1. Recently a new virus named as Hantavirus emerged in China. It is known to cause HPS. What does ‘P’ stand for in the same?
a. Pandemic
b. People
c. Pulmonary
d. Primary
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• HPS stands for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.
• Hantavirus or Orthohantavirus is an old family of viruses, which mainly spreads through rodents or rats. It can cause various diseases including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). It can also cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)
• The first fatal case of Hantavirus was reported in China’s Yunnan Province on March 23, 2020 when a man tested positive for it and passed away shortly afterward.
2. Which of the following is the main cause of spread of Hantavirus?
a. Bats
b. Rats
c. Humans
d. Chimpanzees
S-b
EXPLANATION-
• Hantavirus or Orthohantavirus is an old family of viruses, which mainly spreads through rodents or rats. It can cause various diseases including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). It can also cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
• It is transmitted when a person comes in direct contact with the droppings, urine, saliva or nesting of a rodent that has the virus. The virus enters the human body through eyes, nose or mouth.
3. Which of the following has launched the Whatsapp Coronavirus Information Hub?
a. World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and WhatsApp
b. World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Facebook
c. World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and WhatsApp
d. UNICEF, UNESCO, and WhatsApp
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• As the name suggests, WhatsApp Coronavirus Information Hub is an information hub designed to help users stay connected with friends and family during the pandemic while also providing them with a reliable source of information.
• The World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) partnered with WhatsApp and launched two initiatives.
• The first initiative is the global launch of the Whatsapp Coronavirus Information Hub, while the second initiative is the enhancement of fact-checking network to counter fake news and rumours about coronavirus.
• WhatsApp also donated $1 million to the Poynter Institute's International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), which will be used to fund the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, a group which includes 100 local organizations in over 45 countries.
4. Which of the following is the first state to impose curfew?
a. Punjab
b. Haryana
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Andhra Pradesh
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• The Punjab government imposed a curfew to stop the spread of coronavirus, making it the first state to take the drastic measure.
• Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced the curfew as people were defying the lockdown imposed in the state.
• The deputy commissioners have been asked to issue the necessary orders. Perhaps for the first time after almost three decades, a full curfew has been ordered in Punjab.
5. What is the contribution made by Maldives to COVID-19 Emergency relief fund?
a. USD 200,000
b. USD 10,000
c. USD 1,00,000
d. USD 5,00,000
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Maldives pledged USD 200,000 contribution to the SAARC Corona Emergency Fund proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an initial offer of USD 10 million from India to help combat the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic in the region.
• Welcoming Prime Minister Modi for creating the emergency and relief fund, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said the country will join the initiative to tackle the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Nepal and Bhutan pledged nearly USD one million and USD 100,000 respectively to the SAARC Corona Emergency Fund.
• Founded in 1985, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
