NO SCIENTIFIC STUDIES REPORT STYRENE GAS CAUSING DEATHS
Why in news? The gas leak from LG Polymers, which led to the death of at least seven people in Visakhapatnam, is suspected to have been caused by styrene gas. Details Effects of Styrene Gas According to various studies The most common health problems when exposed to styrene involve the nervous system — both the […]
VISAKHAPATNAM GAS LEAK
Why in news? Eleven people, including a six-year-old girl, died and over 350 were admitted to hospitals after styrene monomer gas leaked from a chemical plant belonging to LG Polymers at RR Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam on 7th May 2020. Details and Case Registered The company was earlier called Hindustan Polymers. It was taken over by the […]
NO PROOF FROM U.S. ON WUHAN LAB CLAIMS
Why in news? The World Health Organization said on 4th May that Washington had provided no evidence to support “speculative” claims by the U.S. president that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese lab. Existing Zoonotic theory, and other ideas Scientists believe the killer virus jumped from animals to humans, emerging in China late 2019, possibly from a […]
CHINA LAUNCHES NEW ROCKET AND PROTOTYPE SPACECRAFT
Why in news? China on 5th May 2020 successfully launched a new rocket and prototype spacecraft, in a major test of the country’s ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon. Details ‘The Long March 5B’ rocket took off from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of Hainan and […]
HUMAN TRIAL BEGINS FOR COVID-19 VACCINE IN US
Why in news? The American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer along with German biotech company BioNTech has begun human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine in the US. What is being tested? The candidate is known as an mRNA vaccine, and it is meant to contain the instructions for making viral proteins that can trigger an immune […]
INDIA HAS MORE INTERNET USERS IN RURAL AREAS THAN URBAN
Why in news? Internet users in rural areas surpassed those in urban areas for the first time, according to the ‘Digital in India’ report by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Another highlight from the report is that the increase in female internet users (26 million) was more than that of male internet […]
MOST COVID-19 CASES IN STATES WITH HIGH SWINE FLU RATES
Why in news? Five States — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Tamil Nadu — account for about 70% of India’s confirmed COVID-19 cases – and these are also States that consistently accounted for the bulk of swine flu cases, or seasonal influenza (H1N1) since 2015. Details Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra accounted for 54 % of […]
All about ACE2 — Enzyme makes men vulnerable to Covid-19
What is ACE2? ACE2 is an enzyme molecule that connects the inside of our cells to the outside via the cell membrane. In normal physiology, another enzyme called ACE alters a chemical, Angiotensin I, and converts it into Angiotensin II, which causes blood vessels to constrict. The tightening of the blood vessels leads to an […]
WHO RAISES CONCERN OVER USE OF BCG VACCINE
Why in news? World Health Organization (WHO) highlight a few critical issues over the use of BCG vaccine for COVID-19. They underscore the importance of randomised controlled trials of the vaccine to understand its safety and efficacy before using it on healthcare workers. Previously, a study found an association between countries that have a universal […]
National Technology Day: 11 May
The day is a significant milestone in the history of India’s technological innovations as India successfully tested nuclear bombs in Pokhran on May 11, 1998. The National Technology Day was named by the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee on May 11 as a reminder of India’s technological achievements. On May 11, 1998, India successfully […]