: Plasma therapy safe, effective for severe COVID-19 patients: Study: A new trial
has found that convalescent plasma therapy is a safe treatment option for patients with severe
COVID-19 symptoms, say researchers as globally the coronavirus infection has affected over 6 lakh
people and at least half of them have succumbed to the pandemic.
For the findings, published in The American Journal of Pathology, researchers from the Houston
Methodist Hospital in the US, began clinical trials to transfuse plasma from recovered COVID-19
patients into critically ill patients on March 28th 2020. Results of the trial showed that 19 out of 25
patients (76 per cent) improved with the treatment and 11 were discharged from the hospital. There
were no serious adverse side effects caused by the plasma transfusion.
"While physician-scientists around the world scramble to test new drugs and treatments against the
COVID-19 virus, convalescent serum therapy emerge as potentially one of the most promising
strategies," said study researcher Eric Salazar from Houston Methodist Hospital. Patients were
treated under emergency use guidelines (eIND) from the US Food and Drug Administration and then
received approval from the FDA to open up the trial to more patients as an investigational new drug
(IND). According to the researchers, the century-old therapeutic approach dates back to at least as
early as 1918 when it was used to fight the Spanish Flu. Recently, they added that convalescent
plasma therapy was used with some success during the 2003 SARS pandemic, the 2009 influenza
H1N1 pandemic, and the 2015 Ebola outbreak in Africa.
Following a study early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, where a handful of critically ill patients in
China showed an improvement, an interdisciplinary team of Houston Methodist physician-scientists
and health care workers rapidly targeted the COVID-19 virus with convalescent serum therapy.
Additional findings during this trial revealed patient outcomes following plasma therapy were very
similar to recently published results of patients treated on a compassionate-use basis with the
antiviral drug remdesivir. The research team also concluded that any observed complications were
consistent with findings reported for COVID-19 disease progression and did not result from the
plasma transfusions. The overall findings were consistent with several other small case studies of
convalescent plasma use for severe COVID-19 that have been recently reported.
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Although the convalescent plasma therapy administered on the front lines at Houston Methodist was
implemented for emergency treatment, they said there is an immediate need for controlled clinical
trials to determine its efficacy. Researchers are considering a randomised controlled trial to look
more closely at variables such as the timing of the transfusion after the onset of symptoms. Earlier, a
study published in the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine, revealed that passive
vaccine or passive immunization (PI) can provide instant, short-term fortification against infectious
agents and slow down COVID-19.
Source:https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/plasma-therapy-safe-effective-for-
severe-covid-19-patients-study
Accessed on: 3rd June 2020 at 9:25 PM IST
5th June 2020: Why COVID-19 fears rise in South America as Brazil becomes world’s second
largest hotspot: As the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide surge past the 5 million mark, Brazil
— which registered 330,890 infections and 21,048 COVID-related deaths — now has the second-
highest number of reported cases in the world, after the United States.
Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University shows Brazil has now surpassed Russia to emerge as the
world’s number 2 hotspot for COVID-19. This comes a day after the World Health Organisation
(WHO) declared South America a “new epicentre” of the global health crisis.
With a steadily rising number of COVID-19 cases and ill-equipped and under-funded public health
systems, other parts of South America also find themselves in the midst of an uphill battle against the
deadly virus. As per Johns Hopkins University data, with 111,698 recorded cases, Peru is twelfth in
the list of nations worst-hit by the pandemic, right after India. Mexico, the third worst-hit Latin
American nation, has crossed Peru in the number of COVID-related deaths. The country has recorded
6,989 deaths, data shows. Chile trails behind with 61,857 COVID-19 cases.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who famously dismissed the virus as a “little flu”, has received
global criticism for repeatedly flouting social distancing guidelines and lockdown strategies. The
president has stressed that these measures are likely to cripple Brazil’s economy beyond repair. The
leader joined an anti-lockdown rally this week, posing for photographs and interacting with
hundreds of supporters gathered outside his presidential offices. The rally took place two days after
the country’s second health minister resigned within a month of being appointed to the post.
Former health minister Nelson Teich was appointed after the firing of his predecessor, who had
challenged Bolsonaro over his handling of the pandemic. Several of Brazil’s administrators, including
state governors of Ceara, Camilo Santana, called the President’s attitude towards the virus “an
affront to the nation”. More than 20-top officials in Bolsonaro’s administration have tested positive
for COVID-19.
Inadequate medical response: Hospitals in Brazil’s major cities already appear to be bursting at the
seams as more COVID-19 patients pour into ICUs across the country every day. A lack of health care
equipment and protective gear has also put front-line health workers at risk. Over 116 nurses have
died in Brazil, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.
The aggressive spread of the virus, particularly in the peripheral regions of the South American
nation where health care is not as readily available, makes indigenous groups, migrants and other
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marginalised communities more vulnerable. A study conducted by the University of Sao Paulo
Medical School has found that given Brazil’s low testing rate, the number of infections could be about
15 times higher than what official figures have projected.
President Bolsonaro earlier directed his health ministry to approve the use of controversial anti-
malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 cases. This is despite the fact that the drug has
been seen to have several deadly side effects and studies have been unable to prove its effectiveness
in treating the illness. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had claimed that he was taking the anti-
malarial drug to prevent coronavirus. “We are at war. Worse than defeat would be the shame of not
putting up a fight,” Bolsonaro, who is often called the Tropical Trump, tweeted after his decision to
widen the use of hydroxychloroquine was announced.
Losing battle for South America? The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the inequality that separates
the world’s richest countries from its poorest. In several Latin American countries, Ecuador in
particular, reports of bodies being kept in homes and dumped by roadsides have emerged as
hospitals struggle to keep afloat amid the pandemic. As the world scrambles to grab testing kits,
protective gear and other crucial medical equipment, poorer countries in South America, Africa and
Asia appear to be losing out. While the numbers in some of these countries still appear to be
relatively low, experts say that may owe to low levels of testing.
Unlike in the US and Europe, most South American countries continue to see COVID positive cases
increase with every passing day — suggesting that the peak is far from sight. Some of these countries
are not taking adequate precautions to keep the spread of the virus at bay. Like Brazil, Mexico has
been reluctant to impose a strict lockdown. However, recognising the threat posed by the pandemic,
countries like Uruguay, Argentina and Peru are enforcing strict lockdown measures.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/why-covid-19-fears-rise-in-south-america-
as-brazil-becomes-worlds-second-largest-hotspot-6423764/
Accessed on 5th June 2020 at 5:44 AM IST
6th June 2020: COVID-19 and Food Security: At the beginning of 2020, 135 million people around
the world were already facing extreme hunger. According to the World Food Program, that figure
could rise to a staggering 265 million by the end of this year. In remarks delivered to the UN Security
Council on April 21, 2020, UN World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley said, “In a
worst-case scenario, we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries.” Yet it is not just
the emerging economic catastrophe stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that could well give rise
to a global food crisis. Many of the most vulnerable parts of the world are concurrently struggling
with other threats to food insecurity: protracted conflicts, recurrent droughts, and the worst locust
infestation in decades.
Are we at risk of food shortages or price spikes? At this point, global food prices are stable. In March
2020, the Food Price Index calculated by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed
that, despite surges in “panic-buying” among consumers in many countries, global prices actually
dropped 4.3 percent from February 2020. This was largely a result of COVID-19-related demand
contractions amid lockdowns and quarantines.
Likewise, global food supplies are adequate. For instance, the FAO’s estimate for global cereal
production in 2019 is 2.3 percent higher than cereal production levels in 2018. In the United States,
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Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue confirmed food supplies are plentiful during a Coronavirus Task
Force Press Briefing in mid-April. That said, we still don’t know what the medium- and long-term
impacts of COVID-19 will be on global food security. For now, there are several near-term dynamics
to keep in mind.
The first relates to food export restrictions. As of April 24, 2020, 14 countries had food export bans
in place for 20 different products. This could be worrisome; in 2007, such trade restrictions were a
major contributor to the doubling of world food prices. Analysts have made it very clear that, given
ample global food supplies, export bans are the wrong way for governments to cope with economic
uncertainty stemming from the pandemic. (Countries are taking many other measures to assist the
vulnerable right now). The good news is that food export bans have not increased substantially in
recent weeks.
Second, the pandemic will impact global food security both directly and indirectly. As the Committee
on World Food Security’s High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition explained
recently, the crisis is “already affecting food systems directly through impacts on food supply and
demand, and indirectly—but just as importantly—through decreases in purchasing power, the
capacity to produce and distribute food, and the intensification of care tasks, all of which will have
differentiated impacts and will more strongly affect the poor and vulnerable.”
Source: https://www.csis.org/programs/global-food-security-program/covid-19-and-food-security
Accessed on 6th June 2020 at 10:32 PM IST
7th June 2020: Coronavirus vaccine: AstraZeneca 'on track' to roll out COVID-19 vaccine in
September: British pharma giant AstraZeneca is "on track" to begin rolling out up to two billion
doses of a coronavirus vaccine in September if ongoing trials prove successful, its chief executive
said on Friday. The company is partnering with Oxford University, which has pioneered the vaccine,
and is already manufacturing doses before seeking final regulatory approval once testing concludes
in the coming months.
"So far we're still on track... we are starting to manufacture this vaccine right now, and we have to
have it ready to be used by the time we have the results," AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot
told BBC radio. "Our present assumption is that we will have the data by the end of the summer, by
August, so in September we should know whether we have an effective vaccine or not."
The firm announced this week it had struck agreements with the Coalition for Epidemic
Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, and the Serum Institute of India to
double production capacity of the COVID-19 vaccine to two billion doses. The partnership with the
Indian institute - one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers - will help supply it to a large
number of low- and middle-income countries. AstraZeneca has established separate supply chains
for the vaccine in Europe, the United States, India and is also looking at setting up production in
China, Soriot said.
He added AstraZeneca, which is undertaking the work on a non-profit basis, could lose money if
trials prove disappointing. But he said the company was sharing the financial risk with organisations
such as CEPI. "We're manufacturing indeed at risk - and that's the only way to have the vaccine ready
to go if it works," he added.
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Oxford University began initial trials of its COVID-19 vaccine with hundreds of volunteers in April,
and is now expanding them to 10,000 participants. It said last month they were "progressing very
well". Researchers announced this week they will also start tests in mid-June in Brazil, the first
country outside Britain to take part in the study, as the South American country's virus infection rate
spirals while the UK's falls.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/coronavirus-
vaccine-latest-news-update-astrazeneca-on-track-to-roll-out-covid-19-vaccine-in-
september/articleshow/76221091.cms
Accessed on 7th June 2020 at 8.30 PM IST
8th June 2020: Baldness, smoking among COVID-19 risk factors for men: Study: According to the recent research work at the Brown University, male pattern baldness escalates the possibility of developing severe coronavirus symptoms in males. Dr Carlos Wambier, the lead author of this study, believes that androgen - the male hormone which is responsible for causing baldness in men - could be a possible entry point of COVID-19 virus in their cells. Wambier and his team of researchers conducted two separate experiments in Spain which further indicated that there could be a possible connection between male baldness and coronavirus. One of those experiments, published by the American Academy of Dermatology, reviewed almost 122 men with the coronavirus who were admitted at hospitals in Madrid. The experiment showed that 79% of them were bald. In a separate study, published by the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, it came out with 71% of coronavirus positive patients had male pattern baldness whom they reviewed. However, so far still no concrete answers can be drawn out of these findings. High number of ACE2 receptors: According to research done at New York and Mumbai, it was found that testicles of male house ACE2 receptors in big quantities which allows the COVID-19 virus to last for a longer time in the system. The research further claimed that the prevalence of ACE2 receptors was massively fewer in the ovaries of women. It also stated how the habit of smoking can also boost the risk of coronavirus infection in men. Genetic make-up: Male is the only one who has the X chromosome per cell, instead of two like women, which consists of a significant amount of immune genes. This also includes the one for a protein called TLR7 which helps doctors spot single-stranded RNA virus - for example, the coronavirus. Source: https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-baldness-smoking-among-covid-19-risk-factors-for-men-study-2827271 Accessed on: 8th June, 2020 at 5:00 PM IST
9th June 2020: ‘COVID-19 found its way to India via frequently travelled countries in Europe,
Middle East’: Study: A group of experts at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have found that Covid-19
virus found its way to India via frequently visited countries in Europe, South Asia, Middle East and
Oceania. “There is a close connection between the source of the virus and the countries that are most
travelled by Indians,” the study stated.
The study, with lead authors Mainak Mondal, Ankita Lawarde and Kumaravel Somasundaram from the
Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, was published in the
scientific journal Current Science.
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The research noted the potential origin of COVID-19 virus in Indians to be in countries “mainly from
Europe, Middle East Oceania and South Asia regions, which strongly imply the spread of the virus
through most travelled countries”. The analysis revealed that most Indian SARS-CoV-2 viruses (129 out
of 137) show more similarity to that of specific countries. “In cluster A, Indian samples show more
similarity to the viruses found in Oceania, Kuwait and South Asian samples, while in the cluster B, Indian
samples show more similarity to mainly European and few numbers of Middle East/South Asian
samples,” the study read.
The findings indicated that majority of Indian SARS-CoV-2 viruses have originated from Europe, Middle
East, South Asia and Oceania regions. “A large majority of Indian viral isolates (n = 129), which were
collected during March/April 2020, show more similarity with samples from Europe, Middle East, South
Asia and Oceania regions,” the experts noted. The remaining Indian isolates (n = 8) have grouped with
other clusters which contained most samples from China and East Asia.
Thus, the study concluded the probable source of origin of Indian SARS-CoV-2 viruses to be in countries
from Europe and Oceania regions besides the Middle East and South Asian regions.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covid-19-found-its-way-to-india-via-frequently-travelled-countries-in-europe-middle-east-study/story-uriAXqKAS4mDw20YoNPHdJ.html Accessed on: 9th June 2020, 5:15 PM IST
10th June 2020 Coronavirus: Widespread mask-wearing could prevent COVID-19 second
waves, study shows: The research, led by scientists at Britain’s Cambridge and Greenwich
Universities, suggests lockdowns alone will not stop the resurgence of the new SARS-CoV-2
coronavirus, but that even homemade masks can dramatically reduce transmission rates if enough
people wear them in public.
Population-wide facemask use could push COVID-19 transmission down to controllable levels for
national epidemics and could prevent further waves of the pandemic disease when combined with
lockdowns, according to a UK study published Wednesday.The research, led by scientists at Britain’s
Cambridge and Greenwich Universities, suggests lockdowns alone will not stop the resurgence of the
new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but that even homemade masks can dramatically reduce transmission
rates if enough people wear them in public.
“Our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of facemasks by the public,” said
Richard Stutt, who co-led the study at Cambridge. He said the findings showed that if widespread
mask use were combined with social distancing and some lockdown measures, this could be “an
acceptable way of managing the pandemic and re-opening economic activity” long before the
development and public availability of an effective vaccine against COVID-19, the respiratory illness
caused by the coronavirus. The study’s findings were published in the “Proceedings of the Royal
Society A” scientific journal. The World Health Organization updated its guidance on Friday to
recommend that governments ask everyone to wear fabric face masks in public areas where there is
a risk to reduce the spread of the disease.
In this study, researchers linked the dynamics of spread between people with population-level
models to assess the effect on the disease’s reproduction rate, or R value, of different scenarios of
mask adoption combined with periods of lockdown. The R value measures the average number of
people that one infected person will pass the disease on to. An R value above 1 can lead to
exponential growth. The study found that if people wear masks whenever they are in public it is
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twice as effective at reducing the R value than if masks are only worn after symptoms appear. In all
scenarios the study looked at, routine facemask use by 50% or more of the population reduced
COVID-19 spread to an R of less than 1.0, flattening future disease waves and allowing for less
stringent lockdowns. “We have little to lose from the widespread adoption of facemasks, but the
gains could be significant,” said Renata Retkute, who co-led the study.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/coronavirus-second-wave-prevention-wearing-
masks-1687380-2020-06-10
Accessed on: 10th June 2020 at 4:30 PM IST
11th June 2020: A blood group cases develop severe COVID symptoms: New researches find
blood groups play key role: Ever wondered why some who test positive for coronavirus need a
ventilator and experience more severe symptoms than others who are cured after showing very mild
to moderate symptoms? The answer, researchers suggest, may be in the study of human genetics.
A report published by Bloomberg, The 23 and Me study, looked at susceptibility rather than severity
of illness and included 10,000 participants who had Covid-19. The research found that individuals
with type O blood are between 9% and 18% less likely than individuals with other blood types to
have tested positive for coronavirus. Preliminary results from more than 750,000 participants
suggests that the O blood group is especially protective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19. The findings echo other research that has indicated a link between variations in the ABO
gene and coronavirus. However, there was little difference in susceptibility among other blood
types, the study found. When the researchers adjusted the data to account for factors like age and
pre-existing illnesses and also restricted the data to only those with high-probability of exposure like
healthcare workers, the findings were the same.
Can blood type play a role in severity of patient’s reactions to COVID-19? Cardiologist Dr KK Agrawal
says there is no proof to suggest a link between coronavirus and a certain blood group. He says,
"Whenever there is a new disease like the novel coronavirus, people begin to find a link between the
infection and the blood group."
Three studies say that O blood group is protective against the virus. "But such studies can't be used
as evidence because the data of 750,000 people is not enough to prove anything, given the
population of the country. These are just observation studies and not medical facts," says Dr.
Agrawal. He also added, "People with O blood group shouldn't think that they don't need to take any
precautions."Researchers have been grappling to find something in the genetics that may be
responsible for some patients having severe reaction to the coronavirus while some recover with
relatively milder symptoms of the coronavirus disease. Several other studies looking at both severity
of illness and susceptibility to disease have also suggested blood type plays a role.
A research published last week prior to peer review suggested blood type may play a role in the
severity of patients’ reactions to SARS-CoV-2. That study looked at the genes of more than 1,600
patients in Italy and Spain who experienced respiratory failure and found that having type A blood
was linked to a 50% increase in the likelihood a patient would require a ventilator.
An earlier Chinese study turned up similar results regarding a person's susceptibility to Covid-19.
“There have also been some reports of links between COVID-19, blood clotting, and cardiovascular
disease,” said Adam Auton, lead researcher on the 23 and Me study that looks for answers in the
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DNA of humans. "These reports provided some hints about which genes might be relevant," the
scientist said.
Another study conducted by a group of international researchers at the University of Kiel n Germany
said that patients with blood group 'A+' are more likely to need oxygen support and suffer serious
illness if they contract the novel coronavirus.
"We included 1,980 patients with Covid-19 respiratory failure at seven centres in the Italian and
Spanish epicentres of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Europe (Milan, Monza, Madrid, San Sebastian and
Barcelona) for a genome-wide association analysis. After quality control and exclusion of population
outliers, 835 patients and 1,255 population-derived controls from Italy, and 775 patients and 950
controls from Spain were included in the final analysis. In total we analyzed 8,582,968 single-
nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and conducted a meta-analysis of both case-control panels," the
study reads.
"The association signal at 9q34 was located at the ABO blood group locus and a blood-group-specific
analysis showed higher risk for A-positive individuals, and a protective effect for blood group O," the
study result stated.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/new-researches-find-blood-groups-play-key-role-in-coronavirus-disease-1687862-2020-06-11 Accessed on: 11th June 2020 at 5:15 PM IST 12th June 2020: COVID-19 threatens entire nervous system- Study: There are many different
ways COVID-19 can cause neurological dysfunction. According to the study, the disease may affect
the entire nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and the muscles. COVID-19 poses
a threat to the entire nervous system of infected individuals, according to a review of studies which
may help better manage the neurological symptoms of the disease such as headaches, seizures, and
strokes. According to the research, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, nearly half of
hospitalised COVID-19 patients have neurological manifestations like headache, dizziness, decreased
alertness, difficulty concentrating, disorders of smell and taste, seizures, strokes, weakness, and
muscle pain.
"It's important for the general public and physicians to be aware of this, because a SARS-COV-2
infection may present with neurologic symptoms initially, before any fever, cough or respiratory
problems occur," said study lead author Igor Koralnik from Northwestern University in the US. In
the analysis, the scientists describe the different neurological conditions that may occur in COVID-19
patients and how to diagnose them, as well as likely pathogenic mechanisms.
Koralnik believes that this understanding is key to direct appropriate clinical management and treatment for COVID-19 patients. There are many different ways COVID-19 can cause neurological dysfunction, he said. According to the study, the disease may affect the entire nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and the muscles. The researchers noted that the brain may also suffer from a lack of oxygen, or from clotting disorders that may lead to strokes. In addition, they said the virus may cause direct infection of the brain, meninges - a connective tissue lining several parts of the nervous system -- and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which acts as a shock absorber for the skull.
Page 92 of 157
The reaction of the immune system to the infection may also cause inflammation that can damage
the brain and nerves, the scientists added. Since knowledge about the long term outcome of
neurologic manifestations of COVID-19 is limited, the researchers plan to follow some patients
prospectively to determine if neurological problems are temporary or permanent. The scientists
said careful studies of the inflammatory and immune cell response within the CSF to SARS-CoV-2, as
well as post mortem studies including the nervous system and muscle tissues are urgently needed to
better understand the neurological manifestations of COVID-19. They said such studies can provide
the foundation on how to diagnose, manage and treat the many neurologic symptoms of COVID-19.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid-19-threatens-entire-nervous-system-study-
11591949248772.html
Accessed on: 12th June 2020 at 5:00 PM IST
13th June 2020: Risk of COVID case fatality in India relatively higher among females- Study:
While females share a lower mortality burden than males in general there is no reported case of
male mortality in the age group 5–19 years, and hence the entire burden is borne by females.
Early evidence indicates that while males overall bear a higher burden of coronavirus, females have
a higher relative-risk of COVID-19 mortality in India. Data till May 20 reveals that the overall case
fatality rate (ratio of number of confirmed deaths as to the total confirmed cases) among males is 2.9
per cent, but is significantly higher among females, at 3.3 per cent. A new study reported in the
Journal of Global Health Science has said these findings call for equal, if not greater, attention toward
females for COVID-19 care.
Researchers from Population Research Centre, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, Institute of
Health Management Research, IIHMR University, Jaipur, Centre for Development Studies,
Thiruvananthapuram, Harvard Centre for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, USA and
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston
used crowdsourced data (https://www.covid19india.org/) to provide preliminary estimates for age-
sex specific COVID-19 case fatality rate (CFR) for India.
They analysed the burden of the cases and deaths for age-sex categories, which showed that as of
May 20, males share a higher burden (66 per cent) of COVID-19 infections than females (34 per
cent), but the infection is more or less evenly distributed in under-five as well as elderly age groups.
The CFR among males and females is 2.9 per cent and 3.3 per cent, respectively. While early
estimates from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare indicated that three-fourth of all
confirmed cases are males, researchers have said it was important to disaggregate the burden to
understand whether the inference is valid for children as well as the elderly age group. In fact, a bulk
of the evidence on age-sex patterns in COVID-19 mortality has focused on adults and the elderly, and
very little is known about the age-sex specific relative risks and patterns of COVID-19 mortality in
the country.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/risk-of-covid-case-fatality-in-india-relatively-higher-
among-females-study-6456191/
Accessed on: 13th June 2020 at 12:05 PM IST
14th June 2020: Patanjali CEO Balkrishna claims company found Ayurveda cure for coronavirus:
As researchers across the globe race to develop a vaccine to tackle the pandemic, Acharya Balkrishna, co-
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founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, claimed that his company
developed an Ayurveda medicine that has cured COVID-19 patients within a span of five to 14 days.
According to a report in news agency ANI, Balkrishna on Saturday said that a trial was conducted on
hundreds of COVID-19 patients and that the medicine has yielded “100% favourable results”. However,
there has been no statement regarding the claim by the Health Ministry or ICMR so far.
“We appointed a team of scientists after the COVID-19 outbreak. First, the simulation was done and
compounds were identified which can fight the virus and stop its spread in the body. Then, we conducted
a clinical case study on hundreds of positive patients and we have got 100 per cent favourable results,”
Balkrishna said in Haridwar, according to ANI.
“We can say that the cure for COVID is possible through Ayurveda,” he claimed, adding that the company
is now conducting controlled clinical trials and will release evidence in less than a week. More than 100
potential COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of development around the world. Among front
runners currently in human trials are the COVID-19 vaccines being developed by AstraZeneca, Pfizer,
BioNtech, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna, Sanofi and China’s CanSino Biologics.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has approved the use of homeopathy medicine Arsenic Album
30 for the general population as a prophylactic against COVID-19 and as an immunity booster. A task
force set up by state government has also come up with a list of Unani and Ayurvedic medicines like
Agastya Haritaki, Ayush 64 and even sesame oil, as measures against COVID-19. With nearly 3.21 lakh
cases, India is the fourth worst-hit COVID nation. Globally, over 7.7 million people have been infected.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/patanjali-ceo-balkrishna-claims-ayurveda-can-
cure-covid-19-6458156/
Accessed on 14th June 2020 at 09:43 IST
15th June 2020: COVID-19 peak in India may arrive mid-November, paucity of ICU beds, ventilators
likely: Study: NEW DELHI: The peak stage of Covid-19 pandemic in India has been delayed by the eight-
week lockdown along with strengthened public health measures and it may now arrive around mid-
November during which there could be a paucity of isolation and ICU beds, and ventilators, according to a
study.
The study conducted by researchers from an Operations Research Group constituted by ICMR said the
lockdown shifted the peak of the pandemic by an estimated 34 to 76 days and helped bring down the
number of infections by 69 to 97 per cent, thereby allowing time for the healthcare system to shore up
resources and infrastructure. In the scenario of intensified public health measures with 60 per cent
effectiveness after lockdown, the demand can be met until the first week of November. After that,
isolation beds could be inadequate for 5.4 months, ICU beds for 4.6 and ventilators for 3.9 months,
projections by the health researchers showed.
However, this shortfall is estimated to be 83 per cent less than what it could have been without the
lockdown and public health measures.With sustained government steps at increasing the infrastructure
and different pace of epidemic in different regions, the impact of unmet need can be reduced. If the
coverage of public health measures can be increased to 80 per cent, the epidemic can be mitigated, the
researchers stated. According to the model-based analysis for Covid-19 pandemic in India, with the
additional capacity which has been built up for testing, treating and isolating patients during the
lockdown period, the number of cases at the peak would come down by 70 per cent and the cumulative
cases may come down by nearly 27 per cent.In terms of Covid-19 mortality, approximately 60 per cent
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deaths were prevented and one-third of this mortality prevention is attributed to the reduction in unmet
need for critical care as a result of the intervention, the analysis showed.The researchers said the
management of Covid-19 will involve a dynamic review of policies and significant strengthening of the
healthcare system.
"While lockdowns will delay the onset of peak and will give the much needed time for the health system
to respond, strengthening the health system response in terms of testing, isolation of cases, treatment
and contact tracing, as is being done currently, will have to be the mainstay to reduce the impact of the
pandemic in India until vaccine becomes available," it said.
The overall economic health system cost of this pandemic is estimated to be 6.2 per cent of India's gross
domestic product (GDP).The country saw a record spike of 11,929 cases pushing India's Covid-19
caseload to 3,20,922 on Sunday while the death toll rose to 9,195 with an increase of 311 fatalities,
according to the Union Health Ministry data. India registered more than 10,000 cases for the third day in
a row and is the fourth worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry on June 9 said
coronavirus related health infrastructure in the country has been strengthened with the availability of
958 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals with 1,67,883 isolation beds, 21,614 ICU and 73,469 oxygen supported
beds. Also, 2,313 dedicated Covid Health Centres with 1,33,037 isolation beds, 10,748 ICU beds and
46,635 oxygen supported beds have also been operationalised. Moreover, 7,525 Covid Care Centres with
7,10,642 beds are now available to combat Covid-19 in the country. The ventilators available for COVID
beds are 21,494, the ministry had said, adding that order of 60,848 more ventilators has been placed
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/covid-19-peak-in-india-may-arrive-mid-november-
paucity-of-icu-beds-ventilators-likely-study/articleshowprint/76369608.cms
Accessed on: 15th June 2020 at 5:00 PM IST
16th June 2020: Global group calls for COVID-19 clinical research in poor nations: A team of
scientists, physicians, funders and policymakers from over 70 organisations across the world has
called for acceleration of research on COVID-19 in poor and middle-income countries where the
disease can wreak havoc. The COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition will work on accelerating
clinical trials of possible vaccines and drugs, among other interventions. The team, which published
a comment in The Lancet journal on Thursday, said the response of the research and science
community to the pandemic has been vigorous, but that is not the case in poor countries.
A review of clinical trial registries as of March 24 showed 536 relevant trials. Of the 332 COVID-19-
related clinical trials, 188 are open to recruitment of candidates and 146 trials are preparing to
recruit candidates for trials. The distribution of these clinical trials is mostly in China and South
Korea, with high-income countries in Europe and North America planning most of the forthcoming
trials. The members of the coalition said research collaboration and coordination is urgently needed
in African, Latin American, Eastern European, and certain Asian countries to respond to the
contagion.
They also said open-science (making scientific research available to all) and data-sharing principles
need to be applied at all stages of COVID-19, including research by the private sector. “The FAIR
guiding principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) for data should be
implemented, and mechanisms put in place to enable equitable use and reuse of data,” they have
said.
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The idea for the coalition came from Professor Nick White (Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine
Research Unit at the University of Oxford), Professor Philippe Guerin (Infectious Diseases Data
Observatory at the University of Oxford), and Dr Nathalie Strub Wourgaft (Director of Neglected
Tropical Diseases at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative), according to the coalition’s website.
The scientists have warned that certain healthcare systems could collapse due to a surge in Covid-19
cases since there is very low availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) in these countries,
which they have not named. “Disruption or complete breakdown of those health-care systems
would result in high direct and indirect mortality since care of all illness would be affected,” they
said. The coalition added that interventions being introduced in these countries will have to be
affordable, and regulatory clearance for importing products for drugs and vaccine trials and ethical
review needs to be expedited.
“The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is conducting trials on drugs that can be re-
purposed. They have also published the protocol in Indian Journal of Medical Research. In WHO
(World Health Organization)’s solidarity trial, more than 80 countries are participating. Our public
health research infrastructure and capacity needs to expand. The West already has such research
facilities. I think India will be ahead of many in terms of vaccine development because some
organisations are already looking at vaccine strains and suitable candidates for trials,” said Giridhar
R Babu, professor and head, Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/global-group-calls-for-covid-19-research-in-poor-nations/story-soV48dqwgGLH9pagAJC8vL.html Accessed on 16th June 2020 at 8.30 PM IST 17th June 2020: CBI warns against methanol-based sanitizers: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alerted all central and state law enforcement agencies to stay alert against highly toxic methanol-based hand sanitizers. According to the central investigating agency these methanol-based hand sanitizers ‘can be dangerous to the human body’. Due to the growing demand for hand sanitizers amid increasing cases of COVID-19 in the country, CBI fears few companies may start producing counterfeit hand sanitizers using methanol. The CBI expressed concern after receiving relevant inputs from the Interpol, according to reports. According to the alert issued, the Interpol has found instances in some countries where cases of use of methanol in spurious hand sanitizers have been reported. Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/cbi-warns-against-methanol-based-sanitizers.html Accessed on 17th June 2020 at 9.45 PM IST 18th June 2020: Important to use dexamethasone only for severe coronavirus cases: WHO:
Director-General of the World Health Organisation on Wednesday said "there are green shoots of
hope" in fight against coronavirus. "The world has now recorded more than 8 million cases of
COVID-19. In the first two months, 85,000 cases were reported. In the past two months, six million
cases have been reported," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He said that there have been more than 435,000 deaths and that in the Americas, Africa and South
Asia, COVID-19 cases are still rapidly rising. "However, there are green shoots of hope, which show
that together through global solidarity, humanity can overcome this pandemic," he said.
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He also spoke about two researchers in the UK finding steroid drug dexamethasone helpful in
treating the critical patients dependent on ventilators or oxygen. Trial results announced on Tuesday
by researchers in Britain showed dexamethasone, used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in
diseases such as arthritis, cut death rates by around a third among the most severely ill Covid-19
patients admitted to hospital.
"Dexamethasone, a common steroid, has been shown to have beneficial effect on patients severely ill
with Covid-19. According to early findings shared with WHO, for patients on oxygen alone,
dexamethasone treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one-fifth," Tedros said. For
patients requiring a ventilator, mortality was reduced by about one-third, he further said. However,
the head of the World Health Organizations's emergencies programme said on Wednesday said it is
important to reserve use of the steroid dexamethasone for the treatment only of serious cases of
Covid-19, for which it has been shown to have a benefit.
"It's exceptionally important in these cases that the drug is reserved for severely ill and critical
patients who can benefit from this clearly," Mike Ryan told a briefing. Britain has increased the
amount of dexamethasone it has in stock and on order to 240,000 doses, health minister Matt
Hancock said on Wednesday, after a preliminary trial result showed it reduced mortality in the most
severe Covid-19 cases. Britain swiftly backed the steroid drug after University of Oxford researchers
announced preliminary results of their trial on Tuesday, saying it had amassed a stockpile of
200,000 courses of the drug.
"It's the first time that anyone in the world has clinically proven that a drug can improve the survival
chances of the most seriously ill coronavirus patients," Hancock told parliament.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/important-to-use-dexamethasone-only-for-
severe-coronavirus-cases-who-11592408506786.html
Accessed on 18th June 2020 at 5:45 PM IST
19th June 2020: COVID-19 patients without disease symptoms may have weaker immune
response: Study: COVID-19 patients who do not show any symptoms of the disease may have a
weaker immune response to the virus, according to a new study which highlights the risks of using
‘immunity passports’ to certify that a person has recovered from COVID-19, and is fit for travel and
work. The research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, presents an analysis of the clinical and
immunological manifestations of 37 asymptomatic patients infected with the novel coronavirus,
SARS-CoV-2.
It found that these patients had an average duration of viral shedding of 19 days, compared with 14
days in another group of 37 patients who showed symptoms of the disease. According to the
scientists from the Chongqing Medical University in China, most people infected with SARS-CoV-2
experience a mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms that include fever, cough, and
shortness of breath that may appear 2–14 days after exposure. However, they said several who test
positive for the infection may either experience minor symptoms or be asymptomatic. In the study,
the researchers studied 37 asymptomatic people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection from the
Wanzhou district in China, before 10 April 2020. Of these asymptomatic patients from a group of 178
people with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 22 were female and 15 male, with ages ranging from 8 to 75
years, the scientists said. “In comparison to symptomatic patients, the asymptomatic group had a
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significantly longer duration of viral shedding, with a viral shedding time of 19 days,” they wrote in
the study.
According to the study, the levels of virus-specific immune system molecules called IgG antibodies
were significantly lower in the asymptomatic group than in the symptomatic group during the acute
phase of infection when the virus could be detected in the respiratory tract. Eight weeks after the
patients were discharged from the hospital, the researchers said the levels of neutralising antibodies
decreased in more than 8o per cent of asymptomatic patients, compared with about 62 per cent of
symptomatic patients. They added that the asymptomatic patients also had lower levels of 18 pro-
and anti-inflammatory cell-cell signalling proteins called cytokines. Based on these observations, the
scientists believe that the asymptomatic patients may have had a weaker immune response to SARS-
CoV-2 infection.
The IgG antibody levels in the patients also began to diminish within three months of infection in a
large proportion of the asymptomatic patients, the study noted. This finding, along with previous
analyses of neutralising antibodies in patients recovering from COVID-19, highlights the potential
risks of using ‘immunity passports,’ and supports the continuation of public-health interventions and
widespread testing, the researchers said. They believe that further research in larger groups of
symptomatic and asymptomatic patients is urgently needed to determine the duration of antibody-
based immunity.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/covid-19-patients-without-disease-
symptoms-may-have-weaker-immune-response-study/story-Oxw1nHMFMSZ5x9KicMk2DL.html
Accessed on: 19th June 2020 at 5:45 PM IST
20th June 2020: Study identifies brain injury markers in COVID-19 patients: Berlin: Some COVID-19
patients who receive hospital care exhibit clinical signs of brain damage, according to a study which says
the chemical signatures of such neurological injury can be used to monitor the disease progression in
those who are severely infected by the novel coronavirus. The study, published in the journal Neurology,
assessed blood samples taken from 47 patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 in the course
of their hospital stay. Researchers, including those from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden,
analysed these samples by means of highly sensitive biomarkers for brain injury, and compared the
results with those from a healthy control group comprising 33 people matched by age and sex. In even
moderate COVID-19 cases, they found that measuring a blood-based biomarker for brain damage is
possible.
The scientists found that a marker, known as glial fibrillary acidic protein, or GFAP, is normally present in
star-shaped neuron-supportive cell type in the brain called astrocytes, but leaks out in the event of injury
or overactivation. They also found a second biomarker called NfL (neurofilament light chain protein),
which is normally found inside the brain's nerve outgrowths, but leaks out into the blood if they are
damaged. According to the study, elevated concentrations of NfL in the blood's plasma component was
found in most of the COVID-19 patients who required ventilator treatment.
The researchers said there was a marked correlation between how much the NfL concentration rose and
the severity of the disease. According to the scientists, some people infected with the coronavirus SARS-
CoV-2 get only mild, cold-like symptoms, while others become severely ill and require hospital treatment.
Among the latter, they said patients sometimes show obvious signs of the brain not functioning as it
should.
Page 98 of 157
An increase in one of the biomarkers took place even with moderate COVID-19, such as in hospitalised
patients not in need of ventilator support, the scientists said. "The increase in NfL levels, in particular,
over time is greater than we've seen previously in studies connected with intensive care, and this
suggests that COVID-19 can in fact directly bring about a brain injury," said study co-author Henrik
Zetterberg from the University of Gothernburg.
"Whether it's the virus or the immune system that's causing this is unclear at present, and more research
is needed," Zetterberg said. Magnus Gisslen, another co-author of the study from the university said
blood tests for biomarkers associated with brain injury could be used for monitoring patients with
moderate to severe COVID-19. "It would be highly interesting to see whether the NfL increase can be
slowed down with new therapies, such as the new dexamethasone treatment that's now been proposed,"
Gisslen said.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/study-identifies-brain-injury-markers-in-
covid-19-patients/609368
Accessed on: 20th June 2020 at 4:00 PM IST
21st June 2020: COVID-19 live updates- India and the World: India reported 15,915 coronavirus cases
in the last 24 hours to make it the country's biggest single-day spike and taking the total to 413,092,
according to Worldometer on Sunday. As many as 13,294 people have died due to the infection so far.
Chennai has been put under total lockdown till June 30, along with three other districts, to curb the
spread of the virus. Maharashtra and Delhi recorded the biggest jump in Covid-19 cases on Friday.
Coronavirus world update: The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 467,364 lives across the world and as
many as 8,950,626 people have been infected so far, according to Worldometer. Some countries, which
experienced a significant drop in COVID-19 infections in April and May, are witnessing a second-wave
with the most notable resurgence seen in China’s capital Beijing.
Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/coronavirus-live-updates-india-
maharashtra-delhi-coronavirus-vaccine-covid-tracker-corona-latest-news-120062000135_1.html
Accessed on: 21st June 2020 at 10:03 PM
22nd June 2020: Nigerian scientists claim to have discovered COVID-19 vaccine: Ede, Osun: A team of
Nigerian scientists claimed to have discovered a unique vaccine that may help prevent the novel
coronavirus infection, according to local media. The discovery of the vaccine was announced on Friday by
Nigerian Universities’ Scientists, under the aegis of COVID-19 Research Group, even as researchers all
over the world race against time to find a cure for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has so far killed at least
465,300 people globally.
Dr Oladipo Kolawole, a specialist in Medical Virology, Immunology and Bioinformatics, at Adeleke
University, Ede in Osun, and leader of the research team, said during a news conference that the vaccine
was being developed locally in Africa for Africans, reported The Guardian Nigeria. According to Kolawole,
the unnamed vaccine, when unveiled, would also work for other races. Kolawole, however, said that it
would take a minimum of 18 months before the vaccine would become available to the public for
widespread use since a lot of analysis and trials as well as approvals by medical authorities were
required. Kolawole said the research initially received funding - roughly 7.8 million Nigerian nairas
($20,000) - from the Trinity Immunodeficient Laboratory and Helix Biogen Consult, Ogbomosho. He
further added that the team had been working extensively by exploring the genome of the SARS-CoV-2
virus from samples across Africa to select the best potential vaccine candidates.
Page 99 of 157
He added that the researchers had been able to pick the best potential COVID-19 vaccine candidates and
had made the possible latent constructs after trying out some selected processes of vaccine development.
Meanwhile, Prof Solomon Adebola, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the university was
poised to assist in the funding of the research with a view to bringing the vaccine to the limelight, the
report added.“We are glad that a vaccine that will provide a solution to a global problem like coronavirus
pandemic is coming from the garden. It is our passion to be a solution provider to such a global
pandemic, and we are ready to throw our weights behind the team and make the vaccine a reality,”
Adebola said. Furthermore, prof Julius Oloke, the Head, Coordinating Unit of the Research Group and
Vice-Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone University, Ibadan, said the vaccine was real.
“The vaccine is real. We have validated it several times. It is targeted at Africans, but will also work for
other races. It will work. It cannot be faked. This is a result of the determination. It took a lot of scientific
efforts. The population of those that need vaccines is more than those that need drugs. That is why the
research focussed on a vaccine,” he was quoted as saying by the report.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 13 experimental COVID-19 vaccines are currently
being tested in humans and more than 120 candidates are in earlier stages of development.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/health/article/nigerian-scientists-claim-to-have-discovered-
covid-19-vaccine/609878
Accessed on: 22nd June 2020 at 9:20 PM IST
23rd June 2020: Coronavirus treatment: Ramdev's Patanjali launches Coronil kit for ₹545:
Patanjali on Tuesday launched 'Coronil and Swasari', what it claims is the Ayurvedic cure for treating
COVID-19, which they said has been shown 100 per cent favourable results during clinical trials on
affected patients, at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. Acharya Balkrishna, MD of Patanjali Ayurved,
claimed that an Ayurvedic medicine developed by the company has been able to cure COVID-19 patients
within 3-14 days. Ministry of AYUSH on Tuesday said it has taken cognizance of the news floating in
media about Ayurvedic medicines developed for treatment of Covid-19 by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
However, facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study are not known to the Ministry and
complete details of the supposed medicines have been sought, it said in a statement.
Patanjali claims
1) 100% recovery from coronavirus infection within 7 days treatment with Patanjali Ayurvedic medicines.
2) hsCRP and IL-6 levels were reduced in treatment group as compared to placebo group. 3) Ayurvedic treatment showed weaker IL-6 response implicating lesser chance of cytokine storm.
We will also launch an e-commerce app for the delivery of the medicines within 2 hours for the order placement, says Acharya Balkrishna.
We have used minerals with herbs to make this medicine even more effective, says Acharya Balkrishna.
Patanjali claims that its corona medicine kit can also be taken as prevention for coronavirus. The Corona kit will be made available at just ₹545, says Acharya Balkrishna. The corona kit will have
medicines for 30 days. We are testing the medications on mice and rats, says Patanjali. This medicine kit is not available anywhere for now, will be made available at Patanjali stores in a
week, says Baba Ramdev. We started working on Corona medicines from December 2019, says Patanjali.
Page 100 of 157
We've prepared the first Ayurvedic-clinically controlled, research, evidence and trial based medicine
for COVID19. We conducted a clinical case study & clinical controlled trial, and found 69% patients
recovered in 3 days & 100% patients recovered in 7 days, says Baba Ramdev.
We will even conduct tests on people on ventilators, says Baba Ramdev.
This is not an immunity booster but a coronavirus cure, says Baba Ramdev.
An app will be launched for the delivery of the Corona kit, says Baba Ramdev
0% death rate and 100% recovery rate has been observed, says Baba Ramdev.
69% of the people recovered within 3 days, says Baba Ramdev.
We have done every research and will answer all questions, says Baba Ramdev.
Patanjali has claimed that the controlled clinical trials was jointly conducted by Patanjali Research
Institute, Haridwar and National Institute of Medical Sciences, Jaipur.
We appointed a team of scientists after COVID-19 outbreak. Firstly, the simulation was done and
compounds were identified which can fight the virus and stop its spread in the body. Then, we
conducted a clinical case study on hundreds of positive patients and we have got 100 per cent
favourable results, Balkrishna said.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/coronavirus-vaccine-coronil-patanjali-baba-ramdev-press-
conference-live-updates-11592893304534.html
Accessed on : 23rd June, 2020 at 5:00 PM
24th June 2020: Coronavirus business impact: Governments worldwide have already allocated more
than $13 trillion to stabilize economies in freefall and restart growth. These measures, written and
delivered at speed, have succeeded in many ways. But as the crisis drags on, new questions are arising. Is
the money directed in the best possible way? And is more needed?
This week, McKinsey researchers looked at ways to fill the gaps that COVID-19 has created in US state
budgets. Worldwide, we estimate that government deficits could reach $30 trillion by 2023. That’s a
sobering figure. But we believe that if governments and the private sector work together as never before,
they can avoid the disastrous consequences of massive deficits, lay the foundations for a new social
contract, and begin to shape a postcrisis era of shared, sustainable prosperity.
Our new research on Europe suggests that governments can start by distinguishing between sectors that
can navigate the crisis safely, and others, such as those that were already in decline and were then badly
hit by the crisis, that may need structural change. In Germany, for example, you will find both types of
sectors in abundance.
Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-insights/covid-19-implications-for-
business#
Accessed on 24th June 2020 at 9.30 PM IST
25th June 2020: COVID-19 impacts on fish and aquatic food systems: As the COVID-19 pandemic
continues to spread globally, many countries are putting in place unprecedented lockdown measures
designed to contain its impact on public health. However, such measures are having significant impacts
on other domains of human activity, including food and nutrition security, jobs, livelihoods, gender
equality, and potential social unrest.
The implications will be serious and particularly dire for the poor and vulnerable living in developing
countries. It is estimated that the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic could plunge more than
half a billion people into poverty, with communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle
East expected to suffer the most. The impacts of this global health crisis and ultimately the economic
crisis will disproportionately affect women and girls and reverse progress on gender equality on many
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levels. Unless sound and decisive measures are taken fast to keep global food supply chains going and to
protect poor and vulnerable communities, a looming food crisis - with serious socio-economic
consequences - will become inevitable.
Fish and other aquatic foods are a key part of our global food systems and a highly nutritious food group
of major social, cultural and economic significance. Disruptions in supply chains for fish and aquatic foods
are already happening due to disruptions in transportation, trade, and labor. Falling production from
reduced fishing efforts and delayed stocking of aquaculture systems will lead to lower supplies, access,
and consumption of these foods. Decreased consumer demand and increased transaction costs will have
a knock-on effect that will push the price of fish and aquatic foods up and make them less affordable for
poor consumers. Many people employed in these supply chains, such as fish vendors, processors,
suppliers or transport workers will lose their jobs.
Source: https://www.worldfishcenter.org/pages/covid-19/
Accessed on 25th June 2020 at 5.55 AM IST
26th June 2020: Coronavirus: Researchers to trial salt water as COVID-19 treatment: The use of
salt water in the treatment of Covid-19 is to be trialled by researchers in Edinburgh. Previous research
has suggested the homemade remedy can help reduce symptoms of a common cold. It found people who
gargled and cleared their nose with a salt water solution reported fewer coughs, less congestion and
seemed to recover quicker. Edinburgh University scientists will investigate if the remedy can also help
people with the new coronavirus. The study is now recruiting adults in Scotland with COVID-19
symptoms or who are confirmed as having the virus. The original pilot study - known as the Edinburgh
and Lothians Viral Intervention Study, or Elvis - recruited healthy adults within two days of them
contracting a type of upper respiratory tract infection commonly known as a cold.
They were divided into two groups with one group asked to gargle and rinse their nasal passages with a
salt solution as they felt necessary. The other group dealt with the cold the way they normally would do.
All participants kept a diary of their symptoms for up to two weeks. Self-collected swabs were also tested
to measure the amount of the cold virus in their nose. Researchers said those who carried out nasal
irrigation and gargling with the salty solution experienced a shorter cold, were less likely to pass it on to
their family, had faster viral clearance and were less likely to use medicines from a pharmacy. Prof Aziz
Sheikh, director of the university's Usher Institute, said: "We are now moving to trial our salt water
intervention in those with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and hope it will prove to be a useful
measure to reduce the impact and spread of the infection."It only requires salt, water and some
understanding of procedure, so should, if found to be effective, be easy, and inexpensive, to implement
widely."
The study is funded by Breathe - the data research hub for respiratory health.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-53170734
Accessed on: 25th June 2020 at 5:00 PM IST
27th June 2020: World’s largest public agricultural research network launches COVID-19 Hub to
support global scientific response: Leading researchers across health, nutrition and agriculture have
launched a new COVID-19 hub to consolidate existing scientific evidence and support response, recovery
and resilience measures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned recently, immediate action on food systems is needed
to prevent a global food emergency that could have long-term health effects.
Page 102 of 157
The CGIAR COVID-19 Hub, coordinated by CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded agricultural
research network, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), will
bring together the latest science on agriculture and health to inform a research-based response to the
pandemic.
The Hub will compile relevant work from across the CGIAR system and partners around the world as well
as share future breakthroughs and identify opportunities for new research. Around two-thirds of
CGIAR’s existing research portfolio is already directly relevant to tackling the coronavirus outbreak. The
work of most immediate relevance encompasses four research pillars: (1) food systems, (2) One Health
(the human-animal-environment health interface), (3) inclusive public programs for food security and
nutrition and (4) policies and investments for crisis response, economic recovery and improved future
resilience.
These priority areas align with the UN’s call to action on food systems to prevent the worst effects of the
pandemic by addressing its potential impacts on poverty, hunger and nutrition, as well as by taking the
opportunity to ‘build back better’ for a healthier and more sustainable future. ‘The COVID-19 pandemic
is exposing weaknesses in food systems, societies and economies around the world’, said Elwyn Grainger-
Jones, executive director of the CGIAR System Organization. Since the virus emerged, CGIAR is pivoting
its focus to help countries cope with the impact of COVID-19 on food systems and food security. In
Bangladesh, for example, CGIAR is working with local partners to monitor food, labor, input supplies and
prices and to advise on appropriate policies, with an emphasis on minimizing the impact of COVID-19 on
the most vulnerable members of society.
At a global level, CGIAR is also working with UN agencies and development partners, for example, to
carry out phone surveys to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on rural household livelihoods
and access to food. ‘Solutions need to be science-based and coordinated across sectors to provide
immediate response and assistance for those most in need, ongoing and inclusive support in recovery
and—perhaps most importantly—future resilience to all shocks, including climate extremes’, Grainger-
Jones added. The pandemic broke out as CGIAR was undertaking a major institutional transformation. A
newly integrated leadership and board in place this year will support the level of collaboration required
for an integrated global and country response.
‘As well as research across four priority pillars, CGIAR will also focus on innovations to support recovery,
including country-by-country “deep dives” with COVID-19 impact modelling and analyses, and “One
Health” risk-based approaches to agriculture-environmental management and emerging zoonoses’, said
John McDermott, director of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health, which
will host the CGIAR COVID-19 Hub.
In the longer term, CGIAR will widen its focus to build greater resilience of food, land and water systems
to prevent future outbreaks and reduce vulnerabilities. The LSHTM’s contribution to the CGIAR COVID-
19 Hub will build on the current work of the Centre for Health Economics in London (CHIL) and the
Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (CMMID). ‘Supporting national efforts to
address the health and economic challenges of COVID-19 will require connecting prediction of disease
scenarios under different mitigation strategies with their social and economic outcomes’, said Anne Mills,
the LSHTM’s deputy director and provost and professor of health economics and policy. CGIAR is a global
research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing
food and nutrition security and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is
carried out by 14 CGIAR centres in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and
regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the
private sector. www.cgiar.org
Page 103 of 157
The CGIAR COVID-19 Hub provides a coordinated research response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Convening researchers, funders and key stakeholders, it focuses on supporting national response and
recovery work across CGIAR research themes through the response, recovery and resilience building
phases of the global pandemic. The CGIAR COVID-19 Hub is a global initiative hosted by the CGIAR
Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health and co-implemented by the International Food
Policy Research Institute, the International Livestock Research Institute, the CGIAR System Organization
and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. https://on.cgiar.org/37OhpV3.
Source: https://www.cgiar.org/news-events/news/worlds-largest-public-agricultural-research-
network-launches-covid-19-hub-to-support-global-scientific-response/
Accessed on 27th June 2020 at 6.30 PM IST
28th June 2020: NASA Supercomputers power COVID-19 research: NASA is flexing its
supercomputing muscle to help crack some of the most pressing questions surrounding COVID-19, from
basic science on how the virus interacts with cells in the human body to genetic risk factors to screening
for potential therapeutic drugs. In addition to its support of Earth, planetary, aerospace, heliophysics and
astrophysics projects, the agency’s supercomputer at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon
Valley, also has an allocation of time on it reserved for national priorities.
NASA has joined a consortium of institutions that is pairing up supercomputing resources with proposals
for using high-end computing power for COVID-19 studies. The effort was organized by the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy and includes industry partners IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise,
Amazon, Microsoft and others, as well as the Department of Energy’s National Labs, the National Science
Foundation, and many universities. The consortium is supporting 64 projects and is open to new
proposals. To date, four projects have been matched to NASA.
“This is not NASA’s normal work, but we have the supercomputers and the expertise to help researchers
working on COVID-19 to get the most out the supercomputing power,” said Tsengdar Lee, program
manager for NASA’s High End Computing Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Supercomputers are suited for processing large amounts of data. For NASA’s usual projects this means
simulating the movements of air masses and water around the planet to study Earth’s climate, hunting
for exoplanets, studying the behavior of black holes, or designing aeronautic or aerospace vehicles. Each
piece of these very large puzzles is guided by certain physical and chemical laws in their interactions and
relationships with other components. Zooming in to the atomic level to study the coronavirus is no
different. Each molecule and cell moves and reacts based on physics and chemistry, which makes
simulation a powerful tool for understanding the coronavirus.
“This is work we are pleased to support,” said Piyush Mehrotra, division chief of the NASA Advanced
Supercomputing Division at Ames. “Our team will do whatever it takes to support the research projects
so that we can understand and fight this disease as quickly as possible.”
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esd/2020/nasa-supercomputers-power-covid-19-research
Accessed on 28th June 2020 at 3:46 PM IST
29th June 2020: Digital medicine- research for patient’s sake: Online medical consultations, apps to
track infections, simulations of the spread of infectious diseases – these digital tools are now familiar to
all of us thanks to the corona crisis. The pandemic sparked by the novel Sars-CoV-2 virus that emerged at
the start of the year not only reveals how vulnerable humankind is. It also shows how much potential
digitisation has when it comes to medical treatment.
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“The possibilities offered by big data, digitisation and artificial intelligence will have a huge influence on
medicine”, says Thomas Schmitz-Rode, director of the Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME) at
RWTH Aachen University. “And we will succeed in deriving benefits from this, both for the patients
themselves and for medicine as a whole”, promises the doctor and engineer. Schmitz-Rode himself
develops cardiovascular support systems. For patients who have suffered a heart attack, the system’s
algorithms ensure that the microcontroller – the digital “heart” of the implant – eases the burden on the
heart according to the patient’s specific needs in any given situation. “How the implants pump must
reflect the patient’s current state, which will depend for example on whether the patient is currently at
rest or climbing stairs”, explains Schmitz-Rode.
Source: https://www.research-in-germany.org/en/infoservice/newsletter/newsletter-2020/june-2020/digital-medicine-research-for-the-patient%E2%80%99s-sake_infocus_.html Accessed on 29th June 2020 at 4.15 PM IST
30th June 2020: COVID-19 infected patients are more likely to suffer from strokes, a new study has
found: COVID-19 is significantly associated with an increased risk of strokes, according to a study which
says patients infected with the novel coronavirus should undergo aggressive monitoring for the
neurological condition.
According to the researchers, including those from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the US,
COVID-19 infection is a risk factor for acute strokes. In the study, published in the American Journal of
Neuroradiology, the scientists assessed patients presenting to six New York City hospitals for suspicion of
stroke between March to April."We conducted a retrospective case-control study of 41 cases and 82
control subjects matched by age, sex, and risk factors," the scientists wrote in the study. After adjusting
for age, gender, and risk factors, the scientists found that COVID-19 infection had a significant
independent association with acute ischemic stroke -- caused by a clot that blocks a blood vessel in the
brain. Comparing the group of patients with stroke versus non-stroke, they showed a significantly
elevated number of patients with COVID-19 infection among the stroke group after accounting for other
known common stroke risk factors.
The researchers believe that patients with COVID-19 should be evaluated early for acute neurological
changes.
"This is the first major peer-reviewed study to show that COVID-19 infection is a risk factor for acute
strokes," Puneet Belani, study co-author from Mount Sinai Hospital."Patients with COVID-19 should be
evaluated early for acute neurological changes, and timely workup should be performed in patients
suspected to have stroke to reduce morbidity and mortality," Belani said. Citing the limitations of the
study, the scientists said the study involved only 41 patients diagnosed with COVID-19, adding that
further studies involving a larger population may help validate the findings."Future endeavours may
assess whether this relationship holds true in a larger population and with the pathophysiologic
mechanisms inherent in COVID-19 that drive this association," they wrote in the study.
Source: https://www.firstpost.com/health/covid-19-infected-patients-likely-suffer-strokes-new-study-
found-8540591.html
Accessed on: 30th June 2020 at 4:00 PM IST
1st July 2020: A mobility start up in Assam develops a mobile app “Stay home”. GUWAHATI: A
mobility start-up in Assam, ParkingRhino has developed a mobile app "STAY HOME" to track home
quarantine people to reduce the spread of the COVID19 pandemic.
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Financial institution, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has extended venture
funding to this group. After suspected/contacted tracing who are advised to take home quarantine by the
authorities has to install this mobile app. The mobile app and real-time data analytics dashboard will help
authorities to track down self-quarantine violations and take necessary action,” the company stated in a
statement.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/covid-19-a-mobility-start-up-in-assam-
develops-a-mobile-app-stay-home/articleshow/74995548.cms
Accessed on 1st July 2020 at 5:40 pm IST
2nd July 2020: Explained: What is Covaxin, India’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate; how long
before approval?: India’s top drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, has
allowed Bharat Biotech India (BBIL) to conduct human clinical trials for ‘Covaxin’, making it the first
indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate to receive this approval, the firm said. These trials are
scheduled to start across India in July.
What is ‘Covaxin’ and how was it developed? Covaxin is a vaccine candidate to developed by BBIL
against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical
Research’s National Institute of Virology (NIV).
As part of this collaboration, NIV isolated a strain of the virus from an asymptomatic COVID-19
patient and transferred it to BBIL early in May. The firm then used it to work on developing an
“inactivated” vaccine–a vaccine that uses a the dead virus–at its high containment facility in
Hyderabad. “Once the vaccine is injected into a human, it has no potential to infect or replicate, since
it is a killed virus. It just serves to the immune system as a dead virus and mounts an antibody
response towards the virus,” said the company, adding that inactivated vaccines usually have a
better safety record.
BBIL’s Covaxin then underwent pre-clinical testing, which is when the vaccine is tested on animals
like guinea pigs and mice to see if it is safe, before the firm approached CDSCO for approvals to move
on to the next stage of testing — human trials. How does Covaxin compare to other vaccine
candidates around the world? Where does it figure in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine?
Covaxin has reached a more advanced stage of testing than two other vaccine candidates that Bharat
Biotech is developing through global collaborations — the first is in collaboration with Thomas
Jefferson University, while the second is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and vaccine
maker FluGen. Both these candidates are currently in the pre-clinical stage, according to the World
Health Organisation’s draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines. However, it is still far behind
in the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca, whose vaccine candidate “ChAdOx1-S” with
the University of Oxford is already at phase III trials, is the frontrunner. Serum Institute has an
agreement to manufacture this vaccine.
How many more stages of testing would the vaccine have to go through before approval? Vaccines, like
most new drugs, are meant to follow a clinical testing process spanning four stages, starting with
pre-clinical tests and ending with phase III studies conducted on thousands of patients. After
approval from the regulator, the firm has to continue monitoring the use of its vaccine on patients
and submit post-marketing surveillance details, which checks for any long-term unintended adverse
effects of the product.
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Bharat Biotech plans to begin its phase I and II trials in July, but is unsure of the overall timeline for
testing and approving its vaccine. “At the moment we are not sure how the vaccine is going to
perform in the humans, as clinical trials are about to commence. Based on the success results of
phase I and phase II, we will progress to the larger clinical trials. Thereafter, the licensure timelines
will be set out upon receiving regulatory approvals,” said BBIL.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-covaxin-indias-covid-19-
vaccine-candidate-how-long-before-approval-6483553/
Accessed on: 2nd July 2020 at 2:00 PM, IST
3rd July 2020: Assam lab isolates COVID-19 virus: The Regional Medical Research Centre for NE
Region at Dibrugarh in Assam has become the fourth laboratory in the country to successfully isolate
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus which can be used in the production of vaccine against the contagion
in future, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday. Scientists at the RMRC have
isolated the COVID-19 virus in VERO-CCL81 cell line in the BSL-3 level lab available at the institute,
he told a press conference here.
RMRC, Dibrugarh is the third government laboratory in the country, after NIV (ICMR Lab), Pune and
CCMB (CSIR lab), Hyderabad and fourth overall after Bharat Biotech, a private biotechnology
laboratory in Hyderabad), to isolate the virus in tissue culture.
The scientists used an immortal cell line VERO-CCL81, derived from kidney epithelial cell lines from
green African monkey, which expresses the important ACE2 receptor needed by SARS- CoV-2 for
cellular entry, Sarma said quoting the researchers.
"In layman's term, the significance of the COVID-19 virus isolation by the team of scientists from
RMRC, Dibrugarh, is that live and viable SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) can now be produced in the
laboratory in abundance and as and when required," he said.
This is important for development of COVID-19 vaccine where virus grown in laboratory are
inactivated by heat or chemical and purified for use as vaccines after pre-clinical and clinical trials,
he said. Till date, the centre has conducted almost 50,000 diagnostic test reports of COVID-19 for the
people of the northeast.
Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/assam-lab-isolates-covid-19-
virus/76748117
Accessed on: 3rd July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
4th July 2020: Northeast people will be more immune to COVID-19, here's why! GUWAHATI
/NEW DELHI: As the government struggles to arrest the spread of COVID-19, one part of the country
could offer grist to researchers in India and perhaps abroad. The seven states in the Northeast, with
8% of India’s landsize and 3.6% of the total population, not only has a mere 35 confirmed cases of
the coronavirus but the rate of local transmission is extremely low, prompting health authorities in
the region to believe that perhaps its people are more immune.
About 2,000 people who came in contact with 31 corona patients were tested for COVID- 19, the
virus that causes SARS CoV 2, and all of them were found negative. Consider this: Assam has 28
positive cases linked to the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi. According to Lakshmanan S, Mission Director of
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the state’s National Health Mission, 1,200-1,300 people who are believed to have come in contact
with the 28 Tablighis were tested but all of them were negative.Similarly, about 500 people were
tested for the virus after an infected American tourist went on a seven-day cruise on the
Brahmaputra river, stayed at a luxury hotel in Guwahati and at a resort in Jorhat next to the
Kazaringa sanctuary. But all of them were negative.
In Manipur, 48 people who came in contact with a 23-year-old infected student of Bristol University
in the UK have been found negative. Another 29 people were tested for the virus after a Tablighi
markaz returnee turned positive but they have also not been infected. In Mizoram, 18 people were
tested after a 50-year-old man returned from the Netherlands but all of them were found negative.
While health authorities are convinced that a thorough research is required to study the low number
of local cases, they have been left wondering if it is because of higher immunity. “We cannot say we
(people in the Northeast) are immune to this disease (COVID-19). But obviously the picture says that
the number of cases in the Northeast is less than other states. If there is anything that way, it has to
be studied. We need more data for the study,” Lakshmanan said.
But from Lakshmanan to other health officials, all of them believe that the high incidence of malaria
and the excessive consumption of hydroxychloroquine could be the reason why people of the
Northeast seem to be displaying higher immunity to COVID-19. K Rajo, the Director of Health
Services in Manipur, said under the National Malaria Eradication Programme, most doctors
prescribe hydroxychloroquine for any fever.
“I wonder if hydroxychloroquine has improved our immunity,” he said. H Lalchungnunga, the
Director of Health and Family Welfare of Mizoram, appeared to concur. “The drug could have
boosted our immunity. In malaria-prone areas, the picture is completely different as compared to
other areas,” he said.
According to a bulletin in the Indian Council of Medical Research, “though the population of the NE
region is 3.7% of the Indian population, this region contributed 8 to 12% of malaria positives, 10 to
20% of infections and 13 to 41% of the deaths due to malaria.” As of Monday, the Northeast has 37
active cases: Assam 31, Manipur and Tripura two each, and Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura one each.
Meghalaya and Nagaland are so far untouched by the virus.
An ICMR scientist said while the reproduction number of SARS CoV-2 in every state has not been
analysed, it could vary significantly across states. “There are a number of variables like geography,
weather and biological responses that influence R0 of a virus so it’s possible that the virus will not
behave exactly the same way across regions,” he said.
Akash Deep Biswas, a Ph.D scholar who is researching COVID- 19 at Scuola Normale Superiore, a
university in Pisa, Italy, said he has not found any direct scientific data that says hydroxychloroquine
can inhibit the functioning of SARS CoV 2.
But he said immunity levels are different across the world. “It can be clearly inferred that some parts
of India (Northeast India) and some parts of Africa have less cases of COVID-19. The question arises
if it is a miracle or is it because of some antibody that has been developed by the bite of anopheles?
Did the body develop a special shield for COVID-19 while fighting with plasmodium parasite?”
Biswas wondered.
Page 108 of 157
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/apr/14/northeast-people-will-be-
more-immune-to-covid-19-heres-why-2129749.html
Accessed on 4th July 2020 at 5.30 PM IST
5th July 2020: WHO recommended disinfectants effective against COVID-19: Study: When used
correctly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended alcohol-based hand disinfectants to
be effective against the novel coronavirus, as confirmed by the international team of researchers. For
the findings published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the research team headed by
Professor Stephanie Pfander from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) in Germany, exposed Sars-Cov-2
viruses for 30 seconds to the WHO-recommended disinfectant formulations.
"This time frame was chosen based on recommendations for hand disinfectants," said Pfander.
Subsequently, the team tested the viruses in cell culture assays and analysed how many viruses
remained infectious. "We showed that both WHO-recommended formulations sufficiently inactivate
the virus after 30 seconds," Pfander said.
Plus, this does not merely apply to the WHO solutions; rather, their main components, the alcohols
ethanol and isopropanol, also showed adequate inactivation of the virus. The disinfectant one
recommended by the WHO consists of 80 volume percent ethanol, 1.45 volume percent glycerine
and 0.125 volume percent hydrogen peroxide.
Disinfectant two consists of 75 volume percent isopropanol, 1.45 volume percent glycerine and
0.125 volume percent hydrogen peroxide. The WHO also recommends the use of disinfection
chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, chlorine, bleach solution (in recommended dilution) for
disinfecting surfaces and objects.
According to the global health agency, the most effective way to protect yourself against coronavirus
is by frequently cleaning of your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and
water. The WHO's report showed the virus infects people of all ages, among which older people and
those with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of getting infected.
People should eat only well-cooked food, avoid spitting in public, and avoid close contact, the WHO
said, adding that it is important for people to seek medical care at the earliest if they become sick.
Source: https://www.indiatvnews.com/health/who-disinfectants-covid-19-disinfectants-
coronavirus-study-609440
Accessed on 5th July at 5.45 PM IST
6th July 2020: How Long Can The COVID-19 Coronavirus Live On Your Hair? A study published
in The Lancet has shown that this new coronavirus can stay on cloth for up to a day and on stainless
steel and plastic for up to four days. What then does this mean for your do, assuming that the hair on
your head is not made out of plastic or stainless steel?
Well, searching PubMed “coronavirus” and “hair” revealed no real studies of the severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) and the human hair. It did return a case report
about an unfortunate cat with ruffled hair, though. So it’s not clear how long the virus may be able to
survive on that growing and increasingly unruly mound of stuff on your head. Or your beard if you
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happen to have one. There is the possibility that the virus could remain viable on your hair for a few
hours or even a few days. Does this then mean that you should be washing your hair as often as you
are washing your hands?
Certainly not. Washing your hair a dozen or more times a day would be quite impractical. Your split
ends would be out of control. Plus, washing your hair too often can actually damage your scalp’s
natural defense mechanisms, including the oils and friendly bacteria that normally cover your scalp.
That can leave your scalp more susceptible to bacteria and fungal infections and injury.
Moreover, unless your uncut hair has gotten so out of control that it’s dragging the floor, your hair is
probably not being exposed to large amounts of the virus. Presumably you aren’t using your hair to
open doors, push shopping carts, and wipe your bottom. Unless someone is sneezing, coughing, or
panting directly into your hair, stroking your hair with his or her virus-contaminated hands while
saying “there, there,” or directly contacting your hair in any other way, there aren’t too many other
ways that your hair can be contaminated with enough of the virus to eventually get you sick. Try to
avoid touching your hair if your hands may be contaminated. If your hair is out of place, don’t try to
fix it with your filthy paws.
So as long you don’t let these things happen and maintain a six foot or more distance from others,
your hair is probably safe. Even if a pandemic weren’t occurring, it may not be a good idea to let
someone cough, sneeze, or pant into your hair or stroke it while saying “there, there.” Even if your
hair has grown so out of control that it looks like a satellite dish, it’s not likely that it is catching and
collecting large amounts of the virus from the air.
If your hair does come too close to someone who could be contagious or contact an object that may
be contaminated, don’t spray your hair with hand sanitizer or disinfectants like Lysol. That’s neither
a good nor a sarcastic idea. Instead, to be safe, avoid touching your hair until you can wash it
properly with shampoo. Touching contaminated hair and then touching your face could transfer the
virus to your face, which no one besides the virus want. Like you do with your hands, wash your hair
thoroughly and long enough.
Right now, it’s still not a good idea to go to a barbershop or a hair salon for a haircut, even if they are
open. Unless the barber or stylist is using something that looks like a weed whacker to cut your hair,
it is difficult for the person to stay at least six feet away from you. A barber throwing clippers and
scissors at your head from a distance is a bad idea too.
Moreover, can you really be sure that combs, brushes, and other items that may touch your face are
being adequately disinfected between customers? How do you know that your barber or stylist is not
infected and happens to have no symptoms? If the barber or stylist wears a mask properly, it could
cut down transmission of the virus somewhat. However, transmission could occur, and that person
could contaminate anything that he or she touches as well.
As long as the COVID-19 coronavirus is still actively spreading in a community, it could be difficult to
prevent its transmission in a barber shop or hair salon unless barbers and stylists can wear a mask
and gloves and somehow maintain enough distance from you and keep everything disinfected
frequently. That’s another reason why widespread testing and determining where the virus is
spreading is so important. That’s also why getting a better sense of whether you have already been
infected by the virus and are now recovered and immune to getting another infection will be vital.
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It’s still not yet clear whether a previous infection actually confers immunity. More scientific studies
are needed.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/05/07/how-long-can-the-covid-19-coronavirus-
live-on-your-hair/#209058934f18
Accessed on 6th July at 6.15 PM IST
7th July 2020: Coronavirus is airborne, say scientists; ask WHO to revise recommendations:
Report: Hundreds of scientists say there is evidence that novel coronavirus in smaller particles in
the air can infect people and are calling for the World Health Organization to revise
recommendations, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small
droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes
or speaks.
In an open letter to the agency, which the researchers plan to publish in a scientific journal next
week, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined the evidence showing smaller particles can infect
people, the NYT said. Whether carried by large droplets that zoom through the air after a sneeze, or
by much smaller exhaled droplets that may glide the length of a room, the coronavirus is borne
through air and can infect people when inhaled, the scientists said, according to the NYT.
However, the health agency said the evidence for the virus being airborne was not convincing,
according to the NYT. “Especially in the last couple of months, we have been stating several times
that we consider airborne transmission as possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear
evidence,” Dr. Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO’s technical lead of infection prevention and control,
was quoted as saying by the NYT.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/coronavirus-is-airborne-say-scientists-ask-
who-to-revise-recommendations-6492040/
Accessed on 7th July 2020 at 5.45 PM IST
8th July 2020: Bengal Announces Stricter Lockdown from July 9: India reported 22,252 new
cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Tuesday (7th Jul 2020), taking the country’s tally of
confirmed cases to 7,19,665. The death toll is now more than 20,000. According to the health
ministry, 2,59,557 cases are still active, while 4,39,948 people have been cured or discharged or
have migrated. The confirmed cases include foreigners.
This is the fifth consecutive day that India has reported over 20,000 coronavirus infections. The
death toll due to the virus stands at 20,169, with 467 new fatalities reported on Tuesday morning.
Of the 467 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, 204 are from Maharashtra, 61 from Tamil Nadu, 48
from Delhi, 29 from Karnataka, 24 from Uttar Pradesh, 22 from West Bengal, 17 from Gujarat.
Telangana and Haryana reported 11 deaths each; Madhya Pradesh nine; Andhra Pradesh seven;
Jammu and Kashmir six; Rajasthan and Punjab five each; Bihar, Kerala and Odisha two each; and
Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand one each.
Currently, India is the third worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US and Brazil. According to
Johns Hopkins University, which has been compiling COVID-19 data from all over the world, India’s
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death toll is the eighth-worst. Independent trackers are reporting a slightly higher number of cases
and death tally than the health ministry. According to Worldometer, India has 720,707 confirmed
cases and that 20,178 people have died because of COVID-19. Across the world, there have now
been more than 11 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. In total, 11,622,741 confirmed cases have
been reported as of Tuesday morning.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the global death toll due to COVID-19 stands at 538,079.
Another 6,302,689 people have recovered from the disease. In many countries, official data includes
only deaths reported in hospitals, not those in homes or nursing homes. The US has recorded
2,936,077 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Brazil is
in second place with 1,623,284 cases, followed by India (719,665), Russia (686,852) and Peru
(305,703).
The US has also recorded the highest death toll, with 130,306 fatalities so far. The death toll has also
been high in Brazil (65,487), the UK (44,321), Italy (34,869), Mexico (31,119), France (29,923) and
Spain (28,388) and India (20,169).
Source: https://science.thewire.in/health/coronavirus-daily-updates-covid-19/
Accessed on 8th July 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
9th July 2020: Breakthrough: Indian scientists find COVID-19 gene in wastewater, hailed by
global community: Scientists in India have for the first time detected genetic material of the SARS-
CoV-2 virus in wastewater, a breakthrough that paves the way for using wastewater-based
epidemiology (WBE) for real-time surveillance of COVID-19 in the country.
The study, led by scientists in IIT-Gandhinagar, found that increased gene copies of the virus in
Ahmedabad's wastewater matched the incidence of the disease in the city. With this, India joins the
ranks of a handful of countries doing WBE on COVID-19 , Andrew Singer, an environmental
microbiologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said on Twitter.
WBE is a promising approach to understand the status of disease outbreak in a certain catchment by
monitoring viral load in wastewater. Recent studies had reported that the novel coronavirus (SARS-
CoV-2) is present in the faeces of infected individuals. Genetic material (RNA) from the virus has
been found in sewage entering treatment plants.
Because treatment plants collect wastewater across large regions, measuring the level of RNA in
untreated wastewater may provide a valuable insight into the percentage of people infected within a
region, the researchers said. In the latest study released on June 18, scientists from the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) in Gandhinagar collaborated with the Gujarat Biotechnology Research
Centre (GBRC) and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB). They studied samples of wastewater
collected on May 8 and May 27 from the Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in
Ahmedabad. WBE is a promising approach to understand the status of disease outbreak in a certain
catchment by monitoring viral load in wastewater.
Recent studies had reported that the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is present in the faeces of
infected individuals. Genetic material (RNA) from the virus has been found in sewage entering
treatment plants. Because treatment plants collect wastewater across large regions, measuring the
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level of RNA in untreated wastewater may provide a valuable insight into the percentage of people
infected within a region, the researchers said.
In the latest study released on June 18, scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in
Gandhinagar collaborated with the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) and the Gujarat
Pollution Control Board (GPCB). They studied samples of wastewater collected on May 8 and May 27
from the Old Pirana Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Ahmedabad.
The scientists said the gene copy loading - the quantity of the genetic material of the virus - detected
on May 27 was almost 10 times more than that detected on May 8.
This corresponded broadly with the trajectory of the incidence of the disease. The number of active
COVID-19 patients in the Ahmedabad city was two times higher on May 27 than on May 8, they said.
According to the scientists, WBE was an effective tool during outbreaks of other viruses such such as
poliovirus and hepatitis A. The Ahmedabad study aims at assisting concerned authorities and
policymakers to formulate or upgrade COVID-19 surveillance to have an explicit picture of the phase
of the pandemic, the researchers added.
Kumar cited reports to say a WBE study has indicated the presence of the coronavirus in Italy in
December 2019, way before the first confirmed case in the country.
Developing an advanced surveillance system for environmental samples using biotechnological
approaches is the need of the hour. This can help us track real time situations not only for the
current pandemic but also for seasonal epidemics, Madhvi Joshi, joint director of GBRC and one of
the authors of the paper, told PTI.
According to the researchers, the number of gene copies was found comparable to that reported in
the untreated wastewaters of Australia, China and Turkey, and lower than that of the US, France and
Spain. Prosun Bhattacharya of Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology noted that WBE can be
unimaginably impactful in the war against COVID-19 with the right information about the catchment
and number of people residing in the vicinity,
He added that the research by Kumar and his colleagues has put India on the world map pertaining
to WBE surveillance. Estimates based on European and North American data suggest that each
person infected with SARS-CoV-2 will excrete millions if not billions of viral genomes into
wastewater per day, they said. This translates to between 0.15 and 141.5 million viral genomes per
litre of wastewater generated, the researchers said.
While infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater has not yet been reported, the virus potentially
enters the wastewater stream from patient excretions and thus can be a great tool for pandemic
monitoring, the researchers said. Using reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) -- a laboratory
technique of molecular biology -- researchers should be able to detect the novel coronavirus with
high sensitivity, Kumar said.
The findings reported by Kumar and colleagues demonstrate the successful detection of SARS-CoV-2
in wastewater -- a highly valuable contribution to global SARS-CoV-2 surveillance research efforts,
Kyle Bibby, associate professor and leader of Global Collaboration on WBE, University of Notre Dame
in the US, told PTI. Bibby heads the WBE global collaboration comprising over 50 institutes and
researchers.
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The group is compiling and sharing all the results obtained through WBE surveillance for the global
comparison, according to an article published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
I would like to congratulate India as one of the elite nations in world-wide efforts in detecting and
quantifying SARS-CoV-2 genetic materials in their sewage samples. Kumar and his colleagues
showed the capabilities of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) in India, the second most
populated nation with rapidly growing numbers of COVID-19 confirmed cases, said Keisuke Kuroda,
associate professor in Environmental and Civil Engineering at Toyama Prefectural University, Japan.
This report will surely facilitate a nationwide initiative for detecting the early warning signals of
COVID-19 outbreaks in various communities, Kuroda told PTI. Ryo Honda of Japan's Kanazawa
University, who is leading a task force on wastewater surveillance in Japan, said the study is an
important step for WBE of COVID-19 in India.
Source: https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/science-tech/breakthrough-indian-scientists-find-covid-19-gene-
in-wastewater-hailed-by-global-community
Accessed on: 9th July 2020 at 4.45 PM IST
10th July 2020: Food Security and COVID-19: World Bank: Alarmed by a potential rise in food
insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and organizations are mounting special
efforts to keep agriculture safely running as an essential business, markets well supplied in
affordable and nutritious food, and consumers still able to access and purchase food despite
movement restrictions and income losses.
Overview: Global agricultural markets continue to remain stable as food trade has remained more
resilient than overall trade. Global production levels for the three most widely consumed staples
(rice, wheat and maize) are at or near all-time highs. However, the prices of certain cash crops - an
important source of rural income -- have been depressed by the slowing of global demand.
Given the status of global food supplies, export restrictions are unwarranted and could hurt food
security in importing countries. The World Bank has joined other organizations in calling for
collective action to keep food trade flowing between countries.
The primary risks to food security are at the country level: as the coronavirus crisis unfolds,
disruptions in domestic food supply chains, other shocks affecting food production, and loss of
incomes and remittances are creating strong tensions and food security risks in many countries. The
United Nations World Food Programme has warned that an estimated 265 million people could face
acute food insecurity by the end of 2020, up from 135 million people before the crisis, because of
income and remittance losses.
Food producers also face large losses on perishable and nutritious food as buyers have become
limited and consumption patterns shift. Though food insecurity is by and large not driven by food
shortages, disruptions to the supply of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds or labor
shortages could diminish next season’s crop. If farmers are experiencing acute hunger, they may also
prioritize buying food today over planting seeds for tomorrow, raising the threat of food shortages
later on.
Food security “hot spots” include:
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fragile and conflict-affected states, where logistics and distribution are difficult even without
morbidity and social distancing.
countries affected by multiple crises resulting from more frequent extreme weather events
(floods, droughts) and pests such as the current locusts plague – the worst in decades—
impacting food production in 23 countries.
the poor and vulnerable, including the more than 820 million people who were already
chronically food insecure before the COVID-19 crisis impacted movement and incomes.
countries with significant currency depreciation, (driving up the cost of food imports) and
countries seeing other commodity prices collapse (reducing their capacity to import food).
World Bank support: At the country level, the World Bank Group is working with governments and
international partners to closely monitor domestic food and agricultural supply chains, track how
the loss of employment and income is impacting people’s ability to buy food and ensure that food
systems continue to function despite COVID-19 challenges.
World Bank is working with countries to help them adopt appropriate food policy responses. These
include:
treating food as an ‘essential service’ to keep food moving and opening special procedures
(‘green channels’) for food, trade and agricultural inputs to ensure supply chains are kept
open and functional.
incorporating necessary health and safety measures along segments of the food supply chain.
supporting the most vulnerable populations via safety net programs, complemented by food
distributions in areas where supply chains are severely disrupted.
Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19
Accessed on 10th July 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
11th July 2020: How do we know who is immune to COVID-19? As countries start to relax
lockdown measures and look for novel ways of safely getting economies back online, some are
considering the potential use of “immunity passports”, which would allow greater freedom for
people who have already been infected with COVID-19. Apart from the social and ethical
implications of such a policy, this raises an important scientific question as to what constitutes
COVID-19 immunity and how we can measure it.
For the last few months, much of the focus has been on antibody testing. Antibodies are proteins that
can bind to viral particles in the blood or mucous membrane, and either neutralise them so that they
are unable to invade the hosts’ cells or mark them for destruction by other cells in the immune
system.
Antibodies are produced by B cells, a type of white blood cell, when they encounter a cell or particle
that they recognise as foreign, such as a virus. These B cells can continue to produce antibodies even
after the infection has been cleared, which means that the immune system can quickly respond if the
host is exposed to the same virus again. Detection of antibodies in the blood can indicate that a
person has been previously exposed to a specific virus and might be protected against future
infection. In the case of some viruses, such as measles, this protection may be lifelong; for others, it
may only last a matter of months.
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With COVID-19, recent studies suggest that the protection provided by antibodies against the SARS-
CoV-2 virus that causes it may decline rapidly following infection. A study in patients who had been
hospitalised with COVID-19 found that weeks after infection, 10% of patients did not have detectable
levels of antibodies. Another found that within 2-3 months, antibodies could not be detected in 40%
of patients who had been infected but had not shown symptoms.
What’s more, even if antibodies can be detected, there is still debate about whether or not antibodies
can prevent reinfection and, if so, what levels are required to provide that protection. Infection with
a contagious disease doesn’t necessarily lead to complete protection against reinfection. For
example, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which usually only causes mild, cold-like symptoms but
can cause severe viral pneumonia in young children, is so common that most infants have had it by
age two. People develop antibodies in response to RSV infection, but these only protect against
severe disease over time, not re-infection. Concerns about the validity of the antibody tests currently
available serve to further muddy the waters.
Also, antibodies are only one part of the vast, complex immune response that is set in motion when a
person becomes infected with a virus like SARS-CoV-2. A recent study looking at another major
player in immune response, the T cell, tells a more optimistic story.
Where antibodies respond to the virus before it invades human cells, T cells have the task of
detecting and killing cells that have already become infected. When a virus invades specific host
cells, proteins associated with the virus are displayed on the cell surface. These act as a signal to T
cells that there are viruses hidden within that cell, prompting them to kill the infected cell or to
activate other immune cells to help with the response. When T cells encounter a specific antigen that
they are able to bind to, they rapidly proliferate to produce an army of identical T cells that are able
to respond to the infection. These T cells will remain in the body in higher numbers, even after the
infection has been cleared.
A recent study carried out in Sweden found that whilst antibodies could only be detected in about
15% of people, around double that had developed T cell immunity. This suggests that people who
are currently testing negative in antibody tests may still have some level of immunity provided by
this other part of the immune system. However, this does not necessarily mean that we are any
closer to reaching herd immunity - the proportion of the population that needs to be immune to
ensure that transmission of the virus is interrupted, so that cases decline. As T cells only respond to
the virus once it has already invaded host cells, there is a possibility that people may still be able to
transmit the virus even if they do not themselves develop disease. Further research is needed to
determine whether the presence of T cells confers “sterilising immunity,” i.e. complete protection
against infection and therefore transmission.
Unfortunately, detecting T cell immunity is also a lot more complex than carrying out tests for
antibodies, so it is not likely to become a widespread approach to predicting immunity any time
soon. However, it is a reminder that there is still a lot we don’t know about SARS-CoV-2 and about
the mark that it leaves on our immune system. Before we place too much stock in the results of an
antibody test, we need to remember that the presence or absence of antibodies is far from the full
story.
Source: https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-do-we-know-who-immune-covid-19
Accessed on 11th July 2020 at 6.15 PM IST
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12th July 2020: Boosting your immune system against coronavirus: how to minimize the risk of
infection? COVID – 19 or Coronavirus was declared as a global pandemic by the World Health
Organization. And while the countries are grappling with imminent dangers that this virus poses to
humanity, there are few key measures that individuals can take to fight this pandemic.
While it is crucial to mention hygiene standards like washing your hands frequently, especially if you
have travelled by public transport. Using an alcohol sanitizer, in case you are travelling to disinfect
your hands, wearing a mask (cover your nose and mouth) and avoiding touching your hand or
mouth. There are also certain methods to improve your immunity which is paramount at this
juncture.
Individuals in certain pre-existing illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, cardio vascular disease, and
respiratory issues are at a higher risk of having Covid 19 complications, it also aggravates with age
as the general immunity reduces as you get older. In the younger generation with no underlying
illnesses, Covid 19 can result in a minor infection, provided you have a robust immunity and do not
engage in activities like smoking or vaping to combat the onslaught of the virus. Here is a list of
measures you can undertake to improve your immunity.
Improve Your Diet: The food you eat plays a key aspect in determining your overall health and
immunity. Eat low carb diets, as this will help control high blood sugar and pressure. A low carb diet
will help slow down diabetes and focus on a protein-rich diet to keep you in good shape. And
regularly consume vegetables and fruits rich in Beta carotene, Ascorbic acid & other essential
vitamins. Certain foods like mushrooms, tomato, bell pepper and green vegetables like broccoli,
spinach are also good options to build resilience in the body against infections.
You can also eat supplements rich in omega 3 & 6 fatty acids for your daily dose, if stepping out to
buy groceries is not an option during social distancing. Some natural immunity supplements include
ginger, gooseberries (amla) and turmeric. Some of these superfoods are common ingredients in
Indian dishes and snacks. There are several herbs that help in boosting immunity like garlic, Basel
leaves and Black cumin. Certain seeds and nuts like sunflower seeds, Flax seed, pumpkin seeds and
melon seeds are excellent sources of protein and vitamin E. Probiotics like Yoghurt, Yakult and
fermented food are also excellent sources to rejuvenate the composition of gut bacteria, which is
important for nutrient absorption by the body. These are good options for the older generation too.
Don’t Compromise on Sleep: Good snooze time for 7-8 hours is the best way to help your body
build immunity; lesser sleep will leave you tired and impair your brain activity. The lack of sleep will
prevent the body from resting and this will impair other bodily functions that will have a direct
impact on your immunity. Lack of sleep adversely affects the action of the flu vaccine.
Stay Hydrated: Drink up to 8-10 glasses of water every day, to stay hydrated. Hydration will help
flush out the toxins from the body and lower the chances of flu. Other alternatives include juices
made of citrus fruits and coconut water, to beat the heat.
Don’t Skip on Exercise: A good diet should be followed by an exercise routine. Remember to
exercise regularly; even light exercise will go a long way in releasing the toxins from your body. It is
recommended to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your stamina. If you have not started
exercising yet, then it is a good time to start. There are several Youtube channels and apps to help
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you exercise at home. Regular exercise improves metabolism, which has a direct correlation with
body immunity.
Destress Yourself: These are testing times, and a prolonged period of staying indoors has its
implications on your mental wellbeing. The growing anxiety around the pandemic is another
concern that is affecting millions across the globe. While the uncertainty might be overwhelming,
there are a few steps we can follow regularly to help relieve our stress, stress is known to have an
adverse effect on immunity.
Practice meditation: Too much stress releases the hormone known as cortisol, which impairs your
response to immediate surroundings and makes your body susceptible to infections; you are left
feeling constantly anxious. The best way to relieve stress is through meditation, it is a tried and
tested activity to calm the nerves. If you need help meditating, then there are several channels on
youtube that have instructional resources to help you meditate.
Avoid Smoking, alcohol and other addictive substances: Certain habits like smoking, vaping, alcohol
consumption and substance abuse have a direct correlation between weakened body defences and
respiratory illnesses. Engaging in smoking and vaping is proven to weaken your lung capacity and
destroy the cells lining your respiratory tracts, these cells are crucial to fight viruses that enter
through your nasal orifices. There is new research claiming that individuals who engage in heavy
alcohol consumption tend to suffer from ARDS (Acute Respiratory distress syndrome) which is one
of the conditions caused by COVID 19 infection. Practice moderation, if you are dependent on any of
these, as sudden withdrawal can also prove to be risky.
Travelling: Avoid all kinds of non-essential travels. Most COVID 19 positive cases are imported cases,
which later spread to the communities. Avoid being exposed to the public transport system and
public places to avoid any likelihood of exposure. In case you have to travel, make sure to cover your
nose and mouth with a mask and carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, at all times. Remember to
sanitize each time you touch a surface, as COVID 19 strain can stay on surfaces for a few hours to
days. Use your non-dominant hand while accessing the doorknobs and handles, as these are
frequently touched by many people.
Supplements and immunity boosting foods: While all the above-mentioned tips will definitely
help, the need of the hour is a quick boost to your immunity system to keep it fighting fit. If you’re
concerned whether you are getting the right amount of nutrients from your diet, consult with your
doctor about a supplementation regimen to boost your immune system. Here are a few common
supplements and superfoods that can help.
Vitamin C: This particular vitamin is a crucial participant in the army of immunity. It helps prevent
the common cold. It acts as a powerful antioxidant and protects against damage induced by oxidative
stress. For severe infections, including sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), high
dose intravenous vitamin C treatment has been shown to significantly improve symptoms in
patients.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D supplements have a mild protective effect against respiratory tract infections.
Most people are deficient in Vitamin-D, so it’s best to consult with a doctor about taking a Vitamin D
supplement to boost immune response.
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Zinc: Zinc is a vital component to WBC (white blood corpuscles) which fights infections. Zinc
deficiency often makes one more susceptible to flu, cold and other viral infections. It is advisable to
take a zinc supplement, especially for older people.
Elderberry: Elderberries are full of nutrients including minerals like phosphorus, potassium, iron,
copper and vitamins, such as vitamin A, B, and C, proteins and dietary fibre. Elderberries have
antibacterial and antiviral qualities which help fight cold and influenza.
Turmeric and Garlic: The bright yellow spice, Turmeric, contains a compound called curcumin, which
boosts the immune function. Garlic has powerful anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties which
enhances body immunity.
Apart from maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking supplements, the Indian health ministry is also
suggesting few organic and natural ways to practise as preventive measures to fight COVID-19. The
Ministry of AYUSH has recommended the following self-care guidelines as preventive measures and
to boost immunity with special reference to respiratory health.
Drink warm water throughout the day.
Practice Meditation, Yogasana, and Pranayama.
Increase the intake of Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander and garlic.
Drink herbal tea or decoction of Holy basil, Cinnamon, Black pepper, Dry Ginger and Raisin.
Avoid sugar and replace it with jaggery if needed.
Apply Ghee (clarified butter), Sesame oil, or Coconut oil in both the nostrils to keep the
nostrils clean.
Inhale steam with Mint leaves and Caraway seeds.
While the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic is fought by our health care workers, we can do our
bit by limiting our exposure to the virus by staying indoors, social distancing, eating healthy,
hydrating and following basic hygiene protocol.
Source: https://www.narayanahealth.org/blog/boost-immune-system-against-coronavirus-covid-
19-infection/
Accessed on 12th July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
13th July 2020: 12 districts ban entry of people from Guwahati after massive spike in COVID-
19 cases in the city: The COVID-19 scenario in Guwahati now seems to be spiralling out of control.
The city has now turned out to be the biggest hotspot of COVID-19 in North East India. The city on
July 5 records the highest-ever single-day spike in cases which stood at 777 against a total of 1202
cases recorded in entire Assam that day.
The figures are almost crossing the 500-mark every day. Even on Tuesday (July 7), the city recorded
588 cases against the state's total tally of 814 cases. The city is presently passing through a total
lockdown cum curfew. Even after a week of the total lockdown, the state government had no option
but to allow only the stand-alone grocery shops to function between 11 am and 4 pm daily from July
6 to July 10.
Only the pharmacies are allowed to open apart from selected petrol pumps in the city. The situation
is so alarming that the state health department from July 7 has started door-to-door COVID-19 tests
by rapid testing kits to understand and tackle the crisis.
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The tests began in a single Municipality Ward in the city, but according to government sources, it
would be replicated in the entire city. Now deeply concerned by this alarming situation, 12 districts
in Assam have banned the entry of people from Guwahati.
The various district administrations have issued separate orders in this regard. The districts which
have banned the entry of people from Guwahati are Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, Nagaon,
Kokrajhar, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Nalbari, Barpeta, South Salmara, Dhubri and Darrang.
Even if any citizen from Guwahati has to visit these districts in its own state for any emergency purpose,
they will be strictly put under quarantine for 14 days. If the situation in Guwahati does not improve,
the other districts in the state may also follow the suit banning the entry of people from Guwahati.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/assam-12-districts-ban-entry-of-people-
from-guwahati-after-massive-spike-in-covid-19-cases-in-the-city/618480
Accessed on 13th Jul 2020 at 5.10 PM
14th July 2020: WHO convenes manufacturers, regulatory authorities meet on COVID-19
vaccines: New Delhi - Gearing up for the much needed COVID-19 vaccines, the World Health
Organization today organized a meeting of vaccine manufacturers and national regulatory
authorities from its South-East Asia Region.
"The manufacturing capacity that exists in our Region is of the quality and scale required to produce
and roll-out a COVID-19 vaccine globally. This Region is a vaccine manufacturing powerhouse, and it
must now also play a lead role in overcoming the ongoing pandemic,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal
Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.
At the virtual meeting, leading manufacturers from India, Indonesia and Thailand discussed
timelines and production capacity, while regulatory bodies deliberated on adjustments that would
be needed in processes to make COVID-19 vaccines available at the earliest.
Several steps must be completed before COVID-19 vaccine can be used on a large scale. These
include pre-clinical and clinical trials, production, licensure, deployment of vaccines and plans for
post-marketing surveillance.
Mapping the full landscape of vaccine development activities in the Region will help coordination
with global stakeholders, and support countries preparing COVID19 vaccine deployment plans, she
said.
Globally, WHO has mobilized a broad coalition of scientists, researchers and industry partners to
develop and evaluate candidate vaccines for COVID-19. More than 120 potential vaccine candidates
have been proposed globally, and WHO continues to track their type and progress. Seven candidate
vaccines are already in clinical evaluation and 82 vaccines are in pre-clinical evaluation.
Last week, WHO launched the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which brings together key
global health actors, private sector partners and other stakeholders to accelerate the development
and production of COVID-19 essential health technologies, including vaccines, and to help guarantee
equitable access.
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The launch of the initiative comes in the wake of a UN General Assembly resolution through which
Member States called for all countries to have “equitable, efficient and timely” access to any future
vaccines developed to fight COVID-19.
Dr Khetrapal Singh said, “All countries are now preparing to safely transition towards a ‘new normal’
in which social and economic life can function amid low or no COVID-19 transmission. As countries
continue to assess and minimize risks, they are very much aware that we are in this together and
must get through it together – that no country is safe until we all are safe, for which an effective
vaccine that is accessible to all is needed.”
“We are also working to ensure that, once developed, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are
available to all of humanity. To do that, we are coordinating expert consultations, developing target
product profiles and supporting clinical trials. For the Region and for the World, WHO is committed
to facilitating and coordinating your efforts,” the Regional Director said.
India, Indonesia and Thailand are among the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers. Every day,
millions of people of all ages are provided life-saving protection by vaccines produced in these three
countries.
“As we mark World Immunization Week, we must build on our success and redouble our efforts to
ensure all people in the Region can access the life-saving benefits vaccines bring. Yes, the COVID-19
pandemic is a unique challenge. But I am certain that through collaboration and innovation we can
produce a vaccine faster than ever before, while maintaining all standards,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
Source: https://www.who.int/southeastasia/news/detail/29-04-2020-who-convenes-manufacturers-
regulatory-authorities-meet-on-covid-19-vaccines
Accessed on: 14th July 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
15th July 2020: Covid-19 vaccine development sees unparalleled progress: US President Donald
Trump’s re-election campaign took off with him telling potential voters that a coronavirus vaccine will be
ready by the end of 2020, even as European leaders pledged to raise US $8.3 billion to “kickstart an
unprecedented global co-operation” between scientists, industry, governments and philanthropies for
vaccine development.
Global efforts to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have progressed at an
unprecedented pace aiming to stop the spread of the pandemic, which has infected 3.5 million people,
killed 250,000 and wrecked global economies within four months.
At least 120 vaccine projects are in various stages of development since China shared the genetic
sequence of Sars-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, with the World Health Organization (WHO) on January,
12, 2020. Of these, seven have entered human trials to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine on
healthy volunteers, according to WHO. Another 82 are in pre-clinical animal trial phases, and at least two
have been found to protect monkeys from infection.
Johnson & Johnson, which was singled out by Trump as an example of vaccine success, said last month
that it will be ready to produce 600 million to 900 million doses of its potential vaccine by April 2021 if
human trials set to begin in September go as planned. Pfizer and the German company, BioNTech, said if
their human trials are successful, they can produce millions of doses by the end of 2020.
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Pune-based Serum Institute of India started work 10 days ago on manufacturing in parallel to the human
safety trials, the Oxford experimental vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, at its own risk. “SII plans to begin
manufacturing the ChAdOx1 vaccine in anticipation of the clinical trials in the UK succeeding by
September/October. SII will initiate the manufacture at its own risk to jump-start manufacturing and
have enough doses available, if the clinical trials work,” said SII CEO, Adar Poonawalla in a statement.
WHO last week organised a meeting of vaccine manufacturers and national regulatory authorities in its
South-East Asia Region, of which India, Indonesia and Thailand are a part. The three countries are among
the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers.
“The manufacturing capacity that exists in the region is of the quality and scale required to produce and
roll out a Covid-19 vaccine globally. This region is a vaccine manufacturing powerhouse, and it must now
also play a lead role in overcoming the ongoing pandemic,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional
director, WHO South-East Asia. At the virtual meeting, leading manufacturers from India, Indonesia and
Thailand discussed timelines and production capacity, while regulatory bodies discussed how to fast-
track processes to make large scale production and deployment of Covid-19 vaccines possible by the end
of the year.
“The way this pandemic is progressing, we are left with no choice but to have an emergency use vaccine
within eight months, we can’t afford to wait for years. In the case of Covid-19, we already have some
experience from SARS CoV-1 and MERS platforms, which have been used previously for delivering other
vaccines. The same is the case with proven adjuvants [a substance which increases the body’s immune
response to an antigen], which could be used. So considering the fact that we are not starting from
scratch, it is in the realm of possibility,” said Dr Ganguly.
Last month, WHO launched the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which brings together key global
health actors, private sector partners and other stakeholders to accelerate the development and
production of Covid-19 essential health technologies, including vaccines, and to help guarantee equitable
access.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently said it’s
“within the realm of possibility” to have a vaccine widely available by January, but only if drug companies
are willing to assume the risk of beginning to ramp up production of the vaccine before it is fully tested
and approved.
Vaccines have led to the global eradication of small pox, and wiped out polio from most countries of the
world, except Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, where it remains endemic. Vaccines for diseases such as
HIV, however, remain elusive after two decades of effort.
“All countries are now preparing to safely transition towards a new normal in which social and economic
life can function amid low or no Covid-19 transmission. No country is safe until we all are safe, for which
an effective vaccine that is accessible to all is needed,” said Dr Khetrapal Singh.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/emergency-was-lockdown-on-democracy-
jyotiraditya-scindia/story-4l8v8bU7WiJnqjk3zBORHN.html
Accessed on: 15th July 2020 at 5.10 PM IST
16th July 2020: COVID-19 Could Spark a New Era of Piracy in Southeast Asia: Out of all the possible
aftershocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in piracy may not be the most obvious. But Southeast
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Asia – and those countries so dependent on trade passing peacefully through the region – should
anticipate it.
Research shows that people turn to piracy when economic opportunities elsewhere are scarce. It is a
potentially lucrative profession; states and companies frequently pay ransoms set by pirates without
much fuss since insurance more than covers the cost of doing so. In addition, shipping companies cut
down on crews and safety measures to save on costs at times of economic hardship, making them more
vulnerable to piracy (and armed robbery at sea).
Piracy was already trending upward in the first quarter of 2020, mostly in the traditional hotspots of the
Malacca Strait, the Bay of Bengal, and the Sulu and Celebes Seas. The number of pirate attacks and armed
robberies at sea in the first months of 2020 were three times the number at the same time last year. Now,
with the impending economic disaster from COVID-19, ASEAN states and concerned stakeholders in the
region must face the uncomfortable fact that increased crime in Southeast Asian seas is inevitable.
Global trade is in a nosedive caused by the pandemic’s chilling effects on the time-sensitive shipping
industry and the “doubleshock” of no supply followed by no demand affecting China’s manufacturing
sector. Both of these external realities will hit the trade-dependent, China-entangled economies of
Southeast Asia hard, and they are likely to be replicated domestically as these countries cycle through
their own public health emergencies. The effects may even worsen given some countries’ poor testing
capacities. The World Bank forecast for ASEAN plus Timor-Leste is dismal. It projects negative 3.5
percent growth in Indonesia and negative 4.6 percent growth for Malaysia. The best-case projection for
Thailand is a 3 percent contraction. Southeast Asia as a whole will tumble from near-constant growth
over the last decade to zero economic growth. With China’s own economy headed for stagnation, the
state and its investors are unlikely to offer a lifeline out of the crisis. Even if public health capacity proves
sufficient (which does not seem to be the case so far), the economic effects will precipitate unavoidable
political strife and thinner budgets. Solid, growing economies have been the norm for so long that a
sudden crash invokes the politically tumultuous 1998 Asian Financial Crisis.
Now, other factors are compounding the likelihood of an outright surge in Southeast Asian piracy.
Precipitous oil prices have created an unprecedented oversupply of crude, to the point that there is
insufficient storage on land – leaving offshore storage in floating tankers as the only option for many
companies. Consequently, China has dramatically ramped up its production of oil tankers, and it is
projected that some 14 million barrels of oil will go into storage per day for this month. These tankers are
filled to the brim with “black gold” and sitting in port with no destination. Other tankers are sailing to
East and Southeast Asia to idle at ports with cheaper storage costs and laxer security. They present the
juiciest possible targets for aspiring pirates.
Most piracy is unaffiliated with any sort of armed group, and amounts to little more than petty theft or
kidnapping for an expected ransom. Minor piracy and armed robbery of a ship at port is not an existential
threat to any country and will likely dissipate with economic recovery. However, rebel groups or terrorist
outfits turning to piracy as a main revenue stream is a truly dangerous possibility, and warrants
preventative action. Rebel groups in Myanmar or the southern Philippines could use ransomed crew
members or whole ships to fund their militancy, accruing resources and inspiring others. The Abu Sayyaf
Group infamously engaged in piracy and attacks on diving resorts to recoup losses in foreign funding
during the mid-2000s, and were only beaten back after a sustained campaign by the Philippine armed
forces around 2016.
Yet Abu Sayyaf and similarly aligned groups now exploit the seas between the Philippines, Malaysia, and
Indonesia for armed robbery and the transportation of equipment and fighters on behalf of the
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transnational Islamic State. If other armed groups in the region adopt this tactic, the internal stability of
certain Southeast Asian countries and their ability to come out of the COVID-19 crisis still intact will
suffer. For a region at the center of the global economy, unfettered piracy and newly emboldened
insurgencies could prolong the global recession even after the pandemic passes.
Preventative measures can help address the growing threat of piracy in Southeast Asia. First, regional
states’ respective coast guards need to sit down and plan for a near-term surge in piracy. The Trilateral
Cooperation Agreement between Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines proved useful in cutting down
piracy and kidnappings in the Sulu and Celebes Seas that connect all three countries. An increased pace in
joint patrols in those most vulnerable areas – the Malacca Strait, the Sulu and Celebes Seas, and the Gulf
of Thailand – would help mitigate some of the security issues associated with economic decline. The next
ASEAN Regional Forum Intersessional Meeting on Maritime Security should assess how implementation
of its 2018-2020 work plan went in this respect. Outside countries like India could augment joint patrols
in areas like the Bay of Bengal, where there is a distinct lack of capacity in maritime domain awareness
and law enforcement.
Second, the United States and other external states with a stake in Southeast Asian stability should help
cushion the economic fall of maritime Southeast Asian countries where possible and aid in their recovery.
The foreign secretary of the Philippines pleaded for as much at a recent ASEAN-U.S. meeting, asking for a
respite from China’s aggressive South China Sea pressure campaign amid the COVID-19 fallout.
Prioritizing economic support to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines (BIMP-EAGA states)
would mitigate some of the worst knock-on effects, solve underlying issues driving piracy, and sew
goodwill.
This could ultimately be a good test of the newly established International Development Finance
Corporation. By aligning the IDFC with BIMP-EAGA, the United States could help inject money and
employment opportunities into those areas most susceptible to piracy and permanently improve
Southeast Asia’s frontier market infrastructure to boot. The Department of Transport’s Blue Dot Network
could also help identify and hold accountable substandard ports and storage facilities with poor security
measures – the likely targets of armed robbery.
Stakeholders in Southeast Asia should invest in whatever tools are necessary to keep the coming cascade
of crises to a bare minimum. The COVID-19 pandemic will have wide-ranging effects far beyond the life
cycle of the virus itself. Economic depression is just one of them, but a new era of piracy doesn’t
necessarily have to be another.
Source: https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/covid-19-could-spark-a-new-era-of-piracy-in-southeast-
asia/
Accessed on 16th July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
17th July 2020: UC Davis experts: Science says wearing masks and social distancing slow COVID-
19: Scientific evidence is clear: Social distancing and wearing a mask help prevent people from spreading
COVID-19, and masks also protect wearers from being infected themselves, two UC Davis Health experts
said on UC Davis LIVE: COVID-19.
Along with preventing someone from transmitting the coronavirus, a range of new research shows that
the risk of infection to the wearer is decreased by 65%, said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious
diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
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“On the issue of masks, I’d like to restart because we’ve learned a lot,” Blumberg said. “We’ve learned
more due to research and additional scientific evidence. What we know now is that masks work and are
very important.”
Blumberg and William Ristenpart, a professor of chemical engineering in the UC Davis College of
Engineering, answered questions from viewers on a July 2 UC Davis LIVE devoted to explaining how the
virus spreads and how to prevent transmission.
Transmission by droplets: There are two primary methods of transmission, they said. First is via
droplets a carrier expels, which are about one-third the size of a human hair but still large enough that
we can see them. They fly through the air until gravity pulls them down. The maximum distance of that
flight is about 6 feet, which is why social distancing is so important.
Masks create an effective barrier against droplets – protecting both the wearer and people around them,
they said. “Everyone should wear a mask,” Blumberg said. “People who say ‘I don’t believe masks work’
are ignoring scientific evidence. It’s not a belief system. It’s like saying, ‘I don’t believe in gravity.’
“People who don’t wear a mask increase the risk of transmission to everyone, not just the people they
come into contact with,” he said. “It’s all the people those people will have contact with. You’re being an
irresponsible member of the community if you’re not wearing a mask. It’s like double dipping in the
guacamole. You’re not being nice to others.
Transmission by aerosol particles: The second major transmission method is via the aerosol particles
we expel when we talk. Those are about 1/100th the size of a human hair and are more difficult to defend
against. Social distancing and staying outdoors, where there is more air flow, are helpful, they said.
“They can become more concentrated indoors,” Ristenpart said. “That’s why you want to be outdoors for
any social situations if possible. The good air flow will disperse the virus. If you are indoors, think about
opening the windows. You want as much fresh air as possible.”
That’s why places like bars are particularly hazardous for aerosols, on top of the likelihood of minimal
distancing. “The louder you speak, the more expiatory aerosols you put out,” he said.
Do store or office shields offer protection?: The plexiglass shields in stores and restaurants only help
somewhat. The same is true for office cubicles. But after a lengthy time, transmission is possible from
aerosols if the air flow is not good, they said.
“The way to think about that is to think about smells,” Ristenpart said. “If the person on the other side of
a cubicle or plexiglass is wearing perfume, eventually, you’ll smell it. That’s why air flow is so important,
along with other actions like wearing masks and social distancing.”
Time of exposure matters: “If you’re going past someone very quickly in a grocery store,” Blumberg
said, “the risk of getting infected is very low. It’s really lingering and talking that does it.”
“It’s really important to know,” Ristenpart said, “that just because you’re standing 6 feet or 7 feet away, if
you have a prolonged conversation, there is still a risk.”
Surface contact is less of a threat than originally thought – but still wash your hands. There is no
precise research on the prevalence of transmission from hand contact, although both scientists advised
caution.
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“For ethical reasons, we can’t contaminate a bunch of people’s hands, then have them touch their faces or
other people’s faces,” Ristenpart said. “But backtracking infections and following transmission events
shows surfaces or hand contacts are not a primary method.”
But what researchers do know points to transmissions mostly from droplets or aerosol particles.
“We know from other coronaviruses that this is primarily a respiratory transmitted illness,” Blumberg
said. “There is a very small chance of transmission via groceries or mail or things like that. But washing
hands is still always good.”
He said wearing a mask also reduces the chances of becoming infected through contact because they help
stop people from touching their faces.
Children and COVID-19: Children are less likely – by half – to be infected if they are exposed, less likely
to be symptomatic and less likely to have a severe case if they do get sick, Blumberg said. Tracking by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that less than 1% of the COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.
have been people under age 35.
“Children appear to be less likely to infect others,” he said. “This is different from other infections like the
flu when they are carriers. This appears to be much more of an adult disease. But children can still get
sick and can still transmit it to others, so it’s important to be as hygienical with them as their
development allows.”
Connecting the Research: Both scientists said the evidence has become even more powerful for wearing
masks and social distancing. For instance, research shows that about 30% of infections are caused by
people who don’t know they have COVID-19 because their symptoms have not appeared yet.
“So we don’t know who might spread it,” Blumberg said. “We do know social distancing reduces the risk
of transmitting the virus by 90%, and wearing masks decreases the risk by 65%.
“Wearing a mask affects everyone,” he said. “If you care about your family or friends, or if you care about
your community, wear a mask.”
Source: https://health.ucdavis.edu/health-news/newsroom/uc-davis-experts-science-says-wearing-
masks-and-social-distancing-slow-covid-19/2020/07
Accessed on: 17th Jul 2020 at 5:12 PM IST
18th July 2020: As Lockdown, Disease Cut Assam’s Pork Supply, Edible Insects Come Into Focus:
Guwahati: Since February, Assam has grappled with the twin problems of the novel coronavirus
epidemic and African swine fever. The latter was reported for the first time in domestic pigs in India this
year, and more than 20,000 pigs have died or been culled thus far, according to sources at the Assam
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department. African swine fever has a mortality rate of nearly 100%.
India’s northeastern states have been more accepting of pork as a food than the rest of the country. In
Assam, pork is the major source of quality protein for over 90% of the population. Over two million pigs –
making up 15.89% of India’s pig production – are reared in the state, and Assamese piggery accounts for
18,730 tonnes of the national pork production.
Page 126 of 157
But thanks to the coronavirus and swine fever epidemics, millions have found themselves without their
usual protein sources. The swine fever cut production, and the lockdown the Centre imposed to arrest
the spread of the coronavirus hampered recuperative efforts. The lockdown also drove the prices of milk
products, meat, fish and eggs up, beyond the reach of most middle-class families.
In this situation, many rural households in Assam have turned to insects as inexpensive substitutes for
meat. Eating insects – i.e. entomophagy – is not new: the traditional diets of many tribal communities in
India’s northeast include insects for their nutritional, economic and ecological benefits. Assam’s
indigenous communities have for many generations customarily consumed red ant larvae during Bohag
Bihu, the region’s principal spring festival. This year, while festivities in April were dampened by a strict
lockdown, people still collected ant larvae.
“We could not perform many rituals this bihu,” Bitu Gogoi, a resident of Da-gaon, near Kaziranga National
Park, said. “There had been limited preparations, with pork basically out of the menu. But a whole nest of
Amroli poruar tup made my bihu.” ‘Amroli poruar tup’ is red ant larvae: they resemble puffy rice and
have a sour taste, and are available in the spring. The people usually eat them raw, with salt and chilli.
Jatin Kuli, who hails from Dhemaji on the Brahmaputra’s north bank (across from Dibrugarh), said people
collect insects as delicacies in particular seasons but hadn’t been able to do so after the lockdowns kicked
in. “Insects remain a safer option for rural communities. Collecting various aquatic insects soared during
the lockdown period,” Kuli said.
One insect that should have been available in large numbers is the jebangkori, a.k.a. giant water bug
(Lethocercus indicus). “But they are not as common as they used to be. Indiscriminate hunting has limited
the insect’s natural range,” according to Kuli. Other commonly eaten insects include crickets, beetles,
bees, wasps, grasshoppers, locusts, termites and dragonflies. Silk worms are also popular: the larvae and
pupae of varieties like eri polu (Philosomia ricini) and muga polu (Antheraea assama) are considered to
be healthy and are eaten fried, roasted or raw. The silkworm’s late instar larvae and pupae are also eaten
raw with salt and chilli or roasted with herbs as a snack.
“The traditional use of insects as food is widespread as they provide significant nutritional and
economical benefits to rural communities in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and
Mizoram,” Padmeshwar Gogoi, a retired professor of botany who has studied edible insects and the
dietary preferences of different ethnic groups in the region, said. “Edible insects contain high-quality
protein, vitamins, carbohydrates and amino acids for humans.”
Assam has a rich tradition of growing muga, or ‘golden silk’, from the muga silkworm. But Bal Bahadur
Chetri, a muga farmer from Kamrup district, said that in the last few months he had sold off more of
muga‘s instar larvae and pupae for consumption than the cocoons, themselves prized for their silk.
“You will find a number of silkworm recipes on the menus of local hotels,” Jitul Saikia, the director of Wild
Silk Society, an NGO in Dhakuakhana, a town known for its silk production. Saikia, a muga farmer himself,
said the increasing demand for edible insects has made sure they sell like hot cakes in local markets –
among members of tribal communities as well as others.
Tourism helped: “I tasted roasted silkworms for the first time in a tourism festival in Upper Assam,”
Mohammad Sajjad, a teacher, said. “Believe me, the taste is so good, anyone would love it! More
importantly it’s a healthy diet.”
Page 127 of 157
Saikia recalled a survey in the Dhemaji district a decade ago, which found that edible silkworm had then
been sold for Rs 80-100 per kg; the same quantity is sold for Rs 450-500 today. Buyers are often willing
to pay more when demand outstrips supply. Such interest isn’t confined to tribal communities in India’s
corners – although wider acceptance in a country that already struggles to be comfortable with beef and
pork is bound to be many years away. To quote the words of the Dutch tropical entomologist Arnold van
Huis, from an interview to The Wire in 2017
The single most important reason for [eating insects] is that they will cause much less damage to the
environment as compared to the meat industry as it is today. They emit much less greenhouse gases and
ammonia. They need only a fraction of land and water that common production animals need and insects
can be reared on organic side streams. One third of our agricultural produce and food is wasted currently
and just that waste could be used to sustain insect farming. They can also be used as food for both
humans as well as animal feed for pets and livestock.
According to one estimate, the edible insects market could be worth $1.18 billion by 2023. The UN Food
and Agricultural Organisation estimated in 2013 that at least two billion people around the world eat
more than 1,900 species of insects as food. The species in most demand until 2017 has been crickets
(Gryllidae family) – which entomologists have attributed to the ease with which they can be incorporated
into different recipes.
Source: https://science.thewire.in/environment/assam-entomophagy-silkworms-proteins-silk/
Accessed on: 18th July 2020 at 5.10 PM IST
19th July 2020: Covid-19 vaccine update: Latest on Gilead’s remdesivir, Moderna’s experimental
candidate and others: Some of the top contenders in the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine are making
great strides and showing promise. From Moderna, Gilead Sciences to experts at the Oxford University
and other participants, the combined effort of the world of science is now racing toward finding an
antidote to the coronavirus disease. According to the World Health Organization, there are 23 candidate
vaccines in the clinical evaluation phase while 140 candidate vaccines are currently in the preclinical
evaluation phase.
Gilead Sciences Inc’s remdesivir is at the forefront of the efforts to treat the disease after it helped
shorten hospital recovery times in a clinical trial. Latest reports suggest that Moderna Inc’s experimental
vaccine for Covid-19 was found safe in an ongoing early-stage trial and also provoked immune responses
in all healthy volunteers. China’s Sinovac and a combined effort led by British-Swedish drug company
AstraZeneca and experts at the University of Oxford have their Covid-19 vaccine contenders in the third
phase of trials.
China-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. recently received a nod for a phase III clinical trial to test the efficacy
and safety of its inactivated Covid-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford’s viral vector
vaccine is in a phase II/III trial in England and in phase III trials in Brazil and South Africa.
CanSino Biological Inc. and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology’s vaccine candidate has gone up to phase II
of the trial. Then comes US biotech firm Moderna Inc., which on Tuesday, announced it would enter the
final stage of human trials for its Covid-19 vaccine on July 27. The announcement came shortly after the
New England Journal of Medicine published results from the first stage of Moderna’s vaccine trial, which
showed the first 45 participants all developed antibodies to the virus, news agency AFP reported.
Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ vaccine candidate is currently in phase I/II phase of the
trial. It posted positive interim results from the initial two cohorts in phase I clinical trial of its INO-4800
Page 128 of 157
vaccine candidate. Covid-19 vaccine candidates from Osaka University/ AnGes/Takara Bio; Cadila
Healthcare Limited; Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm; Bharat Biotech; Novavax;
BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer are currently in phase I/II of trials. Hyderabad-based biotech company
Bharat Biotech has started human trials on its vaccine candidate, ‘Covaxin’. The contender is pegged as
India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine which is being developed in collaboration with the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The ICMR on Tuesday said that human clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccine has been initiated in the
country with approximately 1,000 volunteers participating in the exercise for each of the two
indigenously developed vaccine candidates, news agency PTI reported. The Drugs Controller General of
India (DCGI) has permitted two vaccines - one developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the
ICMR and another by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd to go in for the first and second phase of human clinical
trials. Life sciences company IQVIA Holdings Inc said it would collaborate with AstraZeneca Plc to speed
up clinical studies of the British drugmaker’s potential Covid-19 vaccine in the United States, news
agency Reuters reported.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/covid-19-vaccine-update-latest-on-gilead-s-
remdesivir-moderna-s-experimental-candidate-bharat-biotech-s-covaxin-and-others/story-
9PEEwOP9eKRbyAHXEZgfdO.html
Accessed on 18th July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
20th July 2020: Coronavirus India lockdown Day 117 updates as on July 19, 2020: India stands at
the third position in number of coronavirus cases, with the U.S. leading the table followed by Brazil.
Record single-day spike of 38,902 COVID-19 cases pushes India’s tally to 10,77,618; death toll to 26,816
with 543 new fatalities, according to the Health Ministry's bulletin. Active COVID-19 cases stand at
3,73,379; 6,77,422 people have recovered so far in the country.
Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins University says the global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 6,00,000.
The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, out of which 3.7 million are in
the United States. There are over 2 million in Brazil and more than 1 million in India. The number of
deaths linked to COVID-19 has doubled in just over two months, and more than 1,00,000 new deaths
have been registered in the three weeks since June 28.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-coronavirus-lockdown-july-19-2020-live-
updates/article32128164.ece
Accessed on 20th July 2020 at 5.10 PM IST
21st July 2020: Delhi COVID-19 testing last week: Every fourth sample found positive; officials
blame laxity in people’s behaviour: Spanning last week, Delhi’s COVID-19 testing related data shows
that every fourth sample is positive, IE report indicates! It is no shocker that the number of positive
Coronavirus cases has been escalating in the national capital for the last 15 days. The number has
increased so much so that IE report states that every fourth sample that goes in the lab is tested positive
for COVID-19 infection. The National Capital, last week has reported, a positive testing rate of 2,018 tests
per million population turned out to be 25.7 per cent, the IE reported. According to the report, in Delhi’s
north-east and south-east districts, the testing was lower than the complete city average and the positive
rate was as high as 38 per cent. This can be concluded as two positive tests out of every five tested
samples in these two areas of Delhi, the report said.
It highlighted that many officials during a meeting with the Union Health Minister complained that they
have witnessed some laxity in the attitude of people ever since the process of unlocking had begun which
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has contributed to increase in transmission. One even said that people are behaving as if there was no
Coronavirus outbreak. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister, according to the report stressed that
the increasing rate of transmission and a high fatality rate in Delhi is becoming a serious issue and the
state has been asked to ramp up the testing along with aggressive surveillance, contact tracing as well as
stringent containment measures.
Another cause of worry is transmission of Coronavirus infection among healthcare workers. The Union
Health Minister has asked to probe the issues, indicating poor prevention control practises, as a priority.
The report citing data released by the Health Department has shown that the positivity in COVID-19 rates
have increased from 17 per cent to 37.7 per cent on May 31 within 10 days. Delhi, on an average, has
reported more than 23,000 positive cases among 2,30,145 tests as of June 3.
The current statistics show that the number of Coronavirus positive cases has reached 25,004. The IE
report further said that the increase in Delhi is in line with “national steepening of the curve.”
Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/health/delhi-covid-19-testing-last-week-every-
fourth-sample-found-positive-officials-blame-laxity-in-peoples-behaviour/1982043/
Accessed on 21st July 2020 at 5.10 PM IST
22nd July 2020: Coronavirus: Centre warns against use of N95 masks with valved respirators: The
health ministry on Monday warned against the “inappropriate use of N95 masks, especially those that
contain respiratory valves”. Director General of Health Services Rajiv Garg encouraged people to use
homemade face masks.
“It is to bring to your knowledge that the use of valved respirator N95 masks is detrimental to the
measures adopted for preventing the spread of coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from
escaping out of the mask,” Garg said in a letter to all states and Union Territories. “In view of the above, I
request you to instruct all concerned to follow the use of face/mouth cover and prevent inappropriate
use of N95 masks.”
In April, the Centre had issued an advisory on the use of homemade protective cover for face and mouth.
The advisory stressed such face covers must be washed and cleaned each day. These handmade masks,
however, are not meant for health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID-19 patients
or those who are patients themselves as they are required to wear specified protective gear, the health
ministry had said.
India’s total case count has crossed 11.55 lakh as of Tuesday and the toll is over 28,000. While more than
7 lakh people have recovered, India’s over over 4 lakh active cases.
Source: https://scroll.in/latest/968191/sc-initiates-contempt-proceedings-against-lawyer-prashant-
bhushan
Accessed on 22bd July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
23rd July 2020: India and Israel join hands to develop rapid testing for COVID-19 in under 30
seconds: Merging Israel’s technological expertise with India’s mass production capabilities, experts from
the two countries have joined hands to develop rapid testing for COVID-19 in under 30 seconds.
Israel will soon send a high level research delegation to India to conduct a series of “final stages of
testing” as part of the joint effort to develop the rapid testing kits for COVID-19.
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A high ranking team from the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D), in the
Ministry of Defense, which has been working with India’s DRDO to develop rapid testing for COVID-19 in
under 30 seconds, is to leave from Tel Aviv to New Delhi on a special flight in a few days, Israel’s Ministry
of Defence said in a statement on Thursday.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-coronavirus-lockdown-july-23-2020-live-
updates/article32168127.ece
Accessed on 23rd July 2020 at 4.45 PM IST
24th July 2020: WHO: Don't expect first COVID-19 vaccinations until early 2021: Early indications
from coronavirus vaccine trials are broadly positive. But Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s Health
Emergencies Programme, has urged caution.
Don’t expect a vaccine to become widely available until 2021, he warned during an event broadcast on
social media. “Realistically it is going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting
vaccinated,” he said.
He’s not alone in warning that the world may have to be patient. Thomas Lingelbach, chief executive of
the biotech company Valneva, told Sky News: "We are trying to bring a 10-year development cycle into
10 months. I hope that some will be faster but… I don't expect personally that we're going to see major
supplies before the middle of next year.”
The US government has pledged to spend $1.95 billion buying 100 million doses of a potential vaccine
being jointly developed by the US and Germany. The doses will be given to US citizens free-of-charge, the
Financial Times reports.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/covid-19-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-
coronavirus-pandemic-on-23-july/
Accessed on 24th July 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
25th July 2020: Coronavirus Is Surging All Over Asia and the Pacific. Here’s What the Rest of the
World Can Learn: As much of the rest of the world struggled with the coronavirus pandemic, it looked
like many places across Asia and the Pacific were successfully suppressing the virus.
Australia’s response to coronavirus had been so successful that some experts said it could be eliminated
in the country. The number of coronavirus cases in Japan dropped significantly in late April following an
earlier spike. And in Hong Kong, life had begun to resemble pre-pandemic times—employees had largely
returned to office buildings and students had gone back to school. Officials across the region were
starting to plan travel bubbles that would allow international business and tourism to resume, as well.
But that optimism is being replaced with renewed lockdowns and social distancing restrictions as cases
across the region tick up again. On Thursday, both Tokyo and Hong Kong hit daily records for new
coronavirus cases. And a growing outbreak in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, forced the state
of Victoria back into lockdown on July 8, with residents mostly required to stay home. On Friday,
Australia hit the second-highest daily rise in cases, 438, with all but 10 in Victoria.
Experts say resurgences like these—even in places that successfully fended off earlier stages of the
virus—are inevitable, and should serve as a warning to the U.S. East Coast and parts of Europe that are
reopening after apparently gaining control of their outbreaks. To be sure, the raw numbers of cases are
small compared to those seen elsewhere in the world, especially the U.S. The record for new cases in
Page 131 of 157
Tokyo on Thursday was 286 among a population of 14 million, and in Hong Kong, a city of 7.5 million,
there were 67 new cases. But experts say the lessons are still useful. New York City, for instance, marked
its first 24 hours without recording any deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic and is
slowly moving towards reopening. (New York, with a population of 8.4 million, recorded 767 new cases.)
Governments must prepare to deal with recurring outbreaks by having the right tools in place to deal
with them, says Gavin Yamey, the director of the Center for Policy Impact in Global Health at Duke Global
Health Institute.
“To put out a small fire, you need an excellent system for identifying cases, quickly isolating them, and
tracing and quarantining their contacts,” says Yamey. “This all requires strong data and health
information systems. As you saw in U.S. states like Florida and Texas, if you don’t have these capacities,
then a small fire can quickly become an inferno.”
Kentaro Iwata, an infectious disease expert at Japan’s Kobe University, says there are three “control
knobs” officials can use to tackle coronavirus resurgence are: border controls, social distancing
measures—including mask wearing—and testing, tracing and isolating cases.
Source: https://time.com/5866156/coronavirus-surge-asia-lessons/
Accessed on 25th July 2020 at 5.12 PM IST
26th July 2020: Ayurvedic treatment of COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2: A case report-This is the first known
case of a Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive patient treated entirely with Ayurveda. So far in
Modern Western Medicine (MWM), no cure has been found which is specific to COVID-19. The only
literature relevant to the treatment of Coronavirus disease has surfaced from Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM). TCM which was extensively used to control the epidemic in China, also consists of herbal
medicines similar to Ayurveda. In this case, the patient, who was familiar with the use of Ayurvedic
medicines, fully aware that no proven cure exists in MWM, decided to entirely rely on the limited
Ayurvedic medicines that he had in his possession at the time of falling ill.
Despite the patient presenting with symptoms, namely high fever, severe body pain and severe cough,
along with many of the other associated symptoms of COVID-19, the progress of the disease could be
arrested within a short period by being exclusively on Ayurvedic medicines. This illustrates that there is a
wide scope to explore the variety of pertinent medicines present in Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia which can
be used more rationally to suit every stage of the disease.
Being the first-of-its-kind it is a valuable contribution to scientific literature from the world of Ayurveda.
This should encourage the healthcare policy makers to quickly use Ayurveda to bring the COVID-19
pandemic under control in India, as they seemed to have demonstrated it in China with TCM.
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0975947620300425
Accessed on: 26th July 2020 at 5:15 PM IST
27th July 2020: New app pinpoints COVID-19 hotspots, symptoms: A literature review has identified
seven key artificial intelligence applications for the pandemic. These included early detection and
diagnosis of infection, treatment monitoring, contact tracing, and development of treatments and
vaccines. The review was published in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews.
Page 132 of 157
Among a wave of new tools using artificial intelligence approaches to analyze massive COVID-19 datasets
is the COVID Symptom Study app, which allows almost four million users to report the symptoms they
experience each day, reports Emma Yasinski for The Scientist.
Led by Andrew Chan, physician and epidemiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston,
researchers are using the data gathered by the smartphone app to pinpoint COVID-19 hotspots, new
symptoms, and to help inform plans for future outbreaks.
A study published in Nature Medicine in May found that a loss of taste and smell was a reliable predictor
COVID-19 infection. The study used data gathered by the COVID Symptom Study app.
Source: https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/how-coronavirus-is-changing-research-practices-
and-publishing
Accessed on 27th July 2020 at 5.12 PM IST
28th July 2020: Travel bans lead to less accurate weather forecasts: The inadequacy of appropriate
data from which to draw firm research conclusions has been a recurring theme since the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The problem now extends to weather research.
In a twist, it turns out that travel bans to slow the spread of the virus have meant that up to 75% of the
meteorological observations normally collected by commercial flights are no longer being made,
resulting in less accurate weather forecasts.
Ying Chen at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom compared the accuracy of global weather
forecasts between March and May 2020 with the same months in 2017-19. Chen also analyzed forecasts
made in February this year before the pandemic intensified.
While weather forecasts were more accurate in February 2020 than previous years, temperature, relative
humidity, windspeed, and air pressure measurements collected by commercial aircraft were less
accurate between March and May than previous years.
Weather forecasts were hit hardest in busy regions, including North America and southeast China.
Western Europe was an exception, with grounded flights only having a small impact on weather
forecasting accuracy. This is likely due to the high number of meteorological stations spread throughout
the region, the author writes.
“It’s a good lesson which tells us we should introduce more observation sites, especially in the regions
with sparse data observations,” Chen said in a press release. “This will help us to buffer the impacts of
this kind of global emergency in the future.”
Source: https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/how-coronavirus-is-changing-research-practices-
and-publishing
Accessed on 28th July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
29th July 2020: Most of asymptomatic patients didn’t transmit virus while at home quarantine:
Study: GUWAHATI, In what can arouse curiosity, a sample study among 86 home quarantined persons in
Guwahati who were later found to be COVID-19 positive, has found that only four of them seemingly
transmitted the infection to their family members. This was despite the fact that the quarantined persons
were with their families for an initial crucial infectivity time, till the RT-PCR results came and they were
shifted to COVID care centres or hospitals.
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Those people directly quarantined at home used to get their swab test reports after four to fourteen days and in positive cases, it is generally less than ten days. It means some of the positive persons were with their families for even a week, and yet did not transmit it to their family members. The revelation of the study is in line of recommendation of the Indian Council of Medical Research for home quarantine of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic persons under certain conditions. None of the symptomatic persons later required any intensive care at hospital. Of the 86 persons studied, 68 were asymptomatic persons and 18 had mild symptoms, principal investigator of the study Dr Gayatri Gogoi said. Dr Gogoi, an assistant professor of pathology (AMCH), was supported by Dr Dhananjay Ghanwat, SP, Dhemaji in this endeavour. “We wanted to understand whether during the period – till they receive the reports – they had transmitted the virus to another person living closely with them in home environment. Is it safer for COVID positive persons to be home quarantined? Whether the family members have risk of getting infection?” Dr Gogoi said, adding that an appropriate questionnaire tool was prepared to find the probable answers. The study found only four cases in which the positive persons transmitted the virus. “In the first case, the symptomatic positive person while travelling with family was quarantined with two small children and wife. During quarantine he developed fever and cough. His report came as positive after six days and second tests for two children and wife were done. The children’s report came as positive after 13 days but were asymptomatic and yet wife was negative in spite of living with children,” Dr Gogoi said, elaborating on one instance. The three other cases where the virus was transmitted, including one at the CRPF’s quarantine centre, it was found that there was a common toilet which could be the source of transmission. In all four cases, the independent risk factor was use of common toilet by them. “There have been a series of debate whether asymptomatic cases spread the virus to others or not. Once WHO commented that asymptomatic rarely transmit and then later changed its stand. The caveat was basically pulling of data from multiple hurried studies where asymptomatic cases were designated as asymptomatic at the time of sample collection or initial assessment,” Dr Gogoi said. “It is likely that a proportion of cases later become symptomatic and wrongly categorised as asymptomatic due to lack of a system to follow up to correct it. But our early data – though small – contained all complete follow-up information of not only index positive persons but also family members of close contacts,” she continued. “Scientific data indicate that droplet is the source of infection in symptomatic cases during coughing/sneezing or through saliva contact, etc. However, in asymptomatic cases shedding by respiratory route is unconfirmed. Our data correlating the nature of transmission of four families suggest a strong risk factor through use of common toilet. Multiple families were using common toilets,” Dr Gogoi added. Assam Police is taking support from community organisation Pratishruti Cancer and Palliative Trust (supervised by Dr Gogoi), in monitoring the home quarantined people in the city as a joint venture. Till date, some 23,000 people within Guwahati have been home quarantined and around 19,000 completed the mandatory period. Approximately 300 volunteers are involved in the project in distance mode operation from across the State. Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jul2720/at061 Accessed on: 29th July 2020 at 1:00 PM IST 30th July 2020: To curb spread of COVID, Telangana govt hospitals halt family planning services:
HYDERABAD: In order to reduce the possibility of Coronavirus infection spreading to both the doctors
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and the patients, the State Health Department has decided to stop all elective family planning services,
including tubectomy, vasectomy and IUD insertions.
However, emergency services like surgical abortions or medical termination of pregnancies (MTPs) are
still being provided. Women can also opt for non-invasive procedures for birth control like Antara
injection, which provides contraception for three months, and is available 365 days at all government
maternity hospitals. Gynaecologists also advise women to opt for other non-invasive techniques of birth
control during COVID-19 pandemic, including birth control hormone pills and patches.
Speaking to Express, Petlaburj Maternity Hospital Superintendent Dr S Nagamani, said: “All the elective
invasive procedures for family planning such as tubectomy or IUD insertion have been stopped as this
increases the chances of the patient and the doctor operating on her contracting COVID-19. However, this
measure will be in place only for a few months.”
Dr K Shravya, a gynaecologist at a corporate hospital, said: “In situations where a woman wants to opt for
terminating an unwanted pregnancy, we usually always advise her to go in for medical termination.
Surgical termination is done only when the woman’s life is at risk due to heavy bleeding or some other
complication. But in government hospitals, women are more often than not counselled and advised to
follow up with a tubectomy after an MTP, as MTP becomes a habit and excuse for unprotected sex.”
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2020/jul/29/to-curb-spread-of-covid-
ts-govt-hosps-halt-family-planning-services-2176169.html
Accessed on 30th July 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
31st July 2020: COVID-19 and the great reset: McKinsey continues to track economic and
epidemiological developments around the world. For an overview, read our latest briefing materials (July
6, 2020). In 51 pages, we document the current situation, the economic outlook, the forces shaping the
next normal, and the new organizational structures that can help companies keep pace sustainably.
The ubiquitous face mask does more than protect against viral spread; it also changes the way we look at
one another—and thus symbolizes the mystery of customer behavior in the pandemic. Several new
McKinsey research efforts analyze the changes taking place in the homes of consumers, on their phones,
and in stores. “Reimagining marketing in the next normal,” for example, documents six of the biggest
shifts emerging from COVID-19. One of the most intriguing is the rising importance of neighborhoods:
with travel largely shut down, marketers must figure out how to localize their outreach.
Another momentous shift: customers care more about sustainability: our survey finds that European
consumers want fashion firms to act responsibly by considering their social and environmental impact.
This survey is part of McKinsey’s comprehensive effort to document customer sentiment across dozens
of countries throughout the pandemic.
Both consumer-goods makers and retailers have everything at stake in understanding these shifts. For
consumer companies, the future is about three things: getting better at predicting demand, being alive to
all the ways they might increase their sales, and using agile techniques to sustain the hard-won
momentum. For retailers—particularly grocers, apparel companies, and restaurants—the way forward
starts with new ideas about revenue management (a fundamental rethink of products, pricing, and
promotions might be in order) and about operating models (especially store footprints, which will
depend on how soon cities reopen). Such operational issues are paramount in Africa and Asia; our latest
research collects useful innovations from those regions and around the world.
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B2B customers too are changing, and their providers must adapt. Our latest insights, based on a detailed
survey, suggest that B2B companies may be too focused on the here and now. In times like these, first
movers do better than the competition by finding new pockets of growth and reshaping go-to-market
approaches to serve them.
Chief executives can help their marketing chiefs meet these goals, and much more besides. As some of our
most senior colleagues argue, this may be the CEO moment of our times. Companies can reset themselves
and their potential by embracing four shifts: unlocking bolder (“10x”) aspirations, making their “to be”
lists just as important as their “to do” lists, fully embracing stakeholder capitalism, and harnessing the full
power of CEO peer networks.
This week, McKinsey researchers also considered the future of mobility in India, reviewed the changes
underway in Europe’s private banks, surveyed physicians about their employment prospects, looked at
the reset that supply chains need, and explored two hot topics in tech: how to get value from cloud
computing and the shifting priorities of cybersecurity.
You can also see the full collection of our coronavirus-related content, visual insights from our “chart of
the day,” a curated collection of our first 100 coronavirus articles, our suite of tools to help leaders
respond to the pandemic, and a look at how our editors choose images that help readers visualize the
impact of an invisible threat.
Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-insights/covid-19-implications-for-
business#
Accessed on 31st July 2020 at 5.12 PM IST
1st August 2020: How COVID-19 is affecting the globe: Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have risen to
more than 17.3 million around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. The
number of confirmed deaths now stands at more than 673,000.
Preliminary data shows the French economy contracted by 13.8% in the second quarter. Household
consumption, company investment and trade were all hit by the nationwide lockdown. Social distancing
has pushed flu infection rates to record lows, according to early figures. The data suggests measures to
tackle coronavirus are having an impact on other communicable diseases.
The UK has tightened lockdowns in some Northern areas, including Greater Manchester. The move is
targeted at areas where transmission rates are increasing. Florida and Arizona have both reported
record increases in COVID-19 deaths. The US epicentre is also showing signs of shifting to the Midwest.
Viet Nam has reported 45 new coronavirus cases in Danang- the country's biggest single-day jump.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/covid-19-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-
coronavirus-pandemic-on-31-july/
Accessed on: 1st August 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
2nd August 2020: Southeast Asia faces socio-economic crisis: The UN is warning that Southeast Asia is
on the brink of a "socio-economic crisis" as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The crisis threatens to "destroy the livelihoods" of the region's 218 million informal workers, said a
policy brief released yesterday. This puts decades of poverty reduction at risk.
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Remittances from Southeast Asians working abroad are set to fall by 13% - or $10 billion - while the
regional economy is expected to contract by 0.4% this year.
Governments should boost social welfare payments and prioritize higher health spending, said Armida
Salsiah Alisjahbana, head of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/covid-19-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-
coronavirus-pandemic-on-31-july/
Accessed on 2nd August 2020 at 5.12 PM IST
3rd August 2020: COVID-19 and food safety- Potential transmission of COVID-19 via food: It is
highly unlikely that people can contract COVID-19 from food or food packaging. COVID-19 is a
respiratory illness and the primary transmission route is through person-toperson contact and through
direct contact with respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes. There is
no evidence to date of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses being transmitted via food or food
packaging. Coronaviruses cannot multiply in food; they need an animal or human host to multiply.
The most recent advice from the WHO is that current evidence indicates that COVID-19 virus is
transmitted during close contact through respiratory droplets (formed on coughing or sneezing) and by
fomites. The virus can spread directly from person-to-person when a COVID-19 case coughs or sneezes,
producing droplets that reach the nose, mouth, or eyes of another person. Alternatively, as the
respiratory droplets are too heavy to be airborne, they land on objects and surfaces surrounding the
infected person. It is possible that someone may become infected by touching a contaminated surface,
object, or the hand of an infected person and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. This can
happen, for instance, when touching door knobs or shaking hands and then touching the face. Recent
research evaluated the survival of the COVID-19 virus on different surfaces and reported that the virus
can remain viable for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, up to four hours on copper, and up to
24 hours on cardboard.
This research was conducted under laboratory conditions (controlled relative humidity and
temperature) and should be interpreted with caution in the real-life environment. It is imperative for the
food industry to reinforce personal hygiene measures and provide refresher training on food hygiene
principles to eliminate or reduce the risk of food surfaces and food packaging materials becoming
contaminated with the virus from food workers. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as masks
and gloves, can be effective in reducing the spread of viruses and disease within the food industry, but
only if used properly. In addition, the food industry is strongly advised to introduce physical distancing
and stringent hygiene and sanitation measures and promote frequent and effective handwashing and
sanitation at each stage of food processing, manufacture and marketing.
These measures will protect staff from spreading COVID-19 among workers, maintain a healthy
workforce, and detect and exclude infected food handlers and their immediate contacts from the
workplace. Although COVID-19 genetic material (RNA) has been isolated from stool samples of infected
patients,10 there are no reports or any evidence of faecal-oral transmission. Handwashing after using the
toilet is always an essential practice especially when working with food.
Source: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331705/WHO-2019-nCoV-Food_Safety-
2020.1-eng.pdf#:~:text=It%20is%20highly%20unlikely%20that,human%20host%20to%20multiply.
Accessed on 3rd August at 5.00 PM IST
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4th August 2020: How COVID-19 is affecting the globe: Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have topped 18
million around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine. The number of confirmed
coronavirus deaths now stands at more than 689,000. July was the worst month for cases since the
outbreak began in many countries, the Guardian reports. Nearly 8 million cases were recorded in July
alone.
Cases in Latin America, the world's worst-affected region, have neared 5 million with 200,000 deaths
recorded on 1 August. Stricter measures are being imposed in the state of Victoria, Australia, after a
'state of disaster' was declared. An overnight curfew has been imposed, schools have closed and only one
member of the household is allowed to leave once a day, to pick up essentials.
The US is entering 'new phase', with the virus widespread in both rural and urban areas, White House
expert Dr Deborah Birx told CNN. Manila and surrounding provinces in the Philippines are going back
into lockdown from 4th August, as infections jumped to more than 100,000. The outbreak in Danang, Viet
Nam has spread to at least four factories, with a workforce of around 3,700.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/covid19-coronavirus-pandemic-what-to-know-3-
august/
Accessed on 4th August 2020 at 5 PM IST
5th Aug 2020: The COVID-19 lockdown caused seismic activity to halve around the world: Seismic
activity doesn’t just come from earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides. Everyday human activity also
gives rise to vibrations that travel through the ground as seismic waves, something we call
“anthropogenic noise”. When pandemic lockdown measures brought daily life to a standstill, it didn’t just
change life at the surface and cut emissions into the atmosphere. It also reduced anthropogenic noise
beneath our feet, particularly in urban environments. Our new study, published in Science, is the first to
analyse these changes at a global scale and shows a near-simultaneous reduction of this seismic noise
around the world.
We found that seismic noise dropped by an average of 50% in 77 countries between March and May
2020. The seismic lockdown effect was even observed in remote areas and in boreholes several hundred
metres below the ground. These changes correlated with independent estimates of the reduction in
human activity. This implies that we could use publicly available seismic data to track the effectiveness of
lockdown measures and how quickly countries are returning to normal once measures are lifted.
We can record vibrations travelling through the ground using sensitive scientific instruments called
seismometers. Traditionally, these are located in quiet places, away from urban areas. This is because the
high-frequency vibrations from humans at the surface, which create a sort of high-pitched buzz,
contaminate our data and make it harder to monitor natural events such as earthquakes and volcanoes.
Besides the thousands of high-end professional monitoring stations around the world, networks of
citizen-science sensors have rapidly grown in the last few years, installed by individuals and schools.
These often operate in more urban settings, with data generally shared openly with a global community
of seismologists.
Our study was spawned after the lead author, seismologist Thomas Lecocq of the Royal Observatory of
Belgium, decided that the best way to tackle the problem of efficiently analysing data from all around the
globe was to share his method with the seismological community. This started a team effort to
download, process and analyse the many terabytes of data available from sensors and monitoring
stations, resulting in a unique collaboration involving 76 authors from 66 institutions in 27 countries.
Page 138 of 157
This global community, together with the principles of open data and sharing science have been crucial
for our study to take place in such a short time span.
The seismic lockdown wave: By analysing months- to years-long datasets from over 300 seismic stations
around the world, our study was able to show that seismic noise was reduced in many countries. This
made it possible to visualise the resulting “seismic lockdown wave” moving through China at the end of
January, to Italy in March, and then around the rest of the world. While 2020 has not seen a reduction in
earthquakes, this seismic noise quiet period is the longest and most prominent global anthropogenic
seismic noise reduction on record. The largest drops in seismic noise were seen in the most densely
populated areas, such as Singapore and New York City. But the reduction was also observed in quieter
locations such as Germany’s Black Forest and the small city of Rundu in Namibia. Particularly large drops
were observed in data taken from around schools and universities.
There was a strong match between how much seismic noise fell in a particular area and the change in the
amount of human movement recorded there, as measured using mobile phone data made publicly
available by Google and Apple). This correlation means open seismic data can act as a broad proxy for
tracking human activity almost as it happens – as people reduce their movements, seismic noise quickly
decreases. We can also use the seismic data to understand the effects of pandemic lockdowns and
recoveries without impinging on people’s privacy because we don’t rely on the movements of individuals.
More broadly, the seismic lockdown will help us to differentiate between human and natural causes of
seismic noise. The gradual easing of restrictions will allow us to monitor the effect of different human
activities on seismic noise and lead to a better understanding of anthropogenic noise sources.
The reduction in seismic noise also gives us the opportunity to listen in to the Earth’s natural vibrations
without the distortions of human input. We have reported on the first evidence that previously concealed
earthquake signals, especially during the daytime, appeared much more clearly on seismometers in
urban areas during lockdown. We hope that our work will lead to further research on the seismic
lockdown with the aim of hunting for previously hidden signals from earthquakes and volcanoes.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/seismic-anthropogenic-noise-lockdown-covid19/
Accessed on 5th Aug 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
6th August 2020: Scientists scoff at Indian agency's plan to have COVID-19 vaccine ready for use
next month: NEW DELHI—The apparent speed at which an Indian government agency aims to test and
approve a homegrown COVID-19 vaccine has created an uproar among scientists both in India, which is
increasingly overwhelmed by the new coronavirus, and abroad. A letter leaked on Twitter on Friday
suggests the first vaccines could be rolled out by 15 August, which would leave far too little time for
proper testing, critics say. The Indian Academy of Sciences calls the timeline “unreasonable and without
precedent.”
Six Indian companies are developing vaccines against COVID-19. Last week, the Indian government gave
two of them, Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila, permission to start phase I and II human clinical trials of
their most advanced vaccines, named covaxin and ZyCov-D respectively.
For covaxin, Bharat Biotech has joined with the National Institute of Virology, which is part of the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR). (The company is separately developing COVID-19 vaccine
candidates in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and the University of
Wisconsin, Madison.)
Page 139 of 157
ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava revealed the extremely tight deadline in a letter to hospitals
designated to be involved in the Covaxin studies. “It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health
use latest by 15 August 2020 after completion of all clinical trials,” Bhargava wrote. He asked the
hospitals to fast-track all approvals for the vaccine and be ready to enroll participants “no later than 7
July 2020,” adding that “noncompliance will be viewed very seriously.”
But it’s absurd to think studies could show a vaccine to be safe and effective in less than 2 months, many
scientists say. “In my knowledge, such an accelerated development pathway has never ever been done for
any kind of vaccine,” says Anant Bhan, an independent ethics and policy researcher and past president of
the International Association of Bioethics. “This seems really, really rushed.” The timeline “carries
potential risks and provides inadequate attention to required safety procedures,” Bhan adds.
“Clinical trials cannot be rushed,” concurs Indian virologist and veteran vaccine researcher Thekkekara
Jacob John, formerly of the Christian Medical College in Vellore. Even when expedited, phase I and phase
II trials will take a minimum of 5 months, he says. The duration of a phase III trial would depend on
several factors, including the number of subjects enrolled and decisions by a data safety monitoring
board, but would probably add at least another 6 months, Jacob John says. “ICMR’s intentions may be
good but the processes have been vitiated and the risk is it can derail the vaccine,” he says.
Critics believe the target date is political: 15 August is India’s Independence Day, when Prime Minister
Narendra Modi traditionally climbs the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi to give a long speech touting his
government’s achievements and make major announcements.
Source: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/scientists-scoff-indian-agencys-plan-have-covid-
19-vaccine-ready-use-next-month
Accessed on 6th August 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
7th August 2020: 3 Covid-19 vaccine candidates set to enter final stage of trial. Here’s
everything you need to know about them: The companies which are the front runners in the race
to find a Covid-19 vaccine are Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax. Here is a look at how these companies are
preparing their vaccine candidates and where do they stand:
Moderna is developing the mRNA-1273 vaccine to fight the Sars-CoV-2 virus which causes the respiratory
disease known as Covid-19. The company announced last week that it has started phase 3 clinical trials in
the United States. The trial is being conducted at nearly 100 research sites in the US. Moderna had
conducted the second phase of clinical trial in May, but the results are available only for the first phase.
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine generated an immune system response, but many volunteers participating
in the company’s drug trial reported side effects like fatigue, chills, headache and muscle pain.
Pfizer has more than one vaccine candidate and CNN reported that it has started combined Phase 2/3
trial with one of them, BNT162b2. The vaccine is being developed jointly with German company
BioNTech. CNN further reported that the trials are being conducted at about 120 sites worldwide. Pfizer
is expected to apply for regulatory approvals as early as October. In its initial trial, the vaccine produced
antibodies and also generated immune response. Pfizer claimed that the vaccine created a tolerability
profile and led to mild side effects like fever, fatigue and chills.
Novavax will start the Phase 3 clinical trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate NVX-CoV2373 next month.
The first phase of the trial showed it generated antibodies to fight the coronavirus disease, the company
said in a release. It further claimed that the level of antibodies the vaccine generated was four times those
developed by the people who recovered from the coronavirus disease. Talking about the side effects,
Novavax said that the volunteers experienced muscle pain, nausea and joint pain, and at least of them had
Page 140 of 157
mild fever. The US-based company said that it has entered a supply and license agreement with Serum
Institute of India for the development and commercialisation of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate. The deal
was signed on July 30, according to an SEC filing by Novavax.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/3-covid-19-vaccine-candidates-set-to-enter-
final-stage-of-trial-here-s-everything-you-need-to-know-about-them/story-
c6WiI6BpU5w14ik7gm6zlM.html
Accessed on 7th Aug 2020 at 05:00 PM, IST
8th Aug 2020: Hong Kong offers free Covid-19 testing for all residents: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
says the semi-autonomous Chinese city will offer free coronavirus testing for all its 7.5 million residents
beginning in two weeks. Lam says such universal testing will help gauge the level of transmission in the
community, find those who may be carrying the virus but not showing symptoms and reassure the public.
She told reporters, “Put simply, anyone in the community who wants to do a test can take the test. We
won't care if they come from high-risk groups or not.” Lam says tests would be carried out in a manner to
avoid lines and maintain social distancing. Lam's government has already cited such concerns as the
reason for postponing elections for the city's Legislative Council originally scheduled for September in
what the opposition camp called a political move. Hong Kong has been struggling to contain a new
outbreak that has seen it adding around 100 new cases per day. The city has registered more than 3,800
cases with 46 deaths.
Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/hong-kong-offers-free-
covid-19-testing-for-all-residents-870697.html
Accessed on 8th Aug 2020 at 5.15 IST
8th Aug 2020: Heroic Overnight Car Relay Delivers Plasma For Assam COVID-19 Warrior:
Guwahati: When they say not all heroes wear capes, this is what they mean. A dozen young men from
Assam drove their car at breakneck speed on Saturday - almost like a relay race - handing over an ice box
with blood plasma from one group to another, covering a distance of 450 km from Guwahati to Dibrugarh
in less than 8 hours to save the life of a COVID-19 warrior battling the deadly infection in the ICU of the
Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) at Dibrugarh. It all started late evening on Friday when
Dibrugarh-based doctor and social worker Bhaskar Papukon Gogoi got a call about an urgent
requirement of blood plasma for Bijurani Gogoi, a staff nurse at the AMCH, who was infected with the
coronavirus in the line of duty and is battling for life. The plasma bank at AMCH had run empty, the
nearest option was Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH), but it also had no stock.
"I was able to get one unit of plasma at Guwahati Medical College but the issue was how it will be
brought. The government machinery is already overstretched with the COVID spike in Assam," said Dr
Gogoi who runs a plasma donation campaign of his own in Dibrugarh and had helped arrange blood
plasma for a few other patients in Dibrugarh in the past.
That is when Dr Gogoi dialled the Dibrugarh unit of the Marwari Yuva Manch (MYM), which is one of the
largest youth volunteer organisations in the country with members from the Marwari community living
across the country. Earlier this week, Dr Gogoi had organised blood plasma donation at Dibruagrh with
the help of MYM.
"At around 9 pm, our Dibruagrh unit informed us. We had in past been actively involved in Assam in
helping poor people, flood relief, blood donation but this was a new crisis but we decided to take the
responsibility of taking the blood plasma unit from Guwahati to Dibrugarh," Rahul Agarwal, the general
secretary of the northeast chapter of MYM told NDTV. MYM has nearly 7,000 active members in
northeast India.
Page 141 of 157
There was a huge challenge - inter-district movement in Assam is barred and there is night curfew every
day between 6 pm to 6 am and on weekends there is a total lockdown.
This where the President of MYM Northeast Mohit Nahata who lives in Kokrajhar activated all MYM units
between Guwahati to Dibrugarh. It was decided that each of the district unit will take the blood plasma to
their district border and the next district unit will be waiting at the border to take over. Mr Nahata
monitored the entire process over phone.
At 10:35 pm, Rahul Agarwal and Ravi Surekha received the blood plasma unit from Guwahati medical
college (GMC) and rushed to Nagaon, where they handed the unit over to their Nagaon team, which
handed it over to another team at Bokakhat.
"It was like a relay race, racing against time and opponent, handing over the baton. Bokakhat team gave it
to Jorhat, Jorhat team drove to the border of Sivasagar and Sivasagar team drove it to Moran and finally
Moran to Dibrugarh," Rahul Agarwal added.
"We had never done anything of this magnitude. We are happy that we pulled it off. Our teams were
stopped by police at several places but we showed the letter from GMC and between Jorhat to Moran our
teams had to negotiate heavy rain. All of us were awake, tracking the teams on the move through live
locations," said Subir Kejriwal who received the blood plasma at Dibrugarh at 6:14 am and handed over
to AMCH.
Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-heroic-overnight-car-relay-delivers-plasma-
for-assam-covid-19-warrior-2276472
Accessed on 9th Aug 2020 at 8 PM IST
10th August 2020: Aurobindo Pharma Limited is working on developing several viral vaccines
including one for COVID-19 even as the candidate was approved for funding by the Department of
BioTechnology, the company said in its latest annual report. "During the year (FY20), we have further
strengthened our presence in the vaccines segment through the acquisition of R&D assets from Profectus
Biosciences through Auro Vaccines. Using those R&D assets, the team is working on developing several
viral vaccines, including a vaccine for COVID-19," it said.
In November 2019, Aurobindo Pharma said its subsidiary Auro Vaccines LLC entered into a pact to
acquire certain business assets from Profectus BioSciences Inc USA for an upfront cash consideration of
USD 11.29 million (around Rs 80 crore) with potential earn-outs on achieving certain milestones.
"Our vaccine candidate underwent an evaluation by BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance
Council, Department of BioTechnology). BIRAC has evaluated our platform extensively and we have been
informed that our vaccine has been shortlisted by BIRAC for funding initial development up," the city-
based drug maker said in the annual report.
The company is developing Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV). The global market size of the
product is USD 6.2 billion. The company has successfully completed the Phase-I and Phase II studies.
Phase-III clinical study is expected to be initiated by December 2020. The final product would be
launched by the end of FY22, Aurobindo said.
"The acquisition (of Profectus BioSciences) will also lead to the enhancement of our R&D capabilities and
expertise in developing new vaccines from basic discovery to FDA approved products. As part of our
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commitment to patient needs, we have started working on developing a vaccine for COVID- 19," the
report said. Aurobindo is setting up manufacturing facilities for orals in China, injectables and other
routes of administration like patches, topicals, inhalers, among others in India and in the USA. Also, its
biosimilars (Unit XVII) and vaccines facilities (Unit XVIII) are ready for commercialisation. The COVID-19
pandemic impacted select business segments like generic injectables due to a decline in in- patient
volumes and out-patient footfalls in the hospitals during the last fiscal. However, the muted growth was
offset by volume improvement in other businesses.
Source: https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/aurobindo-pharma-working-on-covid-19-vaccine-
shortlisted-for-birac-funding-11596781930532.html
Accessed on 10th Aug 2020 at 5.15 PM IST
11th August 2020: UNESCO joins WHO to bolster youth actions combating COVID-19: On the
International Youth Day, WHO and UNESCO will recognize actions led by youth around the world to
combat the COVID-19 pandemic. A webinar on the topic of “Youth Engagement for Global Action” will
take place on 12 August, from 12:30 to 14:00 (CET). Speakers will include Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, Ms Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General, other experts from
the two organizations, and several youth representatives.
Young people in various fields are playing an instrumental role in the fight against the pandemic on the
frontlines and behind the screens. With over 70% of the world’s youth online, young people when
empowered can help to turn the tide of what UNESCO characterizes as the disinfodemic associated with
the coronavirus. The COVID-19 disinfodemic hinders the collective efforts to tackle this crisis and feeds
hate speech and socio-political polarization.
“By uniting youth experts and youth networks from across the world in the field of medicine, media and
information literacy, journalism, digital development, economic, culture, governance, etc., UNESCO and
WHO hope to stimulate other innovative and interdisciplinary solutions”, said Alton Grizzle, UNESCO
Programme Specialist in Media and Information Literacy. Youth health professionals and students are
providing support in hospitals, research centers and testing clinics. Through the Youth Committee of the
UNESCO-led Media and Information Literacy Alliance (GAPMIL) and other networks, youth leaders and
organizations have actively sought to teach their peers media and information literacy skills, translating
and disseminating reliable health information in local languages.
This multidisciplinary collective of youth has designed and conducted a research on young people’s
information consumption trends during the health crisis and how youth are responding to the crisis in
general. The results of the Global Youth Survey on COVID-19 launched by Global Shapers, the
International Federation of Medical Students' Associations, the #MoreViralThanTheVirus movement and
the GAPMIL Youth Committee, with the support of WHO and UNESCO, will also be presented during the
webinar.
Source: https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-joins-who-to-bolster-youth-actions-combatting-covid-19
Accessed on 11th August 2020 at 5:10 PM IST
12th August 2020: explained: Why Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine claims are being questioned: Russia
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine: Nearly nine months into the COVID-19 outbreak, Russia became the
first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine, dubbed “Sputnik V” (a reference to the
world’s first satellite), for civilian use, President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday, describing it as “a
very important step for the world”.
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Putin said the vaccine works “quite effectively” and “forms a stable immunity” against COVID-19. Putin
said that one of his daughters had tested the vaccine on herself and she was feeling well.
However, the vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute in collaboration with the country’s
defence ministry, has led to scepticism regarding its safety and effectiveness since it is being approved
for civilian use even before clinical trials are completed. Last week, the World Health Organisation
cautioned Russia against rushing through with its vaccine while Anthony Fauci, a top US public health
expert, expressed doubts over the shots being produced in China and Russia during testifying before a
panel of US lawmakers.
How does the Russian COVID-19 vaccine work? Russia’s vaccine is based on the DNA of a SARS-CoV-2 type
adenovirus, a common cold virus. The vaccine uses the weakened virus to deliver small parts of a
pathogen and stimulate an immune response. Speaking to Sputnik News, Alexander Gintsburg, director of
the Gamaleya National Research Centre, maintained that the coronavirus particles in the vaccine cannot
harm the body as they cannot multiply.
What have the vaccine trial results shown? So far, Russia has only made public the results of phase-I of the
clinical trials, which they claimed were successful and produced the desired immune response. In mid-
July, Russia’s TASS news agency said the Defence Ministry had claimed that none of the volunteers had
reported any complaints and experienced no side-effects. Phase I human trials started on June 17 among
76 volunteers, with most being recruited from the military. Half were injected with a vaccine in liquid
form and the other half with a vaccine that came as soluble powder.
When will the Russian vaccine be available? According to the news report, the phase-II trials were started
on July 13. On August 3, Russian media reported that Gamaleya Institute had completed clinical trials.
The reports, however, did not specify whether all the three stages of clinical trials were over, or only
stage-II was completed. Phase II trials usually take a few months to be completed. Interestingly, Russia
had earlier indicated that Phase III human trials, where a candidate vaccine is tested on tens of thousands
of people for its effectiveness in real-life situations, will be completed after the shot received regulatory
approval.
When will the Russian vaccine hit the market? Who will receive first? According to an AP report, Deputy
Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova has promised to start “industrial production” of the Gam-COVID-Vac
Lyo vaccine in September. However, the website of the State Register of Pharmaceuticals showed the
vaccine would appear in circulation starting on January 1, 2021. “Date of introduction to the civilian
circulation – 01.01.2021,” the site noted. Russia’s health minister said members of “risk groups” such as
medical workers might be offered the vaccine this month and a mass vaccination programme would be
launched in October. He said doctors and teachers would be among the first groups to be vaccinated.
Russia’s elite has been given the experimental vaccine as early as April. Russia has not yet declared the
price of the vaccine.
Why have experts raised concerns on the Russian Covid-19 vaccine? The superfast speed at which the
Russian vaccine has been produced, eclipsing front runners like Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer,
has led to experts flagging that the government has cut corners and may put citizens at risk. What has
raised the hackles of experts is the fact that human trials for the vaccine, which takes several years in
normal circumstances, have been completed in less than two months. Russia, however, has claimed that
this was made possible due to the fact that its Covid-19 vaccine candidate closely resembled a vaccine for
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) disease, caused by another coronavirus, that had already
been tested extensively. Lawrence Gostin, a global public health law expert at Georgetown University,
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told AP, “I’m worried that Russia is cutting corners so that the vaccine that will come out may be not just
ineffective, but also unsafe. It doesn’t work that way… Trials come first”.
Which countries have shown interest in Russian vaccine? Recently, Industry and Trade Minister Denis
Manturov said in an interview with TASS that “several thousands of doses” would be produced each
month this year and would be ramped up to “several million” doses in 2021. The head of the Russian
Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev, who has bankrolled the project, said in an interview that
more than 20 countries had shown interest in producing the Russian vaccine. “Our foreign partners
express great interest in producing this vaccine in their countries. There is great interest from Brazil,
from India, from many other countries that are very much looking forward to the Russian vaccine. More
than five countries are now actively working with us to start producing the vaccine,” Dmitriev told TASS.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-russia-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-claims-
are-being-questioned-6550134/
Accessed on 12th Aug 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
13th August 2020: ICMR sets August 15 deadline for world’s 1st COVID-19 vaccine: India’s topmost
medical research body ICMR said on Friday that it is attempting to launch the world’s first COVID-19
vaccine on August 15, triggering disbelief among scientists who say the process requires painstaking
trials and analysis and cannot reliably be completed in the six weeks that remain for the deadline.
The plan was disclosed in a letter by the Indian Council of Medical Research to 12 institutes where
human trials are to be held for the vaccine, Covaxin, ordering them to secure necessary approvals from
internal committees by July 7 with a warning that “non-compliance will be viewed very seriously”.
The vaccine has been jointly developed by ICMR and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech (BBIL), with the
latter itself previously indicating that a vaccine could take more time. In an interview to The New Indian
Express on Wednesday, Bharat Biotech chairman and managing director Krishna Ella said that if clinical
trials of Covaxin met safety and efficacy standards, the vaccine could be available for mass use by early
2021.
But ICMR has other plans as evident in the do-or-die tone of its letter.
“It is envisaged to launch the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August 2020 after completion of
all clinical trials. BBIL is working expeditiously to meet the target, however final outcome will depend on
the cooperation of all clinical trial sites involved in this project,” said the letter signed by Balram
Bhargava, the director-general of ICMR.
Clinical trials include a clutch of tightly monitored inoculation among sets of volunteers to test whether a
vaccine is safe and works – a process that on average has taken over 10 years. In a pandemic, this
timeline can be compressed, but most experts believe that is still likely to take 12-18 months – making
India’s plans on Covaxin scientifically implausible.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/icmr-sets-aug-15-deadline-for-world-s-1st-
covid-vaccine/story-ihgC6NFhEVeLFPBj9CLjHO.html
Accessed on: 13th August 2020 at 10.40 PM IST
14th August, 2020: Covid-19: Decoding the global search for a vaccine: Finding a vaccine for Sars-
CoV-2 has become the single-point agenda for the global scientific fraternity. No other disease has seen
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such unwavering focus in recent memory. The public believes — and rightly so — that the pandemic will
only be curtailed once an effective vaccine becomes available.
How many vaccines are currently being tested? As per the World Health Organization (WHO), there are
at least 28 coronavirus vaccines in clinical trials around the world, including four that have successfully
completed the phase 2 expanded safety trials. These have now entered phase 3 for wider testing and
assessing effectiveness. Another 150-plus are in the early stage of development.
Vaccines are an article of faith for all of us because they have eradicated diseases that have ravaged
humanity for millennia. The reason why vaccines are safe, and may perhaps be the most effective exit
strategy from an infectious pandemic, is because they have generally undergone years, if not decades, of
intensive research and development. The fastest vaccine ever developed is the one for mumps, and even
that took over four years.
However, with COVID-19, time is a luxury we can ill-afford. Even so, the major companies still estimate a
minimum of 12-18 months before a vaccine will be ready for manufacture. But so far, the prospects look
bright although it will be a heroic act if even this timeline is achieved. It is equally possible that the
effectiveness level of the best of the vaccine(s) may not be as high as one would desire.
Researchers have used many different methods for making proteins that are a “lookalike” of the S protein
of the original virus, but have the ability to trigger the immune system of the host to induce both a
neutralising antibody and a memory T-cell response.
Because vaccines eventually have to be administered to billions of healthy people, the path to their
development is often vigorous and time-consuming. The need to perform extensive animal studies to
ensure the safety and effectiveness of the product, prior to the extended human trials, cannot be
overstated. Further, careful monitoring is needed to document evidence of any undesirable side effects.
Of the several trials underway, a few are real front-runners. One is the vaccine, called ChAdOx1 designed
by Oxford University and developed by AstraZeneca. Made from a genetically-engineered virus that
causes the common cold in chimpanzees, it has been heavily modified such that it cannot cause infection
in humans. Published results on the phase 1/2 randomised-controlled trial of this vaccine involving 1,077
volunteers from ages 18 to 55 in the United Kingdom are promising so far. However, it is too early to
ascertain whether it is safe enough to offer protection.
Phase 3 trials of this vaccine involving variable age groups among different ethnic groups in several
countries are underway. There are other potentially viable candidates, including Sinovac from China and
BioNtech Pfizer from Germany, both of which have entered phase 3 trials.
Another vaccine that has shown promise is the one being developed by the US Biotech firm, Moderna,
based on a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) platform. Labelled as the mRNA-1273 vaccine, it has
revealed a good safety profile in all volunteers who received high doses. Crucially, the 100 microgram
dose group elicited high neutralisation antibody and robust memory T-cell responses. This vaccine has
also entered the crucial phase 3 trial stage.
India, with its world-class manufacturing hubs, is a powerhouse of vaccine production. About half of the
vaccine requirements of the world are met by India. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India is
partnering with AstraZeneca to produce bulk doses of its vaccine and has also received the Drug
Controller General of India’s permission to conduct phase 3 trials on over 1,400 volunteers from India.
Page 146 of 157
Besides, at least seven indigenous candidate vaccines are under various phases of trial in India, of which
two, namely Bharat Biotech and Zydus-Cadila, have already entered phase 1 trials after successful pre-
clinical testing.
The critical aspect of the process is to develop a protein that must be close to the original virus, and
against which the body is able to raise antibodies for neutralising the virus. Any deviation could lead to
the development of “blocking factors” through a process called Antibody Dependent Enhancement (ADE).
Simply put, rather than neutralising the virus, such antibodies could do the opposite, namely facilitate
further virus entry into cells. This has happened earlier for the dengue virus where the vaccine, rather
than conferring protection, actually acted like a silent primary infection.
Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research organised an international symposium to discuss novel
ideas in science and ethics of vaccines against Covid-19. Most speakers highlighted the need for adopting
best regulatory and ethical practices even at the cost of speed, full compliance of human rights and above
all, the need to develop policies and procedures for “equitable access”, should an effective vaccine
become available, possibly before next summer.
Until an appropriate vaccine becomes available as the exit strategy for Covid-19, people must also
contribute and help the health authorities slow the spread of the virus. Adopting simple habits in day-to-
day life such as social distancing, mask-wearing whenever in public places and regular hand-washing
would go a long way in controlling the infection.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/covid-19-decoding-the-global-search-for-a-
vaccine/story-nZqwqMLJTScDZ7VDKsmmwJ.html
Accessed on 14th Aug 2020 at 11.00 PM IST
15th August 2020: Russia starts production of coronavirus vaccine, shows report: Russia has
produced the first batch of its new vaccine for COVID-19, the Interfax news agency quoted the health
ministry as saying on Saturday, hours after the ministry reported the start of manufacturing.
Some scientists said they fear that with this fast regulatory approval Moscow may be putting national
prestige before safety amid the global race to develop a vaccine against the disease. Russia has said the
vaccine, the first for the coronavirus to go into production will be rolled out by the end of this month.
Its approval comes before trials that would normally involve thousands of participants, commonly
known as Phase III. Such trials are usually considered essential precursors for a vaccine to secure
regulatory approval.
The vaccine has been named "Sputnik V" in homage to the world's first satellite launched by the Soviet
Union. President Vladimir Putin has assured the public that it is safe, adding that one of his daughters had
taken it as a volunteer and felt good afterwards. Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, which developed the
vaccine, said previously that Russia would be producing about 5 million doses a month by December-
January, Interfax said.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/russia-starts-
production-of-covid-19-vaccine-report/articleshow/77561123.cms
Accessed on 15th August 2020 at 8.15 PM IST
Page 147 of 157
16th August 2020: 73 new variants of virus found: Study: Researchers from CSIR-Institute of
Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi and Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital,
Bhubaneswar have found 73 new variants of COVID 19 strain by conducting the genome sequencing of
1,536 samples over a period of three months.
Interestingly, two new genetic lineages - B.1.112 and B.1.99 - were found for the first time in India.
Though further extensive study is necessary, the lineages hint at new mutations of Covid-19 virus.
“There is a hint for new mutations from these two lineages. There are chances of getting new strains of
the virus. But, we are still studying if these can be called mutations at all or whether it can affect the
community and found in rest of the world,” Dr. Jayashankar Das, Lead Investigator and Director
(Research) of IMS and SUM Hospital, said.
The researchers insisted that the newly-found variants should not be confused with mutations at this
stage. “If these variants are subsequently found in different clusters or among more than one per cent of
the population, then we consider it to be mutation. But, at this point we can only conclude that these are
variants. Thus, no new strains of the virus with completely different characters have been found,” said
Das.The variations in the genetic sequences may have been caused due to various factors including
environmental or interaction with different host bodies, they explained.
The researchers are now studying the impact of these variants on human bodies. “At present, we can’t
say what kind of impact these variations are causing on the humans. But, the presence of variants
indicate that the virus is spreading fast,” added Das.
According to the researchers, the outcome of this study may help in conducting advanced hyper-
senstitive tests to identify the specific variant present in a host’s body. If the variant is identified in the
test results, the line of treatment and vaccine administration could be done in a more specified manner
with increased efficiency. The existing RC-PCR tests are confirmatory tests only.
The team of researchers at SUM hospital is also studying the characteristics of 500 viral genomes to
understand the causes leading to differences in symptoms, ranging from mild, moderate to critical among
different patients.
The study aims to learn more about the transmission capabilities of the virus. Successful outcomes of the
study may help researchers pave the path for genomic medicines to treat corona patients. With this
study, India beat 12 organisations in 10 countries to complete the first field validation and released the
data online, as per a report by Sequencing Giant tech Illumina. “This is the first ever attempt in the world
to have such a large scale detection, surveillance and genetic epidemiology of COVID-19 in a single run,”
Das claimed.
Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/aug/15/73-new-variants-of-virus-
found-study-2183731.html
Accessed on 16th Aug 2020 at 8.00 PM IST
17th August 2020: India eyes global front runners in Covid-19 vaccine plan: Covid-19 vaccines
being developed by UK’s Oxford-AstraZeneca and United States’s Moderna-NIAID are the top candidates
India is looking at for possible acquisition discussions, senior government officials aware of the country’s
vaccine strategy said, adding that a group of experts spearheading the process will hold a crucial meeting
on Monday with the heads of pharma firms involved in the development of some of the candidates.
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The government will also closely track the progress of candidates being tested by the Hyderabad-based
Bharat Biotech and Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila. Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has struck
a production and clinical trials deal with AstraZeneca for the AZD1222 vaccine, which has till now been
tested in the most number of people among the close to 200 options across the world.
According to one of the officials, India is at present waiting for trial data for the Russian candidate, which
last week became the first coronavirus vaccine to be approved in the world. “For now, we are looking at
the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is in co-production with Serum Institute of India for the Indian
market, and the Moderna vaccine, which has also entered phase 3 trails,” this person said, asking not to
be identified.
Nine other vaccine development programmes — including ones in Germany and Israel — are also being
looked at, this person added. These were part of discussions that were held at top government levels.
According to a second official, who too asked not to be named, the National Expert Group on Vaccine
Administration will hold its second meeting on Monday and discuss with granular details of procurement
processes and pricing with the heads of several pharma firms, including SII, Bharat Biotech and Zydus
Cadila.
Headed by Niti Aayog’s VK Paul and co-chaired by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, the panel will
meet at around 3.30pm, according to the health ministry’s meeting notice that was seen by HT. Adar C
Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, Krishna Ella, MD of Bharat Biotech, and Pankaj R Patel,
chairman of Zydus Cadila, have been invited for the meeting.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-eyes-global-front-runners-in-vaccine-
plan/story-U32PbpPPItEu9wOaY6au7I.html
Accessed on 17th Aug 2020 at 10.51 PM IST
18th August 2020: 3 Indian vaccines under trial: Pharmaceutical companies in India and around the
world are putting in great efforts to treat the coronavirus disease which has infected more than 20
million people so far. Many scientific studies are also being done as part of efforts to find treatments and
vaccines for Covid-19, the illness caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus.
A total of 26 vaccine candidates are being developed, according to the World Health Organisation, as a
process normally taking up to 15 years has been squeezed into a matter of months.
• In India, an expert committee on vaccine administration will meet on Wednesday to consider
“logistics and ethical aspects” of procurement and administration of vaccines against Covid-19, the
Uniomn health ministry said today. The committee will be chaired by NITI Aayog’s Dr VK Paul. The
coronavirus disease has infected more than 2.2 million people and killed over 44,000 in India.
• According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), three Indian vaccines are in different
phases of clinical testing at present. Two of these vaccines - Bharat Biotech vaccine and DNA vaccine
of Zydus Cadila have completed phase 1 and will begin phase 2 clinical trials, said the ICMR.
• Oxford vaccine, being manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) got approval for phase 2 and 3
clinical trials, which are starting within a week at 17 sites, the institute said.
• Karnataka’s deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said on Tuesday that the state
government is very keen to establish an Immunology and Vaccine Research Centre in Bengaluru in
collaboration with the Emory Vaccine Centre of Atlanta University.
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• Serum Institute of India (SII) had said last week that it has entered into a new partnership with
international vaccine alliance Gavi and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate manufacturing
and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for India as well as other low and
middle-income countries. SII CEO Adar Poonawalla told a TV channel that the company will start
manufacturing the vaccines by end of August.
• Globally, Russia is racing ahead to allow civilian use of a potential coronavirus vaccine before clinical
trials are complete. The government plans to give a vaccine developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya
Institute conditional registration as early as this week, which would open the door to civilian use.
This has led an industry body to call this rush dangerous for the common people. Yet less than 100
people had officially received the inoculation against the epidemic by early August and its
widespread use could be dangerous, the Association of Clinical Trials Organizations said in a letter
sent to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Monday.
• Meanwhile, Moderna has become the first company in the world to begin phase 3 testing of its
coronavirus vaccine. The tests are being carried out at its facilities in the United States. The tests
started on July 27 and the company plans to enroll 30,000 study subjects.
• Pfizer too started its combined phase 2 and 3 study on July 27 and hopes to enroll 30,000 volunteers
by September. The company’s CEO Albert Bourla said they have vaccinated more than 2,000 people
by first week of August.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covid-19-latest-updates-3-indian-vaccines-
under-trial-russia-to-allow-civilian-use-this-week/story-eUNncepriH354QPlOjXflK.html
Accessed on: 18th August 2020 at 10.00 PM IST
19th Aug 2020: Here’s how Covid-19 smell loss differs from common cold: The new research has
revealed how smell loss associated with COVID-19 infection differs from what you typically might
experience with a bad cold or flu.
The research from a European group of smell disorder experts, including Professor Philpott, was
conducted at the University of East Anglia. The study published in the journal Rhinology is the first to
compare how people with COVID-19 smell and taste disorders differ from those with other causes of
upper respiratory tract infections.
The main differences found are that, although COVID-19 patients also lose their sense of smell, they can
breathe freely, do not tend to have a runny or blocked nose, and they cannot detect bitter or sweet tastes.
These findings lend weight to the theory that COVID-19 infects the brain and central nervous system. The
research team hope that their work could help develop smell and taste tests for fast COVID-19 screening -
in primary care and emergency departments.
Lead researcher Prof Carl Philpott, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “The loss of smell and taste
is a prominent symptom of COVID-19, however, it is also a common symptom of having a bad cold. We
wanted to find out exactly what differentiates COVID-19 smell loss with the kind of smell loss you might
have with a cold and blocked-up nose.”
The research team carried out smell and taste tests on 10 COVID-19 patients, 10 people with bad colds
and a control group of 10 healthy people - all matched for age and sex.
Prof Philpott said: “We wanted to see if their smell and taste test scores could help discriminate between
COVID-19 patients and those with a heavy cold. We know that COVID-19 behaves differently to other
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respiratory viruses, for example by causing the body’s immune system to over-react, known as a cytokine
storm, and by affecting the nervous system.”
“So we suspected that patterns of smell loss would differ between the two groups. We found that smell
loss was much more profound in the Covid-19 patents. They were less able to identify smells, and they
were not able to identify bitter or sweet tastes. In fact, it was this loss of true taste which seemed to be
present in the COVID-19 patients compared to those with a cold.”
He added that this is very exciting because it means that smell and taste tests could be used to
discriminate between COVID-19 patients and people with a regular cold or flu. “Although such tests could
not replace formal diagnostic tools such as throat swabs, they could provide an alternative when
conventional tests are not available or when rapid screening is needed - particularly at the level of
primary care, in emergency departments or at airports.
This research also shows that there are altogether different things going on when it comes to smell and
taste loss for COVID-10 patients, compared to those with a bad cold. It has previously been suggested that
the COVID-19 virus affects the central nervous system, based on the neurological signs developed by
some patients. There are also similarities with SARS, which has also been reported to enter the brain,
possibly via smell receptors in the nose.
“Our results reflect, at least to some extent, a specific involvement at the level of the central nervous
system in some COVID-19 patients.” It is particularly interesting that COVID-19 seems to particularly
affect sweet and bitter taste receptors because these are known to play an important role in innate
immunity.“More research is needed to see whether genetic variation in people’s bitter and sweet taste
receptors might predispose them to COVID-19, or conversely, whether COVID-19 infection changes how
these receptors function, either directly or through a cytokine storm - the over-reaction of the body’s
immune system,” Philpott said.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/here-s-how-covid-19-smell-loss-differs-from-
common-cold/story-3Onzh1BbUsB9eWcZyK8TPP.html
Accessed on 19th August 2020 at 10.30 PM
20th Aug 2020: Successful Elimination of Covid-19 Transmission in New Zealand: Soon after initial
descriptions of an outbreak in Wuhan, China, were shared, reports in late January 2020
(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30260-9/fulltext. opens in new
tab) confirmed that COVID-19 was almost certain to become a serious pandemic. Despite New Zealand’s
geographic isolation, we knew that introduction of SARS-CoV-2 was imminent because of the large
numbers of tourists and students who arrive in the country each summer, predominantly from Europe
and mainland China. Our disease models indicated that we could expect the pandemic to spread widely,
overwhelm our health care system, and disproportionately burden indigenous Maori and Pacific peoples.
New Zealand began implementing its pandemic influenza plan in earnest in February, which included
preparing hospitals for an influx of patients. We also began instituting border-control policies to delay
the pandemic’s arrival.
New Zealand’s first COVID-19 case was diagnosed on February 26. By mid-March, it was clear that
community transmission was occurring in New Zealand and that the country didn’t have sufficient testing
and contact-tracing capacity to contain the virus. Informed by strong, science-based advocacy, national
leaders decisively switched from a mitigation strategy to an elimination strategy
(www.nzma.org.nz/journal-articles/new-zealands-elimination-strategy-for-the-covid-19-pandemic-and-
what-is-required-to-make-it-work. opens in new tab). The government implemented a stringent
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countrywide lockdown (designated Alert Level 4) on March 26. During this period of exponentially
increasing local cases, many people wondered whether these intensive controls would work. After 5
weeks, and with the number of new cases declining rapidly, New Zealand moved to Alert Level 3 for an
additional 2 weeks, resulting in a total of 7 weeks of what was essentially a national stay-at-home order.
In early May, the last known Covid-19 case was identified in the community and the person was placed in
isolation, which marked the end of identified community spread. On June 8, the government announced a
move to Alert Level 1, thereby effectively declaring the pandemic over in New Zealand, 103 days after the
first identified case.
New Zealand is now in the post elimination stage, which comes with its own uncertainties. The only cases
identified in the country are among international travelers, all of whom are kept in government-managed
quarantine or isolation for 14 days after arrival so they don’t compromise the country’s elimination
status. Of course, New Zealand remains vulnerable to future outbreaks arising from failures of border-
control and quarantine or isolation policies. Most jurisdictions pursuing containment (including
mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Australia) have experienced such setbacks and
have responded with rapid re-escalation of control measures. New Zealand needs to plan to respond to
resurgences with a range of control measures, including mass masking, which hasn’t been part of our
response to date.
New Zealand’s total case count (1569) and deaths (22) have remained low, and its COVID-related
mortality (4 per 1 million) is the lowest among the 37 Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development countries. Public life has returned to near normal. Many parts of the domestic economy are
now operating at pre-Covid levels. Planning is under way for cautious relaxing of some border-control
policies that may permit quarantine-free travel from jurisdictions that have eliminated Covid-19 or that
never had cases (e.g., some Pacific Islands).
The lockdown and consequent deferral of routine health care have undoubtedly had negative health
effects, although total national weekly deaths declined during the lockdown
(https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/pubhealthexpert/2020/07/10/weekly-deaths-declined-in-nzs-lockdown-but-
we-still-dont-know-exactly-why/. opens in new tab). To mitigate adverse economic effects, the
government instituted a spending program to support businesses and supplement the incomes of
employees who lost their jobs or whose jobs were threatened.
There are several lessons from New Zealand’s pandemic response. Rapid, science-based risk assessment
linked to early, decisive government action was critical. Implementing interventions at various levels
(border-control measures, community-transmission control measures, and case-based control measures)
was effective. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern provided empathic leadership and effectively
communicated key messages to the public — framing combating the pandemic as the work of a unified
“team of 5 million” — which resulted in high public confidence and adherence to a suite of relatively
burdensome pandemic-control measures. Future lessons for New Zealand include the need for stronger
public health agencies that can better assess and manage potential threats and for greater support for
international health organizations, notably the World Health Organization.
Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2025203
Accessed on 20th Aug 2020 at 8.35 PM IST
21st August 2020: Scientists recommend at least 40 pc humidity in public buildings to curb COVID-
19 spread: New Delhi, Aug 21 (PTI) In addition to measures like social distancing and wearing masks, an
Indian-German team of scientists recommend controlling indoor humidity conditions to contain the
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spread of the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19. The researchers, including those from CSIR
National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, said in order to contain the pandemic, it is extremely
important to implement standards for indoor air humidity in rooms with many people, such as hospitals,
open-plan offices, or public transport.
In their review of studies, published in the journal Aerosol and Air Quality Research, the scientists
specifically drew focus on relative humidity, which is a measure of water vapour in the air compared to
the total saturation of vapour that can exist in the air at its current temperature. According to the study,
a relative humidity of 40 to 60 percent could reduce the spread of viruses and their absorption through
the nasal mucous membrane. The scientists said tiny drops of five micrometres in diameter, such as those
produced when speaking, can float in the air for up to nine minutes.
"In aerosol research, it has long been known that air humidity plays a major role - The more humid the
air is, the more water adheres to the particles and so they can grow faster. So, we were curious - what
studies have already been conducted on this," explained Ajit Ahlawat, a co-author of the study from the
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Germany. According to the scientists, humidity
affects the behaviour of microorganisms within the virus droplets, and the survival or inactivation of the
virus on the surfaces. They said it also influences the role of dry indoor air in the airborne transmission of
viruses. "If the relative humidity of indoor air is below 40 per cent, the particles emitted by infected
people absorb less water, remain lighter, fly further through the room and are more likely to be inhaled
by healthy people," Ahlawat explained.
"In addition, dry air also makes the mucous membranes in our noses dry and more permeable to
viruses," he said. The scientists believe the new findings are particularly important for the upcoming
winter season in the northern hemisphere, when millions of people will be staying in heated rooms.
"Heating the fresh air also ensures that it dries. In cold and temperate climate zones, therefore, the
indoor climate is usually very dry during the heating season. This could encourage the spread of
coronaviruses," said study co-author Alfred Wiedensohler of TROPOS. At a higher humidity, the
scientists said droplets grow faster, fall to the ground earlier, and can be inhaled less by healthy people.
"A humidity level of at least 40 per cent in public buildings and local transport would therefore not only
reduce the effects of COVID-19, but also of other viral diseases such as seasonal flu. Authorities should
include the humidity factor in future indoor guidelines," added study co-author Sumit Kumar Mishra of
CSIR - National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi. For countries in cool climates, the scientists
recommend a minimum indoor humidity. They said countries in tropical and hot climates, on the other
hand, should take care that indoor rooms are not extremely undercooled by air conditioning systems.
When air is extremely cooled, it dries out the air and the particles in it, making people inside the room
feel comfortable, but the dry particles will remain in the air for longer duration, the researchers warned.
They added that the measures already known, such as social distancing, having as few people per room
as possible, and wearing masks should also be practised to lower the risk of infection.
Source: https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/international/2020/08/21/lst1-virus-indoor-spread-
humidity.html
Accessed on 21st August 2020 at 8.12 PM IST
22nd August 2020: Speed, safety, fairness key for Covid-19 vaccine: WHO regional Director: The
availability of COVID-19 vaccines would depend on the outcome of the clinical trials that are still ongoing.
While several candidate vaccines are progressing to phase III trials, it cannot be said with certainty what
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the results of these trials will be – both in terms of efficacy and safety, said Dr Poonam Khetralpal Singh,
the World Health Organisation’s regional director for South-East Asia.
“Vaccine Nationalism” must not stop equitable access to a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-
19) when it is eventually discovered, international experts said at an Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR) conference on novel ideas in science and the ethics of vaccines against the pandemic.India, with
its vaccine manufacturing capability, would play an important role in access to a vaccine once it becomes
available, US infectious disease expert Dr Antony Fauci said at the event via video conferencingon July 30.
Dr Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, stressed the need to make
vaccines both accessible and acceptable to the people.
Dr Poonam Khetralpal Singh, the World Health Organisation’s regional director for South-East Asia, said
in an interview with Anonna Dutt that governments, health agencies and civil society must work together
to ensure those who need it the most get vaccinated on a priority basis, irrespective of their nationality,
where they live, their education levels, socioeconomic status, or gender. Dr Singh's responses to some of
the key questions on the subject:
When to expect availability of first vaccine: Traditionally, it takes 5-10 years, or even more, for a new
vaccine to be developed before it can be used in humans. In view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic
which continues to affect millions of people across the world, timelines are being compressed to develop
a vaccine as soon as possible. However, despite accelerated efforts, the availability of Covid-19 vaccines
would depend on the outcome of the clinical trials that are still ongoing. While several candidate vaccines
are progressing to phase III trials, it cannot be said with certainty what the results of these trials will be –
both in terms of efficacy and safety – and by when we will have a vaccine available for use in populations.
Once developed, a Covid-19 vaccine must be considered a global public good that can be accessed by all
of humanity. To facilitate this, WHO co-launched the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator and is
supporting the COVAX Facility. Both these mechanisms are expected to help low- and middle-income
countries gain rapid and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. Speed, safety and fairness are the
key principles that should be followed for Covid-19 vaccines.
Will the speed of vaccine development affect acceptability: How can governments increase confidence in
the vaccine: The confidence and trust in the vaccine will be critical. The speed of vaccine development
should not affect community trust if scientific and ethical standards are applied during the development
of the vaccine. To increase confidence in the potential vaccines, a transparent communication strategy on
the efficacy and safety of the vaccine will be critical and addressing concerns of the people will be equally
important. We have lessons from other vaccination programmes such as polio that can be emulated for
increasing acceptability of Covid-19 vaccines. The regulatory authorities will play an important role in
building confidence in the vaccine by ensuring that licensure of these vaccines is based on standards laid
down for this purpose. Post-marketing surveillance to assess any adverse events would further help
enhance confidence in the vaccine.
In the past – as with the H1N1 pandemic – the vaccine was available after the peak of the disease was over.
How have things been done differently now: The speed of COVID-19 vaccine development has been
extraordinary. Work on developing vaccines began as soon as Chinese scientists published the sequence
on 11 January. First phase 1 trial started 8-10 weeks after that. WHO has been involved in R&D efforts
since January 2020. Currently, over 165 candidate vaccines are at some stage of development. Of these,
about 26 vaccine candidates are in human trial. We know of at least 3-4 going into phase III.
AstraZeneca/Oxford, Moderna and CanSino are in or starting phase III; we also understand that a Russian
candidate vaccine is entering this phase. There are several others currently in phase I/II, which will enter
Page 154 of 157
phase III in the coming two months. We have a very robust pipeline – the more candidates, the more
opportunities for success.
Should controlled human infection model studies be allowed to speed up human trials for Covid-19 vaccines:
There are benefits and risks associated with controlled human infection studies or “human challenge
studies”. However, these studies can be particularly valuable for testing vaccines and can help provide
(preliminary) estimates of efficacy and safety. Such studies can be used to compare the efficacy of
multiple vaccine candidates and thus select the most promising vaccines for larger studies. Well-designed
challenge studies might thus not only accelerate COVID-19 vaccine development, but also make it more
likely that the vaccines ultimately deployed are more effective. Challenge studies are also used to study
infection and immunity. Such findings could significantly improve the overall public health response to
the pandemic.
How is ample production and equitable access being ensured: In April 2020, a global collaboration of
governments, global health organizations civil society groups, businesses and philanthropies came
together to form the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, or the ACT Accelerator. The idea is to form a
plan for an equitable response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are four pillars under the ACT
Accelerator, of which vaccines is one. A COVAX Facility has been established recently under the vaccine
pillar of the ACT Accelerator to manage the large, diverse portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines that are under
development, to ensure a global sharing of risks associated with the development of Covid-19 vaccines
and an equitable access based on fair allocation of the available vaccines. The COVAX Facility is a
mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. By
connecting a pool of demand to a pool of supply, it will allow countries access to a broad portfolio of
COVID-19 vaccines and provide manufacturers access to a demand-secure market. All countries are being
invited to participate in the facility. The participating countries are expected to receive access to vaccines
procured by the Facility at the negotiated price. WHO is also developing a global allocation framework,
for vaccines and other COVID-19 tools, based on fair and equitable access principles. The framework is
currently being developed with member-state input. Along with accelerating research and ensuring
manufacturing capacity, WHO is also working with countries to develop regulatory capacity, as well as
supportive policies and delivery channels. These will be essential to get a successful vaccine out to
people. WHO is committed to and will continue to advocate to countries to ensure that as medicines and
vaccines are developed, they are shared equitably with all countries and people.
Who should receive the vaccines first: This was discussed extensively at the recent International
Symposium on Novel ideas in Science and Ethics of Vaccines against Covid-19 pandemic, in which leading
experts from across the globe participated. It is anticipated that the initial tranche of doses will be made
available to all countries to ensure health and other essential frontline workers can be immunized,
followed by other high-risk populations. The allocation framework for COVID-19 vaccines also aims to
help countries prioritize at-risk populations as they develop in-country vaccination strategies.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/speed-safety-fairness-key-for-vaccine-who-
regional-director/story-HCKQgn8bt2tkHetihgkVmL.html
Accessed on 22nd Aug 2020 at 4.50 PM IST
23rd August 2020: COVID-19 pandemic in Assam- introduction and spread: The first case of the
COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian state of Assam was reported on 31 March 2020. As of 22 August 2020,
the Government of Assam has confirmed a total of 84,317 positive cases of COVID-19 including 60,348
recoveries, three migrations and 213 deaths in the state. The state's as well as northeast's largest city,
Guwahati, has been worst affected by coronavirus.
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The COVID-19 outbreak in Assam has been traced to persons who attended the conference of the Tablighi
Jamaat religious organisation at Nizamuddin Markaz (Delhi) and did not report to the authorities after
their return to Assam. Out of the total patients of COVID-19 in Assam – 37 are either attendees or
contacts of Tablighi Jamaat. The COVID-19 tally in Assam also shoots up due to some pilgrims of Ajmer
Sharif Dargah (Rajasthan), who arrived in the Silchar city of Cachar district by bus on 6 May. Later on, 10
pilgrims tested positive for coronavirus and the others were sent to quarantine as per guidelines. The
state has also begun witnessing a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases as the migrant workers and
many people of Assam stranded in other parts of the country returned to Assam. Many of them tested
positive for coronavirus when they were in quarantine in the respective quarantine centres of the state.
In the fight against coronavirus, many frontline warriors of COVID-19 have also tested positive in Assam.
Though many of them have later recovered, a very few have lost their lives. So far, the Assam Police has
registered 3,005 COVID-19 cases among its personnel. Of them, 2,274 have recovered, 723 are
undergoing treatment, while eight have lost their lives to the virus.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Assam
Accessed on 23rd Aug 2020 at 12.00 PM IST
24th August 2020: India accelerates PPE production with increased demand at Global platforms:
Under India's 'Make in India' spirit" campaign which has revamped in a new local format as
"Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan" has resulted in providing resilience and self-sufficiency" to the country
for various medical equipment including personal protective equipment. India is massively turning the
opportunity to develop its domestic healthcare market for the production of medical equipment, masks,
PPE kits, ventilators, and many more.
According to recent reports, India exported 23 lakh PPE to five countries including the US, the UK, the
UAE, Senegal, and Slovenia in July, after the government relaxed export norms. This has substantially
helped the country to position itself in the global market of these kits.
"Between March and August 2020, they have procured 1.40 crore indigenous PPE from their own
budgetary resources. During the same period, the Centre has distributed 1.28 crore PPE to states, UTs
and central institutions, free of cost," the ministry said in a statement.
With the combined efforts of ministries of health, textiles, pharmaceuticals, the Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Defence Research and Development Organisation and others,
India has hugely ramped up its own manufacturing capacity.
As per the recent statement from Health Ministry, "In view of the strengthened domestic production
capacity and having met the domestic requirements for PPE, the revised notification of the Director-
General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in July 2020 permitted export of these kits".
Source: https://www.thehansindia.com/live-updates/telangana-hyderabad-and-andhra-pradesh-india-
coronavirus-live-updates-today-23-august-2020-641128
Accessed on: 24th August 2020 at 5.00 PM IST
25th August 2020: Gorillas, Orangutans, Whales too at high Covid-19 risk: Study: New York:
Humans are not the only species facing a potential threat from the novel coronavirus, but several
critically-endangered gorillas, orangutans, gibbons, gray whales and bottlenose dolphins as well as
Chinese hamsters are also at an equal risk of getting infected, say researchers.
Page 156 of 157
Domestic animals such as cats, cattle and sheep have been found to have a medium risk and dogs, horses
and pigs were found to have low risk for contracting the deadly disease to date. According to a new study
from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), endangered species are predicted to be at Covid-19
risk. An international team of scientists used genomic analysis to compare the main cellular receptor for
the virus in humans called angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) in 410 different species of
vertebrates, including birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
ACE2 is normally found on many different types of cells and tissues, including epithelial cells in the nose,
mouth and lungs. In humans, 25 amino acids of the ACE2 protein are important for the virus to bind and
gain entry into cells. The researchers used these 25 amino acid sequences of the ACE2 protein, and
modeling of its predicted protein structure together with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, to evaluate how
many of these amino acids are found in the ACE2 protein of the different species.
“Animals with all 25 amino acid residues matching the human protein are predicted to be at the highest
risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 via ACE2,” said Joana Damas, first author for the paper and a
postdoctoral research associate at UC Davis. “The risk is predicted to decrease the more the species’
ACE2 binding residues differ from humans,” Damas said in a paper published in the journal Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences. Several critically-endangered primate species, such as the Western
lowland gorilla, Sumatran orangutan and Northern white-cheeked gibbon, are predicted to be at very
high risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 via their ACE2 receptor.
Other animals flagged as high risk include marine mammals such as gray whales and bottlenose dolphins,
as well as Chinese hamsters. Research has shown that the immediate ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 likely
originated in a species of bat. Whether bats directly transmitted the novel coronavirus directly to
humans, or whether it went through an intermediate host, is not yet known, but the study supports the
idea that one or more intermediate hosts was involved.
The data allows researchers to zero in on which species might have served as an intermediate host in the
wild, assisting efforts to control a future outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human and animal
populations. “The data provide an important starting point for identifying vulnerable and threatened
animal populations at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said Harris Lewin, lead author for the study and a
distinguished professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis.
Source: https://ommcomnews.com/india-news/gorillas-orangutans-whales-too-at-high-covid-19-risk-
study
Accessed on 25th Aug 2020 at 5.10 PM IST
26th August 2020: Here’s how effective COVID-19 vaccine needs to be to stop the coronavirus
pandemic: Using a computer simulation model, scientists in the US have assessed the effectiveness and
coverage levels a potential COVID-19 vaccine needs to have in order to completely extinguish the disease
spread, an advance that may help shape expectations for policy makers. The study, published in the
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, evaluated the impact of introducing a vaccine in the US with
varying abilities to protect against infection without other measures, such as social distancing, in place.
According to the scientists, including those from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health
Policy in the US, the overall goal of the research was to identify the vaccine efficacy thresholds above
which vaccination could prevent a wave of the epidemic, or extinguish an ongoing epidemic. They
assumed a range of possible scenarios to carry out the simulation rather than predict exactly what will
happen with the current pandemic.
Page 157 of 157
“The aim was to represent the spectrum of possibilities if social distancing measures were relaxed
completely,” the researchers wrote in the study.
If only 60 per cent of the population gets vaccinated, the study noted that the efficacy of the vaccine
should be around 80 per cent to prevent an epidemic, and 100 per cent to extinguish an ongoing
epidemic. The simulation experiments carried out by the scientists revealed that to prevent an epidemic,
the vaccine efficacy has to be at least 60 per cent when the immunisation coverage is 100 per cent. In the
research, the scientists assumed the reproduction number, which is the number of people that a person
carrying the virus goes onto infect, as between 2.5 and 3.5.
They said the vaccine efficacy threshold rises to 70 per cent when coverage drops to 75 per cent, and up
to 80 per cent when coverage drops to 60 per cent for an assumed reproduction number of 2.5.
According to the study, when coverage drops to 75 per cent for a reproduction number of 3.5, they said
the efficacy rises to 80 per cent. In order to extinguish an ongoing epidemic, the scientists said the
vaccine efficacy has to be at least 60 per cent when the coverage is 100 per cent, and at least 80 per cent
when coverage drops to 75 per cent to reduce the peak. They said the reduction under this scenario
happens by 85–86 per cent, 61–62 per cent, and 32 per cent when vaccination occurs after 5, 15, and 30
per cent of the population, respectively, have already been exposed to the deadly virus. The study noted
that a vaccine with an efficacy between 60 and 80 per cent could still obviate the need for other measures
under certain circumstances such as much higher, and in some cases, potentially unachievable,
vaccination coverages.
“Some are pushing for a vaccine to come out as quickly as possible so that life can ‘return to normal.’
However, we have to set appropriate expectations,” said study co-author Bruce Y. Lee from the CUNY
Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy in the US. “Just because a vaccine comes out doesn’t
mean you can go back to life as it was before the pandemic,” Lee said. He cautioned that for vaccines, like
many other products, “what matters is not just that a product is available, but also how effective it is.”
The scientists believe the study’s findings can provide targets for vaccine developers as well as shape
expectations for policy makers, business leaders, and the general public.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/health/here-s-how-effective-covid-19-vaccine-needs-to-be-
to-stop-the-coronavirus-pandemic/story-f8e6sJdbwwiZrTPSAuV8LL.html
Accessed on 26th Aug 2020 at 5 PM IST