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COVID-19 deaths reach 20 in Bangladesh; total cases at 218

(Image source: United News of Bangladesh)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of COVID-19 fatalities have reached 20 in Bangladesh as 3 more deaths were confirmed today, according to the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR).

Besides, the total number of positive cases has reached 218 with 54 new infections being reported in the last 24 hours.

No new patient made recovery keeping the total number of recovered patients at 33, according to United News of Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Tangail has recorded its first patient who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Mirzapur upazila of Tangail on Tuesday night, according to media reports.

Around 30 families have been put under lockdown around the patient’s neighbours.

Civil administration has also enforced a district-wide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in Tangail.

WATCH | Interfaith response to COVID-19

In this webinar on “INTERFAITH RESPONSE TO COVID-19”, faith leaders are responding on how social distancing has led to a change in the ways one practices his/her religion. The leaders also discuss how people can reconnect to their faith amid the lockdown. The webinar, hosted by the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) in collaboration with Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and with the technical support of UNICEF India, also discusses how Faith Leaders and Faith-Based Organisations are responding, serving and working together in light of the Corona Virus pandemic.

COVID: Antibodies produced, say Taiwanese researchers

New Delhi (NVI): A team of researchers in Taiwan has claimed to have produced antibodies which could be used for developing medication for coronavirus patients, besides facilitating rapid screening.

According to Huang Kuan-ying, a resident physician at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital who led the research team, 25 human monoclonal antibodies have been produced based on antibody gene segments from three patients infected with the COVID-19, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

He told the press that the achievement could facilitate the development of not only rapid screening kits but also medication that targets the virus, the report said.

The antibodies can identify the virus and are useful in two areas, including the development and production of rapid testing agents, Huang said, adding if such antibody testing agents react to tissue samples containing the virus, they can show the result in a minimum of 30 minutes.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are immune system proteins that are created in the lab. They are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell. Like the body’s own antibodies, mAbs recognize specific targets.

The mAbs, made based on antibodies in B cells of the patients, are 13 strains targeting the spike protein (S) of the coronavirus and 12 strains targeting the nucleocapsid protein (N) of the virus.

B cells are a type of white blood cell that make antibodies. They are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. They are also called B lymphocyte.

The other area in which they can be used is therapy, because mAbs are regarded as “magic bullets” that can cure some infectious diseases, Huang was quoted as saying.

His team found that there is one particular strain among the 13 S-targeting mAbs that has the ability to block the paths that the new coronavirus can use to invade the body, Huang said.

He explained that for the virus to enter cells, it has to integrate with the cell receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme 2, which is an enzyme attached to the outer surface of cells in organs.

“The receptor is like a gate. If the virus outflanks an antibody to open it, the body will be infected,” the researcher said. “But if the antibody opens the gate first, it has the opportunity to stop the virus from entering cells.”

Shih Shin-ru, a professor at the Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections of Chang Gung University, said this certain mAb, which was found capable of stopping the coronavirus from invading the body, can be used in the development of COVID-19 therapies or even vaccines if it is proven effective in human tests in the future.

Compared with animal mAbs, those from humans will be safer to use in medical treatment, she added.

Taiwan to donate face masks to India, some other nations

New Delhi (NVI): Taiwan is planning to donate over a million pieces of surgical face masks to various countries, including India, as assistance in the fight against coronavirus, according to a media report.

These masks will be donated under Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP), which was launched by the Democratic Progressive Party government after President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May 2016, said the report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA), quoting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) officials.

Head of MOFA’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Baushuan Ger told media persons that the masks will be sent to about seven to eight NSP countries that have recently asked for help from Taiwan, as well as countries outside of the Asia-Pacific region.

The surgical masks will be provided primarily to healthcare workers in these countries to assist them in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Ger said.

An official familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named, told CNA that the countries will include Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Myanmar and Indonesia, the media report said.

The 18 countries under the NSP are the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

Asked if Taiwan will also be donating masks to Japan or South Korea, both of which have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since it first erupted in China last December, Ger said that neither of the two have so far asked for help.

With regard to four of its Pacific diplomatic allies — Palau, Nauru, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu — the MOFA official said the ministry is continuing to provide both technical and medical assistance to these countries in their efforts against COVID-19, the CNA reported.

On April 1, the foreign ministry announced that Taiwan will be donating 10 million masks to countries seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the United States, 11 European countries and 15 of the country’s diplomatic allies.

Two million will be sent to the U.S., 1 million to the 15 allies, with the remaining 7 million going to Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, according to a MOFA press release.

Take action against hoarding, black marketing of essentials: MHA to states

New Delhi (NVI): The Central Government today asked states to take urgent steps to prevent hoarding or black marketing in the country amid the coronavirus situation and lockdown, and ensure that essential commodities are available at fair price for public at large.

In a letter to states, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that such acts can’t be ruled out due to the loss of production and labour crisis in the wake of the nationwide lockdown.

The Home Ministry has asked states to ensure availability of essential goods by invoking Essential Commodities Act 1955, in this regard.

“States/Union Territory Governments are advised to take urgent steps to ensure availability of these essential goods, by invoking provisions of the Essential Commodities (EC) Act 1955,” the MHA said in a statement.

Union Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, in a written communication, has advised all state chief secretaries to take steps in this regard.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey donates $1 bn to COVID-19 relief fund

New Delhi (NVI): Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s Chief Executive Officer, will donate USD 1 billion of his stake in Square Inc to relief fund, related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a tweet, Dorsey said that the donation equates to nearly 28 per cent of his wealth, which will be donated to his charity fund, Start Small LLC, which would later focus its attention to universal basic income and girls health and education.

 

Dorsey, has for years kept details of his charitable efforts private, added that all donations to and from the fund would now be visible to the public at all times through a public document, according to the media reports.

He said that he was pledging his stake in Square instead of Twitter because he owns a bigger portion of the payments processor and would pace the sale of the pledged shares over time.

It is so far the biggest single donation to the global fight to tackle the pandemic.

The total number of coronavirus cases in United States has crossed 4,00,300, and the death toll stands at 12,837, according to John Hopkins University data.

China lifts 76-day lockdown on Wuhan

New Delhi (NVI): China has ended its lockdown of Wuhan after 76 days, the original epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, as the city reemerges from a deadly outbreak that is now raging across the globe.

But even as Wuhan reopens its borders, some restrictions within the city will remain in place, and officials warn that the threat of further infections remains far from over, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, France has become the 4th country to register more than 10,000 deaths due to coronavirus.

New York also reported 731 new fatalities, the highest overnight jump since the beginning of the outbreak. The total number of positive cases have risen to 399,081 in US.

Meanwhile, Spain recorded a slight increase in the daily death toll for the first time in five days, with 743 casualties being reported overnight.

At least 78,269 people have now died worldwide, while at least 14,30,453 have been infected, according to John Hopkins University data.

PM to hold all-party meeting via video conferencing today

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an all-party meeting via video conference today, where he will seek suggestions from various parties on the road map to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

This will be the Prime Minister’s first meeting with the opposition leaders after the outbreak.

PM Modi will discuss whether to end the shutdown or extend it. The current shutdown is slated to end on April 14.

The meeting is expected to begin at 11.00 am. He will also appraise party leaders of the steps being taken by the government.

However, only floor leaders of political parties that have more than five Members of Parliament, have been invited to participate in the meeting.

COVID-19 cases reach 5,194 in India; death toll at 149

New Delhi (NVI): On the 15th day of the nationwide lockdown in India, the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 149, while total confirmed cases reached 5,194, according to Union Health Ministry.

As per the latest data available with the Ministry, there are 4,643 active cases in the country and 401 cured or discharged.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra became the first state in India to record more than 1,000 coronavirus positive cases.

Apart from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi are two of the most affected states in the country.

While India is currently under a 21-day lockdown due to the novel coronavirus, there were talks that the central government was considering to extend the lockdown period following suggestions provided by the state governments and experts.

However, the government has categorically stated that no decision has been taken so far and advised everyone not to “speculate”.

No positive Covid-19 case in Uttarakhand today

New Delhi (NVI): The Uttarakhand government today said that no positive COVID-19 case was detected in the state today, out of the total 126 samples taken for testing.

In a bulletin released by Directorate of Health Services, Uttarakhand at 6 PM, all 126 samples taken for testing were found negative.

According to the bulletin, a total of 31 cases have been tested COVID-19 positive in the state so far. Out of them, five cases have been treated and discharged.

Meanwhile, the death toll due to coronavirus in the country rose to 124 today, with the total number of confirmed cases inching near the 5,000 mark at 4,789.

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