TOKYO: Face shields alone are not highly effective to prevent Covid-19 infection without masks, says a new study which assessed what happens to the airflow around these plastic screens when someone nearby sneezes.

The research, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, noted that the number of people using face shields as a substitute for face masks has been increasing in schools, universities, restaurants, and service businesses.

However, the scientists, including those from Fukuoka University in Japan, said sneezes produce a fluid phenomenon known as vortex rings that can capture microscopic particles and pass through the shield’s barrier.

“A vortex ring is a donut-shaped vortex that is generated by an instantaneous ejection of fluid from a circular orifice. his resembles bubble rings made by dolphins,” explained study co-author Fujio Akagi from Fukuoka University.

In the study, the scientists assessed what happens when a face shield wearer is exposed to

New Delhi: With the chances of a Covid-19 vaccine being available soon increasing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the mobile technology will be used for mass inoculation against the pandemic. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress, he said mobile technology has enabled benefits worth billions of dollars to reach the deserving and also helped the poor and vulnerable during the pandemic.

“It is also with the help of mobile technology that we will embark on one of the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccination drive,” he said.

He did not provide details.

Three leading coronavirus vaccine developers — Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc and Bharat Biotech — have applied for emergency use authorization in India.

While Pfizer India has applied to drug regulator for permission to import its experimental mRNA vaccine for sale and distribution without the requirement for local clinical trials, Serum Institute of India Ltd, AstraZeneca’s India vaccine

New Delhi: Being the second most common cancer in women between the age group of 15 and 44 years of age, the awareness towards cervical cancer and its screening is miniscule in our country.

Cervical cancer is a completely preventable disease because of its well defined, long pre-malignant phase and it can be detected easily by regular screening tests and follow up. Unfortunately, the females in India are unaware about the screening process for the cervical cancer care. With the vaccination, screening and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently aimed to reduce more than 40 percent of new cases and 5 million related deaths of cervical cancer by 2050.

Q. What’s a pap smear test?

A: Dr Sandeep Chadha Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Noida explains: “It’s crucial that we should also learn about Pap smear test. It’s a screening test used to detect potentially pre-cancerous and

ELURU: Health and medical experts in West Godavari district were on tenterhooks as a group of people from different parts of Eluru town were hospitalised with symptoms resembling epilepsy. Over 200 people have been hospitalised. What has baffled doctors attending them is that the patients are not related and belong to different areas of Eluru. They did not even participate or attend a common event.

A medical expert team visited Eluru and inspected the cases to diagnose the problem. Officials do not rule out a mysterious disease.

Blood samples have been collected for analysis to pinpoint the cause of seizures, which are accompanied by frothing and temporary loss of consciousness. The patients are of different age groups. A six-year-old girl was shifted to Vijayawada after her condition worsened. An emergency medicare centre has been set up in Vijayawada as a precautionary measure.

All the patients have been admitted to

AMARAVATI: YSRC parliamentary party leader V Vijayasai Reddy explained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state government had conducted Covid-19 tests on about 20% of the state’s population. He told the prime minister that AP is spending close to Rs 10 crore per day for containment of Covid-19. Vijayasai Reddy participated in a video-conference held by PM Modi on Friday.

Vijayasai thanked the PM for extending full support to the state government in the battle against Covid-19 in the last eight months. He lauded the PM’s decision to give high priority to healthcare workers in the administration of vaccine. He said that chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took a bold decision to screen as many as possible without worrying about consequences.

Vijayasai said that AP is one of the few states that conducted very high number of Covid-19 tests in the country. He said

Bengaluru: As Karnataka witnesses a steady decline in Covid-19 infection count, health & medical education minister K Sudhakar thinks a second wave, if one were to erupt, will not be as intense as the first one.

“We need not be paranoid about a second wave,” the minister told ET in an interview, sounding confident about the government’s preparedness to deal with another round of outbreak. Even if such a wave were to erupt, its severity will be less, he said, citing studies and the global experience.

“We know the exact treatment protocol, and have increased testing capacity to do more than two lakh tests a day,” said Sudhakar, who got a promotion at the peak of the pandemic with the health portfolio, too, assigned to him. “Our technical advisory committee has predicted a second wave in January-February.”

Private hospitals, which have been freed of a bed-quota system, however, have