13th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020

Dear Aspirants

IASbhai Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020 is an initiative to dilute major articles from leading Newspapers in India which are most relevant to UPSC preparation –‘THE HINDU, LIVEMINT , INDIAN EXPRESS’ and help millions of readers who find difficulty in answer writing and making notes everyday. Hence we choose articles on daily basis and analyse them with respect to UPSC PRELIMS 2020.

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” –George Lorimer

HIGHLIGHT INFO:

ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.

RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.

BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !

BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.

PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.

Today's Must Read Articles :

YOUTH AND COVID-19 REPORT

Page Contents:

Pasteurisation inactivates SARS-CoV-2 virus

HEADLINES:

Pasteurisation inactivates SARS-CoV-2 virus in breast milk: Study

WHY IN NEWS:

Mothers should be counselled that the “benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission.

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Diseases

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS nothing much here . This is just a quick information we had to bring it for you !

For MAINS note down the importance of breast feeding vs malnutrition (stunting) , child wasting etc .

ISSUE:

Cold storage of human milk having the virus did not significantly impact infectious viral load over a 48-hour period

PASTEURISATION INACTIVATES SARS-COV-2

STUDIED BY

The study was recently published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
It was a partnership between University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Milk.

KEY FINDINGS

Pasteurising breast milk at 63 degrees Celsius for about half-an-hour can inactivate the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The study also found that cold storage of human milk having the virus (either at 4°C or −30°C) did not significantly impact infectious viral load over a 48-hour period.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged to continue to breastfeed.

Mothers should be counselled that the “benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks for transmission.
The WHO also recommends feeding donated breast milk when the mother’s own milk is not available
This reduce the risks of some health challenges premature babies can face.

IASbhai WINDUP:

The researchers added that SARS-CoV-2 was stable in refrigerated or frozen human milk.
The same could help inform guidelines around safe storing of milk from COVID-19 infected mothers.

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 13th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

‘Sputnik V’ vaccine

HEADLINES:

Coronavirus update: Scientists criticise Russia’s vaccine announcement

WHY IN NEWS:

The August 11, 2020 announcement of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by Russian President Vladimir Putin was criticised by scientists as dangerously rushed.

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Diseases

ISSUE:

The ‘Sputnik V’ vaccine has not undergone large trials to test its safety and efficacy, warn scientists

VACCINE DEVELOPERS

Sputnik V is developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Moscow.

COVID-19

CRITCISM

The vaccine, named ‘Sputnik V’, has not yet undergone large trials to test its safety and efficacy, warned scientists.

Rolling out such a vaccine could put people who receive it at risk.
If they get it wrong it could undermine the entire global enterprise.
Russian regulator approved the vaccine even though third phase clinical trials were yet to be completed.

DOSAGE

The vaccine is given in two doses made of adenoviruses.

The first dose comprises the Ad26 virus — a strain being used for an experimental vaccine being developed by Johnson and Johnson Services Inc.
The second ‘booster’ dose comprises an Ad5 virus, being used in another experimental vaccine being developed in China.

IASbhai WINDUP:

The vaccine was given to 76 volunteers as part of two early-stage trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, with no results from the trials or other preclinical studies published.

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 13th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

‘Mega labs’

HEADLINES:

‘Mega labs’ to boost COVID-19 testing

WHY IN NEWS:

CSIR plans to use advanced genome sequencing device

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases

ISSUE:

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is working on developing “mega labs” to ramp up testing for COVID-19 as well as improve the accuracy rate.

NEXT GENERATION SEQUENCING MACHINES

The labs will be repurposing large machines, called Next Generation Sequencing machines (NGS).

These are normally used for sequencing human genomes, to sequence 1,500 to 3,000 viral genomes at a go to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Used optimally and with appropriate modifications, these machines can substantially detect the presence of the virus.
There sre several instances where the traditional RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests fail.
This is primarily because the RT-PCR test identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus by exploring only specific sections, whereas the genome method can read a bigger chunk of virus genome.

Thereby provide more certainty that the virus in question is indeed the particular coronavirus of interest.

IASbhai WINDUP:

It can also trace the evolutionary history of the virus and track mutations more reliably.

Unlike the RT-PCR that needs primers and probes — a key hurdle in operationalising such tests on a mass scale early on in the pandemic — the NGS only needs custom reagents.

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB |13th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration

HEADLINES:

National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 deliberates on strategy to ensure COVID-19 vaccines’ availability and its delivery mechanism

WHY IN NEWS:

National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19, met for the first time on 12^th August.

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases

ISSUE:

Issues related to vaccine safety and surveillance were taken up and strategy for community involvement through transparent information and awareness creation were discussed.

KEY POINTS

The expert group deliberated on conceptualization and implementation mechanisms for creation of a digital infrastructure for inventory management.

They also discussed delivery mechanism of the vaccine including tracking of vaccination process with particular focus on last mile delivery.
They discussed on broad parameters guiding the selection of COVID-19 vaccine candidates for the country.
Inputs from Standing Technical Sub-Committee of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) were taken.

The group delved on the procurement mechanisms for COVID-19 vaccine, including both indigenous and international manufacturing.

The expert group discussed on the financial resources required for procurement of COVID-19 vaccine and various options of financing the same.
Available options in terms of delivery platforms, cold chain and associated infrastructure for roll out of COVID-19 vaccination were also taken up.

IASbhai WINDUP:

The Committee also advised all the States not to chart separate pathways of procurement.
Further, strategy and follow-up action on all possible scenarios to ensure equitable and transparent delivery of vaccine was deliberated upon.

SUGGESTED READING : https://www.iasbhai.com/fair-distribution-covid-19-vaccine-upsc/

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 13th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis

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