# Covid vaccination

• The central government on monday allowed vaccination against the infection for all persons above the age of 18 from may 1.

• The decision was followed by a meeting between the Prime minister Narendra modi and pharmaceutical company representatives, doctors and union ministers.

• The phase 3 of the national vaccine strategy will enable vaccine manufacturers to sell half of their vaccines to the state government and the open market.

• Vaccine manufacturing companies can decide the price of vaccines sold to state governments and open markets.

# Second wave

• Leading doctors in the covid-19 management strategy said that there is no difference in mortality among covid-19 patients in the first and second waves.

• There was a relative increase in instances of those with shortness of breath as a symptom of the infection.

• ICMR chief Balram bhargava said 47% of the symptomatic patients presented ” shortness of breath” in second wave as compared with 41% in the first wave.

# S. Jaishankar UAE trip

• After returning from UAE S. Jaishankar said that India and UAE are focusing on post covid recovery.

• This UAE trip of S. Jaishankar drew attention because there was a speculation of talks between Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers.

• Pakistan’s foreign minister SY Qureishi is also in UAE on a foreign visit.

• Talks between Indian and Pakistani foreign minister is not confirmed yet.

# Ingenuity

• NASA successfully flew its tiny helicopter Ingenuity on Mars early on monday.

• Data and images from the autonomous flight were transmitted 278 KM back to earth where they were received by NASA ground station and processed three hours later.

• Ingenuity travelled to mars attached to the underside of perseverance.

# Sensex

• Sensex slided 1.8% on monday as the rapid spread of covid-19 infections.

• With the speculation of further restrictions by state government, sensex showed a downward trend.