THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 18 April 2020 (Collateral damage: Coronavirus poses major challenge for scientific community (Indian Express))

Collateral damage: Coronavirus poses major challenge for scientific community (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: Personal protective equipment
Mains level: Health sector issues and challenges 

Context:

• As medical containment strategies, and even viral behaviour go, the novel coronavirus has proven to be quite a challenge for the scientific community. 
• A recent Lancet study noted that 15% of the 247 hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, and as many as 50% of those who died, acquired bacterial infections.

Outcome of the study:

• This, combined with the fact that the virus primarily manifests as a pulmonary disease with pneumonia-like symptoms.
• It has meant that medical practitioners are becoming increasingly—and dangerously—dependent on antibiotics to manage COVID-19 symptoms, even though these do not directly affect the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the disease. 
• Now, there are growing concerns that unrestrained usage of antibiotics might fuel the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

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Measures taken so far: 

• Already, hospitals, especially intensive care units, are hotbeds of antimicrobial resistance. 
• Now, with the shortage of ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) necessitating their sharing and/or reusage, the risk of contracting an infection from a drug-resistant microbe has significantly increased.
• This is an even greater concern for India, which, according to a Johns Hopkins-CDDEP study published last year, had the highest instance of antibiotic resistance among the 41 countries studied. 
• Another study lead by CDDEP found resistance to the class of antibiotics used against bacterium K penumoniae, a leading cause of pneumonia and lung infection, to be 56% among Indians. 
• It is no one’s case that antibiotics not be used to manage the fallout of a raging pandemic. 

Way forward:

• However, efforts must be focused on decreasing the risk of in situ contraction of infections in hospitals. 
• And, to that end, ensuring sufficient supply of PPE and crucial medical equipment must be a top priority.

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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Madhuvan Gajar, consider the following statements:
1. It is a biofortified carrot variety with high β-carotene and iron content developed by CSIR.
2. The variety is being cultivated in more than 1000 hectares of land in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh during the last three years.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer......................

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Mains Questions:
Q.1)What are the risks of contracting infection from a drug-resistant microbe from COVID 19 patients?