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Showing posts from May, 2021

Anti-Covid drug developed by DRDO

  WHAT HAS HAPPENED? The Drugs Controller General of India (DCG) has approved the emergency use of Drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) as an adjunet therapy in moderate to severe Covid-19 patients. WHO DEVELOPED IT? The Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRD0), has developed the drug, In collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Hyderabad. WHEN & HOW IT WAS DEVELOPED? In April 2020 , during the first wave of the pandemic, INMAS-DRDO scientists conducted laboratory experiments with the help of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and Found that this molecule works effectively against SARS-CoV-2 virus and inhibits the viral growth. Based on these results, Drugs Controller General of India's (DCG) Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) permitted Phase-II clinical trial of 2-DG in COVID-19 patients in May 2020 . The DRDO, along with its industry partner DRL, Hyd...

Mystery brain disease found in Canada

  WHAT HAS HAPPENED? An unknown brain disease has caused panic in the New Brunswick province of Canada after a string of cases were reported that involved memory loss, hallucinations and muscle atrophy. People living in the province became cognizant of the disease after a memo from the province's public health agency leaked last week, Which asked doctors to look for symptoms relate to Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD). CJD is a rare brain disease which is caused due to abnormally folded proteins called prions. Creutzfeldt-Jakob (KROITS-felt YAH-kobe) disease (CJD) is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to dementia and, ultimately, death. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease symptoms can be similar to those of other dementia-like brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. But Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease usually progresses much more rapidly. Transmitted by contact with infected tissue, such as during a transplant or from eating contaminated meat. CAUSES NOT KNOWN FOR CURRENT DISE...

ANDHRA PRADESH STRAIN 15 TIMES MORE VIRULENT

  Experts are saying that a new Andhra Pradesh variant of the SARS-COV-2 virus is at least 15 times more virulent than the earlier ones. May be even stronger than the Indian variants of B. 1.617 and B. 1.618 . Speculation is still on regarding whether it is a new strain or the old N440K. The N440K variant was first discovered by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).However, data is still insufficient to confirm anythin. The impact of AP Strain Authorities say that the variant at present which is in circulation in Visakhapatnam is different from what we have seen during the first wave last year. Samples have been sent to CCMB for analysis, in order to find out which strain is in circulation right now.It has been observed that the new variant has shorter incubation period and the progress of the disease is much rapid. In the earlier cases, a patient infected with the virus would take at least a week to reach the hypoxia or dyspnea stage. But in the present context,...