Week 44

Cyclone ☔

May 22, 2021

Good Morning,

Welcome! I hope you have your “Subah Kee Chai” ready and you're excited to read your weekly 10-minute digest.  

This week saw a major cybersecurity incident at Air India, Cyclone Yaas, and the rise of Black Fungus cases! If you are not aware of what is happening in Palestine, check out my podcast, where my friends and I share our opinions on the situation. I hope you enjoy your Sunday! :)

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Now let’s get into the news.

Markets

Markets 

finished the week positively with a strong performance on Friday led by gains in banking stocks. Equity index BSE Sensex jumped on Friday rising more than 900 points or 1.97%. Similarly, the Nifty 50 rose by 250 points or 1.81%. SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC, and Induslnd Bank were among the top gainers on Friday, with their shares rising by 4.98%. Surprisingly, the market did not suffer from any severe losers as most stocks remained stagnant or in the green! Shares of the government-owned SBI (State Bank of India) rose nearly 5% after the lender reported an 80% rise in fourth-quarter profits. Investor sentiment was also high as India's new reported cases of COVID-19 remained below the 3,00,000 cases mark for a fifth straight day. According to market experts, equity markets may experience a rise as investors believe the lockdown restrictions in a number of states will start going away. Lastly, the price of gold and crude oil rose by almost 2% each, mirroring the positive market. 

COVID-19

Despite new

numbers becoming stagnant, a daily report of 3,00,000 cases is scary! In addition, the new COVID-19 variant (B1.617.2), or more commonly known as the 'Indian Variant' is extremely infectious, and has placed significant pressure on healthcare services in India. The rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in Delhi placed such a burden on the healthcare workers and facilities, that it forced a number of citizens to travel to neighboring states to receive medical treatment. 

On a positive note, and as per UK Government Study, two doses of the

are said to be 80% effective against the new COVID-19 variant. The Oxford/Astrazeneca Vaccine is also being produced by the Serum Institute of India as Covidshield and being administered among the adult population to protect them against the deadly virus. 

It is crucial for every individual to maintain social distancing, to wear a mask, and to ensure they are vaccinated when possible. Keeping yourself safe is keeping others safe as well! Stay safe, and keep others in mind! 

Air India ✈️

Data leak...😬

In a recent

incident, the personal data of 45 lakh Air India flyers worldwide was leaked! The entire personal database of Air India passengers registered over a period of nearly 10 years was hacked. 

Information such as passengers' names, date of birth, contact information, passport information, ticket information, Star Alliance membership information, and Air India frequent flyer data was leaked. Shockingly, Air India also confirmed that the credit and debit card details of affected users were also leaked! Fortunately, however, the CVV and CVC numbers of these cards are secured and have not been hacked, as they were not stored on the processors. 

If you have recently flown with Air India, or are a frequent flyer on their program, you need to change all your account passwords immediately! This includes, and most importantly, passwords to your internet banking websites, debit, and credit card pins, and to payment services. If you want to play on the risk, and not go through the hassle of changing your passwords, it is extremely important to keep a check on your transactions to ensure none of your money is misused! 

DO NOT CLICK ON ANY RANDOM LINKS! Usually, after a data leak, hackers send SMS messages, or emails, that contain links that may seem legitimate, however, they are not. Please do not click on these links as that is exactly what the hacker wants! Do not entertain any unknown calls or social media messages as well. 

A lot of 'stay safes' today...but I guess that's just the world we live in. 🤷‍♂️

Stay safe and keep your data secure! 

Cyclone Yaas 😲

Monsoon Season

It's May and it's raining!? That's climate change folks! Opinions aside, surprisingly monsoon's come early this year, and in an intense way! As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD),

, a severe cyclonic storm, is scheduled to hit the east coast of India, in particular Odisha and West Bengal on the 26th of May. This week, Cyclone Tauktae hit the west coast of India in Gujarat and Maharashtra leaving a trail of destruction in a number of cities along the coast. 

In Mumbai, trees were uprooted, buildings collapsed, and a few, unfortunately, lost their lives in the rapidly rising floods. This trend of cyclones is following on from last year when Cyclone Amphan and Cyclone Nisarga hit both coasts of India causing a lot of destruction. 

My readers staying on the

. If you reside in a low-lying area (land near or at sea level), then it is recommended to evacuate. In addition, adequate stocks of woodgrains, drinking water, and other essential supplies are being arranged by the State Government. Eight food relief teams and four diving teams are also being kept on standby. The Indian Navy is also assisting in areas that may be most affected by the cyclone. Stay safe! 

Black Fungus! 

If COVID-19 was a problem, wait till you hear about this one...

! A fungal infection that is spreading rapidly across India and is supposedly observed in those recovering from COVID-19. So far, India has reported approximately 8,848 cases of 'mucormycosis', or more commonly known as black fungus! Seeing this rapid rise in black fungus cases, the Indian government has ramped up the supply of Amphotericin-B, a key drug used to treat symptoms of the infectious fungal disease. 

What is Mucormycosis? 

Mucormycosis, or black fungus, is a very rare but dangerously infectious disease caused by exposure to 'mucor mold', which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables. The infection targets the sinus, the brain, and the lungs, and can be life-threatening to individuals who suffer from diabetes and other health conditions. The disease has a 50% mortality rate!

What are the symptoms? 

The symptoms of the black fungus depend on where the fungus is spreading in your body. If the fungus is affecting your sinus and your brain, common symptoms include: 

1. One-sided face swelling 

2. Headaches

3. Nasal or Sinus Congestion 

4. Fever

If the fungus is affecting your lungs, common symptoms include: 

1. Shortness of Breath 

2. Chest pain 

3. Cough 

Other symptoms that one can experience are nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, stomach ulcers, etc.

What to do if you experience any of the above symptoms?

If you believe you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, and suspect that you may be suffering from the 'black fungus', then it is essential to seek medical advice immediately and to be prescribed the antifungal medicine (Amphotericin-B).  

It is extremely important to stay safe! Keep maintaining your distance, keep wearing a mask! I hope this short infographic helped! Stay safe :) 

Other News

1. India will begin the production of the

COVID-19 vaccine in August and is set to produce 850 million doses of the vaccine. 

2. India's

jumped 22.7% in April after Reliance Industries Ltd. and its partner BP Plc ramped up their production. 

3.

has extended its flight ban on direct flights from India and Pakistan until the 21st of June. 

4. On Saturday,

said that it will resume production at all its manufacturing plants in India from the 24th of May. 

5. Luckily for the first time in the week, the

remained unchanged, hinting at signs of a pause in global oil demand. 

Quiz

Quiz time! This one took me a while to figure out too! 

What is a liquid at room temperature in its original state but solidifies when heated?

Think think think! 

See you next week!

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Quiz Answer: An Egg! 

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Written by: Adnan Bahrainwala (Founder of Subah Kee Chai)