UN warns of terrorist infiltration
According to a new report, al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has between 150 and 200 members from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar—many of whom are in Kerala and Karnataka. And they are planning unspecified attacks in the region. In related news: An Islamic State publication called 'Voice of Hind' has asked followers to become “Covid-19 carriers” and "annihilate the disbelievers.”
The global pandemic: A quick update
- North Korea reported its first official case—though most experts believe the virus has been circulating within the country for months.
- Latin America now leads the world in the total number of cases—and accounts for 26.83% of the global total. Related read: New York Times’ powerful account (plus photos) of how the Amazon river is spreading the disease to remote stretches of Brazil.
- The UK has imposed a two-week quarantine on travellers from Spain—which is experiencing a sudden surge of cases. Why this matters: It puts a halt to the rush to reopen EU travel.
- Bill Gates-backed SK Bioscience may be able to deliver 200 million vaccines by June, 2021.
- Autopsies conducted on Covid patients show that the virus triggers “a unique pattern of cell death” in the heart—unlike any previous coronavirus.
- US health authorities have finally acknowledged that Covid-19 is a ‘long haul’ disease. Upto one-third of patients with mild and moderate symptoms did not return to normal health nearly a month after they were first diagnosed.
- A key case worth your attention: Two hair stylists in the US contracted Covid back in May, but did not pass it on to any of their 139 clients. The reason: they wore face masks. Read and share widely!
- Also: this epic video shaming unmasked threats to society.
The Indian pandemic: a quick update
- First, the numbers. Total cases: 1,435,453. Total recoveries: 917,567. Total deaths: 32,771. We added 50k-plus cases in one day for the first time. Also: Times of India explains why the surge in cases cannot be explained by an increase in testing.
- Rapid antibody tests are proving to be very unreliable—with a high number showing false negatives for patients who later test positive. Example: 65% of such symptomatic patients tested negative for Covid.
- Good read: Indian Express profiles Bangalore-based Mercy Angels who are risking their lives to ensure Covid patients receive a dignified funeral. Its members include doctors, social workers, IT professionals, students and businessmen.
- It is now mandatory to submit your Aadhaar card if you apply to be tested. Also mandatory: delivery of test results within 24 hours, which oddly almost never happens.
- A new All India Institute of Medical Sciences study warned against over-emphasizing fever as a key Covid symptom—which often delays diagnosis or cases that are entirely missed. Key finding: Of the 144 Covid-19 patients analysed, 44% had no symptoms and only 17% had fever.
Indian court summons Jack Ma
A former employee of Alibaba’s UC Web has filed a lawsuit—which claims that the company censors anti-China news, and presents fake news to its users. As a result, the court has summoned the company’s executives including founder Jack Ma—who’s never going to show up, of course. But the lawsuit bolsters the case for the Indian government’s ban on Chinese apps. Reuters has exclusive details on the case. In related news: Chinese smartphones have lost 9-11% of their Indian market share due to the lockdown, followed by rising tensions with Beijing.
Bye bye PubG? According to the Economic Times, the government has drawn up a new list of 275 Chinese apps to ban—including PubG, AliExpress and Resso.
Also behaving badly: Amazon. A Wall Street Journal investigation shows that the company pretended to be interested in investing in startups only to rip off their ideas.
WFH is hurting your mental health
According to a new US survey, 66% of professionals believe working from home is "hurting their mental health.” The reason: they feel isolated and unable to create boundaries between work and home. In very much related news: Indian companies are rejigging their leave policies to help employees who are burning out. One solution: A shared leave bank where employees donate their leave to those who have exhausted their days off.
The link between menstruation and menopause
New research shows that girls who get their period at the age of 11 or earlier are more likely to suffer the worst effects of menopause—such as hot flushes and night sweats. Who has it easiest: girls who had their period at 14 or later. (Indian Express)
India’s ‘tiger cake’ shame
In the past, tiger parts were hunted for medicinal purposes. But now they are used to make luxury food items like wine and cake—both made from tiger bone. A UN report shows that between 2007 and 2018, two-thirds of seizures of tiger bones came from Thailand and India. A key difference between the two: Trafficked tigers from Thailand are from ‘farms’, whereas our ‘exports’ came from the wild. (Times of India)
