ABSTRACT
Introduction: Coronavirus disease or COVID-19 emerged in December 2019 in China and thereafter spread to all regions of the world including India. In the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, India, the first case was identified in the month of March 2020. As the most populous district of the state of Himachal Pradesh, Kangra not only identified the first case in the state but also thereafter suffered disproportionately due to the virus causing severe health and economic disruption. The study was carried out to better understand the pattern and trends of COVID-19 pandemic in the district since its emergence, covering the first and the second wave to use the data to prepare the future course of action. Materials and Methods: A robust database comprising real-time data in a line list format was created. The observations covered all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the district from March 20, 2020, to June 30, 2021, in terms of disease progression and distribution in time, place, and person, and the possible risk factors for severe disease. Results: During the study period, 45,871 cases and 1030 deaths were reported in Kangra district, with a case fatality rate of 2.2%. Of the 12 districts of the state, Kangra reported the highest number of cases (22.6%) and deaths (29.7%). Ninety percent of all cases occurred during the second wave. While the first wave peaked in December 2020 with 2596 cases, the highest number of cases occurred in May 2021 when as many as 25,625 cases were reported. The test positivity rate of 15.2% during the second wave which was many times higher than that seen during the previous year. The case fatality rates during the first and second waves were 2.2% and 2.1%, respectively. Conclusions: The study highlights an explosive surge in COVID-19 cases during the second wave, indicating the highly infectious nature of the virus. While absolute number of deaths was several times greater during the second wave, the case fatality rates did not differ greatly between the two waves.
ABSTRACT
Phenolic compounds of nutraceutical importance viz., catechins (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG) were estimated in fresh green tea shoots of Camellia sinensis (L) O Kuntze cultivar. The total polyphenols and total catechins were in the range of 219.90 to 317.81 and 140.83 to 271.39 g/kg, respectively in monthly samples of tea. The values of C, EC, EGC, EGCG and ECG in tea powders as analyzed through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were in the range of 1.560 to 3.661, 13.338 to 27.766, 26.515 to 39.597, 62.903 to 102.168 and 18.969 to 39.469 mg/g, respectively. Effect of tea extracts and standard flavanols against five pathogenic bacteria viz., Listeria monocytogenes (MTCC-839), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC-741), Bacillus cereus (MTCC-1272), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-96) and Escherichia coli (MTCC-443), and eleven indigenous potential bacterial probiotics belonging to genera Enterococcus, Bacillus and Lactobacillus spp. obtained from fermented foods of Western Himalayas, was investigated. EGCG, ECG and EGC exhibited antibacterial activity but, C and EC did not show this activity. Tea extracts having high concentrations of EGCG and ECG were more potent in antibacterial action against bacterial pathogens. Tea extracts and standard flavan-3-ols augmented viability of potential probiotics in an order of EGCG > EGC > ECG > EC > C. Tea extracts and standard flavanols had no antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (MTCC-443) but, in combination with probiotic culture supernatants, this activity was seen. The Kangra tea thus, exerts antibacterial effect on bacterial pathogens through EGCG, ECG and EGC constituents while stimulatory effect on growth of indigenous potential probiotics.