From how the government can make the best of the PLI scheme to what it needs to do next on the vaccination front to pull India out of the pandemic, here's what Business Standard columnists and editorials had to say this week
As the festive season comes closer, most sectors of the economy are witnessing a resurgence in demand. So has the aviation sector. Airlines were already on their knees when the Covid-19 pandemic hit last year. So their return to a relative position of strength, or pre-pandemic volumes, is important, considering most players are embattled and continuously posting losses. Let's dive in.
Jawaharlal Nehru called Sivakasi as Kutty Japan looking at its industrial vibrancy. Now, after decades, the city that contributes to 90 per cent of India's fireworks is struggling to sustain, following Covid and NGT ban. A Business Standard report from the ground
Getting more shots into more arms is also crucial for ensuring that India's economy continues to grow in a sustained manner. We have done a reality check. Watch the video
Government data show that the private sector accounted for only 7% of the Covid vaccination since the time the Centre decided to reserve 25% of vaccines produced in India for it. Watch
Coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed India’s healthcare system. One critical gap doesn’t get attention, though: The country’s acute shortage of doctors and nurses. Watch the video for some crucial data.
What happened to ambulance sales during the pandemic? Business Standard looked at some of the available data, and the takeaways were quite surprising. Watch the video
The Delta variant, first detected in India, is now being reported in nearly 100 countries, which is likely an underestimate and the highly transmissible strain is expected to rapidly outcompete other variants and become dominant globally over the coming months, WHO had said. But what is Delta variant and are vaccines effective against it? Get answers from Niti Aayog's VK Paul and WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Watch the video.
Covid-19 has taken a huge toll on the minds of people across segments. It has impacted education, led to job losses. Watch video to know symptoms of mental health issues and tips for healthy minds
Death of the breadwinner leaves the finances of a family in shambles. What happens to investments when the holder dies without nominating anyone? Watch the video to know
In India, Covid-19 cases with variants of concern rose from 10.31% of total infections in May to 51% till June 20. And it includes the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants. These variants have been traced in 174 districts of 35 states and Union Territories, with the maximum reported from Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal and Gujarat. According to the details shared by officials with the parliamentarians, coronavirus' variants of concern led to increased transmissibility, change in virulence and effect on diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. The parliament panel was also informed that a similar study on evaluating the efficacy of both these vaccines against the latest variant of concern -- Delta plus -- is being conducted and will be completed within the next two weeks. Let's understand the level of threat from Delta Virus from World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan.
The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is the 'greatest threat' to world's attempt to eradicate the Covid-19 pandemic, leading health experts have predicted. White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr Anthony Fauci has warned that the variant, which was first detected in India, is more contagious and causes more severe disease than other circulating variants. Watch the video to understand Delta variant of Covid and whether it could trigger third wave in India.
In an affidavit filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court (SC), an interim report submitted by a sub-group of the SC-appointed oxygen audit panel alleged that the Delhi administration had exaggerated its need for the life-saving gas by four times.
Do you know why vaccinating children against coronavirus is not a priority for the World Health Organization (WHO) right now? And when the WHO is planning to recommend jabs for children and what about safety of these vaccines? WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan explains in this video.
The Covid-19 Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is becoming the dominant variant globally because of its significantly increased transmissibility. The B.1.617.2 Delta variant was first detected in India around October 2020. The World Health Organisation says that the two vaccine doses are need to ensure complete protection against this variant of Sars-CoV-2 virus.
Are we following Covid appropriate behaviour? Have we learnt from what happened between first and the second wave? Well, it doesn't look like! Visuals from across the country tell a completely different story. People are gathering, crowds are building, and that too without caring for masks and social distancing norms. AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria has warned that a third Covid wave is 'inevitable', and it could strike India in the next six to eight weeks. Let's understand the problem and the likely consequences from the experts. Watch the video.
The doctors in India are documenting an alarming number of cases of mucormycosis among patients with Covid-19 and those who have recently recovered. They believe that mucormycosis may be triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients. Watch top experts giving us all the important information related to black fungus in this video.
A 34-year-old Covid-19 survivor was diagnosed with green fungus infection in Madhya Pradesh's Indore and shifted to Mumbai by air ambulance for treatment. The man, who had recovered from COVID-19, underwent a test on suspicion that he had contracted the dreaded black fungus infection (mucormycosis). But he was instead found to have green fungus in his sinuses, lungs and blood. What is Green Fungus and is it contagious? Watch the video for its causes, symptoms and prevention.
While Delta Plus is not a variant of concern yet for the Indian government, it is certainly causing concern among doctors and researchers across the world. But what are Delta and Delta Plus variants, where did they originate and are vaccines effective against them? Watch the video to find out.
More than 100 years before Covid-19 hit us, the world had experienced a deadly pandemic. At that time, Masina Hospital in Mumbai was among the few private hospitals to admit patients infected with the 1918 H1 flu—commonly called the Spanish flu. With passage of time, memories of Spanish flu have faded. But Masina Hospital CEO, Dr Vispi Jokhi, tells Nivedita Mookerji that the effort to conserve records is on, especially after Covid-19. Among other things, Dr Jokhi talks about oxygen as a treatment to the flu patients then and the evidence around it. In 1918, there was no vaccine. Masks and distancing—the protocols being advocated now—were the only refuge. And, like he says, every pandemic has an end, whether it’s the Spanish flu or Covid-19.