The Hindu Editorial (New questions) – Feb 06, 2021

The results of the ICMR’s third serological survey to ascertain the spread of COVID-19 show that nearly one in five Indians — about 270 million — may have been infected. For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (New questions) – Feb 06, 2021.

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The Hindu Editorial (New questions) – Feb 06, 2021:

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (noun) – the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. As early as in 1911, the Government of India set up the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. It was redesignated in 1949 as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
serological (adjective) – relating to a method of diagnostic examination of blood serum concerning immune system’s response to pathogens (pathogen is something, like bacteria/virus, that causes disease).
relevance (noun) – significance, importance.
vaccination (noun) – treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.
ascertain (verb) – find out, understand, recognize, get to know.
headline (adjective) – important, significant, extraordinary, striking.
granular (adjective) – detailed, precise, minute.
course (noun) – track, direction, way.
make public (phrase) – announce, communicate, make known, disseminate.
peer-reviewed (adjective) – relating to a process by which something research or publication is evaluated by a group of experts in the appropriate field.
journal (noun) – periodical, publication, magazine, newsletter.
so far (phrase) – until now, up to the present, up to this point.
three-fold (adverb) – having three parts; three times (as greater).
five-fold (adverb) – five times (as greater).
paramedical (adjective) – relating to health-care workers (nursing, radiography, emergency first aid, physiotherapy, and dietetics) who provide clinical services to patients under the supervision of a physician (doctor).
significantly (adverb) – notably, importantly, informatively, revealingly, indicatively.
serology (noun) – a method of diagnostic examination of blood serum concerning immune system’s response to pathogens (pathogen is something, like bacteria/virus, that causes disease). (serum is an amber (yellowish-orange), watery fluid, rich in proteins, obtained from blood that has coagulated whereas plasma is a clear yellowish fluid part of the blood, contains blood clotting agents-Fibrinogen).
modelling (noun) – the modelling of infectious diseases is a tool that has been used to study the mechanisms by which diseases spread, to predict the future course of an outbreak and to evaluate strategies to control an epidemic.
conservative (adjective) – low, cautious, unexaggerated, moderate, reasonable.
hue (noun) – type, kind; aspect, nature.
point to (verb) – indicate, suggest, denote.
coronavirus (CoV) (noun) – a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. (Courtesy: WHO)
pointer (noun) – indication, hint, signal.
speed up (phrasal verb) – accelerate, expedite, hurry up.
herd immunity (noun) – also known as “population immunity”; it refers to a means (ways) of protecting a whole community from disease by immunizing a critical mass of its populace (population). It is also defined as a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population are immune to an infection, thereby providing a measure of protection for individuals who are not immune.
locale (noun) – place, area.
thereby (adverb) – as a result of that.
retard (verb) – delay, slow down, slow up, hold back, decelerate.
derive (verb) – obtain, get, take.
emphasise (verb) – draw attention to, put stress on, underscore, highlight.
potentially (adverb) – possibly, probably, likely.
vulnerable (adjective) – relating to a weak/neglected person who is in need of special care/support/protection; ill-protected, easily affected by, prone to, at risk of.
underscore (verb) – underline, emphasize, highlight.
vaccinate (verb) – inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease).
social/physical distancing (noun) – a term means actively avoiding crowded public places, is a key element in decreasing the rapid spread of COVID-19. This is an effort intended to limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings.
mask up (phrasal verb) – to wear a mask (face covering).
antibody (noun) – it is also called ‘immunoglobulin’; a protective protein produced mainly by plasma (blood) cells in the immune system in response to the presence of antigens (disease causing organisms (bacteria & viruses) and other harmful/toxic foreign substances like insect venom).
persist (verb) – continue, carry on, keep going.
variant (noun) – different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).
given (preposition) – considering, taking into account, bearing in mind.
vaccine (noun) – a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.
round the corner (phrase) – coming soon, coming up, approaching, forthcoming.
immune (adjective) – resistant (from the effects of something).
accelerate (verb) – increase, rise, escalate.
trial (noun) – test, pilot study, experiment (phase 1, 2,3, and or human/clinical trial).
on someone’s mind (phrase) – when someone says something is “on my mind” that he/she is thinking about it a lot.
alongside (preposition) – together with.
drive (noun) – campaign, movement, effort, push.
spectrum (noun) – wide range, gamut, ambit (of something with two extreme points).