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covid, covid-19, corona virus, corona vaccine, vaccination, immune

FACTS vs MYTHS on COVID-19 Vaccination

As India braces to lead the race in vaccination against COVID-19, there are still rumors lingering around if one should boldly step forward to take the jab. Listing a few of the common myths and facts surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines.

Myth 1: I will get COVID if I get vaccinated

Fact 1: You cannot get infected through vaccination. The mild fever post-vaccination is only a normal reaction of your body to the vaccine and not an infection.

Myth 2: I have been infected by COVID-19, I am immune now and do not need a vaccine.

Fact 2: The immunity you get from infection, called natural immunity is not consistent and doesn’t last long. Hence, getting vaccinated provides utmost protection from infection.

Myth 3: COVID-19 vaccines may not be safe to use as they were developed in a very short time.

Fact 3: COVID-19 vaccines have gone through various rounds of clinical trials and have been approved by the regulatory authorities before releasing it to public use. There are millions who are vaccinated now and there are no reports of serious side effects. Hence, it is absolutely safe to use.

Myth 4: After my vaccination, I need not wear a mask and maintain social distance.

Fact 4: Vaccination is a preventive measure; it is not a fool-proof solution. Hence it is essential is stay cautious as always by wearing masks, social distancing, and personal hygiene.

Myth 5: People with pre-existing medical conditions should not be vaccinated.

Fact 5: Some medical conditions are excluded from vaccination. However, many conditions are included from being vaccinated. Reach out to your doctor for any individual recommendation.

Myth 6: COVID-19 vaccines are not effective against corona mutants.

Fact 6: Medical council continues to monitor this closely. It is important to first get immunized with a vaccine. The COVID vaccines can be modified quickly to counter the varying new strains.

Myth 7: Getting the COVID vaccine causes severe side effects.

Fact 7: Minor side effects, which are common to any vaccine, such as mild fever, body ache, sore arm at the place of injection are seen even with the COVID vaccine. No major side effects are reported to date.

Myth 8: COVID-19 vaccine can affect a woman’s fertility.

Fact 8: COVID Vaccine will not affect fertility, it only increases the body’s immune response. Such a rumor set in when a false report was circulated on social media stating that the coronavirus spike protein was similar to the protein Syncitin-1, which aids in the growth and attachment of the placenta in pregnancy. These proteins are distinct and do not affect a woman’s fertility by any means. The Pfizer vaccine study included 23 women volunteers who became pregnant post-vaccination and did not report any loss.

If you still have any questions, reach out to your doctor for clarification.

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corona virus, corona, covid-19, covid, covid second wave

Combating the Second Wave of COVID 19

India sailed through the first wave between March 2020 to Sep 2020 and slowly showed a decline in the number of covid cases. However, again in February 2021, India began to see an exponential surge in the number of cases, owing to the second wave. The main reason for the second wave could be caused by new strains from the UK, South Africa, and double mutant.

The COVID second wave is very concerning as the new mutant is highly contagious and known to escape our antibodies. This mutant is known to affect all, regardless of their age and immunity. It is also called a super spreader and can rapidly spread to others in the community.

Common and New Symptoms:

Although the new strain causes new symptoms, that does not mean old symptoms do not exist. Along with the old symptoms such as loss of smell/taste, dryness in the throat, cough, and others, new ones would be.

Diarrhoea
Conjunctivitis
Vomiting
Headache

Keeping Yourself SAFE During This Wave

The safety precautions remain the same for the new double-mutated coronavirus as well. It spread through droplets from infected people and from contaminated surfaces.

Owing to the contagious nature of the virus, you should step out only if it is absolutely necessary.
Stay home as much as possible, avoid unnecessary gatherings and public places.
When you need to step out, ensure to wear dual masks, a surgical mask topped with an N95 mask.
Ensure to stay masked the whole time you are outside.
If you feel uncomfortable wearing double masks, you can wear an N95 mask and a face shield.
Sanitize your hands often when out of the home. Once returned, ensure to use an antibacterial disinfectant soap to wash off your hands.
When out maintain a minimum of 6-feet social distance from others. Never step into crowded zones.
If you are travelling by cab, do not turn on the AC. Wind the windows down to allow for maximum air circulation. Ensure that the cab driver is masked.
Wherever possible use stairs. Take the lift only if it is necessary and you need to reach the top floor of a multi-rise building. Lifts are a breeding place of COVID as it is a compact and closed area.
Ensure to educate children about COVID-19 and its effect, so that they will continue to stay home and will not step outside.

Above all the precautions, get VACCINATED as soon as you can. The vaccine reduces the chances of getting infected and even if infected, you will be at a lower risk. In case you observe any symptoms of COVID, immediately isolate yourself, book for a COVID test and reach out to your healthcare professional without further delay.

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work from home, work from home women, women workforce, women jobs, jobs for women,

Work from Home – Challenges for Women

The bat virus has significantly weakened the global economy and business structures and forced us to shift the work dynamics. Most of the people are working from home these days. Although working from home could reverse the dramatic fall in the female employment rate, it may cause gendered implications. Here in this blog, we will discuss some of the challenges of work from home for women and the best possible ways to overcome them.

According to recent stats, around 70% women are responsible for household chores and up to 60% of women hold the primary responsibility of caretaking. A lot of people may think that work from home for women offers much-needed flexibility but it is not completely true.

Depleting Motivation due to Divided Focus

Women carry out the majority of household responsibilities whereas men usually focus on professional work. At this crucial pandemic time of remote working, they have to face even more challenges than before. They have to cater to their family, prepare meals, manage many other roles along with accomplishing her salaried tasks, and that too all at once.

Struggle for Optimum Work Conditions

It is difficult to create optimum work conditions while working from home. The broadband might stop working, children’s online classes might compete for your attention, home deliveries and sudden repair works might suck up a significant amount of time.

Lack of Social Interaction

Most of the women are used to working with coworkers in the office environment with meaningful discussions, brainstorming sessions, extraordinary ideas, and a lot more. Work from home takes that away rendering the environment lonely and demotivating.

Over exhaustion

In a constant struggle to juggle different roles, women are feeling overburdened and stressed. After all, attending online meetings while taking care of the home needs is not easy to balance.

Some Solutions to Challenges of Remote Working for Women

· Organizations must understand that there is a difference between office and work from home settings so their goals and HR practices should be formulated accordingly.

· Women should do reliable planning and stick to their schedule.

· They must have a dedicated workspace and the right tools for collaborations.

· They can fight the feeling of being alone by staying in touch with their colleagues.

· Since physical illness, anxiety, and depression are very common during this pandemic time. Thus, it is essential to prioritize oneself. Women must spare some time for physical activity and meditation to ensure their well-being.

It is important to rise above the notion that only women are solely responsible to take care of all domestic chores. A working woman must speak her mind and assign responsibilities to each family member so that the burden doesn’t fall on her alone.

Working from home is an amazing option which has opened a myriad of opportunities for women who have sacrificed their career to take care of their family. However, choosing the right job, maintaining a perfect work-life balance and a supportive family will be the key to success.

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online education, online education system, online courses, remote learning programme, online learners

Online Education- How it Defines Learning for Individuals of All Ages?

Online education, prior to COVID pandemic, appealed mainly to the older individuals, especially those who wanted to continue their learning but had other commitments like jobs and families which made classroom education more daunting.

Education has the power to promote positive change in the society, improve lives and advance social equity. At times like these, when the global pandemic is spreading its claws and causing social unrest, education can help in bringing together individuals of varied backgrounds as well as opinions in a collaborative community to enable them to solve the problem they face.

With the pandemic now redefining the learning process, all students have become online learners, and the universities which already had online curriculums are benefitting the most.

Retool your Career with Online Education

Modern life is challenging and requires that you constantly keep educating yourself as technology changes. And, luckily, all the hard skills that you need to survive in a post pandemic work environment are available online. If anything, this pandemic has undoubtedly opened our eyes to remote learning possibilities for upskilling.

Traditional University Courses look Different

Most of the universities are now teaching their coursework virtually. Many learners with varied learning abilities or family caretaking responsibilities are finding this methodology advantageous.

Leverage this time to evolve your life

During this Covid time, while a lot of individuals have been spending time in front of a screen and enjoying with family, you can recreate your future by enrolling in a remote learning programme as per your suitability.

Individuals are increasingly turning to online education as: –

· Online education offers greater control over learning by allowing individuals to study at their own pace.

· A plethora of engaging multimedia content, greater access to the instructors and classmates through chat options contribute to retention metrics.

· Online courses include frequent assessments which enable the instructors in tracking progress of the students and intervene whenever required.

· As contrary to in-person learning programs, online education cuts costs significantly.

· The career advancement offerings of online education are vast

· Online education systems are accessible globally and can re-skill the employees from anywhere without sacrificing their career.

All in all, remote education is here to stay. It is a valuable addition to our learning methodologies, so investing in online learning is investing in a great future for all.

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work from home, pandemic, work from home jobs, online jobs, work assignments

Tips to Make Work from Home Productive

Your couch is your office chair. Your kitchen is your pantry. Your commute is just the length of your corridor. Still, think it’s a fantasy? Not these ambiguous days when we are learning how to cope up with the challenges of coronavirus pandemic. Work from home jobs have become a reality nowadays.

Work from home can be hugely convenient and satisfying but it is also quite challenging. You have the advantage of saving time on your daily commute, working in a space where you already feel comfortable and spending more time with your loved ones. However, many workaholics are constantly dedicating themselves to work without even taking care of their health. While people usually think work from home means doing less but the truth might be the opposite for diligent employees. When the separation of going to and from the workplace is missing, your work kind of blends together into your personal life.

Here are some tips to be more productive while you are working from home:

· Be mindful of your eating habits

A better diet is equal to a better work quality. You must not only plan healthy meal options but also eat on time. Work from home does not mean more time to cook, especially if you also have little ones at home to look after.

· Upgrade your work area regularly

Whether it’s a couch or space by the window, it is important to improvise your workspace constantly. You can add sticky notes with motivational quotes, pictures of some inspiring personalities in your life and few houseplants to enhance the aesthetics. Suitable conditions in a workspace will boost both productivity and employee morale.

· Plan your day

Planning your day is essential when you are working from home. Even the most focused employees can easily get distracted in home working environment and lose their focus. You can manage your time well by simply jotting down the hours for your work assignments and then listing out the things to do in the remaining chunks of time.

· Practice self-care

Frequent video calls and inability to disconnect from the job is causing a lot of stress to the employees. It is important to stay physically active, eat healthy, practice regular meditation, stay in touch with your friends, and have a positive outlook.

Although this pandemic may have been the main the catalyst for remote working for most of the employees around the world, its benefits impact so many things on a global scale that someday it will indeed become a great path forward!

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online education, online learning, social isolation, online classes, lockdown,

Online Education and its Impact

Online education has become more significant today than ever before. Most of the educational institutions are conducting online classes in the time of the pandemic. While some think that the unplanned and quick move to online education without proper training and preparations can result in poor user experience, others believe that an innovative hybrid model will emerge with substantial benefits. What do you think?

Online education has offered a lot to the learning table at all levels beginning from kindergarten up to colleges. This smart move to remote learning has been enabled by many online tech brands. Whether it is virtual tutoring, online learning software, or video conferencing tool, a significant surge in their usage has been witnessed since Covid-19 lockdown.

Pros and Cons of Online Education

Pros

· Convenience, Comfort and flexibility

With the easy availability of internet connections, it is convenient to log in from anywhere in the world from the comforts of your home.

· Availability

It offers limitless opportunities to the students. Different online programs are available through a myriad of trusted sites.

· Self-paced Learning

Everyone has different abilities and lifestyles. Online education enables the students to study at their own pace and manage their programs as per their efficiency, thus developing better organizational skills.

· Affordability

As the pandemic is pushing the students to alternative routes of education, online learning is easing the financial burden of on-campus programs to some extent.

Cons

· Lack of technological tools and facilities

Many students who have the motivation to adapt to virtual learning may struggle due to lack of facilities.

· Self-directed work

It depends mainly on self-directed work. Those students who thrive on a specific routine and direction can find it less engaging.

· Social isolation

The low level of social interaction weakens the learning experience for many students.

Underneath the inconveniences of online education, there are advantages that with a little dedication and time management, students can reap as the world struggles through the global pandemic. If you are interested in online learning, you can enroll in a course today and start your journey!

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women workforce, design industry women, tech women, women mentoer, women leaders

Design Industry Women and their Habits

Design Industry women and their habits. Gender bias and discrimination is not a forgotten topic, it still exists in the corners of social norms, stereotypes and on the pay slips. This is common in all businesses and evidenced even in the tech space. There are challenges that keep women from achieving their complete potential.

This article is a practical advice to all fellow women in the tech industry with the habits you can embrace to support and encourage diversity in a larger community.

Keep up your Strengths & Personal Style

More often we spend time in following some else’s footsteps than developing our strengths and owning it. Find opportunities to chisel your strengths and practice them every day. Women bring perspective from real-life experiences that generally men do not. This gives women an advantage to add their personal experience in design and empathy for end user.

Enhance your Skillset & Tools

There is no easy formula to hard work, you must expand your skills to be in the league. One of a product design firm states that it only hires individuals with the “T-shaped” skillset. T-shaped means, having deep and ground knowledge of their core skill while smartly adding lateral skills and tools to make a more meaningful career.

Focus on Communication

Whatever be the situation, communication is key. It is essential to connect the decisions you have made with the logic and data when speaking to a customer. You could map the design elements to the business goals of the customer to help them understand, why and how you made the decision.

Open to Collaborate

Besides your own skillset and talent, you can achieve great goals and vision only when you work on a team. Look out for opportunities to interact with a diverse group of people, which help you bridge lateral skill growth.

Mentorship is important

Being led by a mentor is a smart way to improve your skills, troubleshoot challenges and progress in your career. If you plan to approach a potential mentor, do your homework on why you want to talk to them and what you are expecting. Given a chance, be prepared with questions, your thoughts on the topic and make a productive and a mutually beneficial meeting. Networking is a quick means to turn for advice and support.

Be the woman to make the change in all areas not only in design Industry. Creating workforce diversity is not a one-day task but a daily one. It is sheer willingness to grow above the ceiling that challenges the status quo.

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women entrepreneurs, business today, video marketing, email marketing, social media

Women Entrepreneurs – Boost your Venture via Digital Space

Businesses today are either digital or converting into the digital mode. As women entrepreneurs, taking a leap to expand your passion is a milestone and this digital space is of great support. A strong online presence through various channels is certainly an asset for any business. To get the right ROI, you need to ensure that the right mix of marketing and strategy is applied.

Website – Focus on user friendly and device friendly. Most consumers have now moved from desktops to mobile shopping, so you may need to invest not just on the website but also on the mobile app.

Social Media – There is none without a social media profile and having your space in on social sites is of great advantage. You can get real followers by promoting your page.

Authentic SEO – your website must be search engine friendly. Optimize the website with the right number of keywords that would list your site in Google ranking. You can check for Google AdWords or companies that offer content writing with a flavour of SEO to boost your ranking.

Blog – Blogs are a great way to engage customer. Customers have moved from a story blog to a How-to blog or vBlog. Articles on market trends, what’s new and how-to will be of great use and conversation for the audience.

Video Marketing – part of the digital marketing strategy, this is becoming a strong way of marketing. Uploading content video of your business on channels such as YouTube, Insta, Facebook, Vimeo is gaining immense followers and also has a good conversion ratio.

Business Group – While all of it is digital, involving in business discussion and industry-specific discussion on LinkedIn or any forums is a good way gain popularity and an indirect means to generate traffic to your digital channels.

Email Marketing – Have an option to get subscribers from various channels such as website, social media etc. Generate a good list of email and begin to share company news, promotions and offers to attract more traffic to your online source.

Women Entrepreneurs definitely make a difference and Gender is not a determining success factor. It is a sheer combination of form and function in every space that makes a difference. Invest time and intellect on the strategy to be applied in the channels of digital marketing and ace your entrepreneurial venture.

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mobile marketing, mobile marketing trends, mobile marketing tips, social media marketing, mobile marketing tools

Mobile Marketing – Facts and Practices

Mobile marketing refers to applying your marketing strategy to befit mobile users. This will help them with personalized, time and location sensitive information that customers can use on the go. As most users spent at least 70% of their time on mobiles and tablets, it is essential to customize the ads to fit apps and devices.

Types of Mobile marketing strategies

While there are a variety of strategies, choose the one that fits your business based on the industry, audience and budget.

App-based – 80% of the audience spend mobile time on apps and it is wise to have app based ads to promote your business. Without having to create an app to engage, Google AdMob and Promoted Post ads by Facebook help you to advertise within third-party mobile apps.

In-game – These are mobile ads that appear within mobile games as banner pop-ups, full image ads or as video ads.

Location based – Mobile ads that appear based on the user location in connection with specific business or requirement of the user helps in targeted marketing.

Mobile search/image ads – Basic Google search ads that feature add-on extensions like click-to-call etc.

SMS – This is the conventional mode of sending text ad messages to user mobile numbers.

You may also take advantage of Google’s mobile ad extensions such as

Mobile site links – These links allow users to jump to specific pages of your site than wandering around making it very comfortable for mobile users.

Click-to-call Extension – Including a call button right beneath the ad allows the user to instantly call the business for further action. While it is the best channel for conversion, make sure that the call icon is enabled when your business is open and active.

Click to download Ad – This is similar to the click-to-call just that instead of calling the business this will download the selected ad to the user’s mobile.

Best Practices of Mobile Marketing

Clear & Concise – Mobile screens are small, so words have less space. Avoid clutter, keep it simple and crisp.

Local Optimization – Mobile searches are widely for immediate needs, so optimize for local searches to meet user’s queries.

Audience Centric – Design and strategize ads specific to the audience to intend to influence. For young, tech savvy, Mobile Facebook promoted ads may work the trick

Benchmark the Outcome – Experimenting is good only if you are tracking the results. Align your strategies to meet the needs of the users.

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digital marketing, marketing, digital marketing trends, ad blocker, online contest

Digital Marketing Trends 2021

Digital marketing trends for the current year revolve around two factors – addressing personalized, individual need followed by technical optimization of the website. Listing a few of the digital marketing trends.

Snippets and no-click search

Featured snippets are different from normal search results, these are separated by a small box and located at the top. Very importantly, it shows additional relevant information that answers the customer’s question without having to click on any of these. These snippets are for long-tail keyword phrases which are mostly used in questions.

Sustainability

Customers of the present generation are equally passionate about the environment and how their brands contribute to the planet earth. About 81% of online shoppers feel that their brands and the companies should promote sustainable and eco-friendly products.

Ad-blocker Blockers

Most online marketers have their primary traffic stream cut off at source owing to these ad-blockers, this includes PPC campaigns as well. The best means to overcome this block is to adapt and adopt newer methods Readjust your marketing budget to other campaigns such as influencer marketing or sponsored content.

Image and video SEO

Besides the regular image and video searches, you can also submit existing images and search for context or similar images. As many users go in for visual search techniques, you need to make sure the below

· Include alt text to image description

· Include images in the sitemap or have an exclusive image sitemap

· Include SEO keywords in the image file name

· Ensure to use HD images and videos

Interactive Content

Interactive content is not just about more engagement but should also focus on increasing user enjoyment on the website. Content such as open-ended questions, surveys, quizzes, contests, polls and more can boost your brand’s performance. This will also allow you to collect data on user preferences and product lines.

Customer Segmentation

Customer segmentation refers to grouping of your audience by specific traits or behaviours. This segmentation will help run many small targeted marketing campaigns for specific audience. You can use this segmentation for specified ads, blog content and social media content.

Follow the above trends for a successful digital marketing strategy.

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