Subject: Science and tech Context: The Union Health Minister has said “social vaccines” are available solution to fight the pandemic (Covid-19). Concept: A social vaccine is a metaphor for a series of social and behavioural measures like social distancing, wearing masks that governments can use to raise public consciousness about unhealthy situations through social mobilization. Social mobilization […]

Subject: Science and tech/IR Context: World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier said that transmission of Covid-19 from asymptomatic carriers is “very rare”, and then clarified that modelling studies have put the extent of asymptomatic transmission to about 40% Concept: Asymptomatic spread is the transmission of the virus by people who do not have symptoms and will never get symptoms […]

Subject: Science and tech Context: The Indian Air Force has inducted an indigenously designed and manufactured pod called ARPIT. Concept: It will be used for evacuation of critical patients suffering from infectious diseases like COVID-19 from isolated and remote areas. The isolation system has a suitable number of air exchanges, integration of medical monitoring instruments, […]

Subject: Science and tech Concept: Remdesivir Remdesivir, an antiviral drug first developed for treating Ebola in 2014, is one of the possible Covid-19 treatments being investigated in the WHO’s Solidarity Trial. It inhibits viral replication in the body. Favipiravir Favipiravir is an antiviral given to inhibit viral replication. It is used as an anti-influenza drug. Tocilizumab This is […]

Subject: Science and tech Context: Kerala state government has decided to put its senior citizens under reverse quarantine Concept: Reverse quarantine is a method of detaching the most vulnerable people from general public to protect them from contracting virus Examples: Aged above 60, infants, Children