Author Archives: Sridhar P

Arogya Setu app team refutes ethical hacker’s claim on ‘security issue’

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Following a tweet by ethical hacker and French cybersecurity expert under the alias “Elliot Alderson” claiming that there is a “security issue” within the Aarogya Setu app developed by the National Informatics Centre, a part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the developers refuted the allegations over security or privacy concerns of 9 crore people who are using it amid the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

In its response posted on Wednesday, the Aarogya Setu team said, “no personal information of any users has been proven to be at risk,” though acknowledged ‘some issues’ with the app. The hacker alleged that this issue puts the data of 90 million users at risk.

The hacker, who had earlier exposed flaws in Aadhar, claimed this time that the Aarogya Setu app fetches location data and on a few occasions.  The Aarogya Setu team clarified that the app stores the location data on secure servers which are encrypted. The team also denied the hacker’s claim that the “users can get the COVID-19 stats displayed on Home Screen by changing the radius and latitude-longitude using a script.”

The team said:“The radius parameters are fixed and can only take one of the few values: 500 meters, 1km, 2km, 5km, and 10km. These values are standard parameters posted with HTTP headers.”

Earlier Elliot had tweeted saying, “A security issue has been found in your app. The privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake. Can you contact me in private?” He tagged official handle of Arogya Setu and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had last week raised data security concerns on the app.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the app is a sophisticated surveillance system and it was “outsourced to a pvt operator, with no institutional oversight – raising serious data security & privacy concerns.”

Later, Elliot said that he was contacted by the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and he urged them to fix the flaws within a “reasonable deadline”. After the reply from Arogya Setu team, he said he would respond soon with his findings. Here’s his tweet:

The Aarogya Setu app has come under severe scrutiny over privacy and surveillance concerns as well as the lack of audit and transparency, as it is not an open source code.

Here’s the full statement by the Aarogya Setu team on issues raised by the ethical hacker:

 

India to undertake biggest evacuation of citizens stranded abroad amid coronavirus pandemic

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India is preparing the ground for what is billed as the biggest evacuation of its citizens, millions of them, stranded in several countries abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic beginning with the registration forms being opened online onTuesday, May 5, on their respective Indian embassy website.

Once the information is collected, India’s flag carrier Air India is ready to screen and repatriate all those willing to return home, including the United States, Europe and Asia. Quoting a senior official, ANI reported that the Indian missions will be asked to compile a list through this registration and repatriation will be coordinated with respective states. This registration exercise would help the Government of India to assess and plan for the return of Indian nationals wishing to return home for “compelling” reasons.

ANI further reported that the government has listed some categories, who would be given priority and who will get accommodated in special repatriation flights, followed by the students stranded in foreign countries. “The Middle East will first be the focus. We are still formulating if the citizens stranded will be airlifted by the Air India or commercial flights,” the source told ANI.

It is learnt from Kerala that more than 25 lakh Keralites are stranded in several Gulf countries and seeking to return home immediately. “On landing in India, every citizen will be screened to figure out if the person should be sent to quarantine centres or straight to the hospital,” the official added.

On those who are stranded in the US, the official told ANI, “The exact number of Indians stranded in the United States is still to be gathered, but the New York jurisdiction of the Indian mission alone has more than a million Indians, who have shown a willingness to return to their homes.”

However, there is no official confirmation of any evacuation flight from the US to India so far though many NRI organisations are coordinating with the authorities on evacuation plans, mainly for stranded students and visitors. ANI reported that the main purpose of this information sheet is to collect actionable data on Indian nationals willing to travel to India urgently. The registration is likely to be finished by Thursday and further plans will be announced by the government.

India coronavirus cases reach 42,533 as of Sunday, May 3

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So far, a total of  42,533 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported in India, an increase of 2,553 has been noted in the last 24 hours, while the number of recovery stood at 11,706. The current rate of recovery rate is 27.52%, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare held a meeting today with Narottam Mishra, Health Minister of Madhya Pradesh in presence of Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare along with the senior officials from both Centre and State to review containment and management on COVID-19 in the State.

Various issues regarding contact tracing, surveillance, strengthening house-to-house active case finding, awareness generation among the people regarding seeking treatment for non-COVID disease management etc., were deliberated and discussed, said the ministry.

Outcome ratio of Recovered vs. Death for all closed cases “indicates the clinical management status in the hospitals was analysed since 17th April, and it is observed that there is an improvement in the country compared to that prior to 17th April, 2020 (Outcome ratio was 80:20) while as of today it is 90:10,” said the ministry in a statement.

So far, a total of 11,706 people have been cured. This takes our total recovery to 27.52%. The total number of confirmed cases is now 42,533. Since yesterday, an increase of 2,553 has been noted in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in India.

“It is again reiterated that States / UTs must ensure that rigorous containment measures are taken, so that the caseload remains low. They must also ensure effective case clinical management while parallely focusing on infection prevention & control.

It is important that as lockdown eases, we should follow protocol and guidelines related to physical distancing, follow preventive measures like hand hygiene and environmental hygiene and deal with COVID-19 by being careful, aware and alert. Always wear face covers / masks in public spaces. Even outside containment zones, follow all guidelines issued by the government on preventive measures. Avoid overcrowding while buying essential items or meeting in common areas,” said the ministry.

DRDO develops UV Disinfection Tower to ward off coronavirus aerosols

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India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Ultra Violet (UV) Disinfection Tower for rapid and chemical free disinfection of high infection prone areas as coronavirus is continuing its spread in the country with more than 42,000 affected already.

The equipment named UV blaster is a UV based area sanitiser designed and developed by Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC) in Delhi, a premier laboratory of DRDO, with the help of New Age Instruments and Materials Private Limited, Gurugram.

The UV Blaster is useful for high tech surfaces like electronic equipment, computers and other gadgets in laboratories and offices that are not suitable for disinfection with chemical methods. The product is also effective for areas with large flow of people such as airports, shopping malls, metros, hotels, factories, and offices.

UVDisinfectionTower / DRDO

The UV based area sanitiser may be used by remote operation through laptop or mobile phone using any wi-fi link. The equipment has six lamps, each with 43 watts of UV-C power at 254 nm wavelength for 360 degree illumination. “For a room of about 12 x 12-ft dimension, the disinfection time is about 10 minutes and 30 minutes for 400 square feet area by positioning the equipment at different places within the room,” said the DRDO in a statement.

This sanitiser switches off on accidental opening of room or human intervention and another salient safety feature of the product is the key to arm operation, said DRDO in a statement.

Bollywood stars perform for ‘I FOR India’ concert online, raise Rs.3.75 cr

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The online concert ‘I for India’, organized to raise funds for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in India, has brought together both Hollywood and Bollywood stars to perform from their homes and engage their viewers across the continents. The benefit reportedly raised Rs. 3.75 crore ($496,025).

Lakhs of people on Sunday watched more than 70 of the country’s biggest celebrities – including Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and cricket team captain Virat Kohli – in the “I for India” show, broadcast on Facebook Live.

Indian celebrities were joined by international stars such as actor Will Smith and rock legend Mick Jagger for the five-hour online concert to raise funds for people affected by the novel coronavirus, which has affected almost 3.5 million people globally. India has reported over 42,000 COVID-19 cases so far and is looking to ease lockdown measures.

During the concert, Will Smith and Mick Jagger spoke about the problems faced by rural migrant workers, who have been stranded without work in cities following the sudden nationwide lockdown imposed since March 24 to contain COVID-19.

“They and their families may be going hungry. Please give what you can,” said Jagger. Shah Rukh Khan, who was in the forefront, sang for the fundraiser, while Priyanka Chopra urged fans to donate to the fund,which has been the initiative undertaken by some of the biggest names in Indian entertainment and Facebook to put together a home-to-home fundraiser GiveIndia.

GiveIndia is India’s largest giving platform with reach across 23 states. It is associated with over 100 NGOs, working on-ground to support the required interventions with prevention, healthcare infrastructure, livelihood support and essentials for people in need.

The four-hour long concert will be live globally on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Facebookindiapp) on Sunday, 3rd May 2020 at 7:30pm IST featured performances and personal messages from more than 85 Indian and global stars. I for India’s Fundraiser is active on Facebook and people can donate via https://fb me/IforIndiaFundraiser.

In the long and eminent list of personalities from the Indian film industry such as Aamir Khan, A R Rahman, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Aishwairya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ustad Amjad Ali Bangash, Russell Peters and others.

Aamir Khan, A R Rahman, Aishwairya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Russell Peters join for ‘I FOR INDIA’ concert to help fight COVID-19

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Bollywood actors Aamir Khan, A R Rahman, Aishwairya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar are all set to be a part of a fundraiser concert, I For India, of which, the entire proceeds would go to the India COVID Response Fund managed by GiveIndia, to support on-ground relief efforts.

The vision for the concert by leaders from the entertainment industry is three-pronged: to entertain those locked down in their homes, to pay tribute to those who are working on the frontlines and to raise funds for those who have no work and no home and do not know where their next meal is coming from.

The initiative comes to life as Facebook has collaborated with some of the biggest names in Indian entertainment, including Zoya Akhtar and others to put together a home-to-home fundraiser.

GiveIndia is India’s largest giving platform with reach across 23 states. It is associated with over 100 NGOs, working on-ground to support the required interventions with prevention, healthcare infrastructure, livelihood support and essentials for people in need.

The four-hour long concert will be live globally on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Facebookindiapp) on Sunday, 3rd May 2020 at 7:30pm IST and will feature performances and personal messages from 85+ Indian and global stars.

I for India’s Fundraiser is already active on Facebook and people can donate via https://fb me/IforIndiaFundraiser.

In the long and eminent list of personalities from the Indian film industry and other walks of life along with Zoya Akhar are Aamir Khan, A R Rahman, Farhan Akhtar and band, Aishwairya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ustad Amjad Ali Bangash, Russell Peters and the list continues as it promises to be a starry philanthropic effort.

AstraZeneca UK to produce vaccine after tie-up with Oxford University

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AstraZeneca Plc agreed to make an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University researchers as the race for vaccine heats up. In India, the Serum Institute, the world’s largest maker of vaccines by volume, has already started producing millions of doses of the Oxford University shot and it remains to be seen whether market share will be entered at a later stage depending on the availability of the vaccine.

Astra has a capacity to produce 100 million doses by the end of the year, said the company, which is gearing up for a tough competition with a dozen other competitors across the world. UK-based AstraZeneca announced partnership with the University of Oxford on Thursday to help develop, produce and distribute a potential COVID-19 vaccine as a solution to the deadly disease.

UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma welcomed the tie-up as a vital step while a team of British scientists last week administered first vaccine doses to volunteers. “Our hope is that, by joining forces, we can accelerate the globalisation of a vaccine to combat the virus and protect people from the deadliest pandemic in a generation,” AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said.

The vaccine “ChAdOx1 nCoV-19” is being developed by the Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group. The AstraZeneca-Oxford partnership is looking to provide vaccine inside the UK by the end of the year. Cambridge-based AstraZeneca is also testing two other treatments for coronavirus that has so far infected over 3 million people and killed more than 215,000 worldwide.

The shares of the company rose 2% on London’s FTSE by 9:30 am Friday, outpacing rival GSK. Apart from AstraZeneca. GSK and Sanofi are the other major players working on their own vaccine. Other major drugmakers testing possible COVID-19 vaccines include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax. Nearly, 100 vaccines are in the pipeline at various stages of initial trials around the world and scientists say it may take another year for the right vaccine to emerge successfully.

The Indian vaccine being developed by the Serum Institute is a recombinant viral vector vaccine using a weakened version of the common-cold virus spiked with proteins from the novel coronavirus to trigger a response from the body’s immune system.

India ramps up hydroxychloroquine production, exports 50 mln tablets to US

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India has ramped up its exports of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) amidst demand from the US and Europe as it is being touted one of the treatment drugs for coronavirus, though severalside-effects have been noticed over its usage among patients. After allowing 60 drug makers in Uttarakhand to produce HCQ, an Indian source with direct knowledge of the exports said 50 million tablets have been exported to the US.

India’s export of the drug follows a request by US President Donald Trump for New Delhi to release supplies of hydroxychloroquine in March, despite restrictions and even sparking off a diplomatic embarrassment for New Delhi. Trump in his briefings warned that halting shipments would result in diplomatic retaliation. India eased restrictions and clarified that shipments would be sent as per the agreement.

Nearly 60 pharma companies in Uttarakhand and 68 companies in Gujarat have gone into HCQ production, easing the requirements all over the globe. Majority of these licences are for exports, said H.G. Koshia, commissioner, Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat.

“It amounts to 50 million tablets… Commercial companies are pursuing. It’s ongoing,” reports Reuters quoting a source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of discussions with the United States. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, IPCA Laboratories and Cadila Healthcare are among India’s leading suppliers of hydroxychloroquine. Cadila alone has ramped up production tenfold to 30 metric tonnes per month to meet the demand.

However, the US Food and Drug Administration, the European Union’s drug regulator and the Canadian health department have cited side effects of the drug including abnormal heart rhythms and a dangerously rapid heart rate, which have done little to the US, which is using the drug for the treatment of COVID-19 as no other drug is available. Already, the US coronavirus death toll has reached 63,746 as of Thursday – the highest in the world.

“There is high demand for hydroxychloroquine in the international market including US,” Viranchi Shah, senior vice-president, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA). Ever since Trump touted the drug as a “game changer” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send supplies, sales of the decades-old treatment had soared overnight despite medical reasoning not to use the drug for every case of coronavirus.

The foreign ministry said India was continuing to supply hydroxychloroquine and other essential medicines both on humanitarian grounds and for commercial ties.

Is North Korea leader Kim Jong-un really dead? No!

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Reports are going viral speculating not merely the post-surgery complications of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un but hints from medical quarters that he passed away are going viral with no reaction from the official quarters of Pyongyang. The news of his successor are equally attracting the world attention. Associated Press has brought them to a halt showcasing a train purportedly belonging to him in news.

kim train

However, state-run North Korean media outlets have remained silent spectators without giving away any clue even on Kim Jong-un’s whereabouts, if not his health condition or the news of his purported demise after a heart surgery failure. A U.S. official told CNN that Washington is looking into intelligence reports that Kim is in “grave danger”, while US President Donald Trump brushed aside the bad news as another fake news.

North Korea media reports

On its part, North Korean media has put out usual reports that Kim is sending diplomatic letters. One report on Wednesday said Kim had sent another message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, expressing gratitude for congratulating him on the anniversary of his late grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung’s birthday.

Kim was last seen on April 11 presiding over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party reviewing measures against the coronavirus but what’s missing is his usual “field guidance” trips or public appearances for over two weeks in row, giving fuel to speculations that his health could be the reason behind. Whether it was coronavirus-related self-quarantine measure or his heart surgery has not been confirmed so far.

Another key appearance on the 108th birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung on April 15 has sparked row over his health as never in the past did he miss the trip to the mausoleum since taking office in late 2011. Even its arch rival South Korea has officially maintained that there is no truth in reports on Kim’s health.

 

Kim Jong Un

Kim could be staying in a “local region” outside of Pyongyang due to coronavirus and running the government as usual, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials. Some media reports hinted that he might be in the eastern coastal town of Wonsan to avoid the coronavirus. Of course, taking it far, some news outlets have extrapolated it to claim that one of the doctors from China who performed on him was infected with the coronavirus and so did the North Korean leader too contracted the disease and is in self-quarantine as well as on hospital bed.

Coronavirus quarantine?

However, this is not the first time that Kim’s public health raised world glare, owing to his health. In the last nine years, his health remained the top agenda on world media circles but owing to the secretive state of affairs in the country, they failed to die. If China had sent health teams, it could be another “solid” reason for another to speculate his death.

For Kim, disappearance from the public is not new. Earlier this year, he re-emerged after 21 days of absence and in 2014, he disappeared from the public eye for about a month but reappeared limping and using cane. It was confirmed later that he had a cyst removed from his ankle.

Kim knows how to keep the world media covering constantly. It may not be long if he reappears in public, this time after the coronavirus calms down in his country.

Though space agency, NASA is Joining the Fight against Coronavirus effectively

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US space agency is as active as before and joining the fight against coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed maximum number of lives in the country. they have come out with a new viable and affordable ventilator, positive pressure helmet for oxygen intake and producing a portable surface decontamination system called AMBUStat.

“We’re all in this together. Here at NASA, we’re channeling our expertise and ingenuity to join the fight against COVID-19 with efforts across the country. NASA’s strength has always been our ability and passion – collective and individual – for solving problems,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

VITAL Ventilator

Engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have designed a new high-pressure ventilator, called VITAL, to treat patients with milder symptoms, thereby keeping the nation’s limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe COVID-19 symptoms.

“We specialize in spacecraft, not medical-device manufacturing,” said JPL Director Michael Watkins. “But excellent engineering, rigorous testing and rapid prototyping are some of our specialties. When people at JPL realized they might have what it takes to support the medical community and the broader community, they felt it was their duty to share their ingenuity, expertise and drive.”

NASA next is seeking expedited FDA approval for the device via an emergency use authorization, a fast-track approval process developed for crisis situations that takes just days rather than years. To get input from a gold-standard medical facility, JPL delivered a prototype of the device to the Human Simulation Lab in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Mount Sinai for additional testing.

Like all ventilators, VITAL requires patients to be sedated and an oxygen tube inserted into their airway to breathe. The new device wouldn’t replace current hospital ventilators, which can last years and are built to address a broader range of medical issues. Instead, VITAL is intended to last three to four months and is specifically tailored for COVID-19 patients.

Positive Pressure Helmet

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center teamed up with a task force in Antelope Valley, California to solve possible shortages of medical equipment in the local community. The first of these efforts, a positive pressure oxygen helmet, has been successfully tested. This task force is working closely with medical professionals at the hospital to provide alternative solutions to needed equipment that is not available for a large-scale emergency. One of their first efforts was to build a prototype oxygen hood that has now proven to work for the doctors at the hospital. The production of 500 will begin next week at TSC’s Faith Facility in Mojave.

The device, developed by NASA engineer Mike Buttigieg, is an oxygen hood for COVID-19 patients exhibiting minor symptoms and will minimize the need for these patients to use ventilators. The device functions like a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to force oxygen into a patient’s low-functioning lungs.

Surface Decontamination System

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio guided the development and production of a small, portable and economical device called AMBUStat that decontaminates spaces, such as ambulances, at a fraction of the cost of systems currently in use.

The small, portable, and economical device that decontaminates spaces such as ambulances in under an hour and at a fraction of the cost of systems currently in use. AMBUStat is being used in police cars and other areas killing airborne and surface particles of viruses. Now NASA is conducting additional research to continue to maximize the effectiveness of this device on COVID-19.

NASA’s legacy of human space exploration, research and technology development has yielded countless innovations that prove the direct and profound impact of taxpayer investment in America’s space program on our quality of life on Earth, including improved technologies for water purification, air filtration, kidney dialysis and tele-medicine, as well as research that has led to improved vaccines, drug therapies, and mitigations for bone loss.

“We can only speculate as to the breadth of transformative benefits that will come from America’s return to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program and our efforts to put the first humans on Mars,” said NASA in a statement.

 

IMA withdraws symbolic candle protest against attacks on doctors, medical staff amid coronavirus

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Following a meeting with Union Home minister, the members of Indian Medical Association has withdrawn its earlier call for symbolic protest on Wednesday night with candles.

Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan interacted with doctors and senior representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), through a video conference, in New Delhi on Wednesday, where the Home Minister appreciated the role of doctors in the fight against Coronavirus.

He allayed all concerns of the medical fraternity regarding their security in the fight against Coronavirus, he assured them that the government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring their well-being and security.

Shah strongly condemned the recent attacks on health professionals and said that all necessary arrangements would be put in place to prevent such incidents in future. He appealed to doctors not to do even a symbolic protest as proposed by them, as it is not in national or global interest.

Considering the immediate high level response from the Union government and assurance given by the Union Home and Health Ministers, the IMA has withdrawn the proposed protest to maintain the fight against COVID-19 in an uninterrupted manner.

The IMA call for protest came in the wake of a mob attack on doctors in Chennai where a deceased doctor’s body in an ambulance was blocked and stoned preventing burial. The post by Dr. Pradeep Kumar has gone viral forcing the IMA to call for a symbolic candle light arrest on Wednesday, April 22.

India coronavirus cases reach 19,984, deaths at 640

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India witnessed 1,383 fresh coronavirus cases on Tuesday, April 21 pushing the cases almost touching the 20,000-mark at 19,984, according to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Health. The deaths have risen to 640 after 50 casualties were reported on Tuesday, while 3,869 people who had been infected with conoravirus have recovered.

Maharashtra remains on top as the the worst affected state with 5,218 cases and 251 casualties. The other states which follow include: Gujarat (2,178), Delhi (2,156), Tamil Nadu (1,596), Rajasthan (1,659), Madhya Pradesh (1,552), Uttar Pradesh (1294) and Telangana (928). India’s medical research body Indian Council of Medical Research on Tuesday asked states to stop using the rapid antibody test kits for at least two days till the tests on their quality is examined amid reports that they are not fully effective.

However, India’s coronavirus situation is still under control as the world figure is mounting beyond 25 lakhs while the death toll has gone above 1.77 lakh, according to latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. US alone reported coronavirus deaths of 45,000 while the total number of confirmed cases crossed 8.2 lakh, almost four times as many as Spain, the second-highest nation in the list.

Twitter Handle on Covid-19 queries

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has introduced Covid India Seva, a Twitter handle to offer real time responses to user queries on Covid-19.Launching the handle, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated that on the @CovidIndiaSeva handle, “experts will share authoritative public health information regarding Covid-19 swiftly at scale, helping to build a direct channel for communication with citizens.”

The Twitter handle for Covid India Seva can be accessed in all supported Indian languages by simply tweeting to @CovidIndiaSeva.

Karnataka Ordinance

As attacks on medical staff are mounting in several states, Karnataka has brought out an ordinance, based on the Uttar Pradesh and Kerala model, making it punishable with jail term. The ordinance issued on Wednesday, stated that the ordinance will provide protection to the frontline health workers, in the wake of a mob turned violent in Padarayanapura area of Bengaluru on Tuesday when health workers were trying to shift suspected COVID-19 persons to the quarantine facility.

Prabhas working on his 21st pan-India film with ‘Mahanati’ director Nag Ashwin next

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Prabhas is hoping for the grand release and success of his 20th film, still unnamed but referred as ‘Prabhas 20’, which is likely tobe released this year once the coronavirus quarantine ends. Prabhas-20 is a romantic entertainer movie directed by KK Radha Krishna and produced by Gopi Krishna in association with UV creations banner.

The movie cast includes Prabhas and Pooja Hegde are in the main lead roles. The story line revolves around a beautiful love story in the 1960s and early 70s in Europe.

His next film will be with Mahanati director Nag Ashwin, to be produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, who has completed 50 years in the industry. Vyjayanthi Movies celebrated the milestone with a new film announcement that they will be bankrolling Nag Ashwin’s film with actor Prabhas. Reportedly, this film will be a pan-Indian venture in multiple languages. Details regarding the film’s genre, the cast and crew will be announced soon.

In his Instagrampost, Prabhas earlier stated, “Elated to share that I’m resuming shooting for my upcoming film. Looking forward to a fun schedule.” The film was originally scheduled for release on October 16, 2020 but the coronavirus lockdown may pushthe schedule of the film.

Prabhas, who gained immeasurable fandom after his glorious performance in the epic two part film of Baahubali, gained huge popularity in the nation and the whole wide world. He has lit the cinemas aflame with his substantial presence whenever he has made an appearance on-screen.

The actor absolutely nails all his roles with his fiery passion and always makes a lasting impact at the box office. The actor’s film Baahubali had the honor to be one of the first non-English films to be premiered at Royal Albert Hall where the biggest and the best of the musicians have performed.

‘Sahoo’ is the next hit film by Prabhas alongside Shraddha Kapoor which did reasonably good in terms of box office collections. Prabhas’ magnificent entry scenes are always greeted with applause and whistles as the audience is always thrilled to see the actor on-screen. The actor is highly in demand among film-makers due to his expansive fandom and sensational performances.

Hacked Wuhan lab details point out lab-origin of Coronavirus, WHO denies

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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday reiterated its earlier stand that the novel coronavirus originated in bats in China late last year and was not manipulated or constructed in a laboratory. This follows last week statement by US President Donald Trump that his government was trying to determine whether the virus emanated from a lab in Wuhan.

Refuting the reports which are pointing out that the virus was of lab origin and manipulated with HIV virus to make it deadly, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a Geneva news briefing, “All available evidence suggests the virus has an animal origin and is not manipulated or constructed virus in a lab or somewhere else. It is probable, likely that the virus is of animal origin.”

Though it was not clear how the virus had jumped the species barrier to humans, there had “certainly” been an intermediate animal host, she stressed.

Wuhan lab origin?

Increasingly, reports have been going viral online stating that the virus has Wuhan lab origin and manipulated to mix it with HIV virus, making deadlier than any other virus known so far. The latest such report from the Washington Post on Tuesday revealed that hackers were able able to steal nearly 25,000 emails, passwords and classified documents allegedly belonging to the WHO, the Gates Foundation, as well as the Wuhan Institute of Virology, among other organizations. The details were posted on image board website 4chan, later shared on Pastebin, a text storage site, social media platforms Twitter and Telegram.

“Using the data, far-right extremists were calling for a harassment campaign while sharing conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic,” said Rita Katz, Intelligence Group SITE’s executive director. “The distribution of these alleged email credentials were just another part of a months-long initiative across the far right to weaponize the covid-19 pandemic.”

Earlier, Luc Montagnier, a Nobel winning French scientist who co-discovered HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) came out with a theory that the novel coronavirus came from a lab, denying WHO and Chinese government clims to the contrary. Montagnier claimed that the new ‘SARS-CoV-2’ virus came as a resultant in attempting to manufacture a vaccine for the AIDS virus, which may have got accidentally released. He claimed it in a podcast by Pourquoi Docteur and also in a TV interview on April 17.

Meet Dr Pradeep, who narrates the ugly side of a mob in Chennai over burial of his friend

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Ever since Coronavirus whistleblower in Wuhan, a doctor, succumbed to it after facing humiliation by authorities, the medical fraternity has been moved all over the world and no wonder India paid rich tribute to them on March 22 as a part of the Janata curfew. But the ovation did not last long when a Chennai doctor who was in the frontline of the Coronavirus fight fell victim and lost his life on Sunday night. His friend and co-doctor Dr K Pradeep Kumar faced the cruel face of a pandemic and ignorance among people.

When neurosurgeon Dr. Simon died of coronavirus, the body of the 55-year-old colleague was brought to the crematorium on Sunday night by Dr. Pradeep and other hospital staff in PPE suits. But a mob gathered on the road leading to the crematorium in front of a theatre and the ambulance was smashed.

Sordid Ordeal

The occupants of the ambulance were assaulted with bricks, stones, bottles and sticks and chased away. The body was left in the middle of the road opposite to the theatre. Later, police arrested 20 men but the story tells a different tale altogether.

Undaunted, Dr. Pradeep begged ambulance staff to take the body elsewhere but they were already shaken and in a bad shape to drive. Hence the doctor, along with two ward boys, drove the ambulance himself to another cemetery where there was no crowd. Using only one spade available there, the doctor personally dug the grove along with the help of a policeman and buried the body.

Traumatised about burying his own colleague and friend, Dr. Pradeep says,”such a death should not occur to even our enemies.”  This is the narrative of the event that happened from the doctor who was in the frontline. What about other ordinary mortals?

IMA White Alert

Now, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for protests on Wednesday, April 21, demanding that a Special Central Law Against Violence on Doctors be brought in. “IMA has maintained utmost restraint and patience in spite of extreme provocations. Doctors have been abused, beaten up, denied entry and residence. Obstruction to cremation is the last straw that IMA can bear. If dignity is denied even in death, our patience and restraint lose their value. We demand a special Central Law against violence on doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and hospitals by an ordinance,” said a letter issued by the IMA’s National president Dr Rajan Sharma and general secretary Dr R V Asokan.

“This brings out the narrow minded nature of the public and I wonder where these patients will go if all hospitals do not want to treat the COVID patients? We are not God and we also are vulnerable to get the disease but we work inspite of all adverse situations to deserve only this treatment from the public. I don’t think medical profession is considered noble anymore,” says another doctor who is also an official of IMA in Tamil Nadu.

The IMA has issued a white alert for Wednesday 9 pm, april 21, exactly a month after the nation paid tribute to the frontliners. All doctors and hospitals across the country will be lighting candles as a sign of protest.

IMF optimistic about India’s growth at 7.4% in 2021, if coronavirus is contained now

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission chief has a good news for India stating that if India is able to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the country, it can look forward to bounce back to 7% growth rate in 2021.

In virtual spring meeting, the IMF official said India would grow 1.9% for the current fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2021, which it says is on the positive side alongwith China in the world as all major economies are experiencing worst fears of negative growth with manufacturing halted and running into debt-ridden future. For the next financial year, IMF projected the Indian economy could grow at 7.4%.

That forecast by IMF mission chief Ranil Salgado in a CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday was based on the global financial agency’s observations that India is capable of resilient economy with very large external buffers and reserves to boost spending, meeting the country’s health-care needs, extending support for the more vulnerable businesses and households.

Food and Foreign Reserves

On the food front, when the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization sounded the alarm over a looming food crisis, Salgado said India has substantial food buffer. “I think one concern is the rabi crop harvest, which is coming up,” he said. Rabi crops are sown in winter and harvested in spring.

“That’s based on a control of the pandemic, ending the lockdowns, and then stimulus that is already (given), in terms of monetary policy, and some initial steps on fiscal policy as well,” he said. “Finally, India gets a tailwind from the lower oil prices.”

So far, India has reported 17,265 confirmed cases of infection and 543 deaths as of April 20, while 2,546 patients have recovered. The nationwide lockdown is unlikely to open nonessential businesses and services until May 3. India has already announced a $22.5 billion fiscal package to help millions of daily wage earners. On Wednesday, agriculture and some essential industries in rural areas have been given approval to resume.

“In rural India, the possibility of social distancing is more–you’re more able to do that in, compared to, say, in urban India. I think the government is concerned about ensuring adequate food supplies and is making effort to do that,” Salgado said.

Once the economic shock passes, it’s important that India returns to its path of undertaking long-term reforms, he advised.

Coronavirus Impact: Trump cracks another whip, suspending all immigration into US

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Battered by criticism at home over delayed response to Coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump announced on Monday evening to sign an executive order temporarily suspending all immigration into the United States temporarily, without specifying how long it would be in effect and whom it would affect.

“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens,” Trump wrote in the tweet, “I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!”


However, it is not clear whether the suspension would impact those with work and other visas. This follows March 19 order to close the Mexican and Canadian borders and banning entry of foreign nationals who had visited China, Iran, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ireland. It was followed up by another order on March 19, in the form of a Level 4 advisory against any global travel by US citizens.

Democratic Representative Don Beyer of Virginia criticized the move as another failure by Trump. He tweeted, “From the beginning Trump has flailed about seeking someone to blame for his own failure. Obama. Governors. China. Speaker Pelosi. People of Asian descent. Immigration has nearly stopped and the US has far more cases than any other country. This is just xenophobic scapegoating.”

The United States has reported by far the world’s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases at more than 760,000 and over 41,100 deaths, nearly half of them in the state of New York.

Farting another potential cause for rapid spread of Coronavirus? Australian doctors ponder

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Two Australian doctors are studying the possibility of the spread of the coronavirus due to farting. In an episode on the infection on Friday on Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Coronacast,” podcast, host Dr. Norman Swan made a suggestion to the effect as particles of feces set adrift and the spread COVID-19.

Though he made the suggestion in a mild amused tone saying, “No bare-bottom farting,” it soon caught the attention of a physician Dr. Andy Tagg who posed the question on Twitter asking, “So, can the bottom-based emissions of someone with coronavirus be silent and deadly?” He went further stating that flatulence is an “aerosol-generating procedure.”

Indirectly he said yes to the possibility. According to him humans produce about a 1 litre of gas a day (plus or minus 500mls) and release it in 15-20 discrete episodes.

Andy Tagg

However, there is no study conducted on it so far but one recent study suggested that flushing toilet could spread the coronavirus via “aerosolized feces.” In fact, health officials in Oregon and New York have have recently cautioned against oral contact with feces during sex.

However, there is no research findings available as of now about the possibility of passing COVID-19 while passing gas. But another Australian doctor Aaron E. Glatt, a Mount Sinai South Nassau epidemiologist at the Icahn School of Medicine told the Post in an email: “Studies have clearly shown that a significant percentage of COVID-19 patients do have GI symptoms  at the time of illness presentation. However, there are no published data on whether flatulence alone presents any risk of transmission, although in a clothed person, it would be unlikely to be a significant route of transmission.”

Tagg, who also runs a medical education site ‘Don’t Forget the Bubbles’, suggests that one should keep pants as personal protection equipment (PPE). He tweeted: “Perhaps SARS-CoV-2 can be spread the power of parping — we need more evidence… So remember to wear appropriate PPE at all times and stay safe!”

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in ‘critical condition’ after heart surgery in a remote villa?

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly in serious condition following a cardiovascular surgery, said one anonymous US intelligence official but not confirmed by CIA or the South Korean government officials so far.

As coronavirus is around, rumours are ripe that one of the doctors who performed the heart surgery was flown in from China but he had developed coronavirus leading to worsening the condition of Kim too after the heart surgery.

The initial suspicion mounted following an anonymous US official who said Kim was in “grave danger” after a surgery. The fact that coronavirus is spreading through North Korea slowly as per official narrative, the impact of it cannot be ruled out on anybody due to weaker immunity levels following the heart surgery.

Daily NK, an online newspaper based in South Korea, said Kim had undergone a cardio procedure on April 12 due to his “excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork,” and is now undergoing treatment in a villa in Hyangsan County. Only a few in the medical team returned to Pyongyang on April 19, while the rest are still attending on him, said the report which could not be confirmed independently.

Rarely, the North Korean officials confirm such reports on their leader. Neither the US National Security Council nor the office of the Director of National Intelligence or the South Korean officials could immediately confirm the report.

In fact, the noticeable absence of Kim during the celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15 had raised many suspicions among the North Korean watchers. He was last seen on April 11 presiding over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, calling for “strict national countermeasures to check the coronavirus.”

“There have been a number of recent rumors about Kim’s health. If Kim is hospitalized, it would explain why he wasn’t present on the important April 15th celebrations,” said Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA official who worked on North Korea. “But, over the years, there have been a number of false health rumors about Kim Jong-un or his father. We’ll have to wait and see,” he told CNN.

Born on Jan. 8, 1983 as the second child of Kim Jong-il (1941–2011), who was North Korea’s second leader from 1994 to 2011, Kim Jong Un is the grandson of Kim Il-sung, who was the founder of North Korea in 1948 until his death in 1994. Kim has apparently ordered the assassination of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia in February 2017.

He is sometimes accompanied by his younger sister Kim Yo-jong, who is said to be behind his official engagements. Speculation is high that she may emerge as his successor. Earlier, rumors about Kim Jong Un’s health surfaced in 2014 when he disappeared from the public for over a month. But he returned with a walking cane, after apparently undergoing a minor surgery for the removal of a cyst in his ankle.

Salman Khan’s song ‘Pyaar Karona’ is out, coinciding with Coronavirus

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Earlier this week, superstar Salman Khan took everyone by surprise as he dropped the teaser for Pyaar Karona, the song that is sung by the actor himself and released on his YouTube channel.

The song will give you chills. The song talks about how we as a nation should stand with each other and fight the pandemic by staying home. How we should respect the people fighting on the frontlines and how we need to step up and do our bit to fight coronavirus.

Sharing the song on social media, the actor wrote: “As India fights COVID-19, let’s join our forces of love and compassion to come out stronger in these times. Here’s presenting Pyaar Karona, an anthem sung by yours truly for the fight against the deadly Coronavirus pandemic. The song has been made using minimal resources available at my disposal. Listen to the inspiring number and spread the message of love.”

Earlier, the actor shared the release of the song on his Social Media with the caption, “So, I’m posting from my handle to let you know that tomorrow on my YouTube channel, mine kya? It’s ours! Song out tomorrow on it, hope you can handle it.”

https://twitter.com/beingsalmankhan/status/1252168158720360448?s=21

The track ‘Pyaar Karona’ aims to spread love and awareness amid the coronavirus pandemic and was written by Salman and Hussain Dalal.Composed by Sajid-Wajid and sung by Salman Khan himself, the teaser was uploaded on Twitter on April 20 on his YouTube channel.

The video begins with several hashtags, including “Being Human, India Fights Corona, Stay Home Stay Safe” as Salman sings in the background ‘Pyaar Karona, Ehtiyaat Karona.’

Salman Khan had earlier pledged to support 25,000 daily wage workers from the film industry stranded due to the nationwide lockdown. He had recently released a video criticising those flouting the rules and attacking the healthcare workers in parts of the country. India is under the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected over 15,000 people and claimed over 500 lives.