Long covid infection linked with risk of 'face blindness', warns new study

News Network
March 21, 2023

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New Delhi, Mar 21: Prolonged symptoms of Covid-19 may be associated with difficulty recognising faces, a little-known condition called face blindness, and navigational problems, according to a study.

Previous studies have shown that Covid-19 can cause a range of neurological problems, including the loss of smell and taste, and impairments in attention, memory, speech, and language, known as "brain fog".

The latest research, published in the journal Cortex, is the first to report prosopagnosia, or face blindness, following symptoms consistent with Covid-19.

The condition that can make people fail to recognise familiar faces, has been estimated to affect between 2 and 2.5 per cent of people in the world.

The researchers assessed the case of Annie, a 28-year-old customer service representative and part-time portrait artist in the US, who was diagnosed with Covid-19 in March 2020 and suffered a symptom relapse two months later.

"When I first met Annie, she told me that she was unable to recognise the faces of her family," said Marie-Luise Kieseler, a graduate student at Dartmouth College in the US, adding Annie now relies on voices to recognise people.

Annie also experienced navigational deficits after having Covid-19. She has had difficulty remembering where particular sections in her grocery store are and relies on Google maps and its pin function to remember where she parks her car.

“The combination of prosopagnosia and navigational deficits that Annie had is something that caught our attention because the two deficits often go hand in hand after somebody either has had brain damage or developmental deficits,” said study senior author Brad Duchaine, a professor at Dartmouth.

"That co-occurrence is probably due to the two abilities depending on neighbouring brain regions in the temporal lobe," Duchaine said in a statement.

Dr. Vinit Suri, Senior Consultant, Neurology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi noted that the exact mechanisms by which long Covid may cause face blindness are not yet fully understood, but there are several possible explanations.

"Firstly, long Covid can cause a range of neurological symptoms which may affect the brain regions responsible for face recognition, causing difficulty in processing visual information and recognising familiar faces," Suri told PTI.

"Secondly, Covid-19 can cause inflammation and damage to the blood vessels, which can lead to reduced blood flow to the brain. This can cause brain damage and cognitive impairments, including face blindness," he added.

The research team conducted a series of tests with Annie to evaluate her problems with face recognition and determine whether she also has difficulties with other perceptual or cognitive abilities.

In one test, Annie was sequentially presented with 60 images of celebrity faces and was asked to name them. Annie correctly identified 29 per cent of the 48 celebrities whom she was familiar with as compared to most people, who can correctly identify 84 per cent of familiar celebrities.

The second test was a doppelganger test. Annie was shown a celebrity's name and then presented with images of two faces: the face of a celebrity and that of someone similar, and was then asked to identify which face was the famous person.

She identified the celebrity in 69 per cent of the 58 trials, as compared to 87 per cent in the control group.

"Our results from the test with unfamiliar faces show that it wasn't just that Annie couldn’t recall the name or biographical information of a famous person that she was familiar with, but she really has trouble learning new identities," said Kieseler.

The research team also obtained self-reported data from 54 individuals who had long Covid with symptoms for 12 weeks or more, and 32 persons who had reported that they had fully recovered from Covid-19.

Most respondents with long Covid reported that their cognitive and perceptual abilities had decreased since they had Covid.

"It was not just a small concentration of really impaired cases but a broad majority of people in the long Covid group reported noticeable difficulties doing things that they were able to do before contracting Covid-19 without any problems," Kieseler said.

"Our study highlights the sorts of perceptual problems with face recognition and navigation that can be caused by Covid-19 -- it is something that people should be aware of, especially physicians and other health care professionals,” Duchaine added.

Dr. Atul Prasad, Principal Director & HOD Neurology, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi said this is the first report of long Covid causing prosopagnosia.

"The more we study the virus, the more we realise how much damage it can cause during acute infection and now after infection has settled," Prasad told PTI.

Suri noted that that not all people with long Covid will develop face blindness, and the severity and duration of symptoms can vary widely.

"Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between long Covid and face blindness and to develop effective treatments and interventions for those affected," he added. 

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News Network
April 1,2025

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As the new financial year begins, several significant financial and tax-related changes take effect from April 1, 2025. Many of these updates were announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2025 and have now been officially approved as part of the Finance Bill 2025.

Some of the key changes include income tax exemption on annual earnings up to Rs 12 lakh, deactivation of UPI for long-unused mobile numbers, and suspension of dividend payouts for individuals who haven’t linked their PAN with Aadhaar. Below is a comprehensive look at all the important updates.

1. Income Tax Exemption & New Tax Slabs
Under the revamped tax regime:
✅ Individuals earning up to Rs 12 lakh per year will be completely exempt from income tax.
✅ For salaried employees, a standard deduction of Rs 75,000 raises the effective tax-free limit to Rs 12.75 lakh.
✅ To claim a rebate of up to Rs 60,000, taxpayers must file their returns on time.
✅ The new tax structure applies to income earned between April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026, and will be reflected in ITR filings for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27).

2. Major Changes in TDS & TCS Rules
To provide tax relief and streamline transactions, several TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) and TCS (Tax Collected at Source) amendments have been introduced:
🔹 TDS on bank interest for senior citizens has doubled from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
🔹 TDS on dividend income has increased to Rs 10,000.
🔹 TCS on overseas remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) has been raised from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

3. UPI Deactivation for Inactive Mobile Numbers
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will start unlinking UPI IDs associated with inactive mobile numbers. If your number has been inactive for a long period:
🔸 Your bank may remove it from their records.
🔸 You could face disruptions in Google Pay, PhonePe, or any UPI-based transactions.
🔸 This change enhances security by preventing unauthorized access to old UPI-linked accounts.

4. New GST Rules
Several Goods and Services Tax (GST) updates take effect:
🔹 Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is now mandatory for logging into the GST portal, improving online security.
🔹 E-way bills can only be generated for documents issued within the last 180 days, ensuring better compliance.
🔹 Hotel room tariffs above Rs 7,500 per day are now classified as "Specified Premises," attracting an 18% GST on restaurant services.

5. Toll Tax Hike Across National Highways
From April 1, 2025, toll charges across various highways will increase:
🚗 Delhi-Meerut Expressway, NH-9: Toll for cars will rise by Rs 5 to Rs 170.
🚛 Trucks and buses will now pay Rs 580 on major highways.
🚗 Delhi-Jaipur Highway: The Kherki Daula toll plaza will maintain current rates for cars, but the monthly pass for larger vehicles will rise by Rs 20 to Rs 950.

6. End of Equalisation Levy on Digital Transactions
The Finance Act 2025 removes the Equalisation Levy, which previously imposed a 2% tax on e-commerce and 6% on online advertisements. This change aims to:
✅ Reduce tax burden on digital service providers.
✅ Attract foreign investments in India’s digital economy.

7. Positive Pay System for Cheque Payments
To prevent bank fraud, the Positive Pay System requires account holders to:
✅ Electronically submit cheque details for payments above Rs 50,000.
✅ Ensure the details match before the cheque is processed.

8. KYC Mandatory for Mutual Fund & Demat Accounts
🔹 KYC (Know Your Customer) verification is now compulsory for mutual fund and demat accounts.
🔹 Nominee details will also undergo re-verification to enhance security.

9. Major Credit Card Perk Reductions
Credit card users will see major perk reductions, particularly with SBI, IDFC First, and Axis Bank:
❌ SBI Cards will remove complimentary insurance coverage for accidents (Rs 50 lakh for air, Rs 10 lakh for rail).
❌ Reward points on SBI Cards will be slashed from 15% to just 5%.
❌ IDFC First Club Vistara cardholders will lose milestone benefits and Club Vistara Silver membership perks.
❌ Axis Bank is discontinuing Maharaja Club tier memberships and premium vouchers.

10. Minimum Balance Rules for Bank Accounts
📌 Major banks like SBI, PNB, and Canara Bank have updated their minimum balance requirements based on account location:
🏙 Urban branches will require higher minimum balances.
🏡 Rural and semi-urban accounts may have lower minimum balance thresholds.
🚨 Failing to maintain the required balance will result in penalty charges, varying by bank.

11. Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for Government Employees
The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), introduced in August 2024, takes effect:
✅ Central government employees under NPS can opt for UPS.
✅ Those with at least 25 years of service will receive 50% of their average basic salary as a monthly pension.

Final Thoughts

These changes, introduced as part of the Union Budget 2025, mark a significant shift in India's tax, banking, and digital transaction landscape. With higher tax exemptions, updated TDS & TCS rules, stricter banking security, and GST amendments, the new financial year aims to simplify compliance while improving financial security and economic efficiency.

Stay informed and ensure all necessary updates to your financial accounts to avoid disruptions.

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Agencies
March 26,2025

The airstrikes led by the United States have killed at least 25 civilians in Yemen over the past week, marking the deadliest week of bombing on the country since the final months of the Washington-backed Saudi war in January 2022.

In a report released on Tuesday, the Yemen Data Project said the 25 civilians were the victims of 38 US-led aerial assaults on March 15-21, adding that 28 people were also injured in the attacks.

The independent tracker also said that 21 out of the 38 US air raids hit non-military, civilian targets.

“Civilian targets hit included: a medical storage facility, a medical center, a school, a wedding hall, residential areas, a cotton gin facility, a health office, Bedouin tents, and Al-Eiman University,” it said.

The deadliest US strike in the first week of US bombing campaign struck a residential area in Yemen’s northwestern Sa'ada province, killing 10 civilians and wounding 11 others, among them children.

The US began bombing Yemen on March 15, a few days after Yemen resumed its operation against Israeli-linked ships in response to Israel’s Gaza aid blockade that violated a ceasefire with the Hamas resistance group.

The Yemeni Armed Forces began their anti-Israel naval campaign in November 2023, a month after the occupying regime waged a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The Yemeni forces halted their attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians in January, when Israel accepted a three-phase Gaza ceasefire.

Two months later, however, Israel unilaterally broke the Gaza truce and resumed its brutal onslaught on the besieged territory.

On Tuesday, Yemeni media reported 17 US strikes on Sa'ada and two more on the nearby 'Amran province.

The reports said American warplanes carried out "aggressive air raids... causing material damage to citizens' property," but gave no details of casualties.

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News Network
March 28,2025

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When the ground violently shook beneath his feet, Prem Kishore Mohanty, an Indian expatriate in Bangkok, was attending his five-year-old daughter's school sports day. What began as a routine event—children competing, parents cheering—quickly turned into a moment of panic as tremors struck.

"I felt my head spinning and had to sit down. The overhead lights swayed, and chairs moved," said Mr. Mohanty, 44. The school's PA system quickly announced an emergency evacuation, directing everyone to the outdoor field while warning against using nearby lanes lined with high-rise towers.

Water from rooftop swimming pools, including those at the InterContinental Bangkok, cascaded down buildings, as captured in viral videos.

Fear and Chaos as Bangkok Shakes
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter in Myanmar, sent powerful tremors into Thailand, bringing Bangkok to an abrupt standstill. Public transport was suspended, traffic snarled, and people evacuated buildings, waiting anxiously for the all-clear.

Earthquakes are rare in Bangkok, a city more accustomed to heat and monsoons than seismic shocks. For the Mohanty family, who live in a high-rise apartment in Sukhumvit, confusion and fear gripped them as the evacuation began.

"It was terrifying. We were told to take the fire escape stairwell and wait outside. There was no time to think," Mr. Mohanty recalled.

Now safe, he remains shaken by the unexpected jolt that turned a normal day into a moment of chaos for his family and thousands across the city.

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