Tag: COVID crisis

LOCKDOWN WIDENS THE VOID BETWIXT QUEER COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY

The past year was indeed a difficult time for the world owing to the COVID 19 pandemic and the lockdown imposed following it. Though the entire population got affected by this adverse conditions, there were certain minor communities and groups like the transgender community which had the bitter taste of it. There were active discussions and discourses on the impact of the lockdown on women facing domestic abuse, but the atrocities and adversities faced by the LGBTQ communities were the least spoken about. Being the have-nots of normal society, the life of the queer community in a pandemic affected locked down scenario was found to be the worst. 

The basic social liberties were always denied to the queer accounting to their physical and psychological divergence and aberant sexual orientation. They were neither included in the mainstream by the government nor had any access to public health care, education, steady job opportunities etc which along with the lack of support from their families resulted in the financial subsiding of the community. In many cases, staying home also became a potential danger to many, where they fell prey to violence from their family members or partner.

For a section whose normal daily life in itself is a hurdle, life in lockdown was nothing but catastrophic. While the majority of us worried about being confined into the comforts of our home during lock down, these destitutes were perturbed over losing the shade over their head. The Indian Hijra community who depended on the streets for their livelihood got literally ‘locked’ inside their residences with no basic supplies or access to money. As they were disdained from the ordinary jobs, street dancing, prostitution and begging were their only source of income and these ‘jobs’ required immense social interaction which was impossible during lockdown. The void between the society and queer community got widened with the imposition of lockdown and the already outlying community was pushed off to further disdain. The society along with the government should consider them at least as humans if not as citizens and take necessary measures for eradicating the stigma regarding the marginalized communities by making them a part of relief programs. 

Vaccination and COVID-19

How long has it been since we went to school met our friends or had a family dinner at some restaurant? Since March 2020, we have all been advised to stay home and sanitise ourselves in order to stay safe. Sanitizers and masks have been added to our daily use products, all because of one tiny yet dangerous virus Covid-19!

The world is now waiting anxiously for a vaccine against this dreaded virus. Researchers around the world are working round the clock to develop vaccines to combat the pandemic. Currently, more than 165 vaccines against the corona virus are under process and 27 vaccines are undergoing human trials. Vaccines typically require years of research and testing before reaching the clinic. Today, scientists all over the world are racing to produce a safe and effective vaccine by next year.

• When did the efforts start

Efforts to make a successful Covid-19 vaccine began in January 2020 with the deciphering of the SARS-CoV -2 genome. The first vaccine safety trials in humans started in March but the road ahead remains uncertain. Some trials will fail and others may end without a clear result. But a few may succeed in stimulating the immune system to produce effective antibodies against the virus.

• India and vaccine against Covid-19

Like many other countries, India too is immersed in the efforts to develop successful vaccines to counter Covid-19. Thirty different Indian companies are trying to produce a vaccine to fight the infection. 7 out of these have received approval from the World Health Organization. These vaccines are in different stages of testing and clinical trials now.

COVAXIN

COVAXIN is developed by Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with ICMR and NIV, Pune. This is the first vaccine from India to get regulatory approval. The vaccine makes us an inactive version of a virus to spike up production of antibodies in the host body. It recently initiated Phase I and Phase II of clinical testing.

ZyCoV-D

ZyCoV-D is being developed by Zydus Cadila based in Ahmedabad. The Phase I trials of the vaccine have already begun. Extensive research was done regarding the same in collaboration with medical labs in Europe and US.

• Russia and vaccine against Covid-19

Russia is one of the countries worst affected by Covid-19. The country has been pushing extensively for a Covid-19 vaccine for quite some time now; Russia too is a part of the race to produce the world’s first Covid vaccine. It is possible that Russia would be ready with its first domestic corona virus vaccine soon. The clinical trials were conducted by the Gamaleya National Research centre of Epidemiology and microbiology. There seem to be no reports of side effects on the volunteers. All the participants showed immunity and the country is planning for the serial production of the vaccine by September. By the beginning of next year, Russia hopes to manufacture several million doses of corona virus vaccines per month.

• Oxford University’s efforts to develop a vaccine

The university of Oxford has partnered with AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company to develop an adenovirus vector vaccine to combat Covid-19. The vaccine prototype is currently in Phase III of testing. Trials of the vaccine developed by Oxford University show it can trigger an immune response. The vaccine which has so far been found to be safe and effective is expected to be made available for the masses by the end of 2020. This vaccine would also be the first such vaccine to have a large scale testing in India. The observatory data for this vaccine is expected to be available by November this year. The company has tied up with Pune based serum institute of India to mass produce the vaccine once the company gets required approvals and licensing from medical boards.

• Some methods used to make vaccines for Covid-19

Different scientists across the world try different techniques and formulas to develop vaccines. The Oxford researchers have put small sections of the corona virus genetic code into a harmless virus that infects chimpanzees. They appear to have developed a safe virus that looks enough like the corona virus to produce an immune system. Some other scientists have used pieces of raw genetic code, either DNA or RNA. When these are injected into the body it would start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system can learn to fight. There is also work on corona virus vaccines called ‘plug and play’ vaccines. This method is new and less tested.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day!🌼

COVID-19 Pandemic Led to Delays in Care for Nearly Half of Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast Cancer is nowadays rapidly increasing in the urban Indian women.The early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic caused 44% of breast cancer survivors to have a delay in care, according to an online survey.Because COVID-19 is so contagious, and to save healthcare resources for people diagnosed with COVID-19, many hospitals and other healthcare facilities delayed or cancelled elective procedures beginning in March 2020. Elective procedures included anything that didn’t need to be done to save someone’s life. Breast cancer screening was considered an elective procedure, so many mammograms were delayed or cancelled. Some breast cancer surgeries and other treatments also were delayed, changed, or cancelled.

The researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago who did this study wanted to see how changes in healthcare due to the pandemic affected people who had been treated for breast cancer.The researchers wrote a 50-question online survey to figure out how the COVID-19 pandemic had affected breast cancer care. The researchers invited adults who had been diagnosed with breast cancer to complete the survey by sending invitations via email, posting on social media, and sending invitations to breast cancer support networks. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on cancer care across the globe. Early data indicate increased risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality for cancer survivors.

Delays in a routine or follow-up doctor appointment were the most common, followed by delays in breast reconstruction surgery and diagnostic imaging or testing.About 30% of the respondents said they had a delay in treatment, including radiation, infusions, and surgery to remove the cancer.

As time has passed, doctors have seen how protective procedures, such as wearing a face mask, washing your hands, maintaining physical distancing, and avoiding gathering with people in a group, have helped slow the spread of the virus. So most facilities are once again offering all aspects of breast cancer care, including screening.

During the pandemic, the weekly average number of people diagnosed with these six cancers dropped by 46.4%. Specifically, breast cancer diagnoses dropped by 51.8% — from 2,208 to 1,064.

“Our results indicate a significant decline in newly identified patients with 6 common types of cancer, mirroring findings from other countries,” the researchers wrote. “The Netherlands Cancer Registry has seen as much as a 40% decline in weekly cancer incidence, and the United Kingdom has experienced a 75% decline in referrals for suspected cancer since COVID-19 restrictions were implemented.

“While residents have taken to social distancing, cancer does not pause,” they continued. “The delay in diagnosis will likely lead to presentation at more advanced stages and poorer clinical outcomes. One study suggests a potential increase of 33,890 excessive cancer deaths in the United States.”

Covid-19 Impact on Indian Economy

Year of 2020 had been an omen for the entire world and India is no exception to dodge from this curse. Unemployment rose from 6.7% on 15 March to 26% on 19 April and then back down to pre-lockdown levels by mid-June. During the lockdown, an estimated 14 crore (140 million) people lost employment while salaries were cut for many others. More than 45% of households across the nation have reported an income drop as compared to the previous year. The Indian economy was expected to lose over ₹32,000 crore (US$4.5 billion) every day during the first 21-days of complete lockdown, which was declared following the corona virus outbreak. Under complete lockdown, less than a quarter of India’s $2.8 trillion economic movement was functional. Up to 53% of businesses in the country were projected to be significantly affected. Supply chains have been put under stress with the lockdown restrictions in place; initially, there was a lack of clarity in streamlining what an “essential” is and what is not. Those in the informal sectors and daily wage groups have been at the most risk. A large number of farmers around the country who grow perishables also faced uncertainty.

The Government of India announced a variety of measures to tackle the situation, from food security and extra funds for healthcare and for the states, to sector related incentives and tax deadline extensions. On 26 March a number of economic relief measures for the poor were announced totalling over ₹170,000 Cr. The next day the Reserve Bank of India also announced a number of measures which would make available ₹374,000 Cr. to the country’s financial system. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank approved support to India to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Businesses across the world namely hospitality, entertainment, aviation etc have seen a major negative impact. Various sports events such as IPL and Olympics have been postponed. Schools and colleges have been closed. The virus has also disrupted the functioning of various online giants such as Amazon. Countries such as USA, Italy and Spain are suffering the most since their death toll is very high. Factories, Restaurants, Pubs, Markets, Flights, Super Markets, Malls, Universities and Colleges etc. were shut down. Fear of corona virus has limited the movement of the individuals. People were not even going to buy the daily essentials and these all were somewhere impacting the economy of the world as a whole. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)reveals that they have cut their expectation for global growth to 2.4% from 2.9%, and warns that it could fall as low as 1.5%.

India faces a huge decline in government revenues and growth of the income for at least two quarters as the coronavirus hits economic activity of the country as a whole. A fall in investor sentiment impacts privatization plans, government and industry. The lockdown in India will have a sizeable impact on the economy mainly on consumption which is the biggest component of GDP. India’s total electronic imports is equal to 45% that of China. Around 1/3rd of machinery and almost 2/5th of organic chemicals that India purchases come from China. For automotive parts and fertilisers China’s share in India’s import is more than 25%. Around 65 to 70% of active pharmaceutical ingredients and around 90% of certain mobile phones come from China to India.

On the upside, better news on vaccines and treatments, and additional policy support can lead to a quicker resumption of economic activity. On the downside, further waves of infections can reverse increased mobility and spending, and rapidly tighten financial conditions, triggering debt distress. The Geopolitical and trade tensions could damage fragile global relationships at a time when trade is projected to collapse by around 12 per cent.

Who delivers the Amazon cardboard boxes???

Cardboard boxes that have been used for generations and thrived in the age of e-commerce continue to flourish or could the cardboard box be facing a new challenger? Cardboard boxes are a very big deal within the U.S. The United States is the Saudi Arabia of trees. Someone’s going to make the first box and that’s almost inevitably a mill generally in the Southeast United States. China certainly doesn’t have trees and India the extent they do have trees they’re not necessarily the right types of trees and shouldn’t be dedicated towards making boxes for us. The box business grew rapidly up through 1999 when the U.S. coordinated box market had its peak shipment. Starting in the early 2000s the U.S. corrugated box market faced multiple economic obstacles.

The great recession dragged on box demand and even after the recession demand continued to slow for commodity like soda and for the boxes that transport them. The move to digital devices also coincided with a drop in demand for copy paper and newsprint. But box makers found a grace in e-commerce sales and Amazon sale specifically which were growing at mostly integer rates within the recession and post-recession years. Those e-commerce sales have become a significant market for the containerboard industry. In 2018 told a U.S. e-commerce sales were estimated to be $512 billion almost 50 percent higher than in 2015. Amazon captured 48 percent of those sales. Most estimates are that e-commerce accounts for about 10 percent of the U.S. box market. Amazon accounts for close to 5 percent of U.S. box demand. By our estimates they are clearly the single largest box user in the US. International Paper with a third of the market I think does closer to 50 percent of all the amazon boxes evidently they got a bit more share than perhaps some of the smaller players.

Amazon's incredible, vanishing cardboard box - CNN

Amazon said they deal with most of the big box makers across the U.S. according to analysts. Those manufacturers include International Paper, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Georgia-Pacific. Some investors were turning to these companies as a way to invest in the e-commerce giant without having to purchase Amazon’s pricey stock. People didn’t really start talking about buying International Paper or WestRock as a secondary investment in Amazon till about the last five years. Despite the boost from e-commerce sales the box business still isn’t growing all that much. And since 2018 their stocks have mostly underperformed the S&P 500. In 2018, 69 percent of International Papers total revenue came from the box business and that sales volume has been mostly flat for the past five years. Although the big producers sold less boxes in 2018 than in 2000, industry consolidation has dramatically narrowed the fields.

The handful of big players remaining are based in Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia and Lake Forest, Illinois. Analysts have told CNBC that substantial industry mergers have made it easier to collectively hike prices and those price increases have helped drive revenue. There are portions of the business that are in indisputable secular decline but if you’re in the brown part of the business, making these boxes, that’s been some very welcome growth. But those extra boxes piling up on people’s doorsteps have led to a backlash from disgruntled customers who are sick of receiving golf ball sized products in supersized boxes. It used to be that you’d order a toothbrush and it would come in three giant boxes and you’d say to yourself, what is this? Well, Amazon is trying to rectify that by using fewer boxes and using other types of packaging where appropriate. With e-commerce packaging underfire Amazon decided to change the way they do shipping. In 2008, Amazon introduced the Frustration Free Packaging program. It aims to reduce the extra packaging created when retail packaged products are placed inside Amazon boxes to be shipped. Instead, products certified in the program that are roughly the size of a blender or larger need to be packaged in their own ready to ship boxes. And those boxes also need to be made of 100 percent recyclable materials. For customers that means that the packaging is easy to recycle and the box is easy to open without all the excess packaging materials.

Use That Pile of Empty Amazon Boxes to Do Something Wonderful ...

Amazon offered vendors an incentive of a dollar per shipment to modify their packaging. And starting August 1st 2019 Amazon is charging a $1.99 penalty for each product shipped that needs to be reboxed. And basically the point of this deadline is for Amazon to get out of the business of packaging. They want their vendors to send them boxes that Amazon doesn’t have to touch or rebox. Over the last two years we have invented two different kinds of flexible mailers. One is the blue and white all plastic mailer. We’ve recently launched in the last six, eight months a paper padded mailer that’s actually fully recyclable with the paper stream. Amazon said they made about 10 million shipments using the paper padded mailer and depending on the month the plastic mailer is used about 20 to 30 percent of the time. So really when we come down to deciding if the product is of the size it can go on a mailer, it’s not likely to be damaged by going in the mailer, the mailer is always the better fitting option and frankly is easier for the customer to choose to recycle than breaking down a corrugate box. We’re driving in that direction for many different reasons. But those plastic mailers generally are not accepted in municipal recycling programs and you’ll need to bring them to a store that accepts plastic bags. The latest stats from the EPA show that corrugated boxes were recycled at a rate of 92 percent in 2015 while plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled at a rate of 13 percent in 2015.

AMAZON E-COMMERCE SELLERS, IT'S TIME TO REVIEW YOUR ADVERTISING ...

When you think about what is the greatest pain point for the consumer after having it get there safely arrive on time people are concerned about receiving something that is plastic or made a poly because of the environmental concerns. Some waste management companies say plastic packaging also causes problems for the recycling systems. Plastic mailers get caught in the recycling machinery slowing down the process and raising the costs for recyclers and sometimes contaminating entire bundles. Until Scotty on the Enterprise can beam the products from the warehouse to your living room I think Amazon’s going to be good for the corrugated business. I think there’s going to be noise I think you’re going to have challenges from time to time where people say, “Should we try and the plastic pouch?”, in the long run plastic is going to be on the wrong side of history. Because Amazon is a market leader in the U.S. e-commerce sector any move away from cardboard to plastic mailers could signal a shift for the entire industry. The corrugated box could be about to undergo a major facelift. We’re seeing some major trends among consumers and what they’re expecting from e-commerce and the first one is actually this desire for increased engagement with the package. In 2015, Amazon partnered with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to ship orders in bright yellow delivery boxes featuring cartoon characters from the movie Minions. The boxes promoting the movie and a special Amazon U.R.L. dedicated to shopping for merchandise from the film.

Day to Day Sings & Symptons…DAY 1 to 22

Day to Day Signs and Symptoms of Coronavirus DAY TO DAY SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 Before proceeding, please note that this general overview is compiled for initial self-assessment only and should vary for each individual. If you are not feeling well, you ought to immediately consult a medical man to possess an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of COVID-19. The typical daily symptoms are concluded from the study of 138 patients at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and another study involving 135 patients from Jinyintan Hospital and 56 patients from Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital.

Update: China reports 1,287 confirmed cases of new coronavirus ...

These symptoms are broken down into:

DAY 1 to DAY 2 the start symptoms are almost like the cold with a light pharyngitis and neither having a fever nor feeling tired. Patients can still consume food and drink as was common .

DAY 3 The patient’s throats start to feel a touch painful. Body temperature reads at around 36.5° celsius. Although it’s uncommon, other symptoms like mild nausea, vomiting or mild diarrhea are possible to set in.

DAY 4 Throat pain becomes more serious. Other symptoms like feeling weak and joint pain start to manifest. The patient may show a temperature reading between 36.5° to 37° celsius.

DAY 5 to DAY 6 Mild fever starts. The patients show a temperature reading above 37.2° celsius. The second most common symptom, dry cough, also appears. Dyspnea or breathing difficulty may occur occasionally. Most patients during this stage are easily feeling tired. Other symptoms remain about the same. These four symptoms are among the top five key indications of COVID-19 according to the final report of the initial outbreak conducted by the joint mission of China and WHO.

DAY 7 get more serious coughs and breathing difficulty. Fever can get higher up to 38° celsius. Patients may develop further headache and body pain or worsening diarrhea if there’s any. Many patients are admitted to the hospital at this stage.

DAY 8 to DAY 9 On the 8th day, the symptoms are likely to be worsened for the patient who has coexisting medical conditions. Severe shortness of breath becomes more frequent. Temperature reading goes well above 38°.

DAY 9 is that the average time when Sepsis starts to affect 40% of the patients.

DAY 10 to DAY 11 Doctors are ordering imaging tests like chest x-ray to capture the severity of respiratory distress in patients. Patients are having loss of appetite and should be facing abdominal pain. The condition also needs immediate treatment in ICU.

DAY 12 to DAY 14 For the survivors, the symptoms can be well-managed at this point. Fever tends to urge better and breathing difficulties may start to cease on day 13. But Some patients should be suffering from mild cough even after hospital discharge.

DAY 15 to DAY 16 Day 15 is the opposite condition for the rest of the minority patients. The fragile group must prepare for the possibility of acute cardiac injury or kidney injury.

DAY 17 to DAY 19 COVID-19 fatality cases happen at around day 18. Before the time, vulnerable patients may develop a secondary infection caused by a new pathogen in the lower respiratory tract. The severe condition may then lead to blood coagulation and ischemia.
DAY 20 to DAY 22 The surviving patients are recovered completely from the disease and are discharged from the hospital.

STAY HOME & STAY SAFE

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Is mask important during exercise in Covid-19?

Has exercise helped you deal with the lockdown? If it’s, then you’re never alone. Exercise is unlimited. Gyms might reopen and therefore the government advice suggests that folks should wear face coverings on conveyance and in places where social distancing isn’t possible. But does this reach exercise? Here’s what you would like to understand about mask important during exercise or not.

Are runners required to wear face masks?

Not really. People should wear face masks where social distancing isn’t possible always and where they can inherit contact with others. Though they are doing not normally meet, for instance on conveyance or in some shops, the mask is important. In crowded areas, this recommendation could reach runners but officially there’s no advice requiring people that are exercising during a wide-open space to wear a mask. As long as you’re doing social distancing, it shouldn’t be necessary to wear a face-covering while exercising.

However, many professionals agree that wearing a mask is more about preventing the spread of Covid-19 to others, instead of protecting yourself, particularly if you’re asymptomatic.

If you’re getting to be jogging during a highly urban area, it’d be advisable to stay a mask in your pocket and put it on as you pass any crowds of individuals.

Is wearing a mask while exercising harmful?

There’s no scientific consensus on either the advantages or the risks, of wearing a mask while exercising, primarily because little research has been done into the world.

These five things which will happen if you wear a mask and exercise:

1.Claustrophobia

Because you breathe heavily while you’re exercising, there are high chances of you getting claustrophobic because the air supply could be restricted by your mask.

2.Lower stamina and fatigue

Stamina all boils right down to the quantity of oxygen you’re inhaling while you exercise. If you’re wearing a mask then your stamina is going to be on the lower side as you won’t be taking in the maximum amount of oxygen as you want to.

3.Nausea

Lack of oxygen and breathlessness may additionally cause nausea and dizziness.

4.Excessive sweating and dehydration

When you keep it up re-breathing the air you exhale it accelerates your pulse thanks to which you sweat tons. This can result in high chances that your body might dehydrate. We should always stay hydrated during the summer is crucial.

5.Unconsciousness and irritability

Although it’s not quite common, you can’t eliminate the probabilities of it. once you exercise together with your mask on you’re rebuilding the CO2 levels in your body which may cause unconsciousness.

Right now it’s better that you simply occupy the home and do whatever exercises you would like on your premises. you’ll use your terrace rather than stepping out.

Now that even the planet Health Organisation (WHO) is saying that we’d like to find out to measure with COVID-19, we’d like to take care of the alternatives we make. So, consider before you slip away for a run together with your mask on.

However, these incidents are rare, and there have likely been underlying health conditions.

Should You Wear a Mask When Exercising Outdoors? - WSJ

What sort of mask should I wear when I’m exercising?

From floral summer prints to heavy-duty respirators, it seems there is a mask cropping up for each occasion.

Several companies are producing face masks to run in, and these are for style and using materials to stop becoming excessively damp – breathing through the mask will produce water. The mask should be clean than having several will help. the fabric must be porous.

To help us, a mask made out of sentimental, breathable fabric that’s washable, making it safe for a sweaty exercise has been introduced. Masks also provide FFP 1 grade protection.

Is Will exercising with a mask affect my performance?

Whether you’re an experienced runner or a lockdown newbie cyclist, everyone likes to perform to the simplest of their ability. If you are planning to wear a mask on your daily exercise, it can make you feel uncomfortable, in hot weather.

There’s no doubt that folks are getting to find running with a mask harder. Then you’ve needed to breathe a touch harder to urge through the barrier, which suggests your lungs are getting to get a touch more of a piece out.

A mask decreases the flow of air into your lungs, so you’ll have less oxygen in your bloodstream. This suggests you’ll fatigue quicker. It’s likely that you simply are going to be getting enough oxygen once you exercise with a mask on, but if you are doing experience unusual signs like lightheaded, dizziness, extreme shortness of breath or numbness and tingling, stop exercising, begin your mask and take an opportunity.

Conclusion

Now lockdown restrictions are starting to be lifted, it’s even more important to require extra care when exercising publicly. If you can, choose a run where you are not going to encounter many of us. If you would like to exercise with someone, run side by side with an honest gap between each of you.

Also maintains it is vital to remember of the opposite people – both runners and pedestrians – on the pavement around you. If another person is coming towards you, shout and instruct in which direction you will proceed running. This will avoid collisions.

Are products really ‘Made In China’ ???

Made in China. We’ve become accustomed to seeing the label on products manufactured in the world’s second biggest economy. But buying one of these products in China instead of say, the U.S., doesn’t guarantee you’re getting a better price. Chinese tourists have built a reputation for being big spenders abroad, spending a whopping $277 billion in 2018, much more than any other nationality. A lot of times, people think that purchasing something in China will be inexpensive, but that isn’t always the case. So how much of a difference are we talking? If we bring four products from four popular western brands to compare. Starbucks, H&M, Adidas store, a Godiva store. To keep things consistent, we will be using 2019’s average foreign exchange rate. The products compared are:

  1. A standard black t-shirt at H&M.
  2. Starbucks Grande Cappuccino.
  3. Godiva Chocolates.
  4. An Adidas hat.

Now let’s compare:

  1. The shirt at H&M is priced nearly the same in the U.S. and China.
  2. A Grande Starbucks cappuccino will cost you $4.63 in Beijing, but in Los Angles, California, $3.95.
  3. This case of Godiva chocolates, called Pearls, is priced at $7.24 in Beijing, but only $3.95 in LA.
  4. The Adidas hat will set you back $42.27 in China, nearly double the price of a similar hat in the U.S.

This experiment has made clear that pricing are complicated. So much so, that websites have popped up like the Mac Index, a site that compares Apple product prices from around the world. So many ads for Apple here in this area. According to an analysis done by Tech Insights, the cost to make an Apple iPhone 11 Pro is $490.50. Yet according to The Mac Index, the price to buy one is $1,318 in Japan, $1,477 in the U.S., $1,658 in Mainland China and more than $2,000 in Turkey and Peru. Prices vary across countries due to factors like demand, tariffs and tax refunds. And then there’s the supply chain: the network of people, organizations, activities, information and resources involved in the creation of a product.

close up of camera over black background
Photo by ATC Comm Photo on Pexels.com

Apple’s current CEO Tim Cook is considered by some to be a mastermind in supply chain. He first joined Apple in 1998 with a mandate to clean up the company’s manufacturing and distribution. Over time, he closed factories and warehouses, instead opting for contract manufacturers in China. That’s great for Apple’s profit margins, but it’s certainly not praised by President Trump, who has asked Apple to make its products in the U.S. If, say, iPhone production was moved to the U.S., instead of China, different analyses show the price for the consumer could go up from anywhere from $30 or $40 to hundreds of dollars to even $30,000-100,000. That’s partially why, despite Apple pledging to invest more money in American manufacturing, it maintains China as its hub for making its gadgets.

american and chinese flags and usa dollars
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

That’s Omar Slim, a senior portfolio manager at global asset manager, PineBridge. When you hear about made in this country or that country is really quite relative and it’s a simplification of things because it’s most likely made in a number of countries. Here’s an example. Let’s say we want to make lasagna for dinner. If Jeff cooks the ground beef and prepares the cheese, Sarah makes the tomato sauce and layers the ingredients into a pan; and Blair, who bought all the ingredients, puts it in the oven, who gets the credit for making the lasagna? Now, let’s apply that to Apple’s iPhone. While the phone might say ‘Made in China,’ some of its parts come from other parts of Asia, Europe and even the U.S. Even though an iPhone may be assembled in China, it’s still tariffed in China as a U.S. product because Apple is an American company. The brand makes that clear with by, ‘Designed by Apple in California. How they’re treated in terms of customs, they will be treated as a U.S. product. So regardless of where they come, it’s essentially a U.S. product. Same for Chinese products going into the U.S. and same for, for instance, European cars.

India simply cannot afford to boycott Made in China — Quartz India

China became a popular manufacturing hub in the 1980s after it started to open to the world. It became known for its cheap labor costs, lax regulations and business-friendly environment. As China’s manufacturing sector grew, it took the crown from Germany as the world’s top exporter in 2010. While Made in China has become synonymous with cheap and low-quality products, China is hoping to change that. In 2015, it launched a Made in China 2025 initiative, which aims to shift its economy from low-end manufacturing to high-end, high-tech products. In 2017, Tim Cook said China lost its place as a low labor cost manufacturing nation many years ago. The U.S.-China trade war resulted in a tit-for-tat increase in tariffs on many products.

Petition · Political Parties: Boycott 'Made in China' products in ...

With increasing costs being passed on to consumers, many companies are looking to diversify their supply chain, instead of being so reliant on China. That sentiment has only grown, following the coronavirus pandemic’s hit on the global manufacturing industry. Along that supply chain, there will be some companies, that instead of manufacturing it in China, if they could, they could try to replace. In fact, companies including Apple, Microsoft and Google are reportedly looking into moving some of their hardware production from China to Vietnam or Thailand. But that might be harder than it sounds. The other countries will have a hard time to compete along with the fact that the infrastructure is shown that it’s quite good, along with the fact that in certain countries would not want to compromise the relationship with China.

70 Reasons that makes us Proud to be Made In India - Sanjay Dalmia

The reality today is that a product likely has many components which are sourced globally. A phone may be designed in the U.S, but its screen is sourced from South Korea, the sensors and microchips may be from Taiwan or Germany, with its assembly in China. So, the next time you see a product with the words, “Made in China,” remember that the full story is seldom pure, and never simple.

It’s okay not to be okay !

We are all here in this pandemic, most of us are staying at homes. Keeping ourselves away from others for theirs as well as our well being. But staying so long at home results in mental illness as well. 

We go around and start living in new places, sometimes may be due to work or maybe any other reason. Being in a place with completely new people brings difficulties and lessons. There are many observations and analysis you make about people. Some people might have stuck in the place of their work. Staying out means you grow and become a better version of yourself and explore more. Your life becomes quick and fast. You try new things and make memories. But sometimes you just feel that things are not going well. It’s not just about being away from home but it can happen whether you are with your parents or with family things can make you upset.

 Breaking up with people can make you sad, failure in any field you work can make you upset at the end of a month when you are broke and don’t have a single penny to do buy what you want can make you sad. 

Materialistically, emotionally, physically, atmospherically things can get against you and can make you sad. You might not find things going well and you want to isolate yourself from this entire world, you would think that things are not at their best pace, and you are not worth anything.

•Accept that you are sad!!

There are times when you feel happy about various things. There are times when small surprises can make you happy and you feel blessed for what is happening around. There are days when you just wake up feeling so fresh about things and you love the day for no reason because you woke up like this. You laugh and sing inside your head all day long and smile. 

And then there are days when you don’t want yourself to be bothered by many people and lay inside your bed for no reason. You feel fine physically but mentally you don’t feel much fresh and happy. 

•It’s okay if you don’t know

Sometimes you know the reason sometimes you just don’t. It’s okay to feel this way. It’s totally fine to feel upset about things. Every time you don’t need to have that smile on your face. It’s your body that accepts that you are sad. Moreover, accept that you can be sad. It’s okay to be sad. It’s normal to feel dejected and not to feel good for yourself. Accept that things went wrong, accept that you failed and you need to work hard. Days have nights and nights have days. Time heals everything. Don’t resist it. Live it and accept it.

•Once you accept it!

You conquer half of the battle just by accepting the fact that you are not happy and you need a break. Don’t just isolate yourself from this world. Don’t resist people and their presence. Think of things you didn’t do because of your work or you just forgot what you used to do. Do them. Get back to work that’s all you need to do. When you are happy, you celebrate but you never leave your work. The same is the case when you are sad. When you are sad just don’t stop working. Start working more. Make yourself busy. Make things go as they were and don’t leave your daily routine. Things will fall into their places give it some time. Have patience and enjoy the phase of your life. Its okay things will become good. 

•Don’t confuse it with depression!

Don’t confuse things with depression. Things might go wrong. But depression is a very large term. Being sad should not be misled with being depressed. Depression is medically proved diseases which can only be assured if taken the proper test and with doctor’s concern. Depression is a disorder which affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, tendencies, feeling, and sense of well-being. Depression is more likely a mental illness and it should not be taken lightly. 

How to be assured?

Let us compare this with having dengue, until and unless your doctor assures that you are suffering from it you just don’t consider that you re affected with it. Similarly, when you are not assured properly with what you are suffering from then you should not consider being in depression. It is a medical statement that should be used when checked properly. Just because you are sad is not necessary that you are depressed. Most of the people in the society and our surrounding have this misconception of being in depression is very common. But this is not true. You must never think like these rather consult a doctor if in doubt.

Best measures to overcome depression.

Sleep. Take proper sleep. Go to bed early and wake up early. Sleep for at most 6 hours daily. Proper sleep is a part of a healthy life and a better mood. This gives new energy to the body and freshens up the mind with new thoughts. It helps in stimulating our immune system as well as our emotional balance.  

Connect to nature and feel the beauty of it, admire it, and listen to what your body tells you. Find a park nearby and go for a walk. Keeping in mind that you need to have proper social distancing. It can be a morning walk or maybe an evening walk, totally depends on you. But try some quality time alone.

Listen to music that fills your heart with joy. Things will go well. Listen to your favorite music. 

Laugh and make people laugh. Laughing is good exercise. It regulates blood circulation, this results in the growth of oxygen in the blood which will make you feel good. You will feel good as your body starts feeling good. Accept, it is life and you need to enjoy every bit and admire it whether it is dark or sunshine. The worth of good times can only be felt by bad ones. God is great. He has plans. And he does things for a good reason.

Start doing yoga. It helps to maintain focus. You will get most of your answers while doing it. It helps to think correctly and maintains positivity in one’s life. 

Connect with your old friends. Remember old times when you all used to laugh around but then don’t make yourself sad by too much remembering those times, joking!!

Tell someone that you are sad. Tell them everything. Talk about your feelings and clear your mind. Let things come out. Talking to your loved ones bring a solution to your problem. Maybe they can bring new opportunities.

If failed consider it as an attempt towards success. Get back to life and work you are the star of your life.

Start writing or reading. This will help you to express without the fear of being judged by someone and you can be yourself.

And before you finish reading this just remember

LIFE IS GOOD, NO MATTER HOW HARD THINGS HIT YOU, AND TIME WILL TAKE CARE OF IT AND THINGS WILL GO WELL.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Try at least some of the measures to live and feel better. It’s your life, love yourself

Future of Cinema Post Covid-19

The 1999 and 2008 crises were certainly high impact, but neither was as global as the 2020 correction that was felt in every nation due to the first simultaneous worldwide lockdown.

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has led to large-scale anxieties about the future of the arts. Many livelihoods rely upon the performing and visual arts. It is just not the fraternity of artistes but their support staff, co-workers and an entire ecosystem that is sustained through their practice. We are the largest film-making nation in the world. The film industry offers jobs to several thousands.The lockdown will be eventually relaxed at some point as can be seen in different parts of the world but many are of the opinion that this pandemic will significantly impact our film-viewing behavior and other economic decisions around it. We might stay away from film theatres to avoid large gatherings. This could also indicate a shift towards viewing films on online platforms which have already made a dent during the lockdown.

Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc., have witnessed a record surge in subscriptions during the lockdown. This doesn’t mean that everybody has suddenly turned a film lover, but that these platforms offer a plethora of entertainment options for people locked inside their homes. The content and range of programmes on these portals is also far superior to what is available on regular television. There are films and TV series which are especially commissioned by and released exclusively on these platforms.

For over two months now, cinemas across India—around 10,000 single-screen ones and 3,000 multiplexes—have remained shut as most of the country is under lockdown to curtail the spread of coronavirus. This shutdown is estimated to have cost the Indian film industry over $130 million (Rs984 crore) in box office revenue. Meanwhile, even as the government has started a partial withdrawal of the lockdown, reopening cinema halls isn’t high on its agenda. And even if the government allows theatres to reopen, experts believe, not many people will take the risk of going to the movies.

Wooing audiences again

The “movie theatre experience”—complete with surround sound, visual effects, flavoured popcorns and colas, and even recliners in some cases—has thrived in India despite the touch competition from OTT segment in recent years. But this time, the fight is harder as cinema owners need to deal with consumers’ psyche, which is hard to change, experts said.

To begin with, there’s a need to create an environment that feels hygienic and safe. For instance, cinema hall operators must try to remove all human contact by making it mandatory for customers to book tickets online. “Cine-goers could be encouraged to book their snacks online to avoid crowds at food stands,” suggested Neeraj Roy, founder and CEO of Mumbai-based Hungama Digital Media.In line with cinemas in the US, which are opening up with “social distancing seating,” Indian theatres are bracing for less than half the occupancy. On May 20, the Multiplex Association of India put out a plan detailing measures they were willing to take, including deep cleaning of halls at regular intervals, use of body temperature detectors, making masks compulsory while watching movies, and grilling health check-ups of staff.

These steps will need higher spending by cinema hall owners, who will eventually need to charge customers more. This might become a major roadblock to attracting crowds as thousands of Indians are faced with pay cuts and job losses, which leaves less scope for discretionary spending and instills caution against reckless expenditure. Cinema owners have also been struggling to convince producers to stall releases instead of taking the OTT route. “We were hoping that the producers would accede to our request to hold back their film’s release till cinemas reopen,” said Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of one of India’s leading multiplex chains, PVR. “That said, this is not the first time films are being premiered on streaming platforms. Cinema exhibition has regularly faced competition from new emerging distribution platforms.”

Bypassing the censors

Also, you could bypass many of the problems of censor certification if you release films on these platforms. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, many film festivals are moving online. Britain’s most famous socialist filmmaker, Ken Loach, has made some of his best films available for free on YouTube. Other film streaming platforms are making foreign and documentary cinema available at a nominal fee for a limited time span. With increased awareness about films, will we go back to theatres and settle for the same content that mainstream cinema peddles after the lockdown?

However, there is also a grave danger. Access to these platforms is largely limited to an urban demography that can afford an Internet connection, along with the subscription fees which also determines the class character of its potential viewers. If this were to become the norm, it would exclude a large majority of the film-viewing population. That will be a denial of cinema to those who have been its utmost supporters.

Dexamethasone- Corona Vaccine Update!!!

Finally some good news today dexamethasone is now being called a major breakthrough based on a recent randomized controlled trial in the UK. Dexamethasone also known as Decadron is an example of a glucocorticoid are sometimes referred to as corticosteroids other examples of glucocorticoids include hydrocortisone methyl prednisolone prednisolone, prednisone beta methazone and triamcinolone so glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that bind to the glucocorticoid receptor in the body cortisol aka hydrocortisone is the glucocorticoid.

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Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

We naturally make in our body it’s essential for life it regulates or supports various cardiovascular metabolic and homeostatic functions it also plays a big role in our immune system especially when it comes to reducing certain aspects of inflammation this is why we use them all the time in medicine we sometimes give these steroids for asthma copd rheumatologic type diseases and countless more diseases. Sometimes it is also given for steroids for meningitis and also for some forms of cancer we also give them in the early course of severe ards acute respiratory distress syndrome whether that ards is due to infection such as pneumonia or vaping lung injury or whatever the cause for severe ards we typically give methylprednisolone or solumedral at a dose of one milligram per kilogram per day. So, for most people that ends up being around 80 milligrams per day so this is the equivalent of 15 milligrams of dexamethasone the idea here is to suppress the cytokine storm that has taken place meaning that the massive amount of inflammation that causes lung damage and can indirectly cause damage to other organs as well our body naturally makes cortisol in our adrenal glands specifically in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex the adrenal gland then secretes cortisol into the bloodstream and the cortisol travels to different tissues of the body and then binds to the glucocorticoid receptor inside cells it then stimulates the cell to make more anti-inflammatory proteins and causes the cell to make less pro-inflammatory proteins but giving someone glucocorticoids meaning steroids to someone who has an infection is somewhat of a tricky thing because the fear is that if you suppress the body’s immune system it has the potential to make the infection worse. Sometimes the body’s immune system does more damage than the actual infection for example in cases of meningitis that is due to either streptococcus or tuberculosis we give steroids because the medical evidence shows that they have better outcomes when we do so and giving someone steroids for viral pneumonias like influenza is more controversial because doing so generally leads to worse infection with that said if the viral pneumonia is so bad to the point of causing severe ards most doctors will give steroids in that situation. So this is why, the general medical guidelines so far recommend against giving steroids for covert pneumonia unless the patient has severe ards and we’ve been waiting for randomized controlled trials to come out for steroids in covid and here we are now with this study so in march of 2020 the recovery trial which stands for randomized evaluation of covid-19 therapy was one of the randomized control trials that actually looked at several different potential treatments for covid which included low-dose dexamethasone this trial was done in the UK.

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Image source: Sky News

Over 11 500 patients in it so this trial has not been peer reviewed as of has not been published in the journal yet so everything I know so far is based on what’s been released to the general public in this trial over 2100 patients were randomized to receive dexamethasone specifically six milligrams once per day for 10 days and this group was compared with over 4 300 patients that were randomized to the standard care alone so 6 milligrams of dexamethasone is the equivalent of 32 milligrams of methylprednisolone so this is about half the dose we would typically use for someone with severe ards so among the patients who received standard care alone 20-day mortality was highest in those who required mechanical ventilation this was 41 and then intermediate in those patients who required supplemental oxygen only this was mortality rate of 25 percent and the mortality rate was lowest among those who did not require supplemental oxygen in which that mortality rate was 13 for patients who were on mechanical ventilators dexamethasone reduced mortality from 41 percent to 28 percent for patients who needed supplemental oxygen it reduced mortality from 25 percent to 20 percent and there was no benefit among those patients who do not require supplement oxygen in other words if someone only had mild disease there was no point in giving dexamethasone so based on these results one death would be prevented by the treatment of around eight ventilated patients. So that’s the number needed to treat for ventilated patients and then the number needed to treat for the ones who required supplemental oxygen that number needed to treat would be 25 so these preliminary results are significant but it doesn’t mean that dexamethasone is a miracle drug it’s certainly not a cure but it does seem to help based on these numbers index and methazone could be of huge benefit and not just rich countries but poorer countries as well because this drug is very cheap and is widely available so this is great news and very exciting but there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered like what is the ideal dose should we use higher doses in patients who are mechanically ventilated with ards and when will it be approved for use in the united states and we’ll get these answers pretty soon now another.

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Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

Interesting question is should we give decadron dexamethasone to people who have mild disease now even though this study didn’t show any benefit the reason why i bring this up is because some people start out with mild disease and then go on to have moderate or severe disease and we have no way of predicting who goes on to do that and also it happens very quickly lots of times someone could be doing just fine and then all of a sudden within hours they all of a sudden are deteriorating and they have severe disease so should we give those patients decadron regardless is there any harm doing so that’s another question that remains to be seen.

How to keep yourself amused during Covid 19

Since the global outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, we are locked inside our homes trying various things to pass our free time. We can either waste our time or put it to better use by doing something productive. Most people are wasting this precious time, by sleeping, playing online games, watching shows, just thinking about how this lockdown period is affecting their lives. But, for the students, this is the best time to do stuff that he/she has wanted to do all their lives, but never found the time to do. So, here we are compiling some of the interesting and creative stuffs that you must try to keep yourself entertained during quarantine.

Reading: A habit to develop

As we have all the time in the world, so we can devote some time to enhance our knowledge by reading some good books. We couldn’t read much earlier as we had other important things to do, but this time away from the world has allowed us to explore many different books. Many good novels are available online. So, we don’t need to worry about going to the store to buy one. Reading books makes us see the world from many different perspectives, as characters from a novel have different points of view.

Learning new things

As no one is perfect and learning should never be stopped. We could use this time to learn new things, instead of just sitting around wasting time. You could utilise your time by learning French, or any of your favourite foreign language. You could easily found many good online videos and websites and also enrolled myself in a French learning course that is helping me a lot to learn. Also, I’m utilizing my time to prepare for some competitive exams that I need to give in the future.

Enhancing Yourself

We could immerse ourself in the process of self-learning to improve our skills and getting to know ourself better. We should keep trying new things to bring out our creativity. We can try to enhance our cooking skills by making new dishes each day and also investing this time to meditate and give our mind some time to relax and find peace.

Spending time with loved ones

We could best use of our time by spending quality time with our family members. In this digital age, we generally don’t get time to spend with our families due to busy schedule and workload. So this lockdown has given us enough time to appreciate and enjoy our time with family members. We could help our mother in household work, spend time with father talking about different things, help our brother with his studies and we also have fun, playing games together.

There are also many apps which you could prefer to keep yourself entertained. Some of these apps are as follow:

Learning Apps

There are several applications that enabled us to achieve our goals and learn new things through homeschooling. Some of such apps are:

  • DUOLING APP

Duolingo enables users to learn languages through gamification. The app includes 35 languages.

  • BUSUU APP

Due to the current pandemic, Busuu has introduced a new initiative, Keep Kids Learning. This initiative was done to support children and their families while home-schooling. The initiative provides free learning of different languages by some qualified teachers.

Fitness apps

Currently, there is no access to local gyms. So at such time to keep ourself fit and healthy we could install some good apps to follow our daily exercise routine. Two of the apps are as follow:

  • STRAVA

Strava is a fitness app where you can track all your performance and also helps to complete the given challenges. The app is community-driven which has social elements for friendly competition.

  • Runtastic

This fitness app was launched by Adidas. The app provides more than 180+ videos. The videos help users to achieve their daily fitness goals. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, it is currently offering a three-month free premium trial too.

Music Apps

Well, no doubt, music is the best way of relaxing. So these are few apps that you could also use:

  • Soundcloud

Soundcloud is one of the most common music apps. Here over 200 million tracks are uploaded by the active community. Soundcloud is one of the world’s largest open audio platform.

  • Spotify

Spotify is the other app that provides millions of tracks and even episodes. So during the lockdown period, you can choose any kind of music you to listen according to your mood.

Along with these fantastic Apps, there are many other apps that you can use in this period of lockdown and can keep yourself entertained.
These are some of the exciting and useful things that one could try to keep himself/herself entertained during this lockdown.

How can Start-ups and Businesses overcome the downturn because of COVID-19?

The COVID-19 has created a pandemonium for start-ups and businesses all around the world. Most of the start-ups and businesses are facing a downturn in their financial market. We know it’s a very hard time for all, and we all are trying very hard to survive through the pandemic. Most of the employees are in fear of losing their job security. The start-up entrepreneurs are afraid of not getting any proper upcoming projects. Every start-up enterprise and business are going through terrible times now, financially. The employees are trying to survive without pay. The economy of the country is degrading day by day. 

Hence, we are here to see what can start-ups and businesses do to overcome the downturn because of COVID-19. If we have the will to make progress, we are surely going to overcome this pandemic. Even if the market is not as fast-paced as before, we still can develop the businesses financially. All we need to have is a proper strategy to make the progress happen, to survive COVID-19. Here is a list of strategies that start-ups and businesses can follow to overcome the downturn.

Strategies to overcome downturn due to COVID-1

Communicating with regular clients 

Every business company or a start-up must have a regular set of clients. Try to communicate with your customers regularly. Even if the pandemic resists you from gaining any new project, you will still have your old clients. Try to keep your old client satisfied. You will get the support you need from regular clients.

Manage your team for new strategy plans

Your old strategies won’t be of any help now. You need new ideas to make new strategies. To have new ideas, you need a working team led by a strong leader. The leader has to make the team members understand how important it is to make strategies. If you want to overcome the financial loss your company has faced, you need to strategize everything. 

Make small plans rather than bigger ones

Your only goal, for now, is to survive the pandemic with as low financial loss as possible. So, make smaller plans rather than long-term plans. You should have a plan for the upcoming month, rather than the year. Plan every day out and execute the plan meticulously.

Pay attention to investment

Now, you won’t have a lot of funding. Your company would already suffer heavy losses, due to a lack of new projects. Hence, try to keep the investment at a bare minimum. Don’t invest in huge projects at the moment. Look for smaller projects. In this way, you can save funds for your company. This is not the time to invest your money, because you have no idea what the future holds.

New ideas and methods

You need to understand what is important at the moment. You have to impress your clients, and for that, you need to bring in new ideas. You have to focus on the necessity rather than the exuberance. Every new idea has to be convenient and needed by the customers. There is no need for fancy ideas. It’s highly unlikely that a customer would be interested to invest in any fancy project. You have to modify your methods according to the need of the moment.

How to save your company from financial loss?

Financial loss is inevitable for any company in the current scenario. But you can save your company from becoming bankrupt. You have to make your employees work towards the satisfaction of the existing clients. The employees would get paid based on their work. You have to make a new rule for your employees, which would stay consistent until the company is back on track. Your employees would get paid for the amount of work they are going to produce. You need to plan out work for every employee you have. Even for a start-up company, you need to keep your employees as well as your clients happy. Your employees are the pillars of your company. In this way, you can satisfy both the clients and the employees. Apart from that, you have to make small teams of members, headed by one leader. Make them work on small projects. They would get paid based on every successful project they execute. In this way, your company won’t suffer from a lack of work. Also, your employees would get paid for executing the projects wonderfully.

The best way to overcome financial loss is to not invest huge amounts on any projects now. Take up small projects, which would be easier for the employees to finish, and also in time. Try to invest less as much as possible. Only invest in projects you think would be fruitful for your company at the moment.

How to make plans and strategies to overcome financial loss?

The focus should be on new plans and strategies, for a small amount of time. Once the pandemic ends, the situation of the company would improve for the better. Now, you need to focus on new plans. Have a team of members who would give you proper strategies regarding new projects. The projects have to go according to the strategized plan. Every project should be well planned and simple. All the employees have to keep in mind, that it is better to have simple plans to work on, rather than complicated ones.

Therefore, it is not hard for any start-up or business to overcome downturns. Your employees are your strength. You all can work together to keep your company out of financial loss and debt. You need to focus only on what is needed and how you can work together to develop for the better. Work with your employees and plan out the upcoming months properly to achieve success. Your company will progress if you execute the plans properly. The more united you are with your employees, the better it would be for the company.

Prez Rajapaksa seeks PM Modi’s intervention to restore economy

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sought the intervention of PM Modi to revive some of the key projects as Sri Lanka strives to restore the economy in the wake of COVID crisis. 

In a telephonic conversation with PM Modi today, the Sri Lankan President called upon Indian side to expedite construction of the East Terminal of the Colombo Port as early as possible as it will be a significant boost to its economic landscape. 

In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said, Sri Lanka is fighting COVID-19 effectively under the leadership of Mr Rajapaksa and India will continue to support its close maritime neighbour in dealing with the pandemic and its economic impact. 

The Prime Minister said, the two nations agreed to accelerate Indian-assisted development projects in Sri Lanka and also strengthen investment links. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes for the health and wellbeing of the Sri Lankan people. 

President Rajapaksa briefed Prime Minister Modi on the steps being taken by the Sri Lankan government to restart economic activity. They also discussed the possibilities of promoting investments and value-addition in Sri Lanka by the Indian private sector.

Mr. Rajapaksa said he is trying to promote value added industrial and agricultural activities and will be happy to encourage Indian investors to start such investments, including Indian companies already in Sri Lanka to increase domestic value addition. 

The Sri Lankan President also requested government of India to provide USD 1.1 billion special SWAP facility to top up USD 400 million under SAARC facility as it would enormously help Sri Lanka in dealing with the foreign exchange issues.  

PM Modi assured that he is personally committed to help Sri Lanka and is ready to help under terms that are favorable to Sri Lanka. The two leaders agreed to continue with the ongoing bilateral projects that brings direct benefits to people and prioritize food and health securities. 

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, they agreed to further strengthen all aspects of the bilateral relations and President Rajapaksa thanked India for support, including 10 tonnes of medical supplies.