***CORONA VIRUS UPDATES***

[Kool_SRG]

India's COVID-19 recovery rate now at 63.1%

India’s COVID-19 recovery rate now stands at 63.1 percent. The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 4,11,133 with as many as 7,53,049 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far.

 

[kidney]

గోషామహల్‌ ముస్లింజంగ్‌ బ్రిడ్జి వద్ద మంగళవారం వాహనాల రద్దీ

రాజధానితోపాటు చుట్టుపక్కల జిల్లాల్లో కరోనా వైరస్‌ నిరోధంలో పోలీసులు కీలక భూమిక పోషించారు. మూడు పోలీసు కమిషనరేట్లలోని వేలాది మంది రాత్రనకా పగలనకా శ్రమించారు. రెండు నెలలపాటు కుటుంబానికి దూరంగా ఉన్నారు. అటువంటి పోలీసులు నగరంలో ఇప్పుడు కరోనా వైరస్‌ జడలు విప్పి అనేకమందిని వ్యాధిగ్రస్తులుగా మారుస్తున్నా నియంత్రణ ప్రక్రియకు దూరంగా ఉంటున్నారు. నిబంధనలను ఉల్లంఘించిన వాహనదారులకు జరిమానాలు వేయడానికే పరిమితం అవుతున్నారు.

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

India tests over 3.4 lakh samples yesterday

India tested 3,43,243 samples on Tuesday, says the Indian Council of Medical Research. The total number of samples tested up to 21 July is 1,47,24, 546.

 

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

[Kool_SRG]

[Silverado]

Good posts @Kool_SRGbro

[Hydrockers]

8000 cases in single day 

[Kool_SRG]

With 49,311 fresh cases, India's Covid tally rises to 12,87,945

 

S. No.	Name of State / UT	Active Cases*	Cured/Discharged/Migrated*	Deaths**	Total Confirmed cases*
1	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	70	170	0	240
2	Andhra Pradesh	34272	37555	884	72711
3	Arunachal Pradesh	654	334	3	991
4	Assam	8022	20699	70	28791
5	Bihar	10994	20769	217	31980
6	Chandigarh	256	531	13	800
7	Chhattisgarh	1847	4377	30	6254
8	Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	279	489	2	770
9	Delhi	14554	109065	3745	127364
10	Goa	1666	2655	29	4350
11	Gujarat	12247	37978	2252	52477
12	Haryana	6348	22249	378	28975
13	Himachal Pradesh	687	1136	11	1834
14	Jammu and Kashmir	7438	8709	282	16429
15	Jharkhand	3734	3174	67	6975
16	Karnataka	49937	29310	1616	80863
17	Kerala	9466	6594	50	16110
18	Ladakh	183	1025	2	1210
19	Madhya Pradesh	7335	17359	780	25474
20	Maharashtra	140395	194253	12854	347502
21	Manipur	649	1466	0	2115
22	Meghalaya	452	78	4	534
23	Mizoram	149	183	0	332
24	Nagaland	644	530	0	1174
25	Odisha	6592	14393	114	21099
26	Puducherry	986	1400	34	2420
27	Punjab	3721	7741	277	11739
28	Rajasthan	8811	23815	594	33220
29	Sikkim	338	122	0	460
30	Tamil Nadu	52939	136793	3232	192964
31	Telangana	11052	39327	447	50826
32	Tripura	1574	2072	10	3656
33	Uttarakhand	1986	3399	60	5445
34	Uttar Pradesh	21012	35803	1289	58104
35	West Bengal	18846	31656	1255	51757
	Total#	440135	817209	30601	1287945
*(Including foreign Nationals)
**( more than 70% cases due to co-morbidities )
#States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation
#Our figures are being reconciled with ICMR

[Kool_SRG]

Explained: How ‘corona’ of the virus changes into a hairpin shape — and why

Freeze frames of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein show dramatic change of shape after it fuses with a human cell. Scientists suggest it may help distract our immune system; findings may matter in vaccine development

 

The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 — the ‘corona’ in the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 disease — has just revealed new secrets. Researchers have found that the spike protein changes its form after it attaches itself to a human cell, folding in on itself and assuming a rigid hairpin shape. The researchers have published their findings in the journal Science, and believe the knowledge can help in vaccine development.

What is the spike protein?

It is a protein that protrudes from the surface of a coronavirus, like the spikes of a crown or corona — hence the name ‘coronavirus’. In the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it is the spike protein that initiates the process of infection in a human cell. It attaches itself to a human enzyme, called the ACE2 receptor, before going on to enter the cell and make multiple copies of itself.

What has the new research found?

Using the technique of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), Dr Bing Chen and colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital have freeze-framed the spike protein in both its shapes — before and after fusion with the cell.

 

Cryo-EM images of SARS-CoV-2 before and after fusion with the human cell. Postfusion shape is like a rigid hairpin. (Source: Provided by Dr Bing, Chen, Boston Children’s Hospital)

The images show a dramatic change to the hairpin shape after the spike protein binds with the ACE2 receptor. In fact, the researchers found that the “after” shape can also show itself before fusion — without the virus binding to a cell at all. The spike can go into its alternative form prematurely.

What does that signify?

Dr Chen suggests that assuming the alternative shape may help keep SARS-CoV-2 from breaking down. Studies have shown that the virus remains viable on various surfaces for various periods of time. Chen suggests that the rigid shape may explain this.

More significantly, the researchers speculate that the postfusion form may also protect SARS-CoV-2 from our immune system.

In what way can it protect the virus from the immune system?

The postfusion shape could induce antibodies that do not neutralise the virus. In effect, the spikes in this form may act as decoys that distract the immune system.

“Antibodies specifically targeting the postfusion state would not be able to block membrane fusion (viral entry) since it would be too late in the process. This is well established in the field of other viruses, such as HIV,” Chen told The Indian Express, by email.

In principle, if both conformations shared neutralising epitopes (the part of the virus targeted by antibodies), then the postfusion form too could induce neutralising antibodies, Chen said. “But because the two structures are often very different, in particular, in case of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, I think it is not very likely that the postfusion form would be useful as an immunogen,” he explained.

 

Coronavirus Explained

• How 'corona' of the virus changes into a hairpin shape — and why
• Study flags lung ultrasound as a pointer to Covid severity
• Coronavirus is now widespread in smaller Indian states

Click here for more

Do the two forms share any similarities?

Yes, both the “before” and “after” forms have sugar molecules, called glycans, at evenly spaced locations on their surface. Glycans are another feature that helps the virus avoid immune detection.

How is the knowledge about the alternative shape useful?

The researchers believe the findings have implications for vaccine development. Many vaccines that are currently in development use the spike protein to stimulate the immune system. But these may have varying mixes of the prefusion and postfusion forms, Chen said. And that may limit their protective efficacy.

Chen stressed the need for stabilising the spike protein in its prefusion structure in order to block the conformational changes that lead to the postfusion state. If the protein is not stable, antibodies may be induced but they will be less effective in terms of blocking the virus, he said.

“Using our prefusion structure as a guide, we should be able to do better (introducing stabilizing mutations) to mimic the prefusion state, which could be more effective in eliciting neutralizing antibody responses,” Chen told The Indian Express. “We are in the process of doing this in case the first round of vaccines are not as effective as we all hope.”