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‘Hope Probe’: UAE launches its first-ever mission to Mars

Before the launch of the Hope Probe at Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan. (Pic: @HopeMarsMission )

New Delhi (NVI): In a first for the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates has launched ‘Hope Probe’ mission to Mars as a UAE spacecraft blasted off to the red planet from Japan today.

The mission was originally scheduled to leave Earth on July 14 but was delayed due to bad weather. Finally, the Hope Probe was launched early today from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center aboard a Mitsubishi H-2A rocket, for a seven-month voyage.

According to the Gulf News, two-way communication has been established between the mission and Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in the country. The Mars orbiter has been named ‘Amal’, or Hope.

“Two-way communication established. The ground segment has received and communicated the first signals with the Hope Probe,” read a tweet from @HopeMarsMission.

The Arab country first had announced plans for the mission in 2014. It launched a National Space programme in 2017 to develop expertise.

As the Hope Probe separated from the rocket about an hour after the liftoff, there was a jubilant atmosphere at the UAE Space Agency amid thunderous applause from controllers and engineers.

Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine also congratulated the team at UAE Space Agency for the successful launch of the first-ever mission. “Congrats to the team that worked on @HopeMarsMission. It’s truly amazing what @uaespaceagency & @MBRSpaceCentre have accomplished in such a short time. Hope is exactly what the world needs and thank you to the UAE & @mhi for inspiring all of us,” he tweeted.

The mission will cost UAE USD 200 million, according to minister for advanced sciences Sarah Amiri. It will analyse the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes.

The Hope Probe is expected to reach Mars orbit in February 2021 during the 50th anniversary of UAE unification, according to foreign media reports. It will not land on the planet but will instead orbit it for an entire Martian year, or 687 days.

China and the United States also plan to launch their missions to the red planet this month. While China intends to send a Martian orbiter, lander, and rover on the 23 July, the US plans to launch the Perserverence Rover to look for signs of Martian life.

-ARK

New gene mutation may contribute to higher rates of lung cancer among non-smokers: Study

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New Delhi (NVI): According to a new study by Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, a pattern of newly identified genetic changes may contribute to a higher rate of lung cancer among non-smokers in East-Asia, particualry in younger women.

The recently published study in journal Cell, tumor samples in 103 lung cancer patients were analyzed in Taiwan, majority of whom were non-smokers.

According to the analysis, a pattern of newly identified genetic changes may contribute to the higher rates of lung cancer.

According to Chen Yu-ju, director of the Academia Sinica’s Institute of Chemistry, researchers have already observed that around 60 percent of lung cancer cases in East Asia are related to mutations of the EGFR gene, compared to only 20 percent in Western countries, where the disease is most common among smokers.

He further added that, “In Taiwan, non-smokers account for over 50 percent of lung cancer patients, which rises to 93 percent among women.”

It is a feature shared by many other East Asian countries, but the reason remains unclear. The study was the first in East Asia to unravel the mystery.

The study’s new finding, however, involves mutations to a separate set of genes — known as APOBEC — which were found in many of the study’s female patients.

In Taiwan, up to 74 percent of female never-smokers (younger than 60 years old) showed higher mutation signatures of APOBEC — a family of proteins related to RNA editing.

Furthermore, the study’s authors believe these findings could have implications both for the detection and treatment of lung cancer.

APOBEC testing could help identify those at risk of the disease and lead to its detection at earlier stages, Chen said.

Through the study, the team hopes to raise public awareness of the potential carcinogenesis of food additives, such as nitrosamine, which is used in fermented tofu and preserved radish, nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) found in vehicle exhaust, cooking and secondhand smoke, as well as hereditary factors.

-CHK

Phillippines resumes polio campaign with help of WHO, UNICEF

Polio
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New Delhi (NVI): After being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippines has resumed its Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio immunization campaign to combat the poliovirus outbreak in the country.

The country’s Department of Health (DOH) has resumed the programme with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

In a joint statement, the DOH, WHO and UNICEF said the next phase of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign in the whole of Mindanao will start on 20 July and last until 2 August 2020 for children under 5 years old. Children under 10 years old in selected areas in Mindanao will also receive polio drops, it said.

Mindanao, also commonly known as Southern Philippines, is the second-largest island in the Philippines.

“Meanwhile, new polio immunization campaigns for children under 5 years old will begin in a phased approach in Region 3 (Central Luzon) on 20 July and in the provinces of Laguna, Cavite and Rizal in Region 4A in August,” the statement read.

DOH and the Centers for Health Development, together with WHO and UNICEF, have been preparing for the immunization campaign, addressing the special challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic through online orientations and planning with field teams.

“Continuous implementation of polio response amid the present health crisis we are facing is important as this will prevent not only the debilitating effects of the disease, but also interrupt the transmission during a pandemic,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III.

“Polio is a vaccine-preventable disease and we cannot let our gains over the years go to waste by deprioritizing our polio response. It is imperative for parents and caregivers to have their children vaccinated, while strictly adhering to infection prevention and control protocols, as we cannot afford to overwhelm our health system with another outbreak,” Duque added.

The Health Secretary further said that a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach is critical in preventing the polio outbreak. “We are calling for the support of the local government units, and all relevant stakeholders as we endeavor to continue the ‘Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio’. This way, we become part of the solution in helping each other stay healthy and save lives,” he said.

The polio outbreak in the Philippines was announced last 19 September 2019, with the first known confirmed case from a 3-year-old girl in Lanao del Sur. Since then, 15 more children have been confirmed with polio with ages ranging from below one-year-old to 9 years old. The cases were identified in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Region 12 (Soccsksargen), Region 3, and Region 4A, according to the report.

Polio is a highly infectious disease that mainly affects young children, who have not completed their vaccination schedules. The disease is transmitted from person-to-person primarily through the faecal-to-oral route resulting from poor sanitation and hygiene practices, and less frequently through contaminated food or water. Once in the intestine, the poliovirus multiplies and it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis or even death.

“We have to remember that the polio outbreak is not over, so it is critical that we continue this life-saving work of immunizing our children against this debilitating disease, while responding to COVID-19,” said Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative in the Philippines.

“But we must also remember to ensure that our dedicated frontline health workers and our communities are fully protected from COVID-19 during the polio campaign.

“To the health workers as well as the parents, caregivers and the children participating in the campaign: Be vigilant in practicing the preventive measures such as frequent hand hygiene, physical distancing and wearing of masks during planning, implementing and evaluating the polio response,” he added.

The Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign started in July 2019 after the detection of polioviruses from waterways in the National Capital Region (NCR). During the first quarter of 2020, immunization rounds also continued in Mindanao and the NCR, reaching 4.5 million children, more than 95% of the target children for vaccination. It is important to reach at least 95% coverage for each round of the polio immunization campaign to ensure enough immunity in the community to stop the spread of polio in the Philippines.

UNICEF helped the Philippines government procure supplies such as vaccines, freezers, ice packs, and vaccine carriers; develop and disseminated communication materials; enjoined civil society, religious leaders and other influencers to spread messages about polio prevention; trained health workers and other frontline workers on interpersonal communication and social mobilization; conducted planning and assessments, and gave assistance for proper vaccine disposal.

On the other hand, WHO continues to provide technical advice in intensifying polio surveillance, planning for and monitoring of immunization campaigns, infection prevention and control measures, and risk communication. WHO has also deployed international and national polio experts who provide on-the-ground technical support to the regions and local implementers.

-RJV/ARK

Sri Lanka resumes immunisation amid Covid-19 pandemic

(Photo credit: WHO Sri Lanka)

New Delhi (NVI): The immunisation services resumed recently in Sri Lanka after remaining completely suspended in the month of April, as the country’s health system tried to come terms with the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

With the resumption of immunisation programme, women and children are back at immunisation centres in Sri Lanka, following a rigorous appointment-only schedule put together by health workers, as per the WHO report.

Due to the global Covid-19 outbreak, immunisation services have suffered, putting children at risk of diseases like Polio and Measles. WHO, in its reports said that by mid-May, the immunization backlog had been mostly cleared in Sri Lanka and it was business as usual.

“The resilience of Sri Lanka’s healthcare system has been tested several times in the past few decades, and it has proven to be strong, flexible, and resilient. This is largely due to both grassroots efforts and strategic planning. Very early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government conducted an evaluation, taking stock of existing resources and identifying gaps,” said Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of Health Services.

The Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health assessed in detail the Covid-19 situation in the country, which set the ground for re-starting the immunization programme by preparing guidelines on the resumption of services and conducting specialized trainings for health workers to ensure vaccines were administered, keeping in mind all COVID-19 related precautions and safety protocols, says the report.

“The Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services drafted guidelines using international best practices and implemented additional prevention and control measures. As a result, we were able to keep Sri Lanka’s healthcare system operational throughout our response to COVID-19 and to resume essential services, such as immunization, very quickly,” said Dr Jaisinghe.

The Sri Lanka government was aware that the fear of COVID-19 infection and restriction on movement due to the lockdown were keeping people away from health centers. To counter this, the Ministry of Health used mass media channels to allay fears, and inform people about the resumption of essential health services, including vaccination.

The Ministry also urged the community to bring their children to the immunization clinics. Extensive communication campaigns through print and the electronic media announced the resumption of immunization services, WHO said in its report.

To orient regional epidemiologists and community physicians in provinces and districts on measures to be taken to prevent COVID-19 transmission in the clinics, several virtual meetings were organized them. All safety protocols, such as physical distancing, hand hygiene and wearing of masks, were put in place and emphasized.

Dr Razia Narayan Pendse, WHO Representative in the country appreciated the quick resumption of immunization services amid the pandemic. “Sri Lanka has a long history of successful public health interventions, and thanks to decades of community engagement and consistent efforts to strengthen the health system, the country has near-universal immunization rates. Preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 is a top priority in Sri Lanka.

“However, it is important to ensure control measures are balanced with efforts to safeguard livelihoods and ensure well-being. Maintaining essential services, including routine healthcare procedures like immunization, is a crucial component of the government’s strategic preparedness and response plan,” she said.

Health workers are at great risk of contracting the infection, so special care was taken to protect them as immunization resumed. They were advised to wear appropriate personal protective gear, while providing essential health services. Appointments ensured no overcrowding in clinics, and for families where multiple women or children needed vaccination, health workers were advised to attend to all of them at one go.

Apart from that, existing fixed immunization clinics which people were familiar with, were used to provide vaccinations as opposed to outreach and mobile clinics, to ensure quality of immunization services and also to effectively manage any adverse effects following immunization.

Timings at immunization centres were extended and the frequency increased, as immunization services for pregnant women and children steadily picked up amidst the pandemic. The immunization sessions were also taking place during weekends.

Additionally, frequent review meetings were held with district and provincial health officers to assess the progress, identify challenges and define strategies to reach and vaccinate children who had been left behind, WHO said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sri Lanka and the Maldives were declared measles and rubella free by the WHO on July 8.

-ARK

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

File photo

New Delhi (NVI): India today registered the biggest single-day spike of 40,425 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 11,18,043, according to Union Health Ministry data.

This is the first time that COVID-19 cases crossed the 40,000-mark in a single day.

Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 27,497 with 681 new fatalities being recorded since yesterday.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 203

Andhra Pradesh- 49,650

Arunachal Pradesh- 740

Assam- 23,999

Bihar- 26,569

Chandigarh- 717

Chhattisgarh- 5,407

Dadar Nagar Haveli & Diu – 297

Delhi- 1,22,793

Gujarat- 48,355

Goa- 3,657

Haryana– 26,164

Himachal Pradesh- 1,483

Jammu and Kashmir- 13,899

Jharkhand- 5,535

Karnataka- 63,772

Kerala- 12,480

Ladakh- 1,178

Madhya Pradesh- 22,600

Maharashtra- 3,10,455

Manipur- 1,911

Meghalaya- 450

Mizoram- 284

Nagaland- 988

Odisha- 17,437

Puducherry- 1,999

Punjab- 10,100

Rajasthan- 29,434

Sikkim- 283

Tamil Nadu- 1,70,693

Telangana- 45,076

Tripura- 2,878

Uttarakhand- 4,515

Uttar Pradesh- 49,247

West Bengal – 42,487

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andhra Pradesh- 642

Arunachal Pradesh- 3

Assam- 57

Bihar- 217

Chandigarh- 12

Chhattisgarh- 24

Delhi- 3,628

Goa- 22

Gujarat- 2,142

Haryana- 349

Himachal Pradesh- 11

Jammu and Kashmir- 244

Jharkhand- 49

Karnataka- 1,331

Kerala- 42

Ladakh- 2

Madhya Pradesh- 721

Maharashtra- 11,854

Meghalaya- 2

Odisha- 91

Puducherry- 28

Punjab- 254

Rajasthan- 559

Tamil Nadu- 2,481

Telangana- 415

Tripura- 5

Uttar Pradesh- 1,146

Uttarakhand- 52

West Bengal- 1,112

A total of 7,00,087 people have been cured or discharged. Total active cases stand at 3,90,459.

-CHK

Covaxin: Human trials of India’s first coronavirus vaccine to begin today

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New Delhi (NVI): India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, has got a nod from the AIIMS Ethics Committee to begin human trials from today.

All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi, is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase I and II human trials of Covaxin.

In phase I, the vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and a maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.

Healthy volunteers having no co-morbid conditions and without a history of COVID-19, aged more than 18 years and less than 55 years, would be eligible to participate in the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

AIIMS will start the screening of the individuals and evaluate their health condition from today onwards before vaccinating them.

The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech company in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), had recently got the nod for human clinical trials from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

-CHK

Chhattisgarh: 7-day lockdown in Raipur, Birgaon from July 22

lockdown
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New Delhi (NVI): Due to the rising number of coronavirus cases, the district administration has imposed seven-day lockdown in Raipur and Birgaon Municipal Corporation areas from July 22.

According to the order issued by the Raipur district administration, the lockdown will stay effective till July 28 in both the areas.

However, selling of essential items such as fruit, vegetables, milk etc. will be allowed from 6am till 10am during the lockdown period.

Only people on emergency medical duty or serving essential services will be allowed to commute.

All government, semi-government and private offices will remain shut during this period. In addition to this, public transports will remain closed.

Moreover, a total of 200 containment zones have been identified in Raipur and Birgaon municipal corporation areas, of which, 165 are still active.

In Raipur district, 1,172 positive cases have been registered till date, of which more than 950 cases have been reported in the last one month.

So far, Chhattisgarh has recorded 5,407 coronavirus cases and 24 deaths from to the deadly contagion.

-RJV

J&K: CRPF man commits suicide by shooting himself in Srinagar

Service rifle
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Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel committed suicide by shooting himself dead with his service riffle at his unit in Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar, officials said today.

CRPF spokesman in Srinagar said, “A CRPF personnel posted at 29 battalion F-Coy at Pathan Chowk area of Srinagar, identified as Biswajit Dutta, fired at himself with his service riffle in a bathroom. He died on the spot.”

The spokesman added that his colleagues rushed to the spot to take Biswajit to the hospital, but he succumbed.

“An inquiry has been ordered to find out the reason that led him to take this extreme step,” the spokesman said.

Today’s incident comes just three days after a CRPF man posted at a hotel in Dalgate area of Srinagar accidentally shot himself with his service riffle. He was critically injured and is battling for life at Army’s 92 base hospital in Srinagar.

On July 6, two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) men were killed in a fratricidal incident in a court complex in Kulgam district of south Kashmir. The duo had resorted to an argument before shooting themselves dead with their services riffles.

Earlier on May 12, two CRPF personnel committed suicide by shooting themselves with their service rifles in two separate incidents at south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

On the same day, a CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector, Bengali Babu, committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at his 49th battalion camp in Srinagar. Furthermore, on March 21, a CRPF man posted outside Civil Secretariat Srinagar, had committed suicide by shooting himself with his service riffle.

The rise in suicide cases among CRPF men has, however been directly linked with the prevailing pandemic as it is evident by the suicide notes left by a couple of CRPF men who took extreme step. A suicide note of one of the CRPF men who shot himself dead read: “I am afraid, I may be Corona positive…. Better to die.”

A senior CRPF official told NVI that every incident is followed by an internal inquiry but one of the main reasons why “boys are taking extreme step” is that they are not able to go on leave and meet their families. “Back home, their families are worried too, which increases mental pressure for the boys on duty in Kashmir, which is a challenging place. Even though, regular counseling sessions are being given to the CRPF men in the morning and evening, still the level of pressure on their minds remains due to coronavirus outbreak,” he said.

-CHK

Coronavirus deaths surpass 6 lakh-mark globally; cases exceed 14.4 million

New Delhi (NVI): The number of deaths from the coronavirus around the world has surpassed 6,05,000, with the United States being the worst-affected country. There are over 14.4 million confirmed cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The US reported at least 67,574 new coronavirus cases and at least 877 new deaths in the country in the last 24 hours. With this, the total number of coronavirus cases have exceeded 3.7 million while the death toll has crossed 1,40,000 in the country.

In Brazil, the total number of infections is nearing 2.1 million meanwhile the number of fatalities are nearing 80,000 in the Latin American country.

Several banks in Hong Kong closed branches or curtailed their working hours on Monday after a spike in the number of new coronavirus cases over the weekend, with 100 infections reported in a 24-hour period – the most since the pandemic began in January.

In China, number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Xinjiang’s city of Urumqi continues to rise, with another 17 reported on Monday, bringing the total in China’s latest outbreak to at least 47.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 249 to 201,823, while the reported death toll rose by two to 9,086, the tally showed.

Australia’s second-most populous state of Victoria on Monday recorded one death from the new coronavirus and logged 275 cases of infections compared with 363 cases a day earlier.

-CHK

Maha minister tests corona positive

New Delhi (NVI): Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aslam Shaikh today tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the fourth top minister from the state to have contracted the deadly virus.

Shaikh, took to twitter to inform, “This is to inform that I’ve tested positive for COVID-19. I’m currently asymtomatic and isolating myself.” he tweeted.

He also request all those who have come in close contact with me to get themselves tested. “I will continue to work from home to serve the people of my state.”

Aslam Shaikh, the Cabinet Minister for Textiles, Port, Fisheries and also the Guardian Minister of Mumbai City.

Earlier, other ministers – Dhananjay Munde and Jitendra Awhad and Ashok Chavan had tested positive. However, all three were discharged after making a full recovery.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected state in the country as tally crosses 3.1 lakh cases with over 10,690 deaths, as per Health Ministry data.

-RJV

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