Oxford vaccine fails to shield monkeys from virus
- A high profile potential vaccine for COVID-19 being tested by researchers at Oxford University failed to protect vaccinated monkeys from being infected by the virus. However, the test animals appeared to be protected from pneumonia.
- The vaccine candidate, ChAdOx1 nCoV19, being tested is a weakened form of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that affects chimpanzees but has been neutered to prevent replication in humans.
- The Pune based Serum Institute announcing plans to manufacture a four to five million doses by May end. It is one of seven global institutions that will manufacture the vaccine developed by the Oxford Vaccine Group.
Odisha, West Bengal brace for Amphan
- The storm system in the Bay of Bengal, Amphan, developed into a super cyclone on Monday and is expected to make landfall along the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department.
- Windspeeds are expected to hit 240 kmph and extensive damage along the coast is expected in Odisha and West Bengal.
- Amphan is expected to bring “heavy to extremely heavy rainfall” over Gangetic West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rainfall over north coastal Odisha on May 19 and 20.
CBSE exam timetable released
- The Class 12 examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) postponed nationwide because of COVID-19 and Class 10 exams in northeast Delhi affected by riots will be held from July 1 to 15.
- Issuing safety instructions for the candidates, the CBSE said they should carry hand sanitizer in a transparent bottle, cover the mouth and nose with a mask or cloth and follow physical distancing norms. Parents should guide their children about the precautions to be taken and also ensure they are not sick.
- The Class 12 exams across the country will start with home economics on July 1, Hindi elective and Hindi core on July 2, informatics practices and computer science (both old and new) and information technology on July 7, business studies on July 9, biotechnology on July 10, geography on July 11 and sociology on July 14. For northeast Delhi district, the Class 12 physics exam will be held on July 3, accountancy on July 4, chemistry on July 6, English elective-n, English elective-c and English core on July 8, political science on July 14, and mathematics, economics, history and biology on July 15.
- The Class 10 exams in northeast Delhi will start on July 1 with social science. The exams for science theory and science without practical will be held on July 2, Hindi course-a and Hindi course-b on July 10, and English communicative and English language and literature on July 15.