Good News Roundup: The Fight Against COVID-19 Vol. 14

Some positive to lift your spirits amid the pandemic

Now in the second half of 2020, the pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world and hold its inhabitants trapped, but all isn't lost. Here's your weekly dose of positivity from headlines across the world to keep your morale high in these morose times.

Over 67 Lakh People Have Recovered Till Date

The total number of recovery cases is more than half of the total infected cases the world over. As always, we hope this figure will continue ascending. The death rate from the coronavirus is on the decline in many places while vaccine development seems to be making steady progress.

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Daily COVID-19 Deaths Drop To Single Digits In Italy

Once the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe, Italy has made significant progress in its battle with the coronavirus. The number of daily deaths due to COVID-19 in the country has now dropped down to single digits, the lowest it has been since March 2020. While the US is still leading the global charts for total recorded cases, the hotspot New York has also seen the infection rates plummet.

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Study Suggests Tuberculosis Vaccine Could Help Reduce COVID-19 Deaths

The fight against diseases is a multifaceted challenge and years of cumulative medical knowledge certainly comes in handy. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the efforts are spread over various bases including developing vaccines, finding cures and curtailing deaths. A new study carried out by researchers from a US-based institute of health has found that countries with a tuberculosis vaccination program had a relatively lower rate of deaths due to the coronavirus. Previous studies on select TB vaccines have found that they could offer children broad protection against other respiratory infections too.

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More Efficient, Automated COVID-19 Diagnostic Systems Introduced

MyLabs Discovery Solutions, a Pune-based molecular diagnostics firm, was one of the earliest to manufacture COVID-19 testing kits. Now, the company has launched its new ‘Compact XL' system for conducting various tests including the RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests to detect coronavirus. It can carry out 32 tests at a time on one system. It is designed to automate lab operations and reduce the manpower required for the same amount of work. In the case of RT-PCR tests for COVID-19, the new system will help bring down the cost per test as well.

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Madurai Hotel Makes ‘Face Mask' Parottas To Spread Awareness

One of the primary precautions being implemented by most governments around the world is the usage of face masks when outside. While the message has been out for a while, it seems there is a need to spread even more awareness. A restaurant chain ‘Hotel Temple City' in the city of Madurai has put its own twist by the way of face mask parottas. This clever food item seems to be doing the trick as their special parottas have garnered a fair bit of notice on the internet. Remember, the parotta is to eat and wear your mask when you head out.

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Former Cabbie Helps Stranded Folks In Mumbai

Twenty seven-year-old cab driver, Vidya Shelke, lost her job when the coronavirus lockdown was implemented. Her contribution was half of the total income of her household so it was quite a blow to her family's finances. Amidst the chaos, Vidya saw the opportunity to use her vehicle to help ferry those stranded in the city and decided to advertise her services through social media.

She executes her services responsibly, helping in emergency cases, and arranging for all the necessary permissions to get people to their destination within the state of Maharashtra. She also follows government guidelines by asking all passengers to wear masks, carrying extra in case needed, with a maximum of two adult passengers in the back seat only. Since the lockdown, Vidya has completed over a 100 such journeys, helping those in need and earning a livelihood as well.

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