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World Bank team meets Kerala CM; expresses interest in state’s carbon neutral initiatives
World Bank Vice President for South Asia Region Martin Raiser said...
Irdai sets up expert panel for matters related to mental health
A holistic examination of the various aspects involved such as...
How pandemic bonds became the world’s most controversial investment
Here’s how the pandemic bonds worked.
The World Bank would sell $320 million of debt to investors. In the event of a pandemic, that debt would be written off and the principal would accrue to the bank to be distributed to needy countries. Premiums were juicy – the safest slice of the offering paid 6.9% over the Libor benchmark rate, similar to returns typically found on junk-rated corporate bonds and far greater than the 2.2% available on 10-year U.S. government debt at the time. For the second tranche, which had looser triggers for a writeoff, premiums were a whopping 11.5%.
PIL to control population: Can”t coerce family planning, Centre tells SC
India is witnessing a constant decline in total fertility Rate(TFR), the ministry said, adding that the fertility rate which was 3.2 at the time when National Population Policy was adopted has declined substantially to 2.2 as per the Sample Registration System, 2018.
The NHP sets out indicative, quantitative goals and objectives which includes the achievement of TFR of 2.1 by 2025.
National Health Policy 2017 provides for a policy guidance to inform, clarify, strengthen and prioritise the role of the government in shaping health systems in all its dimensions.
Cold storage to companies: a stock trader’s guide to Covid vaccine rollout
With multiple vaccine types, the distribution chains involve hundreds of businesses—from airlines to makers of freezers, vials and disposable needles—and thousands of staff working to get shots from laboratory floors to the arms of populations around the world.
Study details first artificial intelligence tool to help labs rule-out Covid-19
“Nine months into this pandemic, we now have a better understanding of how to care for patients with Covid-19,” said lead author and University of Vermont Assistant Professor Timothy Plante, M.D., M.H.S., “but there’s still a big bottleneck in Covid-19 diagnosis with PCR testing.”
PCR testing is the current standard diagnostic for Covid-19, and requires specific sampling, like a nasal swab, and specialized laboratory equipment to run.
“According to data from over 100 US hospitals, the national average turnaround time for Covid-19 tests ordered in emergency rooms is above 24 hours, far from the targeted one-hour turnaround,” Biocogniv Chief Operating Officer Tanya Kanigan, Ph.D., said.
U.S. FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
Healthcare workers and elderly people in long-term care facilities are expected to be the main recipients of a first round of 2.9 million doses.
Cases are surging in the United States, with thousands of death per day, while hospital intensive care units across the country are nearing capacity, threatening to overwhelm healthcare systems.
India readies for 600 million COVID vaccine jabs; to use standard cold storage – top government expert
“The four that I can see, including Serum, Bharat, Zydus, and Sputnik need normal cold chain. I see no problem for these vaccines,” ,V.K. Paul, who heads the group of experts on vaccine administration, told Reuters in an interview.
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, is already mass producing and stockpiling AstraZeneca’s Covishield shot, while Indian biotech players Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila are developing their own vaccine candidates.
Any vaccine adverse effects up to national agencies to review – WHO
“But people should not be too anxious. Remember there are a number of vaccine candidates coming online at the same time,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a U.N. briefing in Geneva.
“One vaccine may not be suitable for particular individuals, but you may well find another vaccine is.”
Sanofi and GSK delay COVID-19 vaccine, marking setback for global fight
The setback affects one of the most established technologies in vaccines – used against the human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and pertussis among other pathogens – which aims to introduce lab-made proteins into the body to prod the immune system into developing a targeted defence against the novel coronavirus.
Scientists develop new inhalation delivery system for vaccines
The researchers said this method improves bioavailability and also reduces potential side effects by achieving a rapid onset of action.
The scientists believe lung delivery could protect against airborne pathogens that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, Ebola, measles, and COVID-19.
However, they said this approach has not been adopted widely, partly because the underlying physiological mechanisms remain largely unknown.
One million Indian doctors on strike to protest surgeries by traditional practitioners
“All non-essential consultations and surgeries from morning until evening on Friday were suspended, ” said Rajan Sharma, the head of IMA, adding that the strike would not affect treatment to COVID-19 patients.