Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

By Lalit K Jha Washington, May 14 () US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday accused China of "stealing" US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research. Pompeo's allegations came a day after the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security claimed that organisations conducting research into COVID-19 may be targeted by computer hackers linked to the Chinese government. "The US condemns attempts by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated with People's Republic of China (PRC) to steal US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research," Pompeo said in a statement. "The United States calls on China to cease this malicious activity," Pompeo said, adding that the "potential theft" of this information jeopardises the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options. China on Thursday termed as "slanderous" the US accusation that hackers backed by Beijing may be attempting to steal COVID-19 related research and vaccine materials and said that "smearing and scapegoating" others will not make the deadly virus go away. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said US officials are shifting the blame on Beijing as they struggled to handle the coronavirus pandemic back home. The US claims have added fuel to tensions between the two nations, which are engaged in a war of words over the origin of the coronavirus that has killed over 300,000 people globally. Pompeo alleged that China's behaviour in cyberspace is an extension of its counterproductive actions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Pompeo in the strongly-worded statement said while the US and its allies and partners are coordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives, "China continues to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis." The FBI said that it is "investigating the targeting and compromise of US organisations conducting COVID-19-related research by China-affiliated cyber actors and non-traditional collectors." "These actors have been observed attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research," the FBI said. The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options, it said. LKJ LKJ PMSPMS

China stealing US research on COVID-19: Pompeo

San Francisco, Oct 10 (IANS) As there will be more pandemics and epidemics after Covid-19, the world needs to be prepared and a research team at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has been working to make epidemiological forecasting as universal as weather forecasting. When COVID hit, they launched COVIDcast to develop data monitoring and forecasting resources that can help public health officials, researchers, and the public make informed decisions. "Our forecasting system has been a top performer at the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) annual forecasting challenges. I like to think of COVIDcast as a replica of what we've done for the flu but better and faster," said Ryan Tibshirani, a research lead at CMU. Last month, CMU received $1 million from Google.org and a team of 13 Google.org Fellows to work pro bono for six months to help continue building out COVIDcast. This was part of Google.org's $100 million commitment to COVID relief. The 'COVIDcast' project is about building and providing an ecosystem for COVID-19 tracking and forecasting. "Our aim is to support informed decision-making at federal, state, and local levels of government, in the healthcare sector, and beyond," Tibshirani said in a Google post. "We share both our data and a range of software tools -- from data processing and visualization to sophisticated statistical tools". With the Google funding, the research team hopes they can help accelerate their progress and introduce themselves to leading industry product and software development techniques. "The tech sector is uniquely positioned to provide data and platforms that even governments can't provide. It also has the skills and experience to quickly assemble large-scale systems, in real time. Google has been extraordinarily helpful to us on all of these fronts," Tibshirani said. --IANS na/

This researcher is tracking Covid-19 with Google's help

Researchers from Australia's <keyword id="248888" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Commonwealth-Scientific">Commonwealth Scientific</keyword> and <keyword id="6336245" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="industrial-research-organization">Industrial Research Organization</keyword> (CSIRO) on Thursday announced that they have begun testing vaccines for the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. The CSIRO said that it has commenced the first stage of testing at the <keyword id="1496469" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australian-Animal-Health-Laboratory">Australian Animal Health Laboratory</keyword> (AAHL) in Geelong, 75 km southwest of Melbourne, reports Xinhua news agency. The trials are expected to take three months and will be conducted on ferrets to determine if either of the two vaccines were safe and effective. "Beginning vaccine candidate testing at CSIRO is a critical milestone in the fight against COVID-19, made possible by collaboration both within Australia and across the globe," Larry Marshall, the Chief Executive of the CSIRO, said in a statement. "CSIRO researchers are working around-the-clock to combat this disease which is affecting so many -- whether it's at the AAHL or at our state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facility -- we will keep working until this viral enemy is defeated," he added. Even if the vaccines were found to be effective and safe, it could take 12 to 18 months for them to be rolled out around the world. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/coronavirus-myths-and-facts-here-are-some-rumours-about-covid-19-that-arent-true/articleshow/74487962.cms">Coronavirus myths and facts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/coronavirus-dos-and-donts-for-protection-against-convid-19/articleshow/74475858.cms">Do’s and Don’ts for protection against COVID-19</a>

Australian researchers begin testing COVID-19 vaccines

New Delhi, Apr 21 () To ensure that biological samples and data are appropriately managed, government think-tank Niti Aayog on Tuesday unveiled policy guidelines for sharing biospecimen and data for research related to COVID-19.The Empowered Group 1 "Medical Emergency Management Plan", constituted by the government and headed by Niti Aayog member V K Paul drafted the guidelines.qLast month, the government constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce the misery of people as quickly as possible post the 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic."It will be obligatory upon every custodian of bio-specimens (samples of COVID-19 with the bio-repositories and hospitals) to share the bio-specimen as per the procedure and timeline. "Delays will be liable for appropriate actions and accountability will be fixed," according to the guidelines.The guidelines have been aligned with the existing international framework of the Biological Weapons Convention to which India is a signatory "All facilities, institutions and other entities should collect biospecimens for research and product development purpose as approved by institutional or national authorities, as appropriate," the guidelines added.It mentions that the suspected or confirmed COVID-19 specimens with proper identifications be stored with controlled access at 2-8 degree centigrade or minus 70 degree depending on the nature of experiments. The Empowered Group has also spelt out the guidelines for sample collections from patients, while also listing out the norms for collection of blood samples from the patients after 6 and 12 months since detection of the infection. As per the guidelines, all users of the bio-specimens will be assigned a unique identity for assuring best services from the repository.The recipients will also have to give an undertaking that the live virus/inactivated virus/ genomic RNA will be used exclusively for the purpose of ethically approved projects and violations will invite prosecutions under relevant laws," it said. BKS MR

Niti unveils norms for data, biospecimen sharing for COVID-19 research

New York, After several studies linked high <keyword id="15532" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vitamin-D">vitamin D</keyword> supplementation with reduced <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> effects, now <keyword id="6354645" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="researchers">researchers</keyword> from <keyword id="232719" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Penn-State-University">Penn State University</keyword> in the US, to study whether vitamin D could help people ward off or reduce symptoms caused by <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. The research team, including one of Indian-origin, have received nearly $241,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research on how vitamin D regulates the immune system in the gastrointestinal tract. Cantorna said the addition of two key collaborators in the study are virologist Troy Sutton and Girish Kirimanjiswara, associate professor whose research focuses on immunology and infectious diseases. "Patients with acute respiratory infections have been shown to be vitamin D deficient, and vitamin D supplements have been touted as being useful in high doses for preventing seasonal influenza," Cantorna said. "Meanwhile, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has generated interest in the potential of high-dose vitamin D supplements to prevent and treat severe disease associated with the Covid-19 pandemic," Cantorna added. The research group has shown that vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining health in the gastrointestinal tract. Higher levels of vitamin D reduce susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease, as well as gut and lung infections in animals and people. However, too much vitamin D can be harmful. Cantorna noted that the local and systemic inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is not well understood, and controlling such inflammation may improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Although low vitamin D status has been associated with acute respiratory diseases, research has not confirmed a causal relationship. "We don't yet fully understand the mechanisms underlying the effects of vitamin D in the lung or how vitamin D regulates host immunity to viral infection," she said. "These significant knowledge gaps have hindered the development of interventions and accurate messaging that include vitamin D for the treatment and prevention of respiratory disease," she noted. Using mouse and hamster models, the research team will test whether supplemental vitamin D treatments will limit viral replication and inflammation in the lung leading to protection against severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. "We plan to determine the effects, dose and timing of possible vitamin D interventions in infected animals," Cantorna said. "Because SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to infect the gastrointestinal tract, the benefits of vitamin D might include regulation of gastrointestinal immunity as well as lung immunity," the author wrote. SEE ALSO - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-money-levels-up-against-zerodha-launches-a-new-feature-that-allows-retail-investors-to-apply-for-ipos/articleshow/79486079.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-money-levels-up-against-zerodha-launches-a-new-feature-that-allows-retail-investors-to-apply-for-ipos/articleshow/79486079.cms</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rajasthan-government-imposes-night-curfew-from-8-pm-to-6-am-these-are-the-districts-under-restriction/articleshow/79484267.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rajasthan-government-imposes-night-curfew-from-8-pm-to-6-am-these-are-the-districts-under-restriction/articleshow/79484267.cms</a>

Researchers to explore how vitamin D affects Covid-19

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6355244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="study">study</keyword>, published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, that evidence around the effectiveness of automated contact tracing systems is currently very limited.</li><li>In total, 4,033 papers were reviewed, which allowed researchers to identify 15 papers with useful data.</li><li>The seven studies that addressed automated contact tracing directly were modelling studies that all focused on <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword>.</li></ul> Researchers have claimed that contract tracing apps being used to reduce the spread of Covid-19 are unlikely to be effective without proper uptake and support from concurrent control measures. The study, published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, that evidence around the effectiveness of automated contact tracing systems is currently very limited. The researchers stressed that large-scale manual contact tracing alongside other public health control measures - such as physical distancing and closure of indoor spaces such as pubs - is likely to be required in conjunction with automated approaches. The team found 15 relevant studies by reviewing more than 4,000 papers on automated and partially-automated contact tracing and analysed these to understand the potential impact these tools could have in controlling the Covid-19 pandemic. "The review shows that, at present, there is insufficient evidence to justify reliance on automated contact tracing approaches without additional extensive public health control measures," said study lead author Isobel Braithwaite from the University College London in the UK. In total, 4,033 papers were reviewed, which allowed researchers to identify 15 papers with useful data. The seven studies that addressed automated contact tracing directly were modelling studies that all focused on Covid-19. Five studies of partially-automated contact tracing were descriptive observational studies or case studies, and three studies of automated contact detection looked at a similar disease context to Covid-19 but did not include subsequent tracing or contact notification. "Partially-automated systems may have some automated processes, for instance in determining the duration of follow-up of contacts required, but do not use the proximity of smartphones as a proxy for contact with an infected person". Analysis of automated contact tracing apps generally suggested that high population uptake of relevant apps is required alongside other control measures, while partially-automated systems often had better follow-up and slightly more timely intervention. "Although automated contact tracing shows some promise in helping reduce transmission of Covid-19 within communities, our research highlighted the urgent need for further evaluation of these apps within public health practice, Dr Braithwaite said. "As none of the studies we found provided real-world evidence of their effectiveness, and to improve our understanding of how they could support manual contact tracing systems," Braithwaite noted. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/economy/news/these-are-the-20-countries-with-the-highest-gold-reserves/articleshow/77605753.cms">These are the 20 countries with the highest gold reserves</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/these-are-the-top-20-cleanest-cities-in-india-in-2020/articleshow/77650052.cms">These are the top 20 cleanest cities in India— Indore tops the list for fourth year in a row</a>

Contact tracing apps may not contain COVID-19 spread, says researchers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword> and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint statement Wednesday warning that China-affiliated "cyber actors and non-traditional collectors" are targeting <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> research.</li><li>"<keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>'s efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation's response to COVID-19," the two federal agencies said.</li><li>China has denied any involvement in the alleged <keyword id="6361792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cyber-attacks">cyber attacks</keyword> on COVID-19 research organizations.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>US federal agencies warned on Wednesday that Chinese hackers are targeting COVID-19 research operations and attempting to gather information on vaccines and treatments, among other things.The <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/peoples-republic-of-china-prc-targeting-of-covid-19-research-organizations">FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Wednesday</a> that "PRC-affiliated cyber actors and non-traditional collectors" have been observed "attempting to identify and illicitly obtain valuable intellectual property (IP) and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing from networks and personnel affiliated with COVID-19-related research.""China's efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation's response to COVID-19," <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-and-cisa-warn-against-chinese-targeting-of-covid-19-research-organizations">the agencies explained</a>. "The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options."Wednesday's public service announcement was issued to raise awareness for healthcare, pharmaceutical, and research operations that might be targeted. The FBI and <keyword id="159896" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="CISA">CISA</keyword> suggested that at-risk organizations "maintain dedicated cybersecurity and insider threat practices," such as patching critical vulnerabilities, actively scanning for unauthorized access, and strengthening authentication processes.Last week, <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news/2020/05/05/cyber-warning-issued-key-healthcare-organizations-uk-and-usa">US and UK security agencies issued a joint statement alerting organizations involved in responding to the coronavirus to cyber threats to their operations</a>, warning that unnamed actors are targeting "national and <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> healthcare bodies, pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, and local government with the likely aim of gathering information related to the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> outbreak." The warning issued Wednesday was more specific, calling attention to suspected Chinese activity in the networks of related organizations.The Chinese government has denied any involvement in the alleged cyber attacks on US organizations."China is a staunch upholder of cyber security and a victim to cyber attacks. We firmly oppose and fight all kinds of cyber attacks conducted by hackers," <a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1777953.shtml">Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said this week</a>."We are leading the world in COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research. It is immoral to target China with rumors and slanders in the absence of any evidence," he added.The FBI and CISA said that additional details on the threat posed by cyber criminals will be released in the coming days.The warning from these two US federal agencies comes at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Beijing, with each side criticizing the other for failures in responding appropriately to the coronavirus."What else is new with China? I'm not happy with China, could have stopped it at the source, should have," President Donald Trump said Monday when asked about reports that Chinese hackers were targeting COVID-19 research. "Now you're telling me they're hacking. What else is new? We're watching very closely."Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-warns-that-chinese-hackers-are-threatening-covid-19-response-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

US federal agencies warn that Chinese hackers are targeting COVID-19 research on vaccines and treatments

<ul><li>As countries around the world race to develop a vaccine for <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword> virus, the Japanese researchers have identified an effective treatment for the deadly over-activation of the inflammatory response seen in many severe Covid-19 patients.</li><li>In a study, published in the journal PNAS, the researchers are working to understand exactly how Covid-19 causes the myriad of symptoms that seem to linger long after active viral infection.</li></ul>As countries around the world race to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 virus, the Japanese researchers have identified an effective treatment for the deadly over-activation of the inflammatory response seen in many severe Covid-19 patients. In a study, published in the journal PNAS, the researchers are working to understand exactly how Covid-19 causes the myriad of symptoms that seem to linger long after active viral infection. Cytokines are a group of small proteins that can either enhance or inhibit our body's immune response to infection, trauma, and diseases such as cancer. One of their main roles is to stimulate inflammation, which initiates the healing process. The problem is, overstimulation of the inflammatory response has an array of harmful complications, ranging from asthma to severe autoimmune diseases, the team said. One such complication, called cytokine release syndrome (CRS), is seen in patients suffering a hyperimmune response to microbial infection or trauma and can lead to multiple organ failure and even death."Despite knowing which cytokines are involved, there is still no specific immunotherapy for CRS and treatment is limited to supportive care," said study lead author Sujin Kang from the Osaka University in Japan. "To better understand the molecular mechanisms of CRS pathogenesis, we first studied the cytokine profiles of 91 patients diagnosed with CRS associated with bacterial sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or burns," Kang added. Strikingly, patients from all three groups had elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and MCP-10, as well as a protein called PAI-1, which causes small blood clots in vessels throughout the body, including the lungs. Importantly, increased PAI-1 levels are associated with more severe cases of pneumonia, a common cause of death among Covid-19 patients.Because IL-6 was positively associated with the levels of the other cytokines and PAI-1, the researchers concluded that IL-6 signalling is crucial for the development of CRS following infection or trauma, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of Covid-19. "Examination of cytokine profiles in severe Covid-19 patients revealed an increase in IL-6 early in the disease process, causing the release of PAI-1 from blood vessels," Asaid study senior author Tadamitsu Kishimoto. "Interestingly, PAI-1 levels were significantly higher in Covid-19 patients with a severe respiratory impediment," Kishimoto added. Most significantly though, when severe Covid-19 patients were treated with a human monoclonal antibody-based drug called Actemra, which blocks IL-6 signalling, PAI-1 levels rapidly declined and severe disease symptoms were alleviated, the tea noted. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/latest-hr-job-vacancies-at-moodys-morgan-stanley-ibm-johnson-amp-johnson-and-other-companies-in-india/slidelist/77868800.cms">Latest HR job vacancies at Moody’s, Morgan Stanley, IBM, Johnson &amp; Johnson and other companies in India</a>

Japanese researchers discover an effective treatment for severe COVID-19 cases

By Aditi Khanna London, Apr 9 () Indian-origin doctors in the UK have begun putting in place processes to conduct in-depth research into the role of ethnicity in greater susceptibility of some patients of South Asian origin to develop more severe symptoms of the novel coronavirus and die of the disease. A report by the UK's Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) this week revealed that the country's ethnic minority population is more likely to require intensive care admissions, nearly triple the 13 per cent proportion in the UK population as a whole."We have a team of researchers on this because it is important to analyse the factors behind these differentiating factors so that communities can put additional preventive measures in place," said Dr Ramesh Mehta, the President of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), the main representative group for Indian doctors in the UK. "The reasons behind this trend will not be any one thing but a complex set of factors, be it Vitamin D deficiency, the lack of social distancing measures within a large Indian family household set up or a genetic predisposition. We will know only once we have the relevant data to analyse," he said.BAPIO has written to the Chief Medical Officer of England, Professor Chris Whitty, and Medical Director of NHS England Stephen Powis, this week requesting all the official data available on COVID-19 hospital admissions for its research."The most recent ICNARC data of UK intensive care unit attendance is some of the first signals of the concern that COVID-19 has a more severe (lethal) phenotype in BAME [Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic] groups, with more than 25 per cent being Black or Asian, and more than a third being non-Caucasian," notes the letter.It adds: "We need a better understanding of the issues of BAME mortality in the context of the general population, particularly if it helps us manage sick and vulnerable groups, and so that we can be accurate in our messaging."We are therefore asking that the data for COVID cases, and most certainly those who have died as a result of the illness, incorporates ethnicity and profession, as well as the usual demographic data." The concern around the limited data available so far is also linked to hundreds of Indian-origin retired doctors answering the National Health Service (NHS) call to arms for them to return to the hospital frontlines to assist during the mounting workload as a result of the pandemic. "There is very limited evidence and there are so many variables hence a proper study needed. Meanwhile, we propose that irrespective of ethnicity, senior and retired clinicians should be redeployed preferably away from frontline duties," said Professor Parag Singhal, one of the doctors on the NHS frontlines."BAME doctors should discuss their underlying health issues with their employers to assess the risk," he said.Indian-origin doctors, who make up a large chunk of the NHS workforce, are already among the victims of the deadly virus in the UK, including cardiac surgeon Wales-based Jitendra Kumar Rathod, 58, originally from Gujarat, and Birmingham-based Hamza Pacheeri, 80, from Kerala. "Just as there is uncertainty about future predictions for the population, we don't fully understand the COVID-19 related impact on the workforce, and their safety is paramount," notes BAPIO in its letter, a copy of which has also been sent to NHS England and Public Health England. AK ZHZH

UK doctors to research more severe COVID-19 impact on Indians

New Delhi, Apr 28 () Researchers at Shiv Nadar University have discovered a set of chemical molecules that have the potential to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by coronavirus infection, the Noida-based private university claimed on Tuesday. The team of researchers led by Professor Subhabrata Sen from the Department of Chemistry expects to complete the pre-clinical studies by the end of this year and after which the compound will be potentially ready for human trials, the university said in a statement.The new chemical entities (NCEs) hold potential to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by COVID-19 or other severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), according to the statement.The researchers have filed a provisional patent in India to protect the new chemical entities and the novel molecule in discovery is being moved to the next stage of checking where its efficacy will be tested on animals.According to the researchers, the therapy would not only prevent COVID-19 from affecting a person's lungs but will also address lung injuries already inflicted by the virus, in cases, the ventilators are either not proving effective or are not available altogether that would bring in relief to COVID-19 patients suffering from ARDS."We hope our therapeutic approach will unravel solutions against maladies associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our aim is to conclude the preclinical studies by the end of this year, post which the new compound will potentially be ready for the next stage of development along with human trials," Sen said.The two-fold strategy devised by the research team involved the application of the NCEs to inhibit attachment, entry and infection of the new coronavirus through a known target on the virus and co-administration of a known drug (that modulates a set of hormonal receptors in human) and these NCEs to attenuate ARDS caused by the novel coronavirus, Sen said. "This particular research holds out the promise for a drug that can combat COVID-19, SARS and MERS – this is highly commendable," Shiv Nadar University vice-chancellor Rupamanjari Ghosh said. PRS MRMR

Researchers at Noida university discover molecule with potential to treat COVID-19

<keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword>, Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed a <keyword id="10420624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-online-calculator">new online calculator</keyword> for estimating the individual and community-level risk of dying from <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">Covid-19</keyword>. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, revealed that the calculator will be useful to <keyword id="1509608" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-authorities">public health authorities</keyword> for assessing mortality risks in different communities, and for prioritizing certain groups for vaccination as Covid-19 vaccines become available. The algorithm underlying the calculator uses information from existing large studies to estimate risk of Covid-19 mortality for individuals based on age, gender, <keyword id="10420623" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sociodemographic-factors">sociodemographic factors</keyword> and a variety of different health conditions. The risk estimates apply to individuals in the general population who are currently uninfected and captures factors associated with both risks of future infection and complications after infection. "Our calculator represents a more quantitative approach and should complement other proposed qualitative guidelines for determining individual and community risks and allocating vaccines," said study senior author Nilanjan Chatterjee from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US. The calculator based on the model is available online for public health officials and interested individuals alike. It enables a user to determine individual risk based on factors such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and medical history and can be used to define risk for a group, such as for a particular community, corporation, or university, based on the mix of relevant factors that define the group. In their paper, the research team used their calculator to describe the risk distribution for the whole US population, showing, for example, that only about 4% of the population at high risk -- defined as five times greater risk than the US average -- is expected to contribute close to 50% of the total deaths. The researchers also showed that population-level risk varies considerably from city to city and county to county. "For example, the percentage of the adult population exceeding the fivefold risk threshold varies from 0.4% in Layton, Utah, to 10.7% in Detroit, <keyword id="18877" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Michigan">Michigan</keyword>," Chatterjee said. The calculator allows users to calculate the mortality risk of individuals by combining information on individual-level factors with community-level pandemic dynamics, as available from a large variety of forecasting models. Thus, when a big wave of infections hits a population, the risk estimates for individuals will rise in that community. Currently, the tool is updated on a weekly basis to incorporate information on state-level pandemic dynamics. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-irctc-hdfc-bank-tcs-tvs-motor-dalmia-bharat-ultratech-acc-ambuja-and-others/articleshow/79672813.cms">Top stocks to watch — IRCTC, HDFC Bank, TCS, TVS Motor, Dalmia Bharat, UltraTech, ACC, Ambuja, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/best-smartphones-of-2020-in-india/slidelist/79675101.cms">Best smartphones of 2020 in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/reports-suggest-that-tata-adani-and-hinduja-group-are-interested-in-air-india-divestment-plan/articleshow/79675955.cms">Last date for Air India divestment plan nears — reports suggest that Tata, Adani and Hinduja Group are interested</a>

Researchers developed an online Covid calculator to estimate the level of risk of dying from COVID-19

A team of US researchers has uncovered genetic links between Covid-19 severity and certain medical conditions that are known risk factors for severity of the infectious disease. Some people with <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> experience the disease more severely than others, and previous research has identified certain variants in specific human genes that are associated with a person experiencing more severe Covid. Some of these variants may also be associated with other medical conditions that may already be well understood, identifying these shared variants could improve understanding of Covid and illuminate potential new paths for treatment. To identify shared variants, the team Corporal <keyword id="13790738" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="michael-crescenz-va-medical-center" source="Orion">Michael Crescenz VA Medical Center</keyword> in the US, used an unprecedented dataset of genotypic information linked to electronic health record data (EHR) for more than 650,000 US veterans. The findings, published in the open-access journal <keyword id="1380328" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="plos-genetics" source="Orion">PLOS Genetics</keyword>, revealed that certain variants associated with Covid are also associated with known risk factors for Covid. Particularly strong links were found for variants associated with venous embolism and thrombosis, as well as Type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease - two known Covid risk factors. Among respiratory conditions, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic alveolar lung disease shared genetic links with severe Covid, but other respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) did not. Some variants, associated with severe Covid, were also associated with reduced risk of autoimmune conditions, such as psoriasis and lupus. These findings highlight the need to carefully weigh various aspects of the immune system when developing new treatments. "One thing that stood out to us was the high number of immune-mediated conditions that shared genetic architecture with severe manifestations of Covid-19," said <keyword id="13790739" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="katherine-liao" source="Orion">Katherine Liao</keyword> from the Centre. "The nature of the associations brought to light how the SARS-CoV2 virus pushes on a pressure point in the human immune system and its constant balancing act of fighting infection while maintaining enough control so that it does not also become an autoimmune process, attacking self," she added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/every-two-in-three-households-in-india-are-facing-power-outages-amidst-heatwave-and-soaring-temperatures/slidelist/91254825.cms">Every two in three households in India are facing power outages amidst heatwave and soaring temperatures</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/51-percent-of-the-working-mothers-want-to-quit-their-jobs-due-to-additional-household-responsibilities/slidelist/91258769.cms">51 percent of the working mothers want to quit their jobs due to additional household responsibilities</a>

Researchers reveal genetic links between COVID-19 and other severe diseases

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New research published in the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2013400">New England Journal of Medicine</a> on Wednesday suggests that <keyword id="6365706" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="cats">cats</keyword> may be "silent intermediate hosts" of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, because they may not show symptoms that would be recognized by their owners.</li><li>According to the study, three cats were inoculated with COVID-19 and then paired in a household with three cats that did not have COVID-19.</li><li>The research found that within three days, the virus was detected in all cats that were inoculated, and within eight days, all formerly healthy cats also tested positive for the virus.</li><li>Notably, none of the six cats in the study showed any symptoms, including changes in body temperature, weight loss, or eye disease. </li><li>The study supports <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.30.015347v1.full.pdf">research</a> conducted last month, which suggested that cats may be more susceptible to infection from the new <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> and may be able to spread it to other cats.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>New research published in the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2013400">New England Journal of Medicine</a> on Wednesday suggests that cats may be "silent intermediate hosts" of COVID-19, because they may not show symptoms that would be recognized by their owners. The research looked at "limited airborne transmission" of the virus between cats that had been administered with the virus and other cats without the virus who lived in the same household.Three cats with no previous COVID-19 infection were inoculated with the virus and were paired with three virus-free cats in order to monitor if the virus could be spread to the healthy cats by direct transmission. Researchers took nasal and rectal swab specimens from the cats daily to test for the virus. The research found that within three days, the virus was detected in all the cats that were inoculated, and within eight days, all previously healthy cats had also tested positive for the virus. According to the report, virus shedding in the cats that were not inoculated lasted four to five days. Notably, none of the six cats in the study showed any symptoms, including changes in body temperature, weight loss, or eye disease. "There is a public health need to recognize and further investigate the potential chain of human-cat-human transmission," the researchers wrote in the report. <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.30.015347v1.full.pdf">Research</a> conducted last month suggested that cats may be more susceptible to infection from the new coronavirus and may be able to spread it to other cats. Still, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/can-pet-cats-get-coronavirus-covid19-spread-to-humans-2020-4">experts say most pets probably aren't at risk</a>, and there's no evidence the virus can spread from pets to pet owners.Still, there is some evidence that indicates that the new coronavirus may be able to spread from humans to felines.Last month, the Bronx Zoo <a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/14084/Update-Bronx-Zoo-Tigers-and-Lions-Recovering-from-COVID-19.aspx">announced in a press statement</a> that five of its tigers and three African lions tested positive for the new coronavirus after being infected "by a staff person who was asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms."The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Agriculture <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/news/sa_by_date/sa-2020/sars-cov-2-animals">announced in a joint statement last month</a> that the first confirmed cases of the virus in US pets were detected in two cats. The cats lived in separate households. Notably, no human members of the household where one of the cats lived were confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19."The virus may have been transmitted to this cat by mildly ill or asymptomatic household members or through contact with an infected person outside its home," the statement said.The owner of the second cat tested positive for COVID-19 before the pet showed signs of illness. Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/research-suggests-cats-give-coronavirus-to-other-cats-asymptomatic-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

You Searched For "Covid 19 research" and got 13 results

China stealing US research on COVID-19: Pompeo

PTI

This researcher is tracking Covid-19 with Google's help

IANS

Australian researchers begin testing COVID-19 vaccines

IANS

Niti unveils norms for data, biospecimen sharing for COVID-19 research

PTI

Researchers to explore how vitamin D affects Covid-19

IANS

Contact tracing apps may not contain COVID-19 spread, says researchers

IANS

US federal agencies warn that Chinese hackers are targeting COVID-19 research on vaccines and treatments

Ryan Pickrell

Japanese researchers discover an effective treatment for severe COVID-19 cases

IANS

UK doctors to research more severe COVID-19 impact on Indians

PTI

Researchers at Noida university discover molecule with potential to treat COVID-19

PTI

Researchers developed an online Covid calculator to estimate the level of risk of dying from COVID-19

IANS

Researchers reveal genetic links between COVID-19 and other severe diseases

IANS

New research suggests that cats may be 'silent intermediate' hosts of COVID-19

Rosie Perper

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides