Daily Current Affairs 30 March 2020 | UPSC Current Affairs 2020

Current Affairs Of Today Are

1) Air quality improves in over 90 cities 

• With a nationwide lockdown in place, over 90 cities, including Delhi, recorded minimal air pollution in the last few days.
• Welcoming the reduction in pollution, environmentalists urged the government to treat it as a “wake­up call” and stop its “obsession” with “development” at the cost of the environment.
• India is currently under the biggest lockdown with around 130 crore people asked to stay home given the COVID­-19 outbreak.
• According to the Center-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the measures against COVID­19 have led to a drop in PM2.5 (fine particulate pollutant) by 30% in Delhi and by 15% in Ahmedabad and Pune, respectively.
• The level of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) pollution, which can increase the risk of respiratory conditions, has also reduced. NOx pollution is mainly caused due to high motor vehicle traffic. In Pune, NOx pollution has reduced by 43%, in Mumbai, by 38%, and in Ahmedabad, by 50%.
• Generally, in March, pollution is in the “moderate” category (Air Quality Index range: 100­-200) while currently, it is in the “satisfactory” (AQI 50­-100) or “good” (AQI 0­-50) category. “It is a lockdown impact. Local factors like shutting down industries and construction and traffic have contributed to improving the air quality. Rain is also helping, but the curbs on local emissions are playing a significant role
• Under the “good” category, pollution is considered to be at the lowest and the air is believed to be the healthiest to breathe According to the data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality in the national capital is presently in the “good” category. In Kanpur, which has high pollution levels, it is in the “satisfactory” category. 
• Moreover, 92 other cities with CPCB monitoring centers have recorded minimal air pollution, with the air quality in the range of “good” to “satisfactory”.
• As many as 39 cities have recorded “good” air quality and 51 cities have recorded “satisfactory” air quality in the last few days, the CPCB data showed.
• An AQI between 0­-50 is considered good, 51-­100 satisfactory, 101­-200 moderate, 201-­300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-­500 severe.

Source: The Hindu

2) Himalayan Ibex

• A recent study by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has proved that Himalayan Ibex, distributed in the trans­Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, is a distinct species from the Siberian Ibex
• Siberian Ibex is a species of wild goat and is distributed in diverse habitats, ranging from cold deserts, rocky outcrops, steep terrain, high­land flats and mountain ridges to low mountains and foothills
• From Mongolia, its distribution extends towards Altai, Hangai, Gobi­Altai, the Hurukh mountain ranges as well as the Sayan Mountains near Russia and scattered populations in the small mountains of Trans­Altai Gobi. 
• In Asia, Ibex is distributed in the Montane habitats, ranging in elevations from 500 m to 6,700 m in countries like India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Southern Siberia, and China. In India, the Ibex is distributed mainly in the trans­Himalayan ranges of the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh up to the river Sutlej
• To unravel the complexity in species recognition of Indian Ibex, the researchers, under a project funded through the National Mission on Himalayan Studies implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, undertook field surveys and collected fecal samples from Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
• The genetic analysis conducted with the inclusion of the sequences available from all across the distribution ranges in Central Asia, Tajikistan, Altai Mountains, Mongolia and Russia provided the first evidence to claim that Himalayan Ibex is genetically different from all other ranges of Siberian Ibex. The samples collected from India clustered with the sequences from Tajikistan in a phylogenetic analysis, which were adequately different from the other two clades: KZ clade of Tajikistan (which broadly represents one of the clusters in the phylogeny) and AMR clade of the Altai Mountains, Mongolia, and Russia.
• The results of the genetic analysis surprisingly revealed that I­T clade (referred to as Siberian Ibex) was estimated to have diverged from Alpine Ibex during the Pleistocene epoch (2.4 million years ago) than the Siberian Ibex during the Miocene­Pliocene boundary (6.6 million years ago)

Source: The Hindu

3) Development of drugs and vaccines against the coronavirus

Medical research towards the development of drugs and vaccines against the coronavirus infection – COVID 19.

Background:

• SARS-CoV-2 has spikes covering its entire body. These spikes, which are made up of a glycoprotein, help it in entering the host cell of the infected individual.
• The spike protein recognizes a specific enzyme called Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE2) on the cell surface, kills its activity and enters the host cell.
• The enzyme ACE2 fights against the viral attack and protects against damage and also is found to be beneficial for hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Given the inter-linkage between ACE2 and the age-related diseases, make the senior citizens more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2.

Medical Strategies against SARS-CoV-2:

Using serum of recovered patients:

• During the SARS infection across the world, treating the affected with the sera of recovered patients offered them the protective antibody IgG.
• There have been suggestions made by some scientists that a similar approach of treating the affected by using the serum of a recently recovered patient, can be followed for COVID 19, too. This will help boost the immunity of afflicted patients.

Using inhibitors:

• Research has confirmed that the novel coronavirus’ cell entry depends not only on ACE2 but also on another molecule (and enzyme) in the host cell, called TMPRSS2.
• Research has revealed that entry through TMPRSS2 can be blocked by a clinically proven protease inhibitor.
• This is an important advancement since now research can be directed towards looking for such blocking molecules as drugs against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
• This would aid in the development of drugs to treat the affected and to devise successful vaccines.

Repurposing of earlier vaccines:

• Give the fact that coronavirus is the causative factor for the present COVID-19 and the past SARS and MERS, Some companies have repurposed and modified their earlier vaccines against SARS and MERS to try on COVID 19.
• A similar approach has been employed in the WHO-led solidarity trials.
• Though the efficacy of such drugs cannot be guaranteed, they would allow for short term urgent needs given the long lifecycle time of drug development.

Social distancing:

• People must use protective devices and methods; stay home and safe to not allow community spread.
• This is the most effective and simplest way to control the damage caused by COVID-19.

Progress in the development of medicines:

• As many as 35 companies worldwide are working towards the development of a vaccine, and at least 4 of these companies have tested their products on animals.
• Two companies are building vaccines based on the messenger RNA that COVID19 has.
• But clinical trials on humans will take time to check on their efficacies and side effects, which may be as long as a year or more.

Way forward:

• Given the critical need for medical interventions in the fight against COVID-19, there is the need to attempt all the available alternatives with adequate resources and efforts.

Source: The Hindu

4) Govt. shifts focus to hotspots as fresh COVID-19 cases rise to 185

• Spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in India. 185 new cases and two deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours in India.

Details:

Emerging hotspots:

• In light of the spike in the number of new cases, the Union Health Ministry has announced a change in strategy with an increased focus on high-diseases burden hotspots across India.
• Considerable spikes in cases have been reported from Kasargod district of Kerala and Bhilwara in Rajasthan. Maharashtra (177) and Kerala (168) have reported the highest number of cases so far.
• The central government would work with the State governments and ensure intensified efforts to strengthen community surveillance, contact tracing and containment strategy in such hotspots.

Doubts over the third stage of transmission:

• Despite Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) picking up a small number of people with ‘untraceable’ COVID-19 illness history, given the fact that these numbers are few and the uncertainty of the patients’ contact and travel details, seems to suggest that COVID-19 has not entered its third stage of transmission referred to as the community transmission stage.
• In the community transmission stage, the source of an individual’s infection can’t be traced and isolated. The outbreak will spread fast in clusters once the community transmission starts.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated that there would be no change in testing strategy and it would continue to test only patients having severe acute respiratory illness and not carry out random tests even on asymptomatic people.
• However, given the increasing number of cases, India is getting ready for Stage 3 transmission.

Dedicated hospitals:

• While social distancing and lockdown continue to be vital, the focus would be also dedicated to setting up COVID-19 hospitals in every State, ensuring that there is an adequate number of beds, ventilators and ICU facilities.
• Over 17 States across India have already started work on identifying dedicated hospitals.

Medical personnel training:

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, will offer doctors and nurses online training programs for the management of those infected by the SARS-CoV-2.
• The teleconsultation facility started by AIIMS, Delhi, for doctors across India will ensure uniform clinical care is offered to all COVID-19 patients.

Source: The Hindu

5) North Korea fires 2 short­range missiles

• North Korea fired what appeared to be two short­range ballistic missiles into the ocean off its east coast, the latest in a flurry of launches that South Korea
• decried as “inappropriate” amid the global  COVID­-19 pandemic.  
• Two “short­range projectiles” were launched from the coastal Wonsan area, and flew 230 km at a maximum altitude of 30 km
• Japan’s Ministry of Defense said they appeared to be ballistic missiles, and they did not land in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. They would be the eighth and ninth missiles launched in four rounds of tests this month as North Korean troops conduct military drills, usually personally overseen by Kim Jong­un.

6) Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19

As per the announcement made under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, the launch of ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19’ has been approved with the following conditions:

• It will provide an insurance cover of Rs. 50 lakh for ninety (90) days to a total of around 22.12 lakh public healthcare providers, including community health workers, who may have to be in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk of being impacted by this. It will also include accidental loss of life on account of contracting COVID-19;
• On account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff/ retired/volunteer/ local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by States/ Central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of Central/States/UTs, AIIMS & INIs/ hospitals of Central Ministries can also be drafted for COVID-19 related responsibilities. These cases will also be covered subject to numbers indicated by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare;
• The insurance provided under this scheme would be over and above any other insurance cover being availed of by the beneficiary.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 (PMGKY) (English, Prime Minister's Poor welfare scheme) is an amnesty scheme launched by the Narendra Modi led Government of India in December 2016 on the lines of the Income declaration scheme, 2016 (IDS) launched earlier in the year. A part of the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2016, the scheme provides an opportunity to declare unaccounted wealth and black money confidentially and avoid prosecution after paying a fine of 50% on the undisclosed income. An additional 25% of the undisclosed income is invested in the scheme which can be refunded after four years, without any interest.
• Valid from December 16, 2016, to March 31, 2017, the scheme can only be availed to declare income in the form of cash or bank deposits in Indian bank accounts and not in the form of jewelry, stock, immovable property, or deposits in overseas accounts.
• Not declaring undisclosed income under the PMGKY will attract a fine of 77.25% if the income is shown in tax returns. In case the income is not shown in tax returns, it will attract a further 10% penalty followed by prosecution.

Source: PIB

7) PM-CARES Fund.

Newly instituted PM-CARES Fund.

Background:

• In India, the spread of coronavirus has been increasing and is posing serious challenges for the health and economic security of millions of people.
• There have been calls for citizen donations to support the government in the wake of this emergency with people from all walks of life expressing their desire to donate to India’s war against COVID-19.

Details:

• Catering to the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, and to provide relief to the affected, a new fund has been set up.
• The fund will be a public charitable trust under the name of Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund).
• Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust and its Members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.
• The new fund will not only cater to the immediate crisis posed by COVID-19 but also similar distressing situations if they occur in the future.
• PM-Cares Fund accepts micro-donations too.

Additional Information:

• Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund
• This fund was instituted in 1948 to assist displaced persons from Pakistan.
• The fund is currently used primarily to tackle natural calamities like floods, cyclones, and earthquakes. The fund is also used to help with medical treatment like kidney transplantation, cancer treatment, and acid attack.

Source: The Hindu

8) Plasma transfusion for COVID-19 shows promising results in the study

• Study into the efficacy of convalescent plasma in the treatment of COVID-19 and the publication of its findings in the Journal of American Medical Association

Details:

Medical study:

• Five critically ill patients with confirmed COVID-19 and with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), having severe pneumonia with rapid progression and continuously high viral load despite antiviral treatment and in mechanical ventilation, were chosen for treatment with convalescent plasma (plasma extracted from those who have recovered from COVID-19)
• The plasma was drawn from five COVID-19 survivors.

Clinical outcomes:

• Clinical outcomes of the patients had improved dramatically post the plasma transfusion.
• Following plasma transfusion, body temperature normalized within three days in four of five patients, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score decreased, and the ratio that determines the severity of ARDS increased within 12 days.
• Viral loads also decreased and became negative within 12 days of the transfusion.

Significance:

• The condition of all five persons involved in the study improved after the treatment. The preliminary findings raise the possibility that convalescent plasma transfusion may be helpful in the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19 and ARDS.
• Since collecting, storing, and giving plasma is a routine process for blood banks, it is an easily implementable solution. It will also get increasingly easier as there are more and more people who recover from COVID-19.
• Though the study involved a small sample size, there is less skepticism about the study results, because the convalescent plasma transfusion method has worked well for other conditions in the past such as polio, measles, and mumps, in the 1918 flu epidemic.

Conclusion:

• The convalescent plasma transfusion approach requires further evaluation in randomized clinical trials.

Source: The Hindu