ABSTRACT
The journey of National Book Trust, India (NBT, in short) is the journey of the explora-tion, development and promotion of Indian content through Indian languages in the post-independence era. For NBT, there was no hierarchy of languages and scholarship as it sourced content for all age groups in all lan-guages to be translated into other languages - hence the emphasis on developing 'common' books to read from regardless of the initial language of creation. Established and visual-ized as the national body for both book pub-lishing and promotion, NBT's ambit naturally extends to creating platforms to promote the culture of reading and book-mindedness. Interactive and pioneering platforms like the New Delhi World Book Fair have helped build a visible book-reading tradition in the country, which is being taken forward with renewed fervour while meeting the chal-lenges of the post-Covid era.
ABSTRACT
The current outbreak of coronavirus-associated disease characterized as coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) marked its existence in late 2019. Since then, it has been a concern for human health and safety. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are known to cause a wide range of diseases;out of which common cold and pneumonia occur in human beings. In this review, we elaborate on the basic characteristics, structure, variants mutations and the pathological attributes of SARS-CoV 2. We also discuss the interaction of the viral proteins with the host cell receptor known as the ACE2 receptor and various therapeutics for the treatment of disease.
ABSTRACT
Hospital patients and personnel are at risk of nosocomial viral infections, as clearly manifested during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transmission of respiratory viral pathogens can occur through contaminated surfaces, including from medical textiles. Copper has potent biocidal properties, and cuprous oxide impregnated medical textiles (CMT) reduce hospital-acquired bacterial infections. In the current study we confirm the antimicrobial properties of CMT and determine their capacity to reduce infectious titres of human coronavirus (HCoV-229E) in an independent laboratory. The antibacterial and antiviral activities of the CMT were determined according to AATCC TM100-2019 and ISO 18184:2019 standards, respectively. The CMT reduced by 4 logs the viable titers of MRSA, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida auris after 2 h of incubation. Viable titers of Clostridium difficile were reduced by 2.3, 3, and 4 logs after 2, 6, and 18 h, respectively. Infectious titers of HCoV-229E exposed to CMT for 2 h were reduced by 2.8 and 4 logs (99.85% and 99.99% reductions) as compared to Time-0 control and initial inoculum, respectively. The CMT retain their antibacterial efficacy even after 100 industrial washings. Use of cuprous oxide impregnated textiles in clinical settings may reduce not only hospital acquired infections caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens, but also, and equally important, those caused by coronavirus and other viruses.
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: The spread of COVID-19 pandemic poses a great challenge to health care organizations and unprecedented need for information. This study aims to identify possible factors causing delay and losing precious time during diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 at home and health facility level. It also aims to highlight perceptions and experiences of family members of deceased regarding diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 infection in hospital. METHODS: A retrospective study was done to review COVID-19 deaths from 18th March to 5th June 2020 in Punjab, India. A total of 48 laboratory confirmed (RT-PCR) COVID-19 deaths were reported during this period. Socio demographic profile, sequence of events including clinical symptoms, medical aid taken, time of confirmation of diagnosis and treatment before death were noted from the records on a predesigned proforma. Family members of deceased were also interviewed and asked open-ended questions regarding their experiences at various health facilities. Descriptive statistics was presented in percentages, mean, and median. RESULTS: Mean age of subjects was 56.3 ± 18.3 years. Majority (82.2%) had three or more than three comorbidities. Median time from appearance of first symptom to first medical contact and confirmation of diagnosis was 1 and 5 days, respectively. On the basis of interview with deceased's relative, various themes like delay in diagnosis and treatment, dissatisfied with hospital system and lack of communication between relative and patient were generated. CONCLUSION: Presence of comorbidities was the most important risk factor. Health seeking behavior of patients immediately after appearance of symptoms was found to be satisfactory.