2020: Year of Corona Virus

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Corona Virus Facts
2020 was the year the corona virus (also known as the Chinese virus) wreaked havoc on every human community across the planet. It landed a devastating blow to the global economy by plunging it into the worst recession the world has ever seen. 

The year 2020 will be remembered in the future as the year everything changed.

The questions relating to the corona virus will be a major topic for various upcoming competitive exams like PSC, UPSC, IBPS PO/Clerk, etc considering its importance on every human life.

Interesting Facts About Corona Virus

  • Former names – Novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV.
  • Virus – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, RNA virus).
    • Covid 1 – SARS virus.
    • MERS-nCoV.
  • Officially named by – ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses).
    • Founded by – André Michel Lwoff (1966).
    • Renamed Novel Coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.
  • The name "Corona" is derived from – Latin (meaning crown).
    • When viewed under the microscope, the structure of the virus is similar to that of a crown.
  • Origin – From bats (believed to be the agent of transmission).
  • First human coronaviruses were identified in – 1960's (229E & OC43).
  • First reported in – Wuhan (December 2019, Hubei Province, China).
  • Most affected country – USA.
  • WHO renamed Novel Coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2 on – February 11, 2020.
  • WHO declared COVID 19 as a pandemic on – March 11, 2020.
  • Corona Virus affects primarily which part of the human body – Lungs.
  • The test used for the detection of coronavirus – RT - PCR.
  • The word "Quarantine" was derived from – Italian (quaranta giorni, meaning 40 days).
  • AI bot deployed for automatically detecting symptoms of Covid 19 – Clara (Microsoft jointly with US CDC).
  • First Country to withdraw from 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games – Canada.
  • 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games was postponed to – July 23-August 8, 2021.
  • Germany's wage supporting scheme for combating Covid 19 – Kurzarbeit.
  • More than 700 people in which country died as a result of the misinformation that drinking methanol containing products can cure Covid – Iran.
  • First royal who died of COVID – 19 – Princess Maria Teresa (Spain).
  • Which country's parliament passed the "Coronavirus Protection Act" in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and fake news but landed in a quagmire? Hungary (Controversy erupted when the public thought that it was not only limiting free speech and freedom of journalists but also power was going to be centered in the hands of the Prime minister).
  • The country which conducted parliamentary during the coronavirus pandemic – Serbia.
  • Which country's Prime Minister hosted the virtual Global Vaccine Summit 2020 – UK.
  • First Country to test COVID Vaccine in humans – Russia.
    • Vaccine – Sputnik-V (developed by Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology).
  • The Covid vaccine (Moderna vaccine) on a trial basis in USA was administered to – Jennifer Haller.
  • Name the country that shares AI-based technology, high-end equipment with AIIMS (India) to help combat COVID-19 – Israel.
  • The high-pressure ventilator developed by NASA (US space agency) to fight COVID-19 – VITAL.
  • First Country to demand investigation origin of corona virus in UN – Australia.
  • The first country to eliminate/control the spread of corona virus – New Zealand.
  • The organization that released the report "Children in monetary poor households and COVID-19: Technical Note" – UNICEF.
  • In which UN's publication, the UN predicts that "Around 23.8 Million Children May Drop Out of School Due to the Impacts of COVID-19 in the year 2021"– Policy Brief: Education during COVID-19 and beyond.
  • The organization that published the report 'COVID-19 Crisis: Through a Migration Lens' – World Bank.

Corona Virus & India

  • First State in India to report a Corona case – Kerala (Thrissur).
  • First State in India to declare Covid 19 as an epidemic – Haryana.
  • First State to impose section 144 go under complete Lockdown in India – Rajasthan (March 22).
  • First district in India to report coronavirus – Thrissur (Kerala).
  • First State to demand plasma therapy – Kerala.
  • First Plasma bank of India – Delhi.
  • Which Indian state reported the first death related to coronavirus – Karnataka.
  • India’s first Quarantine center for animals – Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand).
  • Name the medication that India exported to the USA – Hydroxychloroquine.
  • Indian Government allocated how much amount as a relief package for the Country's self-reliance – AatmaNirbhar Bharat, the ₹ 20 lakh crore package (10% of GDP).
  • Who wrote the song 'Jayatu Jayatu Bharatam – Vasudev Kutumbakkam' to increase the nation's will power and to evoke the spirit of self-reliance among Indians to combat COVID-19 pandemic – Prasoon Joshi.
    • Composed by – Shankar Mahadevan.
    • Over 211 singers joined the initiative.
  • The Indian state that moved a proposal to Promulgate Ordinance to Enhance Punishment for Non-Compliance of Covid-19 regulations – Odisha.
  • Which Indian state imposed banned on packaged food items made in China, Myanmar, and other Southeast Asian countries? Manipur.
  • Which state has banned the entry of people from Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus? Karnataka.

Covid 19 Schemes, Initiatives & Apps

  • The coronavirus tracking app of India – Aarogya Setu.
  • Self Declaration Covid-19 Mobile App was launched by – Nagaland.
  • "WashKaro", an app to warn about COVID-19 was developed by – IIIT Delhi.
  • The campaign started by the Indian Army to combat the spread of Coronavirus – Operation Namaste.
  • The app released by the state of Punjab for coronavirus awareness – COVA (Corona Virus Alert) Punjab.
  • Toll-free no. of Kerala Govt. for Corona related queries –1056.
  • Kerala launched a vehicle for rapid screening of COVID-19 symptoms – Tiranga.
  • Name of the Kerala Government's project to aid Corona infected patients – Disha.
  • Sports Authority of India (SAI) has deposited how much amount each to 2,749 Khelo India athletes as out of pocket allowance amid the COVID-19 lockdown in May 2020? ₹ 30,000.
  • The state that has organized a webinar under Know Your Scheme-Lecture Series on "Van Dhan Yojana: Learning For Post Covid-19" in association with TRIFED, to help the tribal people – Rajasthan.
  • SUKOON'- COVID-19 Beat the Stress is an initiative of which state to combat the psychological impact of lockdown due to coronavirus –Jammu & Kashmir.
  • The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has a research collaboration with which Hyderabad-based company to develop a COVID-19 vaccine – Bharat Biotech International Ltd.
  • Kerala's campaign to contain the spread of coronavirus – Break The Chain Campaign.
  • Chairpersons of Science and Technology Empowered Committee for COVID-19 (STECC-19), to make speedy decisions on research and development of COVID-19 – Vinod Paul & K. Vijay Raghavan.

We tried to include as many GK questions as possible in this post regarding coronavirus and the Covid 19 and we'll be updating more about the vaccines after their experimental phase is over in India.

📝SideNotes:

  • AI – Artificial Intelligence.
  • CDC – Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • WHO – World Health Organization.
  • SARS – Cats to human beings.
  • MERS – Camels to humans.
  • Zoonotic – Diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans.
  • Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India – K. Vijay Raghavan.