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Is Third Wave Inevitable in India?

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India has just emerged from the crisis posed by the second wave and the COVID case rate is on a constant decline. Many state governments have started to relax the strict lockdown measures.

But just as we had a sigh of relief, news of the impending third wave has started pouring in. Niti Ayog member VK Saswat has emphasized that India needs to prepare for the ‘inevitable’ third wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The third wave is expected to affect the younger people more and vaccination is the only way forward. Another challenge in combating the Coronavirus waves is the constantly mutating nature of the virus. The Kappa and Delta variant of the coronavirus was responsible for wreaking havoc across the country during the second wave. A new variant called Delta plus or AY.1 of coronavirus has been already identified in a few states. But this strain is not yet classified as a variant of concern.

What is an epidemic wave?

 

There is no universally accepted definition for an infection wave. The term ‘wave’ is used to signify the increasing or decreasing trend of the caseload in a country or a region. It can also be used to refer to the seasonality of an infection. Coronavirus disease has affected every country in the world but there is a clear trend of the abrupt rise and consequent fall in the number of positive cases. So far there have been two waves in India. It also differs from state to state. For example, the NCT of Delhi has experienced four distinct waves since the outbreak.

 

Is a Third Wave Inevitable?

 

Currently, the second wave has subsided, and the number of cases is on a declining trend. But many renowned epidemiologists have warned of an impending third wave. The problem is aggravated due to constant mutations and recurring variants of the coronavirus. If in the coming months, the coronavirus cases are again on an increasing trend and the trend continues for several weeks, then it will be qualified as the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. States like TN and Karnataka have already experienced a slight increase in the number of cases but the national trend continues to subside.

 

Will it be more Dangerous?

 

Generally, as the virus infects more and more people, the increasing size of the population develops an acquired immunity against it. So theoretically the consequent waves of the viruses are supposed to be milder. However, this theoretical explanation is defeated by the constantly changing nature of the virus. So far every emerging variant is more infectious and lethal. There are studies going on to find out the efficacy of vaccines against the emerging variants. Many commentators have predicted that the third wave might be more lethal due to these reasons. However, in the paucity of data and predictive models, the consequent trend of infectivity and mortality of the virus remains uncertain. The only way to protect oneself against the coronavirus disease is to get vaccinated and practice covid appropriate behavior like double masking and physical distancing.

 

You can search for vaccine slot availability on the ‘Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the OneDios app. It allows you to have a streamlined and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pincode to get the relevant information about slot availability. OneDios COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area by making the process easygoing, painless, and reliable.

You can also track vaccine-related statistics on the “Vaccination Dashboard” available on the OneDios app. The data for the dashboard is sourced from official Co-Win Statistics. Through this dashboard, you can stay informed about the number of sites conducting vaccination and total vaccination doses in real-time. Relevant data and trends are presented in user-friendly graphs, categories, and visual formats for greater access. You can also check updated data by selecting your state or district to know about specific statistics.

 

 

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Industry Talk

How Vaccines are made?

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus has interested many peoples for the scientific know-how of vaccine manufacturing and production. The main purpose of vaccines is to generate antigens against the respective viruses and to enhance the immune response of the body in fighting against them. There are several vaccines available in the market for a variety of viral and infectious diseases. A lot of scientific parameters are necessary to be followed in the process of manufacturing vaccines. It starts with the study of the nature of viruses and goes through various clinical trials and errors in order to make it as effective and safe as possible.

 

Ingredients in a vaccine:

  • Antigen

According to the information available on the WHO website, the key ingredient that goes into the manufacturing of any vaccines is an antigen. An antigen is either the small part of the disease-causing virus or even the whole organism but in weakened or altered form to make the body learn about the nature of the virus. This antigen can be anything like in the form of sugar or protein. The selection of antigen forms the most important part of the manufacturing processes as it includes genomics or genome sequencing to find the most appropriate and effective genes that can be used as antigens.

 

  • Adaptations of Right Platform

Now the next step in vaccine production is about the adaptation of the right platforms. This primarily means employing different methods like modification around genes or inducing genetic engineering in the structure of DNA or RNA to produce desired antigens inside the body.

 

  • Preservatives

The other important component is the preservative that maintains the quality of vaccines, and prevents vaccines from contaminations. The most common and widely used preservative is 2-phenoxyethanol.

 

  • Stabilizers and Surfactants

Stabilizers prevent chemical reactions from occurring within the vaccine. It can be sugars (lactose, sucrose), amino acids (glycine), gelatin, and proteins (recombinant human albumin, derived from yeast). And the function of Surfactant is to keep all ingredients in the vaccines blended together and prevent the originality of vaccines.

 

  • Residuals

Residuals also form an important ingredient of vaccine manufacturing and depend on the processes that are utilized for manufacturing. Egg proteins, yeast, or antibiotics are some examples of residuals.

 

  • Diluent

The primary use of diluent is to maintain the appropriate liquid concentration of vaccines. The most commonly used diluent is sterile water.

 

  • Adjuvant

The adjuvants are used to improve the immune response to vaccines. For any antigen that induces a weak response, adjuvants are added to enhance their efficacy and quality. It is also used to overcome the limitations in vaccine productions by lowering the doses required for vaccinations. Aluminum salts (like aluminum phosphate, aluminum hydroxide or potassium aluminum sulfate) are commonly used adjuvants that are not harmful to the human body.

 

You can search for vaccine slot availability on the ‘Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the OneDios app. It allows you to have a streamlined and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pincode to get the relevant information about slot availability. OneDios COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area by making the process easygoing, painless, and reliable.

You can also track vaccine-related statistics on the “Vaccination Dashboard” available on the OneDios app. The data for the dashboard is sourced from official Co-Win Statistics. Through this dashboard, you can stay informed about the number of sites conducting vaccination and total vaccination doses in real-time. Relevant data and trends are presented in user-friendly graphs, categories, and visual formats for greater access. You can also check updated data by selecting your state or district to know about specific statistics.

 

 
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Tackling with Vaccine Hesitancy.

It has been over a year since the COVID-19 and the government of India has allowed vaccination of the 18-45yr age group. Earlier it was restricted to people of age above 45 and healthcare or frontline workers. It has now become common knowledge that vaccines are the ultimate tool that can save lives and livelihood. Vaccines are also important to get the economy back on track. But, it has been observed that due to vaccine misinformation and ‘information overload’, vaccine hesitancy is on the rise. Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in people accepting vaccination as a robust public health intervention. It leads to people either refusing to take vaccines or doubting the vaccines due to misinformation and rumors. WHO has referred to vaccine hesitancy as one of the top threats to global health.

Here are a few points to address vaccine hesitancy:

1. Vaccination protects you from getting sick

Experts and authorities have consistently stressed the fact that vaccines can prevent death and the severity of the infection. A vaccine trains your body to develop specific antibodies to fight any future infection, hence protecting you from the disease. These vaccines provide a boost to your body’s immunity system.

2. vaccination helps others in your community

The elders and people with co-morbidities like diabetes and heart diseases are more vulnerable to severe COVID infection. The chain of transmission can be broken if more people get vaccinated in a community, thus creating a protective shield around themselves. Each person getting a vaccine reduces the chance of spreading it to others who might not have received their vaccine or the vulnerable sections.

 3. Vaccines are safe

Samiran Panda, Head of ECD division in ICMR says, “ Vaccines are one of the most important public health tools we have to mitigate the impact of infectious diseases”. Governments across the globe are concerned about the health impacts of any large-scale public health intervention. They approve a vaccine for public use only after rigorous human trials have been conducted and data is favorable to public use. WHO has released a robust mechanism for vaccine trials to test its efficacy and safety.

4. Side effects are temporary

Since COVID vaccines do not contain any live virus, you will not get infected due to the vaccines. You might experience a few side effects like a sore arm, mild fever, and body aches. But these side effects are temporary. And these side effects only mean that your immune system is fighting back and responding to the vaccine by developing antibodies against the infection.

5. Vaccines provide extra protection if you have already had COVID

As per the current guidelines you should still get vaccinated even if you have been infected with COVID earlier. This is because antibodies by the previous infection are not permanent and they might disappear after a few months. This would leave you susceptible to the COVID again. 

You can search for vaccine slot availability on the ‘Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the OneDios app. It allows you to have a streamlined and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pincode to get the relevant information about slot availability. OneDios COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area by making the process easygoing, painless, and reliable.

You can also track vaccine-related statistics on the “Vaccination Dashboard” available on the OneDios app. The data for the dashboard is sourced from official Co-Win Statistics. Through this dashboard, you can stay informed about the number of sites conducting vaccination and total vaccination doses in real-time. Relevant data and trends are presented in user-friendly graphs, categories, and visual formats for greater access. You can also check updated data by selecting your state or district to know about specific statistics.

 

 

 
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Vaccine myth : Don’t believe these Vaccine myths.

Since the vaccines against COVID-19 are developed in a record short period of time, there are a lot of misconceptions around the subject. The outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic last year took the scientific community by surprise. SARS-COV-2 virus which causes coronavirus disease is a novel virus and no cure for the virus was available. It caused infections in country after country and spread throughout the world like wildfire. Scientists and researchers deserve applause for being able to develop vaccines in a record short time against this deadly virus. Given that vaccines are the only available defense against this disease, it is important to bust myths around vaccination arising due to Vaccine misinformation. And it is also important to acknowledge that vaccines are the only hope to save lives and livelihoods.

 

1. Myth: Vaccines are unsafe because they were developed too early

Fact: It has been decades of scientific advances and research that goes into the development and trials of vaccines today. The scientific community was able to develop the COVID vaccine early because they had years of reliable research in vaccine technology available. As Science and technology have progressed rapidly, genomic sequencing of the coronavirus could also be achieved quickly. There are robust mechanisms to test the vaccines in-vitro and conduct trials on humans. A vaccine is approved by authorities only when there is complete evidence of its efficacy and safety.

 

2. Myth: You can contract COVID due to vaccines so why get vaccinated?

Fact: Vaccines do not contain any live viruses. Whole virus vaccine technology only uses attenuated or inactivated viruses to trigger an immune response inside the human body. They are not strong enough to cause an infection. Other vaccine technologies like nucleic acid RNA and DNA vaccines use only the spike protein to mimic an infection so that body can develop antibodies against the virus to prevent any future infection. According to the experts, even if someone contracts COVID after getting vaccinated, the severity of the disease would be very mild. So Vaccines definitely reduce mortality. 

 

3. Myth: People with comorbidities shouldn’t get vaccinated

Fact: People suffering from co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension are at a greater risk of contracting a severe disease. So it is even more pertinent for them to get vaccinated. The vaccine policy of India had initiated a graded process in the beginning. After the health staff and frontline workers, the population with co-morbidities above 45yr of age was made eligible to get vaccinated. It is suggested that you consult the doctor who manages your conditions in case you have concerns.

 

4. Myth: After getting vaccinated, you don’t need to wear a mask 

Fact: Even after getting a vaccine, you need to practice social distancing and wear a mask when in public. This is because a huge chunk of the population hasn’t still been able to get their vaccine doses. Even if you are vaccinated you might still spread it to others who are not vaccinated. Another reason to not let down your guard is that none of the vaccines claims 100% efficacy, so you might still get infected with a much-decreased severity of the disease.

 

5. Myth: Pregnant women shouldn’t get vaccinated

Fact: Vaccine policies are modified as more reliable data emerges. According to CDC, it is absolutely fine for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to get vaccinated. These decisions are supposed to be made by experts on a case-by-case basis. It is advised to consult the doctor and take action accordingly.

 

You can search for vaccine slot availability on the ‘Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the OneDios app. It allows you to have a streamlined and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pincode to get the relevant information about slot availability. OneDios COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area by making the process easygoing, painless, and reliable.

You can also track vaccine-related statistics on the “Vaccination Dashboard” available on the OneDios app. The data for the dashboard is sourced from official Co-Win Statistics. Through this dashboard, you can stay informed about the number of sites conducting vaccination and total vaccination doses in real-time. Relevant data and trends are presented in user-friendly graphs, categories, and visual formats for greater access. You can also check updated data by selecting your state or district to know about specific statistics.

 

 

 
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Covaxin or Covishield : Which Vaccine is more effective?

The COVID-19 Pandemic brought the world to a standstill and continues to infect millions. Besides claiming the lives of people, it adversely impacted the livelihoods of many. Vaccines are considered the ultimate defense against COVID-19 since no medication or proven cure is so far available. The vaccines available in the market claim varying efficacy against the SARS-COV-2 virus. To understand which vaccine is best in comparable terms, it is important to understand the types of vaccines and the technology used in their development.

 

As per the classification of WHO, there are four kinds of COVID-19 vaccines developed so far in different parts of the world.

1. Whole Virus 

Whole virus vaccines use conventional technology of attenuated or inactivated viruses to trigger an immune response in your body. Live attenuated virus consists of a weakened viral component. It can still replicate but would not cause illness and can effectively initiate an immune response. Inactivated virus vaccines on the other hand utilize the virus whose genetic material has been altered so that it does not replicate. But it can efficiently trigger an immune response in the body. Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN falls under this category.

2. Protein Subunit

 

Protein subunit vaccines use fragments of pathogen proteins to trigger an immune response. They are considered safer with a reduced risk of side effects. This is because a live or attenuated virus is not involved. But the immune response might be weaker in this case. Hence, adjuvants are required to boost the response. Hepatitis B virus vaccine is an example of an existing subunit protein vaccine.

3. Nucleic Acid

 

Nucleic acid vaccines use high-end technology of utilizing genetic material or spike protein of Coronavirus. DNA or RNA is the genetic material that carries instructions to trigger the formation of antigens in the human cell itself. These antigens inside the body then trigger an immune response and antibodies. Nucleic acid vaccines are cheaper and hold the potential of scalable manufacturing when there is a need to vaccinate a large population. But one disadvantage associated with these vaccines is storage and logistics limitations. RNA and DNA vaccines need to be stored in ultra-cold temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius, which is a huge impediment in resource-poor countries.

4. Viral Vector

Viral vector vaccines also carry genetic material as instruction, but they use the harmless virus as a vector. This vector virus is different from the one that the vaccine is trying to provide immunity against. For example, chimpanzee adenovirus is currently used as a vector that causes the common cold, to target COVID 19. Viral vector vaccines are said to trigger a very strong immune response because they can mimic a natural viral infection inside the body. Although, on the downside, some people might already be infected with the viral vector. Hence reducing the efficacy in a few cases. COVISHIELD developed by AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India is a viral vector vaccine.

COVISHIELD or COVAXIN ?

 The answer to the question “which vaccine is best for you?” depends on multiple factors. Some of the factors are availability, manufacturing capability, and whether multiple options are available in the market. COVISHIELD and COVAXIN are the two vaccines available in India so far and both have shown good efficacy against the COVID-19. Both of the vaccines exhibit effective immune responses and have proven to reduce the severity of the disease. The battle against the COVID-19 pandemic is a collective struggle to get back to the ‘normal’ and save lives and livelihoods. Hence, it is the individual responsibility of each citizen to book their vaccine slots and get vaccinated as and when possible and ensure COVID appropriate behavior.

You can search for vaccine slot availability on the ‘Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the OneDios app. It allows you to have a streamlined and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pincode to get the relevant information about slot availability. OneDios COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area by making the process easygoing, painless, and reliable.

You can also track vaccine-related statistics on the “Vaccination Dashboard” available on the OneDios app. The data for the dashboard is sourced from official Co-Win Statistics. Through this dashboard, you can stay informed about the number of sites conducting vaccination and total vaccination doses in real-time. Relevant data and trends are presented in user-friendly graphs, categories, and visual formats for greater access. You can also check updated data by selecting your state or district to know about specific statistics.

 

 
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How long does it take for covid vaccine to work ?

 SARS-Cov-2 or the novel CoronaVirus has taken the whole world by storm. Since it is a new virus, the scientific community and researchers worked lamp to post to develop the vaccine against the virus to fight the pandemic and enable a return to “normalcy”. After more than a year into the pandemic, there are multiple vaccines available in the market. Although it is still not proved that a vaccine would surely protect against the infection, the Doctors and Scientists claim that it considerably reduces the severity of the disease.

 

 

There have been concerning reports of reduced effectiveness of the vaccine against the new variants and mutants.

There are the following points to consider to understand how Covid Vaccine would work.

1.How does a Vaccine work?

A vaccine teaches your immune system to identify and resist the virus, once it enters the body. A vaccine mimics the functioning of spike protein in the virus to train your body cells to fight any possible attack. As your body fights the virus, it develops “memory T-cells” that retain the memory of this infection for the next time.

 Thus, it prevents further multiplication of viruses and protects you from further spread to the lungs. Just as your body remembers what it experienced through the disease and builds up an immunity, a fully vaccinated person’s body performs in the same manner.

 

2. How long does it take for your body to develop antibodies once you get the COVID vaccine shot?

Once you get vaccinated, it takes a few days for your body to build up an immune response through antibodies. It is still important to keep using other tools like masks and social distancing to protect yourself from the infection. During this time your body reads the genetic material of the virus which is available in form of instruction manuals and it takes time for the body to complete this process. According to ICMR guidelines, it would take at least two weeks after the second dose to achieve full protection against the infection. This is how long it takes for your body to develop resistance against any future invasion by the virus.

 

3. Do you still need to wear a mask, after vaccination?

The discourse around Pandemic spread is as much about protecting others as it is about oneself. The efficacy trials of various COVID vaccines have shown their potential to protect against severe symptoms from occurring. But there is still a possibility that the person might still contract the infection and pass it on to family or friends. This means that even after getting both the jabs of vaccine, you might unintentionally spread it to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated so far or doesn’t have access to it. And the virus, as its nature dictates, is constantly mutating which threatens the credibility of a vaccine. Studies are still underway to find out whether available vaccines work against the emerging mutant or not.

So, don’t forget to double mask while stepping out of the home and be a responsible citizen.

 

4. Are COVID vaccines the only way out of this pandemic?

 Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist while commenting on the current Pandemic situation has said, “Though there is light at the end of the tunnel road ahead is still dark and long.”

This light of vaccines is the only ray of hope to pull the world out of dormancy. Vaccines should be made available to each individual of the population because unless everyone is safe nobody is safe. The authorities are taking steps to ramp up vaccine production for equitable distribution

Until then, WHO has advised people to follow strict hand hygiene and double masking. It is said that there is a very low likelihood of virus spreading in open areas, but crowded areas need to be avoided to protect oneself.

 

If you are finding it difficult to book your vaccine slot, please use ‘OneDios Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the app. The new tool launched on the OneDios app allows you to have a streamlined

and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pin Code to get the relevant information about slot availability. You can also search by entering the names of the hospitals in your area. It will show you the real-time availability of Vaccine slots in the area. The details of vaccine slot availability are classified into 18+ and 45+ categories for your hassle-free experience. OneDios COVID-19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area.

 

 
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What is Mucormycosis or Black Fungus?

As the world still struggles to recover from life-threatening COVID-19 disease, the medical community has red-flagged another deadly infection called Mucormycosis or Black fungus. There are reports of recovering COVID-19 patients contracting Black fungus infection. Fungi is a pathogen that you might have observed in rotting fruits or food. Fungi constitute an important part of biodiversity on earth. Some fungal species even aid plants to absorb nutrients from the soil. One of the most path-breaking discoveries in the history of mankind is Penicillin, an antibiotic that is also obtained from fungus only. Fungi is present everywhere in our environment. But, a few types of fungi can severely infect human beings. The rising number of Black fungus infection cases throughout India is concerning. Let’s first learn a few basics about this infection.

 

 

What is Black Fungus Infection?

Black Fungus infection is neither a new disease nor contagious, it is an aggressive infection caused by a group of fungi called ‘mucormycetes’. The CDC has recognized this infection as a rare but deadly disease. It can adversely impact many organs in the human body. In the recent cases of the infection, it is distinctly causing infection in the ear, mouth, nose, and even brain. According to reports, it can cause blindness and jaw damage, which turns black due to the Black Fungus. It can also be very harmful and even fatal if left untreated.

What are the symptoms?

Many doctors and experts have listed out a few symptoms to watch out for the Black Fungus infection. They include blood discharge from the nose, stuffy nose, blackish discharge from the nose, swelling or pain in jaws, eyelid drooping, and eyes turning reddish. Antifungal drugs are the best line of treatment for this infection.

What causes the Black fungus infection?

Co-morbidity of Diabetes or underlying immunodeficiency is called the most common cause of Black fungus infection. According to an estimate, underlying diabetes was reported in 54% to 76% of the cases. The most immediate trigger is the overuse of steroids as a treatment for COVID-19. Indiscriminate use of steroidal medicines in COVID-19 patients having diabetes can cause their sugar levels to rise. Dr. V. Mohan, senior diabetologist, has called steroids a “double-edged sword” that needs to be administered judiciously. When the sugar levels of a diabetic COVID-19 patient suddenly spike, it makes them vulnerable to this infection. The Indian Council for Medical Research has issued an advisory listing the following conditions in COVID-19 patients as more susceptible to Black Fungus infection:

  • Unmanaged Diabetes Mellitus
  • Compromised immune system due to overdose of steroids
  • Elongated ICU or hospital stay
  • Post organ transplant or cancer
  • Voriconazole therapy (rigorous treatment for severe fungal infection)

How to prevent Black Fungus? 

Listen to the Experts!  

Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that “Awareness and early diagnosis can help curb the spread of fungal infection.”

AIIMS director Dr. Guleria noted that black fungus infection cases are rising due to overuse of steroids. He also urged the doctors and patients to follow protocols of infection control practices. He has listed down following precautions to avoid the infection:

  1. Manage sugar levels for diabetic patients.
  2. Use masks consistently, especially when visiting a construction site.
  3. Avoid misuse of high-dose steroids.
  4. Practice personal hygiene.
  5. Early detection and prompt treatment.

As the great saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure”, lookout for early signs and take precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19. If you experience any COVID-19 related symptoms, get tested as soon as possible.  

Book your COVID Antigen test at Onedios.

 
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How did UK manage its COVID-19 crisis?

COVID-19 has ravaged throughout the world like a wildfire, delegating us to an uncomfortable standstill. Governments around the globe have framed their COVID-19 response policies as per their specific national requirements and limitations. Since the novel Coronavirus is a new virus, policymakers had to face impediments in fighting this invisible enemy. The challenge of the once-in-a-century event faced by the United Kingdom has been no exception. But, in the retrospect, UK’s handling of coronavirus appears to have fared well, when compared to other countries and the EU. In a recent survey by Ipsos MORI, 67% or two-thirds of respondents believed that UK’s handling COVID-19 crisis was better than other EU countries.

Death rates in the UK have plummeted to single-digit numbers and daily positive cases have also shown a persistent downward trend. Despite the earlier spread of virulent UK variant B.1.1.7, the country is set to ease lockdown restrictions under a four-step plan. Britons will now be able to meet indoors and enjoy the services of pubs, restaurants, and cafes once again. The UK model shows the light of hope and positivity during grim circumstances that other countries are still facing.

Let’s have a look at few key measures that UK took to battle its COVID-19 crisis:

Operation Last Gasp

Operation Last Gasp was a war-style effort to mobilise manufacturing companies to produce more ventilators. The national effort was rolled out last year to tackle the immediate increasing demand for the health system. As the COVID-19 virus affects the lungs, a need was felt to deploy more ventilators. This initiative was meant to ramp up preparations to protect vulnerable individuals, who might need intensive care.

Oxford Vaccine development

According to an estimate, $96.7m of funding for research and development of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine came from the UK government and the rest of the funding was from charitable trusts, private donations, and other governments. The development of ChAdox vaccine technology was supported by cooperative efforts of government and accomplished researchers at Oxford. This vaccine was developed in a record short time of just eleven months. However, research towards this breakthrough took years of consistent time and effort by scientists and epidemiologists.

Vaccine policy

The government of the UK realised early on the paramount importance of Vaccination to protect the citizens and get the economy back on track. British authorities ordered millions of doses of vaccine vials from multiple companies. They employed a graded approach in the vaccine policy. The more vulnerable and high-risk population was vaccinated first, taking into account the heavy death toll experienced during the first wave. The success of the bold Vaccine policy is the reason the UK is now able to recover from long and intermittent lockdown restrictions.

Track and Trace

Over the time, UK was able to scale the track and trace system. Contact tracing was an efficient way to track infected people and their close contacts during the initial months of the Pandemic. It is utilised to prolong the spread of COVID-19 infection, in order to provide the health system a breathing space and ramp up the infrastructure accordingly. The UK also used the NHS contact tracing app to trace the suspected infected individuals and isolate them.

Policymaking

The UK government ran an awareness campaign with the slogan “Stay alert, control the virus, save lives”. This raised awareness among the public to not let their guards down and influence behavioral aspects to break the chain of the COVID-19 virus. The concept of ‘support bubbles’ was also carried out to help people who had been isolated due to the lockdowns. A ‘support bubble’ consists of two households that are allowed to interact and ease out Pandemic fatigue through these engagements.

Transparency and accountability

The Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, has announced a public inquiry to investigate the government’s COVID-19 response and mitigation. The Commission will launch the inquiry next year during the spring. Such transparent steps by a government raise public confidence and allow holding the authorities accountable for their actions. During the handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also made a public statement saying “sorry for every life lost” and took “full responsibility”. A government in-action that keeps the public informed is essential in combating an immense crisis, as posed by the COVID-19 pandemic

 

The optimism in the UK exhibits an assurance that the world can soon emerge out of the pandemic and learn to manage it better. Efforts in India to grapple with the second wave have also accelerated. The vaccination strategy has been modified to allow the 18-45 years age group to get vaccinated. Multiple Vaccine manufacturers are being approved to increase the manufacturing capacity. One of the vaccine manufacturers, Bharat Biotech, has also agreed to share vaccine formula to ramp up the production as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of individual citizens to remain cautious with best behavioral practices and get vaccinated as soon as a slot is available.

Onedios COVID-19 Vaccine Slot Finder helps you navigate through the vaccine slot availability in your area so that you can book your appointment without delay. Another feature of Vaccination Dashboard on the Onedios app enables you to stay informed of current trends and statistics about reliable data in a user-friendly format. It informs you about the data regarding the number of sites conducting vaccination, total registrations, and total vaccination doses in real-time.

 
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COVID 19 Mutations and Variants.

The novel Coronavirus has caused havoc throughout the world and impacted every phase of life, disrupting normal day-to-day activities. Covid-19, caused by SARS- Cov-1, is one of the large family of viruses distinctly recognized for having crown-like spikes on its outer layer, which it uses to attach itself with human receptor cells, causing the disease. According to WHO, these viruses can mutate several times in their natural lifecycles resulting in new variants. These variants can be more virulent and even more fatal in most cases. In other cases, the impact of mutations on human health might eventually die down and become harmless to human beings, as the Darwin theory stipulates.

 

 

There are currently multiple virus mutations in circulation, of which two are of particular concern to the medical community. These are primarily the variants that have caused the second wave of infections in several countries, resulting in a massive spike in positivity rates.

 

What is a mutation?

A mutation refers to a change that occurs in our DNA sequence. This may cause a change in its behavior and effectiveness. In current variants, one mutation, in particular, has improved the capability of the virus to bind with proteins in human cells called receptors. This binding affinity seen in current mutants is 40-80% more transmissible during the second wave. The new ‘double mutant’ has been identified in 80-82% of samples collected from India, which is causing immune-escape in the body of an infected individual and chances of increased transmissibility, but it has been said to be less deadly according to studies. It has proven to be at least 15% more virulent in preliminary studies.

 

What are the mutations circulating in India?

WHO has recently classified COVID mutation in India as a “variant of concern”. Indian mutation of COVID 19 has been named B.1.617, which is highly contagious. Epidemiologists suggest that this variant famously called “double mutant” is a result of thirteen mutations. Out of all thirteen mutations, two are of particular concern, hence called a ‘double mutant’. These mutations have caused modifications in the spike protein on the Coronavirus. Mutations are natural in any virus and there can be multiple numbers of them floating in the population. India has detected 24,000 mutations in 7000 variants of the COVID 19 virus. But only a few are the cause of concern.

In some samples in India, a UK-type variant of the COVID 19 virus is detected. B.1.1.7 is it’s name. It has accumulated 23 mutations across 5 genes. 

Experts have also suggested that these mutations might even escape the RT-PCR tests. But such incidences are very rare. 

 

Is the new mutant a cause of worry?

Mutations of the virus in new variants can potentially evade the neutralizing effect of natural bodily immune-response. It means that even if you have recovered from a previous variant, you can still get reinfected with it. However, ICMR notifications say that infected people who have already recovered from a primary infection would be very mild. It points towards the fact that vaccines would shield you from the possibility of severe infection in the future. The good news is that COVAXIN has been confirmed to be effective against this mutant, one of the two vaccines currently available in India, It is the only silver lining of hope people can rely on in current scenarios.

 

How does a vaccine impact virus mutation?

As the virus changes its nature, it is necessary to consider whether already developed vaccines are going to be effective against them or not. Research is going on to understand the modification of their genetic material and how it might affect vaccine development. But, a general medical view holds that even if the vaccine becomes less effective towards any new mutant, there is a possibility to make changes in the vaccine’s component raw material to improve antibody response and vaccine efficacy.

There is no need to worry about the effectiveness of a vaccine as a vaccine can be altered as per the need.  it is necessary to get vaccinated as soon as you can. Vaccination is the last line of defense to protect oneself against infection by the Experts.