Background: Since its emergence in 2019, COVID-19 has affected all groups of people across several countries. Updated information about the disease and its application is the key to halt the spread of infection. Although there have been widespread awareness campaigns on COVID-19, the level of awareness among vulnerable groups such as pregnant women needs to be evaluated. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices toward COVID-19 among pregnant women and its association with various demographic variables. Subjects and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted between July 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020. Assessment was done using a self-designed questionnaire. Participants scoring more than 50% marks in each section were considered to have adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Results: The total number of pregnant women included was 244. About 59% of women had adequate knowledge about COVID transmission and protective measures. All women had a positive attitude toward preventive measures taken by the government. About 98% of women agreed that all preventive measures taken by the government were beneficial. Almost all (98%) women had good practice of safety measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, and frequent handwashing. However, no association was observed between demographic variables and level of knowledge, attitude, or practice. Conclusion: The study showed adequate knowledge and good practice by most pregnant women irrespective of their level of education and socioeconomic status. Targeted health education to pregnant women can further ensure safe practices during pregnancy.

With the depletion of fossil fuels, the world is looking towards green energy for electricity production and environmentalists are emphasizing the importance of green energy production. The huge production of biodegradable waste from various sources that are not recycled or treated appropriately is polluting the natural resources. There are many challenges associated with the disposal or reuse of biowastes and in this scenario Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) comes into the picture. MFCs generate electricity and hydrogen using wastewater and also bring down the concentration of organic pollutants present in the wastewater thereby purifying it to an extent. Exoelectrogens either present in the wastewater or added externally break down the organic matter into simpler compounds. Distinct parameters that significantly influence the performance of MFC are the microorganisms and to enhance the working, various microorganisms need to be explored and the best ones should be employed. With the help of genomics, we found out the microorganisms that are suitable for enhancing the efficiency of MFC. This was done with the help of certain tools of genomics. MFC and genomics are two varied and diverse topics and in this review paper we try to bridge the gap between them.

No abstract