Learning@Unmukt
| COVER STORY | COVID Survivors – Symbols of Hope
A couple shares their fight with COVID-19….read more →
| TAKE FIVE | Moving from Real to Reel
A filmmaker talks about her debut film around senior citizens….read more →
| UNMUKT RECOMMENDS |
Live a Little
Howard Jacobson’s latest novel is about a nonagenarian couple who falls in love….read more →
Philosophy of Minimalism
Wondering what to watch on Netflix next? We recommend a documentary on minimalism….read more
| NEWSBRIEFS |
Study on Impact of BCG Vaccine on COVID-19
The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR-NIRT) has initiated a multi-centric study to see if tuberculosis vaccine, Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG), can reduce the severity of Covid-19 among people aged 60 and above. The study is on people residing in hot spots for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease.
The study will involve around 1,000 healthy volunteers above 60 years of age in six states that have reported a high Covid-19 disease burden so far. The widely used BCG vaccine, which protects against childhood tuberculosis, could also prevent severe infection and deaths in some Covid-19 patients, concluded two peer-reviewed studies released recently. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi are the states where the ICMR-NIRT study has been planned, and where the trial subjects will be picked. The study will be done in collaboration with the Greater Chennai Corporation and the public health department In Tamil Nadu. (Source: Hindustan Times)
Animal Proteins and Ageing Muscles
New research shows that animal proteins are more effective than plant proteins in supporting the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass with advancing age. The research was recently presented, at The Physiological Society’s virtual early career conference Future Physiology 2020.
While we know plant-based diets are beneficial for the environment, we don’t actually know how healthy these diets are for keeping muscles strong in elderly people. Scientists usually agree on how the primary driver of muscle loss with age — at least in healthy individuals — is a reduction of muscle proteins being that are built from amino acids. However, simply transitioning from an animal-based protein diet to a plant-based diet, without adjusting total protein intake, will likely to be detrimental to muscle health during ageing. A more balanced and less extreme approach to changing dietary behaviour, meaning eating both animal and plant-based proteins, is best. (Source: Hindustan Times)
| SOCIAL MEDIA |
Mobility for all
Watch six innovators discuss about assisted tech in the webinar ‘Mobility Matters’
Tackling the Online World
Watch Aparna Thakker of Empowerji teachers the elderly how to navigate the digital landscape
BLOGS OF THE MONTH
Social Distancing in the Time of Covid
Read about how to make the best use of isolated living
Age-Related Memory Loss
Not every act of forgetfulness is an indication of onset of Dementia or Alzheimer’s