Coronavirus spread: Foods that can help boost your immunity

Two positive cases of #nCoV19 or Coronavirus have been detected in India (one in Delhi and another in Telangana). While the accurate medical treatment is yet to be discovered to deal with this deadly virus, experts feel that in such cases,” Prevention is better than cure”.In this process watching your daily lifestyle activities and eating right can help a lot. It is important to include a few food items that are high in anti-viral properties and can create a shield around the body in protecting it against all odds. This piece of information talks about those necessary food items that can boost immunity and keep any kind of viral disease at bay.

How to boost your immunity?

According to Delhi based Dr Saras Salil, who runs his own clinic, " It is important to practice basic hygiene like washing hands using antiseptic hand wash. And while travelling use oil-based hand sanitizer. Apart from this, he suggests keeping your hands and fingers away from your mouth, eyes and nose. He mentions, “Food plays a key role in boosting your immunity and that’s why it is suggested to avoid consumption of raw foods including raw meat, raw egg, raw vegetables to safeguard the immunity.” Below mentioned are a few basic food ingredients that are suggested to be consumed regularly to boost immunity.

Tulsi

Known for his anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties, Tulsi must be consumed daily to boost immunity. It is important to have it on an empty stomach. Have 5 tulsi leaves along with 3-4 peppercorns and 1 tsp honey to boost immunity.

Garlic

It is a powerful anti-viral ingredient that can be consumed raw, mashed or can be added to soups and salads. To make a simple home remedy, mix chopped raw garlic and cloves with a tablespoon of raw honey and consume alternate days. It's a fantastic way to boost your immune system.

Berries

Foods rich in resveratrol such as peanuts, pistachios, grapes, red, white wine, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and even cocoa and dark chocolate are helpful to fight fungal infection, ultraviolet radiation, stress, and injury. They also protect the body against viral attacks.

Coconut oil

Avoid other variations of oil and use pure cold-pressed coconut oil or even have it raw. Lauric acid and caprylic acid present in it are essential for boosting the immune system against virals.

Ginger

Another ingredient that can help in keeping you safe is ginger. It has anti-viral properties, which when mixed with star anise and honey can help control the side effects. This concoction can be consumed 3-4 times a day.

Star anise

It contains shikimic acid that is used as a base material for the production of Tamiflu, which is used for influenza virus. It is super powerful as an anti-viral. All you need to do is take star anise and boil it in water and add it to your teas like green tea or black tea and consume twice a day.

Vitamin-C rich foods

Amla, red peppers, yellow peppers, oranges, guava and papaya are rich in vitamin C and have anti-oxidant and immunity boosting properties. You must have them daily for best results.

Pandemic fears, shortage woes threaten Indian firms

HIGHER RISK: Coronavirus outbreak is set to disrupt alternative supply sources



New Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru : Several China-dependent industries in India are facing critical shortages of raw materials as factories there remain crippled by the deadly coronavirus outbreak for more than a month. To make matters worse, the spread of the disease to other countries is now threatening to disrupt alternative sources of supply.

The World Health Organization’s latest global risk assessment has placed the epidemic at the “highest”, sparking a new problem —a fear psychosis that has rattled financial markets and is likely to squeeze liquidity for companies.

“We have to appreciate that the Indian economy is heavily dependent on China, which, in turn, accounts for 20% of global GDP,” said Arindam Som, an analyst at India Ratings.

“If global growth slows, it will be difficult for India’s economic growth to rise,” he said. “The outbreak has created tremendous uncertainty, with the virus having spread beyond China to countries such as Italy.”

So far, manufacturers of products such as electronics, which are heavily reliant on China, were hoping that factories there would have largely resumed operations. But now all such bets are off.

“I would say that about 90% of factories outside Wuhan (the disease epicentre) have reopened, but they are operating at about 30%-40% of capacities because they don’t have enough workers,” said Vinod Sharma, managing director of Deki Electronics and chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) electronics committee.

“Until now we were missing out on supply of one or two items, but now we are getting into a critical period,” Sharma added.

Electronic items such as mobile phones and even sourcing of motors and compressors for washing machines are facing disruption. Drugmakers and fertilizer companies will face imminent shortages if the situation is not resolved soon, industry executives said. There are also deepening concerns on supply of auto parts from countries such as China. “The situation is changing every day”, which means “we have to pretty much play it by the ear”, said Vikram Kirloskar, CII president and vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motors. The automaker has been able to manage the situation, but the impact would vary for other companies in the sector, he said.

The Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI) said in a statement that China comprises 27% of India’s auto component imports.

S. Muralishankar, president of AIFI, said in an interview that forged and machined metal parts are heavy and can be viably imported only by sea.

“Sea shipments are suspended until further notice and airfreight for heavy parts is expensive. Vehicle manufacturers are finding it difficult to plan production beyond the inventory available to them,” he said, estimating that India’s vehicle production in March could be hit by up to 20%.

A Raymond Fasteners India Pvt. Ltd, the local unit of the French supplier of small parts such as connectors and fasteners, is airlifting parts from its plant in China’s Zhenjiang.

“Disruption in parts procurement from China is also an opportunity for Indian suppliers as all major global vehicle manufacturers are now doing risk assessment with supply chain that came down crashing due to the epidemic,” a senior executive at an engine component supplier said on condition of anonymity.

To alleviate the pain of the local industry, the government has introduced measures such as round-the-clock port clearances of goods. Still, imports of vital inputs such as bulk drugs remain a worry.

A senior government official said on condition of anonymity that the aviation ministry is working on a proposal to procure six tonnes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for Cipla from China.

“Most API manufacturers in China are not working at full capacity, but are working partially, and shipments are coming in,” Cipla’s global chief financial officer, Kedar Upadhye, said in a phone interview.

“We have some stock that we always maintain, which came in handy during this emergency. Whatever vendors have already manufactured, we have requested them to ship,” he said. “As of now there is no problem in terms of API inventory, but in a month or a month and a half, if the plants in China don’t operate fully, then there might be an issue.”

Biocon chairperson and managing director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said if China remains closed for an extended period of time, it will cause a huge collateral damage to local drug makers.

With the spread of the disease to countries such as Iran, Italy and South Korea, alternative export and import destinations will be harder to find.

Global growth plunging into downturn over coronavirus, OECD says

The coronavirus outbreak is plunging the world economy into its worst downturn since the global financial crisis, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (oecd) warned on Monday, urging governments and central banks to fight back to avoid an even steeper slump.
The global economy is set to grow only 2.4% this year, the lowest since 2009 and down from a forecast of 2.9% in November, the Oecd said in an update of its outlook.
The Paris-based policy forum projected the global economy could recover to 3.3% growth in 2021, assuming the epidemic peaked in China in the first quarter of this year and other outbreaks proved mild and contained.
However, if the virus spreads throughout Asia, Europe and North America, global growth could drop as low as 1.5% this year, the Oecd warned.
"The main message from this downside scenario is that it would put many countries into a recession, which is why we are urging measures to be taken in the affected areas as quickly as possible," Oecd chief economist Laurence Boone told Reuters.
She said the governments needed to support health systems with extra pay or tax relief for workers doing overtime and short-time working schemes for companies struggling with a slump in demand.
Governments could give companies further financial relief by cutting social charges, suspending value-added taxes and providing emergency loans for sectors particularly hard, such as travel, Boone said.
In a nod to some European countries like fiscally conservative Germany, she said governments should not fuss over spending caps while letting programmes like unemployment insurance do their job of softening the blow from the downturn.
Meanwhile, central banks could provide comforting signals to stressed financial markets that they stand ready to further ease monetary policy and provide liquidity to banks if needed.
"We don't want to add a financial crisis to the health crisis," Boone said.
Officials with the US Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan have signalled in recent days that they stand ready to do more if needed.
If the situation deteriorates, a coordinated response of central bank easing and fiscal stimulus amounting to 0.5% of economic output in G20 countries could lead to 1.2% higher growth within two years, the Oecd calculated.
"A G20 coordinated health, fiscal and monetary policy response would not only send a strong confidence message but also multiply the effect of national actions," Boone said.
So far, international coordination appears to be limited to the Group of Seven nations, whose finance ministers are due to hold a conference call this week, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday.
In the Oecd's base case, in which the situation does not deteriorate dramatically, China would bear the brunt of the downturn this year, cutting its 2020 forecast to a 30-year low of 4.9%, down from 5.7% in November.
The world's second-biggest economy would rebound to pre-coronavirus levels in 2021 with growth of 6.4%, the Oecd forecast, but not before the impact of its downturn rippled far beyond.
In the euro area, where the number of cases is rising fast, growth was seen at 0.8%, down from 1.1% in November, with Italy seeing flat growth this year as it struggles to contain a jump in cases. Euro zone growth was seen rising to 1.2% in 2021.
The virus was seen having a limited impact on US growth, which was seen at 1.9%, down from 2% in November. Growth would then pick up to 2.1% in 2021, the Oecd forecast.

Charitable hospitals in Mumbai treated only 4.56 lakh poor patients in 11 years

Hospitals across Maharashtra provided concessional treatment to 70,94,547 patients, however, only 4,56,750 of them were treated in Mumbai

Despite having 17% of beds from Maharashtra’s charitable hospitals, city hospitals provide treatment to only 6% underprivileged patients, indicates data from state charity commissioner’s office. This suggests the hospitals are not allotting the mandatory 20% beds to poorer patients at concessional rate or for free.

Data from charity commissioner’s office during, compiled from September 2006 to December 2017, revealed that hospitals across Maharashtra provided concessional treatment to 70,94,547 patients. However, only 4,56,750 of them were treated in Mumbai. This happened despite Mumbai having 74 out of 430 charitable hospitals in the state and 1,768 of the approximately 10,000 reserved beds.

Shivkumar Dighe, charity commissioner, said Mumbai’s share in providing treatment to poor patients across the state should have been higher, as it is home to more than 20 largest charitable hospitals in the state.

“Major issue is lack of awareness among people about the scheme under which they can avail best possible treatment at these hospitals. But in recent years, the number has witnessed a slight increase, as we are creating awareness about the scheme at public hospitals,” said Dighe.


As per provision of section 41AA of the Bombay Public Charitable Trust Act, charitable hospitals have the legal obligation to reserve a fifth of the total number of operational beds for underprivileged patients. Hospitals get tax exemptions and other concessions if they are run by charitable trusts. In return they are supposed to provide subsidised treatment to poor patients. While patients with annual income less than Rs 85,000 are eligible for free treatment, those earning below Rs1.60lakh can receive treatment at a concessional rate.

Dr PM Bhujang, president of Association of Hospitals, a group of 53 not-for-profit charitable institutions in Mumbai, said not a single underprivileged patients was turned down by the hospitals. “One of the reasons for less percentage of patients could be the cost of living in Mumbai. Awareness wise, we have put up boards and large posters in the hospitals to inform people about the scheme,” he added.

However, public health experts said it is the lack of deterrents and monitoring that enables the large charitable hospital to avoid treating these patients. “Charitable hospitals in Mumbai are on par with corporate facilities and considered as the tertiary care medical facilities. It’s sad that they treat only 6% of total patients in the state because all the major charitable hospitals are in Mumbai,” said Abhijeet More, convenor of Jan Aarogya Abhiyan.

More added charitable hospitals, which receive benefits like cheap land, exemption on custom duty for importing medical equipment, concession in electricity and water bills should extend these benefits to poor patients.

The hospitals pay for the treatment though Indigent Patient Fund (IPF) in which 2% of the total patients’ billing (excluding the bill of indigent and weaker section patients) is credited each month.

Cracking the whip


The state has initiated a crackdown on private charitable hospitals for failing to provide treatment to poor patients for free or at concessional rate. Minister of state (MoS) for food and drugs administration (FDA) Madan Yerawar confirmed the development in the legislative council. He named various reputable hospitals against whom action has been initiated for violating norms.