CSIR-Covid-19-Bulletin-25-August-2020

COVID-19
Bulletin
25 August 2020
• #CSIRFightsCovid19
• Corona Research Snapshot
• Corona Innovations
• COVID-19 Dashboard
• #Healthy@Home
• Corona Q&A
• COVID-19 Myth Busters
Compiled, Designed & Published by
National Institute of Science Communication & Information
Resources (NISCAIR)
www.niscair.res.in; @CSIR_NISCAIR
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
Dr KS Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012
&
14 Satsang Vihar Marg, New Delhi-110067

CSIR-NISCAIR
COVID-19 Bulletin
#CSIRFightsCovid19
Ever since the Coronavirus pandemic broke out, CSIR has mounted
a strategic, well-coordinated and integrated approach towards
mitigating the Coronavirus outbreak ranging from containing
the spread of the virus by providing sanitisation and disinfection
solutions to equipping the frontline workers and health warriors
with protective gear, and from exploring repurposing of existing
drugs to discovering new drugs and vaccines. Here are some
major developments this week.
CSIR Labs Detect Presence of SARS-
CoV-2 in Sewage Samples of Hyderabad
In a collaborative effort, CSIR-Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-
CCMB) and CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical
Technology (CSIR-IICT) processed sewage
samples from major sewage treatment
plants (STPs) in Hyderabad to detect the
presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. While
viral RNA is detectable in the inlet samples,
the outlet (after treatment) samples of STP
were largely clean (free from viral RNA),
indicating efficient treatment practices at the
STPs.
The study covered about 80% of the
STPs in Hyderabad and revealed that there
are nearly 2 lakh people who are shedding
viral material. Infected people shed the virus
through oral and nasal passages and also
through faeces.
Since only 40% of the Hyderabad
sewage reaches STPs, this data can be
used to extrapolate the overall number of
potentially infected people, which could
be approximately 6 lakhs, that is, around
6% of the city’s population, which includes
symptomatic, asymptomatic, and also
recently recovered individuals in a time
window of about 35 days. The findings are
posted on preprint server, MedRxiv, which is
yet to be peer reviewed.
The finding indicates that a large
proportion of the affected individuals
are asymptomatic and did not need
hospitalization. This is also in agreement
with the observation that hospitalization
rush or mortality is way lower than otherwise
expected with such large infection rates.
Such studies if carried out in coordination
with civic bodies to identify the hotspots in
the city and monitor the dynamics of the
infection rate can assist authorities in taking
necessary measures.
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COVID-19 Bulletin
CSIR-NEIST begins Serological
Testing as part of CSIR Phenome India
Project
CSIR-North East Institute of Science &
Technology (CSIR-NEIST), Jorhat began
serological testing for antibodies against
SARS-COV-2 under the CSIR Phenome
India Project for the CSIR-NEIST Cohort.
The CSIR Phenome India Project is a longterm
longitudinal observational cohort study
of health outcomes within its employees with
an aim to develop risk prediction tools and
play a role in establishing precision health
and medicine for the Indian population. 19
CSIR labs will be conducting these surveys
and will provide valuable information on the
COVID-19 disease.
CSIR-CMERI Develops Decentralised
Municipal Waste Disposal System
CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering
Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI),
Durgapur has developed a UV-C Disinfected
Temperature Controlled Mechanised
Segregation System for decentralised
municipal solid waste disposal. The
innovative waste disposal technology could
be effective in breaking the COVID-19 chain.
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CSIR-NISCAIR
Kisan Sabha App
The CSIR-Central Road Research Institute
(CSIR-CRRI) had developed the Kisan
Sabha App to connect farmers to the
supply chain and freight transportation
COVID-19 Bulletin
management system. The app also provides
a robust supply chain management required
to facilitate the timely delivery of the
products at the best possible prices during
the coronavirus pandemic.
In view of its growing popularity among
farmers and other stakeholders, the Kisan
Sabha App has now been translated into
12 regional languages. Till date, there have
been 1,10,500 downloads of the Kisan
Sabha App. The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan has
joined hands with Kisan Sabha by signing
an MoU with CSIR to cover Pan-India Krishi
Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). In Odisha, 1160
farmers, 34 consumers, 3 start-ups and 20
Self Help Groups have connected with the
Kisan Sabha App.
CSIR to Approach ICMR for Approval
of Saliva Testing
Food and Drug Administration, USA has
approved saliva test with about 85%
sensitivity and specificity and University
of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne and Yale
University are testing thousands of samples
using saliva tests for keeping campuses
open. In India, CSIR-CCMB and CSIR-
IGIB are carrying out saliva testing and it is
planned to approach ICMR for approval.
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CSIR Organises Webinar in Assamese
as part of Communication Series in
Indian Languages
As part of CSIR’s outreach programme in
Indian languages, CSIR organized a webinar
in Assamese on “COVID-19 and the North
East – Role of CSIR” on 22 August 2020.
The speakers included Dr G. Narahary
Sastry, Director, CSIR-North East Institute
of Science & Technology (CSIR-NEIST); Dr
Kalyani Medhi, Dr Jatin Kalita and Dr Lakshi
Saikia from CSIR-NEIST.
COVID-19 Bulletin
The effort was not just aimed at
disseminating information about CSIR’s
efforts in the fight against COVID-19 in
the North Eastern part of the country but
also bringing clarity in the minds of the
general public about the various issues and
concerns related to treatment and testing for
COVID-19.
The webinar that went live on Facebook
was moderated by Dr Parmananda Barman,
Scientist, CSIR-National Institute of Science
Communication and Information Resources
(CSIR-NISCAIR).
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C S I R
Media Coverage
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COVID-19 Bulletin
Corona Research Snapshot
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Role of particulate matter could be
multifaceted in providing surfaces for
pathogen transmission
Amid the discussions about whether SARS-
CoV-2 is airborne and what are the underlying
mechanisms behind the processes,
scientists are trying to understand the role
of particulate matter (PM) which is almost
omnipresent in different concentrations
worldwide. Scientists are still exploring the
SARS-CoV-2 survival and transmission
from air and water-borne channels and
its interactions with other environmental
factors, surfaces and chemicals. The role
of particulate matter is very important to
understand the process of coronavirus
transmission and survival. Scientists from
CSIR-NEERI, Nagpur have explored the
survival of SARS-CoV-2 in air and water and
its transmission though both the mediums.
They found an appreciable role of particulate
matter, its chemical constituents and surface
characteristics in transmission of the SARS-
CoV-2. The researchers also suggested
possible gaps in the understanding of
survival and transmission mechanism for
further research. The details of the study
have been published in Science of Total
Environment (Elsevier) after peer review.
Source: Science of Total Environment; DOI:
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141486; 2020
Figure Courtesy: Wathore et al.; Science of Total Environment; 2020
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COVID-19 Bulletin
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Vaccine given through nose can
protect against COVID-19 infection
Recent studies exhibit that vaccines given
through nose can protect animals from the
novel coronavirus. Experiments performed
on mice show that these vaccinations might
be more effective than the injected form
of the same vaccine. The researchers at
Washington University, USA have developed
a vaccine candidate by encoding the spike
protein of the SARS-CoV-2. The same
vaccine was given to bioengineered mice
via nose and as an injection. The scientists
observed that the mice developed small
amount of viral RNA in case of the injected
vaccine. However, in case of the vaccine
inserted up their noses before viral exposure
there was no measurable viral RNA in their
lungs. The study has been published in Cell
after peer review.
Source: A. O. Hassan et al.; Cell; http://doi.org/
d63k; 2020
Nasal vaccination method was found to be more effective in mice A.O.
Hassan et al.; Cell; http://doi.org/d63k; 2020
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A coronavirus mutation is linked to
less severe symptoms than unmutated
version of the virus
A SARS-CoV-2 mutation which appeared
in Singapore is linked to milder symptoms
than the unmutated version of the novel
coronavirus. A cluster of COVID-19 infected
individuals was detected missing a chunk
of DNA which spanned over two genes
ORF7b and ORF8. Missing of these genes
in the mutated SARS-CoV-2 variant is
linked with milder symptoms of COVID-19
infection. Researchers from the Singapore
Immunology Network have compared
this variant with the unmutated virus and
found its similarity with another SARS virus
outbreak in 2002-04. The study has been
published in The Lancet after peer review.
Source: Lancet; DOI; 10.1016/S0140-
6736(20)31757-8; 2020
Chain of transmission between cases as established by epidemiological investigations
(Figure courtesy: B.E. Young et al. Lancet; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31757-8; 2020)
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A human antibody neutralizing the
N-terminal domain (NTD) of spike protein
shows promising results for COVID-19
therapeutics
It is well known that the spike protein of
SARS-CoV-2 is the key to enter into the cell
through ACE2 receptors. Researchers at
Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Academy
of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS), Beijing,
China and their collaborators from other labs
in China have isolated monoclonal (mAb)
antibodies from 10 convalescent COVID-19
patients. Three mAbs demonstrated
neutralizing activities against SARS-CoV-2
infection. Out of these three mAbs, 4A8
exhibited high neutralization activity against
authentic and pseudo-typed SARS-CoV-2.
However, 4A8 did not bind to receptor binding
domain. The 4A8 molecules were subjected
to cryo-electron microscopy with very high
resolution to determine the structure of 4A8
and its complex forming characteristics with
N-terminal domain of the spike protein. The
results show promising potency of the 4A8
mAb towards COVID-19 therapeutics. The
details of the study are published in Science
after peer review.
Source: Science; DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6952; 2020
Cryo-electron microscopic structure of 4A8 and spike protein-ECD complex
Image courtesy: Chi et al., Science; DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6952; 2020
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Researchers map the 3D shape of
the spike proteins in SARS-CoV-2
Spike proteins are key proteins on the
surface of SARS-CoV-2 which the virus uses
to gain entry into cells. Researchers from
the Medical Research Council Laboratory
at Cambridge, UK have collected and
mapped the spike proteins using electron
microscopy. It was observed that the
spike proteins can adopt either ‘closed’
confirmation or an ‘open’ one, which allows
it to bind with ACE2 receptors. This study
is important because better understanding
of spike proteins is crucial to explain how
spike binding of antibodies block COVID-19
infection. The detailed study was published
in Nature after peer review.
Source: Nature; DOI: http://doi.org/d6sf; 2020
Cross section slices through three
representative viruses
Image Courtesy: Z. Ke et al.; Nature, http://doi.org/d6sf; 2020
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Corona Innovations
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Manual Ventilators with 3D printing
to fight COVID-19
Emergency respirator mask valves
The news of ventilator shortage in Italy
drove Dr Lonnie Petersen, Assistant
Professor in the Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering at UC San
Diego, to begin working with medical and
engineering colleagues to devise a way to
quickly produce simple ventilators that could
be easily built and readily used to support
patients during the COVID crisis.
He attached 3-D printing parts with a
motor to compress the bag of the manual
ventilator. This allowed them to control the
speed and volume of the compressions to
help patients breathe. The existing manual
design features a mask fitted over a patient’s
face and a bag that can be squeezed by
hand to push air into the lungs of the patient.
The team is designing a machine that can
do the squeezing instead, freeing doctors
and nurses to address other concerns.
Source: https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu
COVID-19 related health crisis has led to
emergency solutions that would not be
considered under normal circumstances.
One such approach is the conversion
of French sportswear and goods
manufacturer Decathlon’s snorkeling mask
into an emergency respirator using a 3D
printed valve.
Weerg, an Italian 3D printing service
provider, has these emergency respirator
masks out of thermoplastic materials such
as Nylon PA11 and Nylon PA12. These
emergency masks can be used when there
is a lack of official health supplies.
Source: https://www.graphicdisplayworld.com
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COVID-19 Bulletin
Reusable mask
distance of 6 ft during the measurement.
The new thermometer has the additional
advantage of not using a separate battery
as it is mobile powered and provides a digital
and cloud storage of temperature data that
can be helpful in tracking of infection.
Source: https://www.iitk.ac.in/
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DEEKSHAK — e-Classroom
software
The Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics
and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical
University in Prague (CIIRU CTU) has
developed a new 3D printable reusable
mask. This is called the CIIRC RP95, which
has been successfully tested and certified
as a safety half mask. One HP 3D printer
can produce between 50-70 masks daily.
Source: https://www.czechtradeoffices.com
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HITES — Handheld Infrared
thermometer
To address the issue of safety of health
workers and patients during temperature
scanning, a new hand-held Infrared
thermometer has been developed at the
National Centre for Flexible Electronics,
IIT Kanpur that ensures an interpersonal
IIT Kharagpur has developing an
e-classroom software called DEEKSHAK,
which provides a single session platform
where the teacher can concentrate on the
screen with the teaching materials while
being able to view queries on a live chat
box. Students also have access to a doubt
box where they can click to “raise their hand”
and wait for the teacher to address it, as is
done in a physical classroom. Teachers can
also share documents with the students
through the platform and even update notes
on the documents in real-time.
Source: https://kgpchronicle.iitkgp.ac.in/
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VEVRA pods
Vevra, a Bengaluru-based firm, has allied with
a Portugal-based Healthcare IoT company
InnoWave Group to introduce the Vevra
Pods. The Pods with advanced IoT solutions
comprise a set of movable capsules to
efficiently assist in the infrastructure of local/
private/government hospitals across India.
The Vevra pods come in five variants: General
pod, ICU pod, Doctors stay pod, Operation
theatre pod, and Scanning room pod.
Source: https://www.biospectrumindia.com/
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AirBridge — Emergency Breathing
Assist System
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical
Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST),
Trivandrum has developed an Emergency
Breathing Assist System (EBAS). The
device is not a replacement for a mechanical
ventilator but works as a bridge for a few
hours to a few days before conventional
mechanical ventilation can be provided.
AirBridge can be used for ventilator support
in COVID-19 related or Non-COVID-19
related emergency situations in hospital
wards and during transportation of patients
in ambulances till conventional mechanical
ventilation can be provided in an ICU. It can
also be used in small hospitals without a
central oxygen supply system using oxygen
cylinders in emergency situations.
Source: SCTIMST, Press Release
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COVID-19 Bulletin
COVID-19 Dashboard
Global COVID-19 Cases
and Deaths
(Data as of 21 August 2020)
Total Confirmed Cases 22536278
Total Death 789197
Source: www.who.int
INDIA
(Data as of 22 August 2020)
TOTAL SAMPLES TESTED UP TO AUGUST 21, 2020
3,44,91,073
SAMPLES TESTED ON AUGUST 21, 2020
10,23,836
Total Cases
29,75,701
Active (23.43%)
6,97,330
Discharged (74.09%)
22,22,577
Deaths (1.87%)
55,794
69878
5302
63631
945
Source: www.mygov.in
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CSIR-NISCAIR
Graph
INDIA
(Data as of 22 August 2020)
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Total Cases in India
Daily New Cases in India
Total Deaths in India
Source: www.worldometers.info
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COVID-19 Bulletin
Corona Q&A
During COVID-19 which symptom
appears first?
How can ventilation reduce the risk of
contracting COVID-19 in airplanes?
According to a study (10.3389/
fpubh.2020.00473) published in the journal
Frontiers in Public Health, scientists have
found what appears to be the likely order
in which COVID-19 symptoms first appear
which could help patients as well doctors to
identify the COVID patients more quickly.
The study suggests that the initial symptoms
of COVID-19 include fever, cough and
muscle pain, followed by nausea and/or
vomiting and diarrhoea.
“The order of the symptoms matter.
Knowing that each illness progresses
differently means that doctors can identify
sooner whether someone likely has
COVID-19, or another illness, which can
help them make better treatment decisions,”
Larsen the study’s lead author and a USC
(University of Southern California) Dornsife
professor, told USC News.
Some airplanes have cabin air filtration
systems equipped with HEPA filters which
can remove viruses and germs quickly,
minimizing the duration of the exposure to
any potential infectious materials produced
by a cough or sneeze. The cabin air system
is designed to operate most efficiently by
delivering approximately 50 per cent outside
air and 50 per cent filtered recirculated air.
The air supply is essentially sterile and
particle-free. However, adequate ventilation
is just one of the preventive measures to
reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Other important measures include
maintaining a physical distance of at least
1 meter whenever possible, frequent hand
hygiene and wearing a mask. Passengers
should check with the airline company and
the national or local guidelines about when
and where to wear a mask while flying.
Source: WHO
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Are recovered COVID-19 patients
developing heart ailments?
COVID-19 Bulletin
Are children under the age of five more
vulnerable to COVID-19?
Image credit: Piqsels
Coronavirus is not only affecting the
lungs. A recent study (doi:10.1001/
jamacardio.2020.3557) published in Jama
Cardiology, states that 78% of COVID-19
patients who had already recovered
developed certain heart abnormalities.
The study that included 100 recently
recovered COVID-19 patients, “cardiac
magnetic resonance imaging revealed
cardiac involvement in 78 patients (78%)
and ongoing myocardial inflammation in 60
patients (60%), which was independent of
pre-existing conditions, severity and overall
course of the acute illness, and the time
from the original diagnosis”.
In an article titled “Can Coronavirus
Cause Heart Damage?”, Dr Erin Donnelly
Michos, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine, explains that “cells in the
lung and heart are both covered with protein
molecules called Angiotensin-converting
Enzyme 2, or ACE-2. The ACE-2 protein is
the doorway that the new coronavirus uses to
enter cells and multiply”. “There are multiple
mechanisms for heart damage in COVID-19,
and not everyone is the same,” Michos adds.
In fact, there are reports stating that patients
with pre-existing heart problems are more
vulnerable to develop serious complications
because of COVID-19.
Image credit: Pexels
A recent study (doi:10.1001/
jamapediatrics.2020.3651) in JAMA
Pediatrics, observed that that children
below the age of five are more vulnerable
to COVID-19 as they have 10-fold to a 100-
fold greater amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the
upper respiratory tract.
The study involved 147 patients who
were suffering from mild to moderate illness
within one week of symptom onset. The
patients were divided into three different age
groups including 46 young children below
the age of 5 years, 51 older children between
the age of 5 & 17 years, and 48 adults aged
18 to 65 years. The study suggested that,
“Children younger than 5 years with mild to
moderate COVID-19 have high amounts of
SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in their nasopharynx
compared with older children and adults. Our
study is limited to detection of viral nucleic
acid, rather than infectious virus, although
SARS-CoV-2 pediatric studies (10.3201/
eid2610.202403) reported a correlation
between higher nucleic acid levels and the
ability to culture infectious virus.” So, it can
be said that children below 5 years are more
susceptible and can serve as important
drivers of virus spread.
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What is the ‘Anthropause’ period?
Researchers have launched an initiative to
track wildlife before, during and after the
coronavirus lockdown. Researchers in the
UK are set to study the “anthropause”, a term
they have coined to refer to the coronavirusinduced
lockdown period and its impact
on other species. The researchers believe
studying this period will provide valuable
insights into the relationship between humanwildlife
interactions in the 21 st century.
Researchers have suggested the lockdown
period, which is also being referred to as the
“Great Pause”, be referred to with a more
precise term called “Anthropause”.
Researchers mention how the scientific
community can use these “extraordinary
circumstances” provided by global
lockdowns to understand how human
activity affects wildlife. They maintain that
as a result of the lockdown, nature appears
to have changed, especially in urban
COVID-19 Bulletin
environments, since not only are there now
more animals, but also some “unexpected
visitors.” There are some animals for whom
the lockdown may have made things more
challenging. For instance, for various urbandwelling
animals, such as rats, gulls and
monkeys who depend on food provided or
discarded by humans, the lockdown would
have made life more difficult.
As expanding human populations
continue to transform their environments at
unprecedented rates, studying how human
and animal behavior may be linked can
help provide insights that may be useful in
preserving global biodiversity, maintaining
the integrity of ecosystems and predicting
global zoonoses and environmental
changes. Since the reduction in human
activity during the lockdown on both land and
sea has been unparalleled in recent history,
the effects have been drastic, sudden, and
widespread.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-
020-1237-z
Credit: AP PHOTO/ODED BALILTY
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CSIR-NISCAIR
CSIR-NISCAIR
FACT
CHECK
COVID-19 Bulletin
COVID-19 Bulletin
COVID-19 MYTH BUSTERS
X
MYTH
FACT.
You can calculate whether your area has
‘herd immunity’
If you live somewhere with a high local
transmission rate, or that's already gone
through a surge, you might think there's
some immunity floating around. People
try to ‘calculate’ herd immunity. This works
on paper but not in real life. If you live
somewhere that had a high R number (the
average number of people each person
with coronavirus will go on to infect) and
has now dropped to a much lower one, you
might assume that people are becoming
immune, and it's fine to go out without a
mask. But the R number, which is just an
average, can change quickly, so it’s hard
to determine what your local infection
levels might be (not to mention the fact
that people can and do travel from place
to place, bringing infections with them).
www.bustle.com
Probiotics can protect you from
COVID-19
There is currently no evidence that
any kind of probiotic can protect you
from COVID-19. Probiotics beneficial
microorganisms which are concentrated in
foods, drinks, or pills significantly reduced
the number of upper respiratory tract
infections that people got and made them
less severe. They also slightly reduced the
use of antibiotics and led to fewer school
absences.
www.bbc.com
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MYTH
Ventilators are the answer for sick
people
X
COVID-19 Bulletin
FACT
.
Many studies show that time spent on
ventilators produces some degree of
brain damage and other long-term effects.
Eighty percent of people intubated and on
ventilators have died from the infection.
More advanced efforts to use CPAP and
high-flow oxygen, combined with prone
lung therapy, has helped reduce ventilator
use.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/the-stone-clinic/
Antibody tests accurately show who has
had the disease and who is immune
The sensitivity of antibody tests is too low
in the first week since symptom onset to
have a primary role for the diagnosis of
COVID-19, but they may still have a role
complementing other testing in individuals
presenting later, when RT-PCR tests are
negative, or are not done. Antibody tests
are likely to have a useful role for detecting
previous SARS-CoV-2 infection if used 15
or more days after the onset of symptoms.
However, the duration of antibody rises
is currently unknown, and we found very
little data beyond 35 days post-symptom
onset.
https://cochrane.org
You cannot “boost” your immune
system by suddenly changing your diet
or adding any particular food
There is no supplement, vitamin or natural
health product that will prevent you from
catching COVID-19. Making sure you’re
keeping up with handwashing, good
hygiene practices and social distancing is
the most effective way to help prevent the
spread of COVID-19.
www.cdhf.ca
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CSIR-NISCAIR
MYTH
If I have a food allergy that means
I have a compromised immune system
and high-risk for a severe coronavirus
infection
X COVID-19 Bulletin
FACT
.
No, food allergies will not compromise
your immune system. High-risk individuals
include people over 65 years old, those who
take immune-suppressing medications,
or those who have lung disease, heart
disease, cancer, hypertension or diabetes.
www.atriumhealth.org
Natural herd immunity will save us
Herd immunity without a vaccine is not a
preventative measure. Herd immunity is
an epidemiological concept that describes
the state where a population – usually
of people – is sufficiently immune to a
disease that the infection will not spread
within that group. The proportion of
people who need to be infected is lower
but still high, at around 70 percent of the
entire population. But if 70 percent of
population is infected with a disease, it
is by definition not prevention. The best
estimates put COVID-19 infection fatality
rate at around 0.5-1 percent. If 70 percent
of an entire population gets sick, that
means that between 0.35-0.7 percent of
everyone in a country could die, which is a
catastrophic outcome. The time to discuss
herd immunity is when we have a vaccine
developed, and not one second earlier,
because at that point we will be able to
really stop the epidemic in its tracks.
https://www.sciencealert.com/why-herd-immunity-will-notsave-us-from-the-covid-19-pandemic
Content in this bulletin has been compiled from various sources, and
wherever available, due credit has been given to the original source.
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