India Coronavirus Dispatch: Vaccine literacy key to building public trust

Fatalities in Delhi cross a grim landmark, elevated smartphone usage, and tips on how to help children deal with stress-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

Vaccine literacy key to creating public trust, say experts

With a Covid-19 vaccine now seemingly just around the corner in India, vaccine literacy, and not publicity blitz about the emergence of one or more vaccines, is essential to build public trust in the vaccine, say health experts. They add that this should be supplemented with aggressive testing and tracing strategies until public trust on a vaccine is sufficiently built to keep a steady check on the infection numbers and to test the efficacy of vaccines. Read more here

Smartphone usage rises dramatically in 2020, users worried about mental health: Study

The Covid-19 pandemic has tightened the grip smartphones exercise on users, and this is starting to have a negative impact on the mental and physical health of users, with a majority worrying about their smartphone addiction. That’s the key finding of a study conducted by Vivo and Cyber Media Research titled ‘Smartphones and their impact on human relationships 2020’.

The second edition of the report this year looks at the impact of the pandemic and highlights how users are even more dependent on their smartphones in 2020 with many worried about their addiction, but unable to do much to curb it. Read more here 

10,000 Delhiites have now succumbed to Covid-19

With 33 new deaths due to coronavirus disease reported in Delhi on Sunday, the total number of people who have lost their lives to the viral infection in the Capital crossed the 10,000 mark – becoming only the fourth state in the country to do so. As of Sunday, the infection has killed a total of 10,014 people from the 607,454 people infected so far, according to government health bulletin.

The grim landmark, however, comes at the time when the outbreak in the city appears to be under control for the third time. Sunday’s new deaths were the lowest single-day fatalities reported in Delhi in 45 days, or since October 29, when 27 new deaths were reported. 

The hospital bed occupancy is lowest in three months, according to state health minister Satyendar Jain. Of the total 18,807 hospital beds earmarked for Covid patients in Delhi, 4,446 are occupied as on Sunday. Read more here 

How does Covid-19 hijack and damage lung cells? Scientists decode

A group of scientists have decoded the chain of molecular responses of human lung cells to the coronavirus infection, a feat which may help in identifying the clinically approved medications that can be re-purposed for the treatment of Covid-19, according to a report.

Published in the journal Molecular Cell, the study, the study evaluated engineered cells of the human lungs’ air sacks using exact mass spectrometry technology that can identify the molecules present in samples. Read more here 

Is coronavirus causing your child stress? Here is how you can help

Childhood is best described as carefree days, play dates, munchies and so much more. But, with the pandemic raging in full force, a lot many childhood experiences have now been confined within the four walls. Here are some tips from Praveshh Gaur, a mental health expert, to help your child cope with stress. Read more here 

Sanitation crisis amid Covid? Civic body leaders seek funds from Delhi govt

Mayors of the three municipal corporations on Sunday said that the delay in the release of funds by the Delhi government will result in a sanitation and medical crisis, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, in the city. Mayors said that due to lack of funds, the corporations have not been able to release salaries and pension to its employees on time. The employees have been threatening to go on a strike. Read more here