SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY
PRELIMS SPECIAL LECTURES
COVID 19
Q) Consider the following symptoms with respect to Covid-19:
(i) Shortness of breath
(ii) Dry cough
(iii) Conjunctivitis
(iv) Discoloration of fingers or toes
Which of the above can be considered as symptoms for Covid-19?
(a) (i) only
(b) (i) and (ii) only
(c) (i), (ii) and (iv)
(d) All of the above
Q) Which of the following can be caused by coronavirus
family?
(i) Covid-19
(ii) SARS
(iii) MERS
(iv) Common Cold

(a) (i) only

(b) (i) and (ii) only
(c) (i), (ii) and (iii)
(d) All of the above
Q) Consider the following species:
(i) Mammals
(ii) Birds
(iii) Reptiles
(iv) Plants
Which of the above can be infected by coronavirus?
(a) (i) and (ii) only
(b) (i), (ii) and (iii) only
(c) (i) and (iii) only
(d) All of the above
  COVID-19 is the infectious disease
caused by the most recently
discovered coronavirus.
CoViD-19  This new virus and disease were
Basics unknown before the outbreak began in
Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
 COVID-19 is now a pandemic affecting
many countries globally.
  Fever, dry cough, and tiredness.
 Aches and pains, nasal congestion,
Symptoms of headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat,
diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash
COVID-19 on skin or discoloration of fingers or
toes.
 Around 1 out of every 5 people who
gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill
and develops difficulty breathing.
 Older people, and those with
underlying medical problems like high
blood pressure, heart and lung
problems, diabetes, or cancer, are at
higher risk of developing serious illness.
Q) Consider the following symptoms with respect to Covid-19:
(i) Shortness of breath
(ii) Dry cough
(iii) Conjunctivitis
(iv) Discoloration of fingers or toes
Which of the above can be considered as symptoms for Covid-19?
(a) (i) only
(b) (i) and (ii) only
(c) (i), (ii) and (iv)
(d) All of the above
 Spread of
 The disease spreads primarily from person to
person through small droplets from the nose or
mouth, which are expelled when a person
the Disease with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks.
 These droplets can land on objects and
surfaces around the person such as tables,
doorknobs and handrails.
Other Facts About the Spread of the Disease

Q) How long does it take after exposure to COVID-19 to

develop symptoms?
Ans: The time between exposure to COVID-19 and the
moment when symptoms start is commonly around five to
six days but can range from 1 – 14 days.

Q) How long does the virus survive on surfaces?

Ans: Studies have shown that the COVID-19 virus can
survive for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, less
than 4 hours on copper and less than 24 hours on
cardboard.
  Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses
which may cause illness in animals or
humans.
 In humans, several coronaviruses are
known to cause respiratory infections
ranging from the common cold to more
Coronavirus severe diseases such as Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
 The most recently discovered coronavirus
causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.
  Coronaviruses are a group of RNA viruses
Facts that cause diseases in mammals and
birds.
related to  In humans and birds, they cause
respiratory tract infections that can range
Coronavirus from mild to lethal.
 Mild illnesses in humans include some
cases of the common cold, while more
lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS,
and COVID-19.
 In cows and pigs they cause diarrhea,
while in mice they cause hepatitis.
 Facts  They are enveloped viruses with a positive-
sense single-stranded RNA genome and a
related to nucleocapsid of helical symmetry.
The genome size of coronaviruses ranges
Coronavirus

from approximately 26 to 32 kilobases, one
of the largest among RNA viruses.
 They have characteristic club-shaped
spikes that project from their surface,
which in electron micrographs create an
image reminiscent of the solar corona.
Q) Consider the following species:
(i) Mammals
(ii) Birds
(iii) Reptiles
(iv) Plants
Which of the above can be infected by coronavirus?
(a) (i) and (ii) only
(b) (i), (ii) and (iii) only
(c) (i) and (iii) only
(d) All of the above
Types of Coronaviruses
Common human coronaviruses
 229E (alpha coronavirus)
 NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
 OC43 (beta coronavirus)
 HKU1 (beta coronavirus)

Other human coronaviruses

 MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
 SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome)
 SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019)
Q) Which of the following can be caused by coronavirus
family?
(i) Covid-19
(ii) SARS
(iii) MERS
(iv) Common Cold

(a) (i) only

(b) (i) and (ii) only
(c) (i), (ii) and (iii)
(d) All of the above
 Positive-strand RNA viruses (+ssRNA viruses) are
Positive-

a group of related viruses that have positive-
sense, single-stranded genomes made of
strand RNA ribonucleic acid.
 The positive-sense genome can act as
viruses messenger RNA (mRNA) and can be directly
translated into viral proteins by the host cell's
ribosomes.
 Positive-sense RNA viruses account for a large
fraction of known viruses, including many
pathogens such as the hepacivirus C, West
Nile virus, dengue virus, and the SARS, MERS,
and SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses, rhinoviruses
etc.
  Infectious agent of small size and simple composition
that can multiply only in living cells of animals, plants,
or bacteria.
 A virus particle is made up of genetic material
housed inside a protein shell, or capsid. The genetic
material, or genome, of a virus may consist of single-
stranded or double-stranded DNA or RNA and may
be linear or circular in form.

Virus  Most viruses vary in diameter from 20 nanometres

(nm; 0.0000008 inch) to 250–400 nm. The largest
viruses measure about 500 nm in diameter and are
about 700–1,000 nm in length.
 Shapes of viruses are predominantly of two kinds:
rods and spheres.
 When some disease-causing viruses enter host cells,
they start making new copies of themselves very
quickly, often outpacing the immune system’s
production of protective antibodies.
  Direct contact transmission: This refers to
transmission via physical contact between an

How do infected and uninfected subject through

kissing, biting, or sexual intercourse, for
example.
viruses  Indirect transmission: Here, the virus is
infect? transmitted via contact with contaminated
objects or materials such as medical
equipment or shared eating utensils.
 Common vehicle transmission: This transmission
mode refers to when individuals pick up the
virus from food and water supplies that are
contaminated with feces. This often causes
epidemic disease.
 Airborne transmission refers to the respiratory
infection that occurs when the virus is inhaled.
  EPIDEMIC: A disease that affects a large
number of people within a community,
population, or region.
 PANDEMIC: A is an epidemic that’s spread over
multiple countries or continents.
Epidemic vs  ENDEMIC: It is used to describe a disease that is
present at an approximately constant level
Pandemic within a society or country.
 OUTBREAK: A greater-than-anticipated increase
in the number of endemic cases. It can also be
a single case in a new area. If it’s not quickly
controlled, an outbreak can become an
epidemic.
Stages of a Pandemic

1 2 3 4 5 6

A virus is A known Scattered or Human to The spread Community-

isolated level
seen in animal incidence of human of the
disease outbreaks
animals virus has cases or small transmission are in at least
but has caused an clusters of the at a rate that between
disease one
causes an humans is
not been infection occurring in
now
additional
humans; outbreak in country other
shown to in humans evident in
possible cases communities than that
infections of human-to- more than seen in
in humans human
one country phase 5.
transmission.
Q) Which of the following statements is incorrect?
(a) Antibodies are proteins manufactured by the body that
help fight against foreign substances.
(b) Antigens are any substance that stimulates the immune
system to produce antibodies.
(c) Antigens can be bacteria, viruses, or fungi that cause
infection and disease.
(d) None of the above
Vaccination

 Vaccination is a way to protect someone against an

infectious disease.
 Once someone has been vaccinated, they should have the
ability to fight off the disease if they come into contact with
it.
  Macrophages are white blood cells that
swallow up and digest germs, plus dead or
dying cells. The macrophages leave
behind parts of the invading germs called
antigens. The body identifies antigens as
dangerous and stimulates antibodies to
White Blood 
attack them.
B-lymphocytes are defensive white blood
Cells cells. They produce antibodies that attack
the antigens left behind by the
macrophages.
 T-lymphocytes are another type of
defensive white blood cell. They attack
cells in the body that have already been
infected.
  Vaccines help develop immunity by
imitating an infection. This type of
infection, however, almost never
causes illness, but it does cause the
How immune system to produce T-
Vaccines lymphocytes and antibodies.
Once the imitation infection goes
Work

away, the body is left with a supply of
“memory” T-lymphocytes, as well as B-
lymphocytes that will remember how to
fight that disease in the future.
Q) Which of the following statements is incorrect?
(a) Antibodies are proteins manufactured by the body that help fight
against foreign substances.
(b) Antigens are any substance that stimulates the immune system to
produce antibodies.
(c) Antigens can be bacteria, viruses, or fungi that cause infection
and disease.
(d) None of the above
Q) Consider the following statements:
(i) Herd immunity can be achieved without immunization too.
(ii) Community transmission is when there is no clear source of
origin of the infection in a new community.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) (i) only
(b) (ii) only
(c) Both (i) and (ii)
(d) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Herd
Immunity
Community  The inability to relate confirmed cases

Transmission through chains of transmission for a

large number of cases, or by
increasing positive tests through
sentinel samples (routine systematic
testing of respiratory samples from
established laboratories).
Q) Consider the following statements:
(i) Herd immunity can be achieved without immunization too.
(ii) Community transmission is when there is no clear source of
origin of the infection in a new community.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) (i) only
(b) (ii) only
(c) Both (i) and (ii)
(d) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Hand Sanitizer

 Alcohol (ethanol, isopropanol or n-Propanol)

 Additional antiseptics such as chlorhexidine and
quaternary ammonium derivatives,
 sporicides such as hydrogen peroxides that eliminate
bacterial spores that may be present in ingredients,
 emollients and gelling agents to reduce skin dryness and
irritation,
 a small amount of sterile or distilled water,
 sometimes foaming agents, colorants or fragrances.
MISCELLANEOUS
TOPICS
SECTION 10
  Awarded to three scientists for their
contribution to the understanding of
the evolution of the universe.
The award was shared between the
Nobel Prize 
three with one half going to James
for Physics Peebles “for theoretical discoveries in
physical cosmology” and the other half
jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier
Queloz “for the discovery of an
exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star
Cosmic
Microwave
Background
  Three scientists have won the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry for their work
developing lithium-ion batteries.
Nobel Prize  The prize went to Stanley Whittingham
for who developed the first functional
lithium-ion battery in 1976, John B.
Chemistry Goodenough and Japan’s Akira
Yoshino who made the first practical-
use lithium ion battery in 1985.
  The Nobel Prize for Physiology or

Nobel Prize Medicine was awarded to three

scientists, William G. Kaelin Jr., Sir Peter
for J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza for
Physiology Cell Engineering for discovery of how
or Medicine cells sense and adapt to oxygen
availability.
Q) The Nobel Prize in Physiology (2019) was given for research on adaptation or
response of the human body to Oxygen levels. With reference to it, consider the
following statements:
1. The oxygen sensing mechanism of the body is present only in the kidney's cells.
2. During hypoxia, the kidneys release hormones called Erythropoietin to balance
oxygen levels.
3. Erythropoiesis is the process of increased production of Red Blood Cells in the
body.
Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only
  South Korea becomes the first country to
commercially launch fifth-generation (5G)
services.

5G
 It offers 20-times faster data speeds than 4G
long-term evolution (LTE) networks
 Greater speed in the transmissions, a lower
latency and a greater number of connected
devices and the possibility of implementing
virtual networks (network slicing).