91 Nations vulnerable to new strain due to Indian vaccine export ban

91 Nations are vulnerable to the B1.617.2 strain after India has stopped export of vaccines claimed WHO: After being hit by the deadly and life taking second wave, New Delhi has banned all exports and started redirecting supplies for domestic use. India’s decision to ban exports and redirect supplies for domestic use has made a severe impact on those 91 Nations who were totally dependent on products of Serum Institute of India (SII), Covishield or AstraZeneca and the upcoming Novavax.

Without sufficient stocks these counties which are majorly African will remain Susceptible to the deadly B1.617.2 variant which was primarily found in India, said WHO . As per a chief scientist of World Health Organization, “91 countries are impacted by the shortage of supplies, particularly since the AstraZeneca parent company has not been able to compensate for the doses which have not come from Serum,” . The scientist stated that these nations are very vulnerable to new and more Transmissible strains including the B1.617.2 variant also.

The scientist added, “not just B.1.617.2, but other variants will emerge in other countries and spread around the world…We know that these variants spread very quickly. Even before they can be recognised, they are already spreading around the world. The same thing happened with the 117 [variant], now dominant“. As per an agreement signed between AstraZeneca and Serum Institute of India(SII) , SII was expected to supply a billion doses for low and middle income countries, with a commitment to provide 400 million doses by 2020 i.e. last year. All of this was to be delivered by Gavi, an international vaccine alliance.

The scientist also said that “most African countries, unfortunately, have vaccinated less than 0.5 per cent of their populations and haven’t even vaccinated all their healthcare workers,“.She also added that “if we continue having this inequitable distribution of available vaccines, we will see some countries going back to some degree of normalcy in their life, while other countries are hit very hard and continue to be hit hard by subsequent waves,“.

But after being hit heavily by the second wave, India stopped exports of it’s vaccines and redirected those for domestic use for vaccinating the natives. In this process, the nations which were dependent on Gavi and on Indian vaccines were left amid. As per some data, rich nations like US, UK, Israel, Canada and the European Union already ordered millions of vaccines from multiple vendors even before the vaccines were approved.

Now when there are no more options for the other countries, WHO has said that it hopes India will continue it’s exports again maybe somewhere at last of this year so that the other nations could also be vaccinated. The institution is “really going out with a plea to all countries to share their doses so that vulnerable groups can be protected before we start expanding to other groups such as children“. By the end of May, India has vaccinated about 3.5% of it’s total population. Indian government has also estimated that by the end of 2021 it will vaccinate every Indian.

Government plans to deliver one crore vaccine doses per day from July

The increase of vaccinations against covid 19 on a mission mode is planned by the centre. An average of around one crore vaccines per day is going to be the target implementation around mid of July and August. The local production and supplies of Sputnik v are likely to start along with the improvement of vaccine supplies in Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India. Only around 2 months left, once the supplies got improved there will be a huge raise in the number of vaccinations per day. While, the present estimates that in the month of July around 20 crore doses are likely to be supplied and it may increase further if vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are imported and enter the market. The chairperson of the National Task Force, N K Arora stated that they are aiming to give one crore vaccinations every single day and will have 20 to 25 crore of vaccine doses by the end of August. To have more number of covid 19 vaccinations sites with the usage of entire network of one lakh child immunisation centres especially in the remote areas has planned by the government. The states of India were asked by the government centre to schedule vaccination slots and publish them accordingly with whole safety measures.

13 beautiful words you probably never heard of!

Language is art. The calm you get when gazing at art is unparalleled, they say. Little did they know about the sweet words in a language that could sway the souls of millions. Each language has its own charm, wrapping its arms around people whose only solace is words. Keeping aside all distress, gloom and melancholy, I am going to take you places today.

Is it just me, or does your mind couple certain words with visualized scenarios that transport you magically and everything starts to fall into place and just make sense? If you are like me, then get ready for a hell of a ride! I am going to give you 13 never heard words from different languages, with deep, beautiful meaning behind. Tuck in tight. Check the last word for a twist!

Beautiful words that just make sense

1. Zenith (Arabic)

Pronunciation: zen.ɪθ

Meaning: the best or most successful part of time. Astronomy: Highest point reached my a heavenly body

Sample sentence: The sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky.

2. Gumusservi (Turkish)

Pronunciation: goo-moo-SAIR-vee

Meaning: moonlight shining on water

Sample sentence: To see a silvery trail of gumusservi alone in the quiets of night is paradise on earth.

Gumusservi- Moonlight on water
Gumusservi- Moonlight on water

 

3. Vellichor (English)

Pronunciation: vel-li-kor

Meaning: the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time.

Sample sentence: As she entered the dust filled store, she was overcome with vellichor.

4. Eldritch (English)

Meaning: weird and sinister or ghostly.

Sample sentence: The woman, whose voice had risen to a kind of eldritch sing-song, turned with a skip, and was gone.

5. Moonbow (English)

Pronunciation: moon-bow

Meaning: a rainbow caused by reflection and refraction of moon light.

Sample sentence:

A moonbow
A moonbow- rainbow at night

6. Arcane (French)

Pronunciation: ɑːˈkeɪn

Meaning: secret, mysterious, only understood by a few.

Sample sentence: The arcane knowledge he possessed was envied by the Gods.

7. Halcyon (English)

Pronunciation: ˈhælsɪən

Meaning: a time in the past that was calm and peaceful, happy and prosperous.

Sample sentence: She recalled the halcyon days of her childhood, innocent and free.

8. Eunoia (Greek)

Pronunciation: you-no-ya

Meaning: well mind/beautiful thinking

Sample sentence: His compassion and eunoia make him a fantastic candidate.

9. Orenda (Huron)

Pronunciation: aw-ren-duh

Meaning: a mystical force present in all people that empowers them to affect the world, or to effect change their own lives.

Sample sentence: The orenda of the rabbit controls the snow.

10. Charmolypi (Greek)

Pronunciation: char-mo-lip

Meaning: a mixed feeling of happiness while being sad.

Sample sentence: Staring at the sunset, she was overwhelmed by the feeling of charmolypi.

11. Scintilla (Latin)

Pronunciation: sɪnˈtɪlə

Meaning: a tiny trace or spark of a specified quality or feeling.

Sample sentence: I felt a scintilla of guilt washing over me as I saw her walking away.

12. Chatoyant (French)

Pronunciation: ʃəˈtɔɪənt

Meaning: showing a band of bright luster caused by reflection from inclusions in the stone.

Sample sentence: She was attired in a silk dress with chatoyant effects in red and green.

13. Maanvizhi (Tamil)

Pronunciation: The ‘zh’ sound cannot be represented in phonetics and is unique to the language itself(Tamizh). It is pronunced by rolling your tongue inwards making sure it doesn’t touch the roof of your mouth. Watch this to learn how to pronounce it.

Meaning: A person(usually female) whose eyes is like a baby deer’s eye

The letter 'zha' in tamil
The letter ‘zha’ in tamil

 

These are a few words that I curated overtime and found them to be so beautifully formed. They resonate a unique feeling when pronouncing them. I have given to you only a very few words from very few languages across the world. There are certainly many words that I’ve missed. Do comment your favorite ones.

 

Bengal CM refuses to release chief secretary; request PM to rescind transfer order

The West Bengal Government requested the centre to rescind the latest order regarding transfer of its Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay on the normal date of his superannuation. In a letter sent to the Prime Minister this morning, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee informed that the state government cannot release its Chief Secretary at this critical hour.

Maharashtra deputy CM virtually inaugurates drive-in vaccination centre in Hadapsar area of Pune

Maharashtra, a drive-in vaccination centre in Hadapsar area of Pune was virtually inaugurated by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. The drive-in vaccination centre will cater to elderly and divyangs. Pune leads in the vaccination drive in the state. Kolhapur guardian minister, Satej Patil has asked the concerned authorities to prepare the list of students below 18 years having co-morbidities in eight days.

Mr. Patil also said that one hour counselling sessions of students should be done by teachers online to allay fear among them. He said to fight the possible third wave of COVID-19 teachers, parents and health machinery should come together, adding that a protocol will be prepared in the next four days listing out the measures to take care of kids and students. The Maharashtra Government has facilitated walk-in vaccination of students studying abroad. Accordingly, arrangements have been made at three vaccination centres of the Mumbai civic body. Meanwhile, borders of districts and corporations having more than 20 percent positivity L will be totally closed and no person will be allowed to enter or exit from such districts.

Nashik district authority to take help of local dialects of tribals to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination drive

In Maharashtra’s Nashik, the district authority has been taking help of local dialects of the tribals to clear apprehensions and to facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Nashik zilla parishad’s chief executive officer, Leena Bansod said that there have been  certain misconceptions among tribals regarding the vaccination drive. Hence, she said, the district authority has been making use of local dialects of the tribals to create awareness on the benefits of taking the vaccine against COVID-19.

Ms. Bansod further said that audio-video clips have been made in these local dialects to create awareness

Meghalaya records 408 new COVID19 cases

In Meghalaya, the number of active cases is on a steady decline as the State recorded 408 fresh new cases against 977 recoveries in the last 24 hours. Directorate of Health Services in a statement said that the number of total active cases stands at 6913 while that of recovered cases has reached 28,107. In the last 24 hours, 14 deaths were reported; nine from East Khasi Hills district, two from Ri Bhoi district and one each from South West Garo Hills, South West Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts. The total number of COVID 19 fatalities in Meghalaya has reached 578 out of which the maximum number of deaths has been recorded from East Khasi Hills district with 469 deaths followed by West Jaintia Hills district with 38 fatalities and West Garo Hills district with 26 deaths.

Gujarat records 1871 new cases of COVID-19 in last 24 hours

Gujarat has recorded 1871 new cases of COVID 19 yesterday. According to the state health department, 5146 patients recovered during the last 24 hours and were discharged from the hospitals.

Total 7 lakh 62 thousand 670 patients have recovered from Covid19 in Gujarat till now. The recovery rate further improved and reached up to 94.40 percent. Maximum 237 new cases of Covid19 reported from Ahmedabad. Vadodara recorded 216 new cases, while Surat recorded 139 new cases. 25 patients lost their lives yesterday. With these, the death toll due to Covid19 in the state has reached up to 9815.  Gujarat has now 35 thousand 403 active cases at present, out of which 521 patients are on ventilator. 1 lakh 83 thousand 70 persons have been vaccinated in the state yesterday.

The residents of Mount Olympus

12 Greek gods were considered to be the main gods, the most important deities in Greek mythology. They resided on Mount Olympus where the throne of Zeus is considered to be situated according to Greek Mythology.

I have mentioned the Twelve Olympians in the list below:

  1. ZEUS: Zeus is referred to as the king of gods, the allfather, the chief of gods. He was born to Cronus and Rhea. Zeus was horrified with human sacrifice and so he flooded the world to wipe out humans. Throughout history, he is depicted as someone who terrorized humans by thunder and lightning.
  2. HERA: Hera is known as the Queen of Gods, matron goddess. She is Zeus’s sister as well as wife. She is the goddess of marriage, family, childbirth. Hera is famous for her jealousy so much so that even Zeus was scared of her rage.
  3. POSEIDON: Poseidon is the god of the horses, sea, oceans, and earthquakes. He was the second son of Cronus and Rhea.
  4. DEMETER: Sister and wife to Zeus, Demeter is the god of harvest, fertility, agriculture, sacred law. She also bore Plutus to Lasion. Her favorite animal is the pig.
  5. ATHENA: She is the goddess of war and wisdom. She was also known for spinning and weaving. No one is better than her domains i.e., war and wisdom, she is so fierce that even Ares fears her.
  6. APOLLO: He is the God of Oracles, archery, arts and music, knowledge, sunlight, herds, and protection of the young. His parents are Zeus and Leto. He is also considered the most beautiful Greek god. He is known as an averter of evil.
  7. ARTEMIS: Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo, Artemis is considered as the goddess of wild animals, hunting, vegetation, and childbirth.
  8. ARES: Son of Hera and Zeus, Ares is the god of war. He was not worshipped much because of his brutality and cruel nature. Although Athena was also the goddess of war, she represented a strategic part of the war, unlike Ares who represented killing.
  9. APHRODITE: She is the goddess of desire, love, beauty. According to Iliad, Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. She was married to Hephaestus but she was not faithful to him because she cheated on him several times.
  10. HEPHAESTUS: Known as “the celestial artificer”, Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmiths. He is portrayed as ugly and unfit, unlike other Greek gods. He is one of the many children of Zeus and Hera.
  11. HERMES: Hermes is the god of travelers, road, thieves, athletes. He is considered the herald of gods. He can move easily between the mortal world and the divine with the help of his winged sandals.
  12. HESTIA/BACCHUS: Other than the above-mentioned 11 gods, either Hestia or Bacchus is considered the twelfth god to reside on Mount Olympus. Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, virginity, home, and family. Bacchus is the god of wine, theatre, and ritual madness.

COVID-19 vaccination.

As the new coronavirus continues to spread around the world, the vaccine is seen as the best way to stop it. Everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1. Anyone who has an allergy to any component of the vaccine, should not take it. While COVID-19 vaccine supplies are limited, health workers at high risk of exposure and older people should be prioritized for vaccination.

Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine which means that it is made up of killed coronaviruses, making it safe to be injected into the body.Bharat Biotech, a 24-year-old vaccine maker with a portfolio of 16 vaccines and exports to 123 countries, used a sample of the coronavirus, isolated by India’s National Institute of Virology.The two doses are given four weeks apart. The vaccine can be stored at 2C to 8C.Some mild symptoms AEFIs may occur like injection site pain, headache, fatigue, fever, body ache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness-giddiness, tremor, sweating, cold, cough and injection site swelling. No other vaccine-related serious adverse effects have been reported.It is your choice to receive or not receive COVAXIN . other vaccines. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not get the vaccine as the effect of the vaccine has not been studied in pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Covishild is a recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein. Following administration, the genetic material of part of corona virus is expressed which stimulates an immune response.People aged 65 and older are less likely to experience common side effects.

More than 1 in 10 people may experience:

feeling tired
tenderness, bruising, pain or itching in the arm where you had the vaccine injection
headache
muscle pain
joint pain
nausea
fever (temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or above)

Sputnik V Covid-19 Vaccine: Sputnik V is a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine, which has an efficacy of over 91 per cent, according to a publication in scientific journal The Lancet.Made by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow, Sputnik V is a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine using a similar platform to Covishield — the most widely used vaccine in India since the government’s immunisation programme began in January. So far, DRL has only received 150,000 doses of this vaccine from Russia. The company expects more doses soon. According to its agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has been in charge of signing agreements for supply of this vaccine across the world, India is expected to get at least 250 million doses, which will be sufficient to inoculate 125 million people. However, it is unclear by when these doses will be supplied and distributed in India.The imported vaccine has been priced at Rs 948 per dose. However, including 5 per cent Goods and Services Tax, the price of this vaccine goes up to Rs 995.40 per dose.the most common side effects were: flu-likeillness, headache, fatigue, injection-site reactions.

Rumi

The Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, popularly known as Rumi was born in thirteenth century. He was an Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic having roots from Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran. Rumi’s works are mostly in Persian, though use of Turkish, Arabic and Greek can be seen in his verses. Today his works are widely read in Greater Iran and other Persian-speaking countries and translations of the same are extremely popular in United States, Turkey, South Asia and Azerbaijan.

Rumi’s Influence can be traced in the ethnic dividons of Turks, Tajiks, Greeks, Pashtuns, Central Asian Muslims and Indian subcontinent Muslims. Also his poetry has majorly influenced literary traditions of various languages such as Bengali, Urdu, Chagatai etc. Moreover, he has also been declared as one of the greatest and best-selling poets in the US.

Rumi had strong belief in the use of music, art and dance and considered it as a path to connect with the God. Most of his works talk about love and the concept of oneness of God. A major focus on music was promoted by his teachings so intense to take the soul to a spiritual journey. He also encouraged Sama, listening to music and performing a sacred dance. Sama represented a mystical journey of mind to the God seeking true love, abandoning ego and finding the ultimate truth. Rumi also believed in serving to the masses with greater maturity and without discrimination, regardless of race, nation, caste, beliefs etc.

Provided below is an example of famous beliefs of Rumi:

Scholars believe that Rumi’s beliefs and teachings often known as Rumi philosophy find place in the modern time and are highly versatile. It encourages personal growth and development in a very clear manner. Rumi’s vision for world, love, God and his works teach modern Westerners how to attain happiness and inner peace.

Government to Establish National Mission on use of Biomass

The power ministry has agreed on to set up a National Mission on the practice of Biomass in coal-based thermal power plants. The Power Ministry’s mission will aid in dealing with the case of air pollution as well as lessening the carbon footprints. This would further promote the energy shift in the country and its target to move towards cleaner and better energy sources, the Ministry of Power told in a statement. 

 The National Mission will have motives including improving the level of co-firing from the current 5 per cent to loftier levels to have a larger share of carbon-neutral power generation from thermal power plants. It would also take up research and development activity in boiler design to deal with the huger amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets. The Mission would also stimulate overcoming the regulations in the supply chain of biomass pellets and agro-residue and its conveyance up to the power plants, the statement said. It would also analyze regulatory issues in biomass co-firing. The modalities of the system and pattern of the Nation Mission are under finalization. It is being envisaged that the Mission would have a Steering Committee headed by a power secretary comprising all stakeholders comprising representatives from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy etc. The Executive Committee would be bossed by Member (Thermal), CEA (Central Electricity Authority). The minimum extent of the proposed National Mission would be 5 years. A total of five sub-groups is also formulated to be shaped under the Mission that would be assigned with various tasks. The Mission would also contribute to the National Clean Air Programme, it added. 

The “National Mission on use of biomass in thermal power plants” will have the following objectives; 

  (a) To increase the level of co-firing from present 5% to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon neutral power generation from the thermal power plants.   

(b) To take up R&D activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets. 

 (c) To facilitate overcoming the constraints in supply chain of bio mass pellets and agro- residue and its transport upto to the power plants. 

 (d) To consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.

Covid-19 in Tamilnadu

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.Tamil Nadu reported 486 Covid-19 deaths and 30,016 fresh infections on Saturday. After 31,579 people recovered, the state was left with 3.1 lakh people under treatment for the viral infection. Cases in hotspot Coimbatore dropped from 3,937 on Friday to 3,692 on Saturday, and in Chennai from 2,762 to 2,705. Three other districts in western Tamil Nadu —- Erode (1,743), Tirupur (1,697) and Salem (1,472) —- reported more than 1,000 cases as did Chengalpet (1,314), Trichy(1,099) and Tiruvallur (1,072).

As the number of COVID-19 cases being reported from Coimbatore district surpassed that of even the capital city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin visited COVID-19 patients admitted at Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur hospitals on Sunday afternoon. Stalin visited COVID-19 patients at Government Erode Medical College Hospital on Sunday morning and inspected the 300 newly setup oxygen beds at the hospital.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy accompanied the CM during the inspections. Following the inspection, CM visited Tirupur Government Hospital and inaugurated 100 new oxygen beds. The Chief Minister reportedly interacted with the patients and enquired about their health and facilities at the hospital.Subsequently, CM Stalin visited Government ESI Medical College and Hospital in Coimbatore on Sunday afternoon, where he proceeded with the inspections. CM also launched 50 car ambulances for COVID-19 patients to be brought into the hospitals without any delay.

After interacting with the patients and inspecting the COVID-19 treatment and facilities at the hospital, CM held a review meeting regarding measures to contain COVID-19 spread. As per official data, Coimbatore district on May 26 recorded 4,268 new COVID-19 cases, highest in the state, whereas Chennai recorded 3,561 new cases on the same day.Since then, Coimbatore district has recorded the highest number of cases compared to Chennai. On May 29 Coimbatore recorded 3,692 new cases, whereas Chennai reported 2,705 new cases.To contain the spread of the virus, the officials in Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur, which have also witnessed a surge in numbers, have ramped up the testing, tracking and treating methods in respective districts.

Malnutrition

“Most of the seven billion people in this world suffer from Malnutrition. Half do not have enough to eat and rest of us eat too much” – Earle Grey.

ABOUT Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. It can lead to serious health issues, including stunted growth, eye problems, diabetes, and heart disease. Malnutrition occurs when a person gets too much or too little of certain nutrients. Undernutrition occurs when they lack nutrients because they eat too little food overall. A person with undernutrition may lack vitamins, minerals, and other essential substances that their body needs to function.

SYMPTOMS OF MALNUTRITION:

Some signs and symptoms of malnutrition include:

• A lack of appetite or interest in food or drink • Tiredness and irritability • An inability to concentrate • Always feeling cold • Depression • Loss of fat, muscle mass, and body tissue • A higher risk of getting sick and taking longer to heal

TYPES OF MALNUTRITION:

Malnutrition is a group of conditions in children and adults generally related to poor quality or insufficient quantity of nutrient intake, absorption, or utilization.

There are two major types of malnutrition:

• Protein-energy malnutrition – resulting from deficiencies in any or all nutrients

• Micronutrient deficiency diseases – resulting from a deficiency of specific micronutrients CAUSES Malnutrition can occur for various reasons.

The sections below outline these potential causes in more detail.

• A low intake of food.

• Mental health conditions.

• Social and mobility problems.

• Digestive disorders and stomach conditions.

• Alcohol use disorder.

Diagnosis If a person shows or notices any signs of malnutrition, the first step will be to find out why. If a doctor suspects Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or another condition, they may carry out laboratory tests to confirm a diagnosis.

Treatment

• If a doctor diagnoses malnutrition, they will make a treatment plan for the person. The person may also need to meet with a nutritionist and other healthcare providers

• Treatment will depend on the severity of the malnutrition and the presence of any other underlying conditions or complications. Prevention

•To prevent malnutrition, people need to consume a range of nutrients from a variety of food types.

•The older adults, young children, people with severe or chronic illness, and others may need additional care to ensure that they obtain the nutrients they need.

Electronic mail or e-mail

Electronic mail Or shortly e-mail is a modern method of instant delivery of letters without the involvement of a postman. In this system of mailing, messages are sent with the help of a computer. In the electronic mail or e-mail system, a letter or any other document is typed and edited on a computer. It is then sent to the address through a computer network in the form of electronic signals. The address may be anywhere in the world but the person should also have a computer or mobile with am electronic mail system.

Electronic mail has ushered in a revolution in the transmission system of written documents across the world. With the help of electronic mail system, typed matters can be transmitted instantaneously to any part of the world. Copies can also be sent simultaneously to as many destinations as desired. All that is needed is a device likes computer with telecommunication network facilities through satellites.

E-mail is very fast and saves time and paper work. While a letter mailed through post takes several days to reach, for an e-mail it is just a matter of a few seconds only. It has become very popular in our country and a time would soon come when every household would make use of this electronic facility.