The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, has continued to evolve since it first emerged in December 2019. One variant of concern is called the \”Kraken\” variant, which has been identified in South Africa and is believed to be more transmissible than previous versions of the virus.

The Kraken variant carries a number of mutations in the spike protein that allows the virus to enter human cells, including the E484K mutation, which may help the virus evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. While it is not yet clear how transmissible or virulent the Kraken variant is compared to other variants, it is important for people to continue practicing recommended public health measures such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and maintaining social distancing to help slow the spread of all COVID-19 variants.

It is also important for governments and public health agencies to continue monitoring the spread of the Kraken variant and other emerging variants, and to adapt their strategies for controlling the pandemic as needed. This may include the implementation of new or enhanced public health measures, the development and distribution of new vaccines or treatments, and the deployment of resources to help manage the spread of the virus.

It is worth noting that the emergence of new variants of the virus is not unusual and is to be expected during a pandemic. Viruses naturally mutate over time, and the rapid spread of the virus during a pandemic provides more opportunities for mutations to occur. While some of these mutations may have little impact on the spread or severity of the disease, others may lead to changes in the virus that make it more transmissible or virulent. It is therefore important for public health agencies to closely monitor the evolution of the virus and to take appropriate action as needed.

One key way to help slow the spread of the Kraken variant and other emerging variants is through vaccination. While currently available vaccines may not be as effective against the Kraken variant as they are against previous versions of the virus, they are still expected to provide some level of protection and may help to reduce the severity of illness in those who become infected. It is therefore important for people to get vaccinated when a vaccine becomes available to them.

In conclusion, the emergence of the Kraken variant and other emerging variants of COVID-19 highlights the importance of continuing to practice recommended public health measures and of closely monitoring the evolution of the virus. While the spread of these variants may present new challenges, it is critical for people to remain vigilant and to follow recommended guidelines in order to help control the pandemic and protect themselves and others from illness.

Link

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/coronavirus-news-live-updates-covid-19-maharashtra-reports-51880-new-covid19-positive-cases-65934-recoveries-and-891-deaths-6855751.html

Covishield has been developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca in partnership with the Serum institute of Pune, and was approved for use by the Government of India around two months back. Known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or AZD1222, the vaccine produces the best result when administered in two doses a month apart. This vaccine uses the virus’s genetic instruction for building the spike protein as its base and is peculiar in that it stores the instructions in double-stranded DNA.

Development

The gene for the Coronavirus spike protein was added to another virus called Adenovirus, the viruses that typically cause colds or flu-like symptoms. The team used a  modified version of a chimpanzee adenovirus, known as ChAdOx1. AZD1222 is the result of decades of research on adenovirus-based vaccines. This modified form of virus can enter the cell but cannot replicate itself. There are two aspects that make this vaccine more rugged than its competitors and those are adenovirus’s tough protein coat, which helps protect the genetic material inside, and the storage of instructions in double-stranded DNA, which is not as fragile as RNA.

Defence Mechanism

Once the vaccine is delivered, the Adenoviruses bump into cells and get engulfed into a bubble and pulled into the cell where they travel to the nucleus after detaching themselves from the bubble. These Adenoviruses then transfer their DNA to the nucleus of the cell. The gene of the Coronavirus spike protein is then read by the nucleus and gets copied to a molecule called messenger RNA or mRNA. The mRNA  leaves the cell, and the cell starts assembling the spike proteins on its surface.

The immune system can effectively recognize these protruding spikes, and this particular vaccine causes the immune system to react more strongly to the spike proteins. After the cell dies, B cells come into action and bump into the spikes and lock onto them. These B cells are then activated by helper T cells and proliferate and pour put antibodies that target the protein spikes. 

Side Effects

Most common side effects include Pain or tenderness at the injection site, Headache, Tiredness, Muscle or joint aches, Fever, Chills, Nausea.

All in all, this vaccine provides an active defense against the novel Coronavirus with an efficacy of 62-90%, which is quite promising. Health centers across the country are delivering this vaccine to thousands of individuals everyday, and it seems to be working effectively, with minimal side effects, in providing protection against the virus.

The Shadow Pandemic

Governments across the world have intensified their efforts to fight the pandemic and the economic pandemic caused due to it but not much attention has been paid to the pandemic lurking in the shadows – increasing violence against women.

As per the data of the UN, the number of cases of domestic violence has increased dramatically and the majority of the cases are from the house itself. Therefore, you cannot equate home and safety. Any violation of human dignity inside the house can be termed as domestic violence. Because of the patriarchal mindset of society and some kind of social acceptance, at times, women don\’t even realize that they are being the victim of domestic violence. The burden of any disaster or pandemic has traditionally been borne and continues to disproportionately be borne by the women of the household.

The Situation Earlier

The earlier studies show that men controlling behavior increased during times of crisis such as The Great Depression, Ebola outbreak, Tsunami, etc. Increased unemployment leads to increased frustration and hence increased violence. The gender-based violence and women-specific needs are not even addressed in disaster preparedness which leads to women becoming more vulnerable.

Even More Worrisome

Every woman who faces domestic abuse has been locked home with her abuser for months together with very little or no private sphere. According to the UN Women \”Confinement is fostering the tension and strain created by security, health, and money worries and it is increasing isolation for women with violent partners, separating them from the people and resources that can best help them.\” Spikes in domestic violence are a direct result of women losing access to vital social support and it may reverse the gains achieved against the gender skewness.

What needs to be done

During this tough time of COVID-19, the silence around domestic violence needs to be broken and the government and NGOs need to do the vulnerability analysis. In a society like India’s, where this malaise is deeply entrenched, building awareness is vital. We cannot set aside this gender disparity problem while we fix the pandemic. It\’s high time when we need to include \”Prevention of Domestic Violence\” as a part of our action plan.

I want to pose a question to all the readers, “what do you guys think is the most efficient weapon to battle Coronavirus?” A lot of you would give answers like “the vaccine could help”, but I will counter the answer by saying “we do not have it yet”, and, trust me, it would not be the best strategy to sit back and do nothing until the vaccine comes out. You guys will again ask me “what else can we do”, and I am going to say “the best we can do is make sure every person around us is Rightly Aware.”

If we go out and ask any random person about the precautions we should be taking at this moment, then we would hear a lot of things about wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, opting contact less methods, etc., but it is very unlikely that the these measures are being implemented in a proper manner. It is, therefore, clear that we are not “rightly aware”, but “being pretentious.” The worst part is that even the most educated people in the society are reluctant to implement such measures. The Prime Minister himself, in his last address to the nation, said, “since the unlock began, we have been becoming more and more careless.” Every word in this statement is true as I could see myself what these falsely aware people are up to. People are still shaking hands, not maintaining social distancing, considering this infection a minor threat, and, as a whole, underestimating the impact COVID-19 can have on their lives. So guys if you fall in this category, then this is the right time for you to get back on track and be “rightly aware”, because the sooner it is the better it’s going to be.

False awareness and theatrical communication of information by the media have made COVID-19 a social stigma, and, as a result, people who have been tested positive or have symptoms are fearful to reveal their conditions, because they think the society is going to boycott them. Honestly, this has to change right away, and people who step out to reveal their conditions should be considered a “Civic Heros.” People stepping forward would be saving not only their life, but also the lives of other, more vulnerable people. They are, therefore, doing a job no less than a heroic one. There are a lot of ways in which the problem of social stigma can be addressed, but one very efficient way would be to start boycotting and stop sharing the posts that dramatize the scenario to entertain the readers. At the same time, we have to broaden our mindset and understand other people. If someone doesn’t want to come in close contact with others to avoid the risk of infection, then the person should not be persuaded to change the mindset, and their actions should not be taken in an offensive manner. If someone wants to greet you with a “Namaste” instead of a handshake, then do not think that the person is being discriminatory.

Lastly, I just want to say that we should all pledge I want my readers to pledge to ensure that people around us are rightly aware, and that we put an end to this social stigma by being more considerate. Also, remember this, if the false awareness and theatrical presentation persist, then we will have a really really long way to go in this battle, and that, in turn, is going to hurt us in every possible way.

When the lockdown began, a lot of things became clear about the idea behind enforcing such a move. A strange uncertainty came in the market, and it soon became clear that our economy is going to take a bad hit. Many experts are regularly analyzing the trends of economy and putting up their opinion to help the people, but one aspect of this lockdown still remains untouched. We have not paid adequate attention to some things this lockdown taught us. We are not aware of how we have developed personally, so, I am writing this article to remind you guys to take a moment to think about what good has already happened or is happening to us at this very moment.

The Foremost positive thing that I have developed is, “Patience”, and I somehow know that a lot of people along with I would have realized it lately. I am quite impatient when it comes to handling things or listening to people or carrying out chores I find useless, but locked inside a house 24/7 for three months, people changed in ways that they started noticing even the minutest detail and became aware of their surroundings. They started understanding people around them and became a good listener. These days, I do not speak unnecessarily, I do not get involved in conversations that make me angry, I listen to everyone with “Patience” and then put forth my opinion, and I conserve my energy to invest it on more productive things. I think I can say that I have become a little, “Patient.”

Moving on, there’s one thing most people won’t deny, and that is in the lockdown, we led a healthy life. We did not eat junk, if we did, it was mostly homemade, so, it doesn’t really matter. A lot of people lost couple of Kilograms and got success in achieving their fitness goals. As a result of weight-loss, we have already lowered the risk of developing several conditions including heart disease, diabetes mellitus, poor bone density, and some cancers. We also learned how technology can assist us in achieving our daily objectives. From HIIT to Mindfulness Meditation, technology is now guiding people to adopt the most ideal form of lifestyle.

Besides this, we got a lot of time to focus on personal development. A lot of people had to catch up with a lot of good things they planned they would do or started doing but left it because of some inevitable circumstances. I have seen people working on their public speaking skills. They would come up with innovative ideas such as making voiceovers on very interesting topics or making videos to review several products. We realized that we would not get this much of time again to work on ourselves and stepped out of our comfort zones to go ahead with the plan. Even if we developed a little, what matters here is that we stepped out of our comfort zones, and we tried, and realised that if need be, we would do this again.

Last on the list, but definitely not the least, we have developed a sense of innovation in ourselves. Engineers, doctors, businessmen, and people from other professions came forward with their ideas to help people in need. It is well said by someone that necessity begets invention, and it has now been proven true as a lot of services are being provided online, such as online education, online consultation etc. I was really happy to learn that Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and institute of virology has launched its first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine contender the trials of which has already started. From past few years a lot of experts are trying to explain that India needs to work on innovation, and now India knows that if it has to sustain in these difficult times, it has to come up with innovations that can serve the needs of all kinds of people. We are yet to witness how “Aatmnirbhar” our “Bharat” will become.

We still have a long way to go in this battle against the virus, but I am already feeling positive and optimistic. We need to stop complaining and start working towards our betterment and keep one thing in mind that is “this too shall pass”.