Will COVID-19 Spread Through Mosquitoes?

As the temperature continued to rise, mosquitoes began to appear in many places. Because mosquitoes suck blood and are the vectors of many diseases, many people start to worry that if mosquitoes inhale the blood of COVID-19 patients or hidden infectious patients, and then bite healthy people, will they be able to spread the disease? Is it possible for mosquito bites to become a new way of spreading COVID-19?

Currently, it is known that the routes of transmission of COVID-19 are mainly direct transmission, aerosol transmission and contact transmission. In general, according to the WHO and the CDCs, there is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus, are able to be transmitted by mosquito bites.

In general, the viruses that can be transmitted by mosquitoes are “human mosquito symbiosis”, such as dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika fever. It is because these viruses can survive and reproduce in the mosquitoes, so they will spread to others through bites, while SARS-CoV-2 is a genus of beta coronavirus that can only infect vertebrates, and mosquitoes are invertebrates.

If the mosquito bites, the “mouth” is contaminated with the patient’s blood, will it be brought into the next bite? This possibility is also extremely low. First of all, the amount of blood that can be contaminated by mosquito mouthparts is narrow, and the concentration of virus in the blood is also very low, so the chance of getting the virus is very small. Second, mosquitoes generally do not attack the next prey quickly after the first bite, but instead find a place to hide and digest for a while. This process usually takes at least two days, after two days, and the virus has lost its activity. Therefore, the possibility of mosquito bites spreading SARS-CoV-2 is minimal.

Since mosquito bites cannot transmit the virus, how can we protect ourselves from other sources? It requires not only strong medical treatment, but also the patient’s own good immunity. However, it may be difficult to quickly improve immunity in the short term. The following three methods can help the body adjust immunity.

First, strengthen the protection, which means staying at home is the best protection at current time. If you need to go to a crowded and poorly ventilated place, such as taking public transportation or going to a hospital, you must wear a mask correctly. Wash your hands frequently, and don’t touch your face with dirty hands are also proved to be effective. Second, be sure to get a good night’s sleep. Staying up late has an immediate effect on the destruction of the human immune system. Staying up late will affect the body’s circadian clock, thus affect the immune system’s response ability and defense ability, so in such a special period, it is important to ensure 7-8 hours of good sleep every day. Finally, keep a positive attitude. Tension, restlessness, anxiety, these psychological changes will affect the immunity through the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system, and the immune system’s ability to resist pathogens will be reduced, then the body is more vulnerable to infection. At the same time, severe psychological changes can also cause many physical and mental diseases, such as insomnia, headache, blood pressure fluctuations, stomach upset, intestinal dysfunction, etc. These diseases will further weaken the body’s resistance.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, scientists around the world have mobilized various forces to devote themselves to the development of antiviral drugs or SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. With the development of R&D process, it seems that the victory of fighting against the virus is in the near future.

Supply Chain 2020 Vision – Part 3: The Future is Now

In this third part of our look into the supply chain trends that will shape the industry next year, experts share how organizations can always be prepared for what lies ahead. Check out parts 1 and 2 for more of their predictions.

Ahead of the Game

The year ahead will be filled with opportunities and challenges for supply chains, and predictions 365 days from now may look very different than the expert outlooks presented above. Still, there are some reliable and unwavering principles organizations can keep in mind as they develop strategies and keep up with trends.

“People have to stay educated, open to listening to new trends and ideas, spotting new trends and directions they should be going,” says Rosemary Coates, Executive Director of Reshoring Institute. “It’s paying attention, reading stuff, attending conferences, educating everybody in the supply chain.”

Lynn Smith, Vice President of Supply Chain Management at Katalyst Technologies, agrees, suggesting attending trade shows such as next year’s MODEX in Atlanta and ProMat in Chicago in 2021. Reading industry publications will also improve awareness. “There’s a lot of good trades out there that keep you abreast of what’s going on within the execution market, especially what type of new equipment becomes available,” he says.

2020 and Beyond

“Your focus should be on where you are versus where you need to be,” says Davielle Panzullo, Senior Logistics Manager at Verizon Wireless. “As you continuously hit your target, [determine] how to forecast for the next target, and where to identify the shortfalls.” She also emphasizes making sure that those at the top of the chain are knowledgeable not just in managing a supply chain but in leading their employees. “They’ve got to be agile in technology, but having technology is only part of it. The bigger part of it is training and teaching the workers what their value is and really developing a culture where they are engaged.”

For Stephen Hopper, founder of Atlanta-based Inviscid Consulting, one of the biggest keys to success is remaining forward-thinking even in the face of economic challenges. “It seems to me that every time we hit a recession, businesses slam on the brakes and it becomes not about advancing the ball, but about playing defense and just trying to stay where they are and be profitable, rather than trying to push the envelope and become much more competitive,” he says. “The CEO and the CFO at the end of the day, they’re worried about the bottom line…realistically and conservatively, what is going to bring them the best bang for their buck?”

Taking full advantage of data, utilizing technology, carefully analyzing manufacturing and distribution strategies, and rethinking old, outdated practices will help companies find the best bang for their buck and the most efficient methods of operation. “You don’t start with a solution, you start with a problem, and then you look for the right solution for that problem,” Hopper says. “But the bottom line is the solutions for that problem have evolved, and they’ve gotten better, and they’ve gotten cheaper, and they can be implemented much faster than they used to be.”

Katalyst Can Help

Does your organization need help finding these solutions? The supply chain experts at Katalyst are ready to help. Whether you are looking for innovative supply chain software, such as our Celero WMS, schedule a consultation to make sure you stay competitive and prepared for 2020 and beyond.

Market Continues to Descent; Havells Q2 Result Beats, Maruti Missed Estimates

Nifty gapped lower this morning, following global cues. After finding support near 11,600, Nifty moved 100 points off-lows in the first hour itself. After trading with modest losses, Nifty slipped in the second half and closed 50bps lower. VIX has increased to 24 from a low of 17 at the start of October. Nifty is trading at 1% and 9% above its 50- and 200-DMA, respectively. On the sectoral front, barring Nifty IT (+0.3%), all other indices closed in the red. The selling pressure was not just concentrated in one sector. Nifty Auto, Bank, Financial Services, Pharma, Metal, and FMCG closed 50–100bps lower. Of 2,213 stocks traded, 649 advanced, 1,169 declined, and the rest remained unchanged.

Looking forward, we would like Nifty to reclaim its 21-DMA. If it fails to reclaim the 21-DMA, 50-DMA (11,542) can act as strong support. We will continue to monitor general conditions and the behavior of leading stocks, looking for evidence that a real move is commencing. During this time, one should look for stocks with quality fundamentals, RS line trending higher, and breaking out from consolidation areas.

Key News

Laurus Labs (+2.3%): Q2 FY21 revenue increased 60% y/y to Rs 1,139 crore. PAT was up 329% y/y to Rs 242.2 crore, while margin expanded 1,350bps y/y to 32.8%.

Bank Of Baroda (+2.3%) Q2 FY21 results came above estimates. Asset quality also improved. GNPA down 25bps q/q to 9.14% and NNPA down 32bps q/q to 2.51%.

Havell’s India (-0.5%) Q2 FY21 results beat estimates on all fronts. Revenue increased 10.2% y/y to Rs 2,459 crore. PAT was up 82% y/y to Rs 326 crore. Margin expanded 660bps y/y to 17.1%.

Maruti Suzuki India (-1%) Q2 FY21 results missed estimates on all fronts. Revenue increased 10.1% y/y to Rs 18,744 crore. PAT was up 1% y/y to Rs 1,371 crore. Margin expanded 86bps y/y to 10.32%.