COVID-19 update: Over 7 lakh samples tested in a day

Rs 1 lakh crore: To counter Covid slowdown, PM Modi launches agri infra fund

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an Agriculture Infrastructure Fund worth Rs 1 lakh crore to boost services related to the primary sector. The launch was done amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic slowdown exacerbated due to the lockdown. Although commentators say that the agriculture sector doesn't seem to have suffered as much as some of the others, reverse migration to villages has increased employment worries. PM Modi said that the fund would help boost infrastructure like cold storage chains which would also provide employment. He also released the sixth instalment of the Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Samman Nidhi. Rs 17,000 crore was transferred to 8.5 crore farmer families 'in the blink of an eye', as per the Prime Minister. The scheme was announced in the February 2019 Budget and launched retrospectively from December 2018 to provide direct monetary help to farmers. Its scope was expanded after Narendra Modi returned to power in May 2019. The PM said that Rs 22,000 crore was released under the PM-KISAN scheme even during the lockdown necessitated due to the Covid pandemic. Watch the full video for more.

Daily Punch: Actor Satish Shah reveals he tested positive for Covid-19 in July, recovered now

Popular Bollywood and TV actor Satish Shah has revealed that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the month of July and had to be admitted to the hospital. The actor says he has fully recovered now and thanked the medical staff at the hospital for taking care of him. On the other hand, Sanjay Dutt who was admitted to the hospital with complaints of breathlessness shared that he has tested negative for COVID-19. For more such updates wtahc Daily Punch.

More than 100,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Brazil

Brazil is the second-most impacted country by COVID-19 with more than three million cases and 100,000 deaths.View on euronews

COVID-19: India reports highest single-day spike of 64,399 cases

The country on August 09 reported highest single-day spike of 64,399 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. With the spike, COVID tally rose to 21,53,011. There are 6,28,747 active cases in the country. The discharged number increased to 14, 80, 885. With 861 deaths in the last 24 hours, death toll in the country reached 43, 379. According to Indian Council of Medical Research so far 2,41,06,535 samples have been tested for the virus. On August 08, ICMR tested record 7,19,364 samples.

61,537 new cases take COVID tally near 21 lakh-mark, over 42,500 dead

India on August 08 reported a spike of 61,537 coronavirus cases, and 933 deaths in the last 24 hours. Confirmed infections have gone up to 20,88,612 which includes 6,19,088 active cases. The death toll has risen to 42,518. Meanwhile, 14,27,005 people have beaten the invisible virus in the country, according to the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Indian Council of Medical Research said the country tested 5,98,778 samples for coronavirus on August 07. 2,33,87,171 samples have been tested as on August 07.

Mumbai becomes first city in India to have female icons on traffic signals

Mumbai has become the first city in India to have women symbols on traffic signals and signage. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has installed traffic signals that display female icons sporting triangular frock, a shift from the default representation of men. Maharashtra Minister for Tourism and Environment Aditya Thackery, who heads the project took to Twitter and said that the signage is "ensuring gender equality with a simple idea." However, netizens are divided on this initiative.

SSR death case: 'Conspiracy being hatched against Maha govt', says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut commented on Sushant Singh Rajput's death case probe on August 09. He believes that a conspiracy is being brewed against the Maharashtra government. "The kind of politics being done in Bihar and Delhi over Sushant Singh Rajput's death, I believe a conspiracy is being hatched against Maharashtra government. Mumbai Police is a capable force and is trying its best to bring out the truth," Raut said.

Alcoholism treatment is potentially effective against COVID-19

A team of chemists from HSE University and the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry used molecular modelling to find out that two medications that have been known for a long time can be used to fight SARS-CoV-2. These are disulfiram, which is used to treat alcoholism, and neratinib, an experimental drug being used to treat breast cancer. The paper about the discovery has been published online in the 4th issue of Mendeleev Communications journal.The structural elements of the virus that are less subject to mutation during its evolution should be chosen as a target for the potential treatment. Otherwise, a medication effective against one strain would no longer be effective against another. The best candidates for this are conservative proteins, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus main protease M pro. In addition to being resistant to mutations, M pro plays a major role in coronavirusreplication, which means that its inhibition (blocking its function) is able to slow down or even completely stop its reproduction inside the body.Usually, the process of docking, as with a port dock and a ship entering it, is used for molecular modelling in simple cases. Two molecules participate in docking. One is called a 'ligand' (here, it is a medicine), and the other one is 'receptor' (or active site) of the target protein, such as Mpro, which can be used to 'dock'. An effective drug docks with the active site, by covalent links, which makes the enzyme dysfunctional or destroys it. But classical docking does not work in SARS-CoV-2.To overcome this problem, chemists from HSE University and the Zelinsky Institute decided to use 'on-top docking', which they came up with shortly before the pandemic. 'We decided not to focus on the previously described active site, but to investigate the whole surface of M pro protein with many medications, hoping that the big calculation powers would return useful "dockings",' - said Igor Svitanko, the author of the article,Professor at the HSE Joint Department of Organic Chemistry with the RAS Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry.

Dogs Trained To Sniff Out Covid-19 With 94 Per Cent Success

Dogs trained for jsut a week can sniff out the Sars-Cov-2 virus, according to new research. They can differentiate between samples from Sars-Cov-2 infectaded patiens and non-infected people. Dogs could be used in public areas like airports, sport events, borders or other mass gatherings. The research team was led by the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannove (TIHO) in cooperation with the German Army, Hannover Medical School & the University Medical-Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are risk factors for severe influenza

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of severe disease from a viral infection, according to a review of the literature performed by a team of researchers from St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, both in Memphis. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of at least 3 co-occurring conditions that raise the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These conditions include excess abdominal fat, high blood pressure, excess blood sugar, abnormalities of lipids (including excess triglycerides and cholesterol), insulin resistance and a proinflammatory state. Multiple studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased severity of influenza A, higher viral titers in exhaled breath and prolonged transmission of the virus, according to the report. Changes in the viral population may abet the emergence of more pathogenic influenza variants, according to the report. Despite the fact that influenza vaccines generate robust antibody titers in obese subjects, obesity doubles the likelihood of developing influenza. As with influenza virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recognized obesity as a risk factor for severe illness caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Cross-border movement from Bihar hasn't stopped despite lockdown: CM Soren

Jharkhand government is concerned over the movement of people from Bihar in Jharkhand despite the lockdown. Chief Minister Hemant Soren said on July 16, "The movement of people still not stopped, Bihar government need to think on this matter." It is noted that, the Bihar government has enforced lockdown in the state from July 16 to July 31 in view of rising Covid-19 cases. Meanwhile, to tackle the spread of SARS-CoV-2, Jharkhand government is setting up a control room in the state, "There is very little role of doctors in this infection, this need nursing and hygienic environment," Soren added.

50 people were inside Vijayawada COVID-19 facility when fire took place: Andhra minister

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Mekatoti Sucharita expressed her deepest condolences with the families of the deceased. She said, "I express my deepest condolence with the families of the deceased. The hotel was taken on lease and run by Ramesh Hospitals, a private hospital where COVID-19 patients were being treated. 40 patients and 10 medical staff were at the hotel at the time of incident. Officials were directed to launch immediate rescue measures."

At least 9 dead after fire breaks out at Covid facility hotel in AP's Vijayawada

A major fire broke out at a hotel in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada, killing at least nine people and trapping several others. The hotel - Swarna Palace - was being used as a Covid-19 facility. It was being used as a Covid care centre by Ramesh Hospitals. There were about 30 patients and 10 medical staff at the time of accident. Vijayawada police commissioner B Srinivasulu said that the control room was informed at around 5.15 am about the fire breaking out in the hotel. "We rushed tenders immediately and the fire was brought under the control now,” he said. About 17 patients were brought out safely using ladders. Two staff members jumped from hotel's second and third floors after the fire. So far, 9 bodies have been brought out and they were found to have died of suffocation. The rescue operations were underway till the reports last came in. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock and grief over the accident. Reddy has instructed officials to conduct an inquiry into the accident. He has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh to each of the families of those killed in the hotel fire. State Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.