Targeting UPSC CSE

 Covid Causing indirectly Brain Damage Recent Study by US National Institute of Health (NIH) on brain of Covid patient shows damages to the tissue of Brain caused by thinning and leaking brain blood vessels , may be caused by body's inflammatory response to virus.  The scans revealed that both olfactory bulbs and brainstems regions had an abundance of bright spots (called hyperintensities) that often indicate inflammation, and dark spots (called hypointensities) that represent bleeding.Found spots that  were surrounded by T cells from the blood and the brain’s own immune cells called microglia . Although Covid-19 is primarily respiratory disease, patient soften experience neurological problems including headaches, delirium, cognitive dysfunction, dizziness, fatigue, and loss of the sense of smell. The disease may also cause patients to suffer strokes. Several studies have shown that the disease can cause inflammation and blood vessel damage. Covid patients may be sus...

 U.K. regulator granted emergency use authorisation of AstraZenca's Vaccine on 30.12.20  It is based on weakened Adenovirus , i.e. a common cold flu virus  which contains genetic material of spike protein . Can be stored and transported at 2°- 8°. less costly then mRNA Vaccines like that of Pfizer and Moderna. Showed 62% efficacy when 2 full strength dose administered 4 weeks apart, as per published report.

 Covishield, vaccine candidate by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, approved by a Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)  It is the variant of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that is being manufactured under licence in India by SII

 First reported to WHO on December 14. Increased Virulence. India needs mass genomic surveillance for that India has formed a consortium of leading genomics labs to make genome surveillance a routine continuous exercise which can shore up India's defenses against this pandemic and those of future.

One km radius area was declared a “zero mobility zone” in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar town , after over 50 crows were found dead because of avian influenza. Also, Mass death of crows also reported from Jodhpur . A rapid response team will also ensure strict compliance with the Avian Influenza Action Plan 2015   by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying  under  Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying  and collect nearby poultry farms and shops.

Launched, Coordinated by Department of Biotechnology along with MoH&FW , ICMR, CSIR. A im is to monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis through a multi-laboratory network. It is c omprising 10 labs namely DBT-NIBMG Kalyani, DBT-ILS Bhubaneswar, ICMR-NIV Pune, DBT-NCCS Pune, CSIR-CCMB Hyderabad, DBT-CDFD Hyderabad, DBT-InSTEM/ NCBS Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, CSIR-IGIB Delhi, and NCDC Delhi. the preliminary  study indicates that the variant is unlikely  to cause increased risk of reinfection,  the new variant might not spread wildly here  due to difficulty in finding susceptible persons since 40-50% of urban India particularly in Tier 1 & 2 cities and about 30% people across India would have already been infected. India has so far sequenced around 6300 genomes of this virus in contrast UK has nearly 157000 genome sequenced even when their cases are around quarter of cases in India. It will help in boosting  India's Defe...