All posts by Sumana Rao

Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Covid vaccine

When will COVID-19 vaccine arrives

Throughout the World people are asking the same question to epidemiologists “when will Covid vaccine arrive”? The answer for the question would be ‘when the candidate vaccine demonstrates that it is effective on Covid-19, safe to use and available easily and this demonstration should be supported by scientific evidence and data’.

It is not easy to give a specific date for vaccine release.  People questioning about vaccine involves three main concerns. Will the vaccine be safe and effective? When will the vaccine available to all people like them and will vaccine uptake help to return to pre-pandemic condition?

What are some of the challenges for manufacturing vaccine?

According to Merck’s CEO, manufacturing (of covid-19 vaccine), is a bigger challenge than the science challenge of coming up with a safe and effective vaccine.

-Countries are competing against each for access to the supplies of any potential COVID-19 vaccine. It is evident by US funding number of companies for manufacturing in return access for specific number of doses.

-This type of funding could lead to difficulties in getting vaccine to countries and areas which needs it most and cannot afford for such access

-With billions of populations, the next challenge is scaling up vaccine manufacturing process to protect humans on the planet. It is the first time in history, such huge delivery of a vaccine is expected for the world.

– Generally, to release an effective vaccine it takes few years. Delivery of a candidate vaccines must be backed by rigorous science. If not, it can harm than doing good.

– Still there is lot to learn and understand about Covid-19 virus. Question like how virus affects immune system is still not fully answered. Before releasing vaccine, we need to understand how the vaccine will interact with human system.

According to World Health Organization,–

172 economies are at present engaged in discussion to participate in COVAX, a global initiative for working with vaccine manufacturers to provide worldwide access to effective and safer vaccines. Nine CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) supported candidate vaccines are part of COVAX initiative. In addition nine other candidate vaccines are under evaluation.

COVAX currently has world’s most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio.  Potentially self-financing 80 countries have showed non-binding expression of interest to COVAX facility coordinated by Gavi. Access to COVID-19 tools (ACT) accelerator is co-led by CEPI, Gavi the vaccine alliance and the WHO. This facility is working with 92 low- and middle-income economies for manufacturing vaccine. In fact, this is the only global initiative that is working with manufacturers and governments to ensure vaccines for Covid-19 available to all countries.

WHO is expecting the countries get equal access to COVID-19 vaccines to control the pandemic. CEPI which is an international non govt organization is funded by Wellcome Trust, The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the European Commission and eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Japan, UK and Norway) is supporting development of vaccines for five epidemic pathogens in WHO priority list.

Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI- “Maximizing the portfolio of vaccines increases the probability of success as individual vaccines historically have a high failure rate. In the scramble for a vaccine, countries can act alone – creating a few winners, and many losers – or they can come together to participate in COVAX, an initiative which is built on enlightened self-interest but also equity, leaving no country behind,”

End of last month, August -A collaboration between Serum Institute of India (SII), Gavi and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced, It will ensure up to 100 million doses of AstraZeneca or Novavax’s candidate vaccines, if this is successful, vaccine will be available to low- and middle-income economies through the COVAX Facility at just US$ 3 per dose! (WHO)

Till recently out of 70 ‘candidates’ tested three have moved to the human clinical trial stage. The goal of COVAX initiation is, by the end of year 2021, to deliver two billion doses of effective and safe vaccine after it passes through regulatory approval by WHO. These vaccines will be offered equally to all including those countries who are participating in development and manufacturing. Initially priority will be given to healthcare workers then to all vulnerable population such as elderly and pre-existing conditions population. Next it will be made available to countries based on need, vulnerability and threat from Covid-19.

References:

https://www.biopharma-reporter.com/

https://www.who.int/news-room/

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Image credit: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: September 10, 2020
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Laser toys for kids

Protect kids from laser toys

Kids love to play with laser toys. Their imagination grows and does not end when they play with laser toys. Kids want to play role of their super hero’s and star war characters while owning a laser toy. What they don’t know is when operated unsafely or without certain controls high concentrated light from lasers, even though they are toys can cause serious eye injuries, blindness and thus can be dangerous.

Laser toys not just hurts the person who plays with it, also anyone who are within in range of the beam produced by laser. According to FDA and other toy safety researches, there is potential danger when children play with laser toys and they also have issued a safety guideline for safe use of laser toys.

If the laser beam is powerful and shone directly on someone’s eye, it can injure the eye within an instant. The injury won’t hurt but the vision deteriorates slowly and might go unnoticed for many days and weeks. The damage that would have caused can remain permanent.

Parents need to know what laser toys and which type of toys produce laser.

Laser toys are:

The following are examples of children’s toy laser products:

• Lasers mounted on toy guns that can be used for “aiming”

• Spinning tops that project laser beams while they spin

• Hand-held lasers used during play as “light sabers”

• Dancing laser beams projected from a stationary column with bright colors or pictures on the box that might appeal to children

• Lasers intended for entertainment that create optical effects in an open room with bright colors or pictures on the box that might appeal to children. With so many no innovations of toys, many laser pointers also have more power. One should not buy laser pointers for kids.

When a laser is used, it triggers a powerful, targeted beam of electromagnetic radiation that has many applications including music players and printers to eye surgery. Setting a safety standards for such products is what FDA does. When it comes to toys FDA protects kids from its high exposure. These toys are available in toy stores and shopping centers which makes parents and kids both feel safe about using the laser toys. FDA recommends that the level of radiation and light mush not exceed Class 1 limit which is the lowest leave in regulated laser products.

Some of the safety tips parents must investigate while buying laser toys are:

  1. Toys must be certified as a laser product unless the part of parts of the toy that can emit laser light are removable and can emit laser light independently when separated from the toy
  2. Do not buy or use any laser that emits more than 5mW power or that does not have power information on label. Use a laser that has below 5 mW power
  3. Look for FDA or other authority recommended Class I label on toys. It should say Class 1 laser product. Do not buy laser products labeled with Class 3b or 4
  4. Do not allow your children to aim laser at any vehicle, shiny surface, aiming on someone’s eyes or face. Human eyes are extremely sensitive to radiation emitted by laser.
  5. Do not allow kids to play with laser toys with pets. Light energy from laser cause harm to pets too.
  6. Tell kids or do it yourself – store laser toys and pointer in a secure area.
  7. Teach your kids the danger of laser points as well as laser toys.
  8. Let the laser toy that you buy for your child be age appropriate. Keep away laser toys from toddlers.

References:

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/laser-toys-how-keep-kids-safe

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/laser-toys-dangerous_n_3714119

https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/FDA-urges-caution-when-buying-laser-toys-for-kids-12384603.php

Image credit: https://www.needpix.com/photo/download/245262 (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: September 9, 2020
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Bilva leaves chutney

Bilva leaves chutney for diabetes

Bilva or bael is a middle-sized tree native to India. It is considered as a sacred tree and used for religious purposes.  Bilva leaves and fruits are used for medicine preparations as wells as cooking. Bilva is used in Ayurvedic preparation for gastrointestinal diseases, piles, jaundice, obesity etc.   In addition bilva is known to reduce urinary problems and helps in easy digestion. Bilva plant is good remedy for inflammation and cools system. One of the easy recipe for diabetic patients is bilva leaves chutney. Bilva chutney can be served with chapati for those who have high blood sugar.

Bilva (bael) leaves chutney

Ingredients:

  1. Bilva young leaves-  10-15
  2. Red chillis – 6-8
  3. Grated coconut – ¾ cup
  4. Tamarind – 2 inches
  5. Seasme – 1 tsp
  6. Salt – as per taste
  7. Asafetida – pinch
  8. For seasoning: Mustard, curry leaves, split black gram

Preparation:

  1. Collect good bilva leaves and wash in water.
  2.  Place a frying pan on medium heat and dry fry bilva, red chillis and sesame. Allow contents to cool
  3. Grind fried ingredients with grated coconut, tamarind and salt. Add little water to grind and grind contents to paste.
  4. Prepare seasoning using oil (coconut oil is preferred), mustard, curry leaves, asafetida and one red chilli.
  5. Add seasoning to grinded bilva chutney.

You can mix bilva chutney with hot rice. On the side have onion pieces and chutney rice will taste yummy. You can also have bilva chutney with dosa, chapati or other Indian types breads.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Edible oil adulteration

FSSAI launches drive against Adulteration in the Edible Oil

Edible oil used for cooking, salad dressing, frying, food formulation etc. adds important nutritional value in our daily diet. The demand for edible oil is always high both in national and international market and for this reason adulteration in oil is a major issue.

Like any other food adulteration, adulteration of edible oils can cause severe health issues in consumers. For example, argemone oil adulteration in Mustard oil can lead to gall bladder cancer, glaucoma, loss of eyesight and could also lead to epidemic dropsy. Another common adulteration of cooking oils – coconut oil, sunflower oil and groundnut oil with refined palm “super olein”, argemone oil, castor oil etc. that could lead to damage to heart, liver, stomach problem or cancer.

Olive oil which is expensive and known for its multiple health benefits often adulterated with inexpensive oil. This can pose problem to people who have food allergies.

This offence of adulteration is always in the form of mixing pure edible oil with cheap and unhealthy oil has negative health issues and affects the quality of the cooking oil.

In order to combat the edible oil adulteration, FSSAI of India conducted a survey by distributing samples of edible oils drawn from various sources like grocery stores, national and International brand from different cities. The survey results will be used to find “hot spots” of adulteration. Recently, FSSAI released a press report – Healthy Life

Food Safety officials of India and other countries often seize cooking oil due to adulteration.

New Delhi, August 28, 2020: Food safety regulator, FSSAI has decided to intensify crackdown against the sale of adulterated Edible Oil with a Pan-India surveillance of Edible Oil (both for the branded and unbranded oil samples). A quality survey has been conducted across the country between 25th to 27th August 2020 across all the States/ UTs. This nation-wide survey, carried out for the first time with over 4500 samples covering a total of 16 varieties of edible oil including mustard, coconut, palm, olive and blended oil. Various hilly as well as difficult terrains including Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman & Diu as well as Andaman (UT) have been strategically included to be a part of this exercise so as to represent a holistic distribution of the sample size across the country. The samples have been drawn from supermarkets/ supermarkets as well as retail and grocery stores and include national and local brands.

The survey has been conducted by the State Food Safety department officials. At least 50 samples were collected from the metro cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata and 6-8 samples each in cities and districts, other than the metros. FSSAI had shared the detailed guidelines and SOPs for conducting the survey as well as procedure of sample collection with the Commissioners of Food Safety in all States/ UTs. A video conferencing facility was organized to appraise them on the process and safeguards to be followed diligently at the States/UT level. A 24by7 communication facility via a common WhatsApp group was also created for the ease of officials involved.

A comprehensive strategy for testing of these samples through the State Food Testing Laboratories or FSSAI notified food testing labs (including private NABL accredited) to analyze various parameters including Fatty Acid composition as well as adulteration of any other oils or harmful or extraneous substance/ chemical has been developed. The test results are expected in a month’s time.

The final survey results will help in identification of the key hot spots for adulteration of edible oils in different parts of the country and will strengthen efforts at the States/UT level in devising targeted enforcement drives in the coming months. The whole exercise is aimed at ensuring availability of pure and safe mustard and other edible vegetable oils in the country.

Reference: Press release from https://www.fssai.gov.in/

Image credit: Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: September 7, 2020
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Foods for reducing joint pain

Foods that help to release joint pain

After certain age both men and women suffer from joint pain. Arthritis is one of the leading cause for joint pain. Connection between the bones forms joints. Joints support our body while we move. Any injury or age-related factors can cause pain in joints.

Apart from injuries, osteoarthritis, bursitis, gout, strain on body, rheumatoid arthritis and or sprains can cause pain in joints. Most people experience joint pain in their lifetime. One of the most common joint pain is knee pain that adults and elderly people experience. Hip, shoulder pain, wrist pain, ankle are other joints where one can experience pain for various reasons.

With proper medications and food intake we can reduce joint pain. Some of the foods that act as natural medicines to protect joints are;

Cherries: Cherries that are red and orange in color contain anthocyanin pigments. This makes cherries anti-inflammatory food. Apart from cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries can help to protect joints by reducing the inflammation. Berries contain quercetin and rutin- both are phytochemicals give plenty of health benefits to humans.

Oils: Daily oil that we use for cooking or adding onto salad help us to protect the joints. Olive oil contains oleocanthal which is again an anti-inflammatory agent. Its action is like a pain killer and reduces inflammation and pain. Sesame oil which is another oil which has been popularly used in traditional medicines, helps to treat arthritis and is a strong anti-inflammatory oil. It contains zinc and copper- both these metals have anti-inflammatory properties. Sesame oil also contains calcium that are needed for strengthening bones.  People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis can use these oils to massage joint and muscles to reduce pain.

Grains: Whole grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat grains are good for joint health. Whole grain can help to reduce joint inflammation by lowering CRP protein level that is known to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis condition. C-reactive protein which is released by liver into blood raises in blood when there is inflammation in the body. Whole grains help to reduce CRP level in blood and thus protect joints.

Spices: Consuming ginger, cinnamon, clove, sage, cayenne, rosemary, cumin and turmeric reduces inflammation. Include turmeric in your diet. Add turmeric to curry, soup or drink turmeric golden chai. Turmeric is recommended from centuries for reducing pain and inflammation in body. Studies have shown that turmeric is one of the spices that effectively reduces joint pain.

Beans and lentils: These are best source of protein, fiber and minerals. Both lentils and beans have anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties. Include black beans, chickpeas, soy and lentils in your diet. They supply anthocyanins that helps to reduce joint inflammation.

Garlic: Studies have shown that garlic can enhance and strengthen immune system. Eating garlic everyday could reduce the risk of osteoarthritis. It is a strong anti-inflammatory food and decreases levels of chemicals responsible for joint pain.

Walnuts: Nutrient dense walnuts also will help to reduce joint inflammation. Omega-3-fatty acids in walnuts shown to reduce arthritis symptoms and associated pain.

Other foods one should consider are spinach, kale, other types of nuts rich in omega-3-fatty acids, broccoli and grapes. All these foods known to have anti-inflammatory property and help to reduce joint pain.

Daily walk, cardio and focusing on good diet is critical for maintaining healthy joints.

Image credit: Joerg https://www.flickr.com/photos/13435397@N06/31494462063 (CC by 2.0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: August 27, 2020
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Tips to grill vegetables

Tips to grill vegetables

Grilling vegetables is easy. It is an easy and better way to consume vegetables.

However, one should know how to grill vegetables properly.

Under or over grilled vegetables does not taste good.

Here are tips to grill vegetables.

  1. Use grill basket or a skewer for small vegetables and small cut vegetable pieces: If you grill cherry tomatoes, small radish, zucchini rounds or mushrooms handling them can be challenging as they easily roll around. Pierce them on skewer and place them in grill basket or aluminum foil (fold in the form of a basket) to prevent them falling.
  2. Cut vegetables: If you are grilling eggplant, squash, larger onions or any other large vegetables cut them into long thin pieces. This will help you to grill them fast.
  3. Cook vegetables in packets: Waiting for vegetables to grill needs some patience. When you have dense vegetables like potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, place them in aluminum foil. Spray little oil and cover them individually or in bulk. While covering leave bit of opening on one side like a pocket. Place on grill and cook. Check in between.
  4. Kebabs: If you are planning to grill kebabs – pair soft vegetables together in a pocket and hard vegetables together in another one.
  5. Temperature: Always pre- heat grill 15 to 20 minutes prior you start grilling vegetables. Ideal temperature is 400-450 F. Brush of grill rack before using it. This way any residue that is sitting from previous cooking will go away.
  6. Seasoning: Try different seasonings – chilli and lime, chilli, garlic and soy, Garlic and thyme, spice orange – these seasoning go well for grilled vegetables. You can also coat veggies in light olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper before placing in grill.
  7. Oil: Before placing vegetables on the grill, oil vegetables lightly and coat them. Do not use too much oil to avoid greasy smell. Applying oil helps the seasoning to stick to vegetables uniformly.
  8. Charcoal vs gas grill: Charcoal grill is traditional type and contributes a different flavor for grilled vegetables. People prefer the taste of smoke. It produces more carbon monoxide and ash. If you want tasty grilled vegetables go with charcoal. Use additive free lump charcoal or charred wood. Use a chimney starter to initiate flame. Gas grill is easy to clean and taste may not be that good.

Enjoy your summer with outdoor grilling!

Image by RitaE from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Yellow squash sweet potato soup

Yellow Squash Sweet Potato Soup

Even though restaurants are opening and carry out is available, many are not ready to take risk of visiting restaurant for pickup. This delicious, homemade yellow squash sweet potato combination soup is perfect to lift your mood on a gloomy day and will give you the same feeling of having restaurant soup. This recipe has fewer ingredients and very easy to prepare.

Both yellow squash and sweet potato are good foods that are recommended in weight loss diet. Yellow squash is high in Vitamin B6, C, and A. It has folate, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorous. It is packed with good nutrients to boost bone strength and immunity.

Sweet potato contains fiber, Vitamin A, B and C, calcium, iron, carotenoids and selenium. It is anti-inflammatory vegetable. Unlike potatoes, sweet potato is recommended for diabetic condition because of its low glycemic index and essential fibers. In addition, it is stress buster veggie because of high magnesium content.

Ingredients:

  1. Yellow squash – 3 small size
  2. Sweet potato – 1 medium size
  3. Onion – 1 medium size
  4. Tomato – 1
  5. Zinger – 1 inch
  6. Cumin- ½ tsp
  7. Black pepper – ¼ tsp
  8. Cilantro – 1 Tbsp
  9. Cinnamon – 1 tsp
  10. Salt – as per taste

Preparation:

  1. Wash and peel yellow squash skin. Cut yellow squash to small pieces.
  2. Wash and cut sweet potato to small pieces.
  3. Chop onion and zinger. Cut tomato to small pieces.
  4. Place a deep vessel on medium heat. Add 2 tsp oil and add cumin, black pepper, chopped onion and zinger. Saute onion till it turns brown. Add cut tomato and continue mixing (if you prefer little more spice, add one or two green chilis).
  5. Add cut yellow squash and saute few minutes. Add sweet potato pieces and continue to mix all ingredients.
  6. Now add one cup water and close the lid. Let the contents cook for 5-10 minutes.
  7. Once sweet potato and yellow squash cooks turn off heat and allow content to cool.
  8. Transfer the contents to a grinder and grind to paste. You can little more water if needed.
  9. Now transfer the paste to a vessel, add cinnamon powder, salt and little more water to get soup consistency.
  10. Before serving sprinkle chopped cilantro and then serve hot soup.

Image : © www.werindia.com

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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