India confirmed the first death related to Covid-19 vaccination in the report on causality assessment of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI). The death of a 68-year old man who received a Covishield shot on March 8 and died due to anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) was classified as ‘vaccine product-related reaction’ by the National AEFI Committee. Let's listen to what Dr N K Arora, who is the Chairman of India's COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), has to say on this. Watch the video.
Vaccination against coronavirus is going on in full swing in the country. And while people living in metro cities are flocking to vaccine centres, grassroots health workers in villages are facing vaccine hesitancy, as there are still many who are hesitant to get the coronavirus vaccine. So, shortage of vaccine is not just the only issue in hand for health care workers in fight against pandemic. In this video, witness the problem, mostly in rural India, and how authorities are trying to convince hesitant people via attractive schemes.
With Covid numbers in the national capital dropping to a three-month low, all market activities are allowed from today, but with certain restrictions as part of the phased unlock plan of the Delhi government. While weekly markets will resume activity, but only one market will open in one zone on a day, restaurants will reopen with 50 per cent of seating capacity. Watch the video to see how the businesses have reacted to the Delhi government's decision on the first day of unlocking.
Speaking on the reports which says that origin point of Covid-19 is China’s Wuhan lab, Director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Dr Rakesh Mishra on June 12 said, “It’s very unlikely that something of this kind has come from a lab, it’s more likely a zoonotic origin from bat that spread in people, stayed there for some time and then acquired Covid-19 status.” “It could also be that from the bat, it infected some other animal. Bat (as the origin point) because it's the closest relative of this virus with 96% similarity in terms of genetic material,” he added.
From the Covid lab-leak theory's long journey from the margins of conspiracy to the mainstream to the major risk faced by emerging market financial assets in 2021, here's what Business Standard columnists and editorials had to say this week. >
There were reports that that subsequent waves of the Covid-19 pandemic are going to cause severe illness in children. AIIMS, Delhi, Director Dr Randeep Guleria said there is no data, either from India or globally, to show that children will be seriously infected in any subsequent Covid-19 waves. Watch the video
The Vande Bharat Mission was started in early May last year to evacuate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus-induced travel restrictions.Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri informed that more than 9 million people have been facilitated under the Vande Bharat Mission so far. Watch the Vande Bharat journey so far in this video.
An SBI report has predicted that the third wave of coronavirus could be as severe as the second. And there is only one way to minimise the impact in case the pandemic hits country again and that is by vaccinating the majority of population as soon as possible. But for that to happen, India needs vaccines. Reports suggest that the government is actively considering the grant of indemnity to US firms Pfizer and Moderna for their vaccines in a bid to ramp up the vaccine supply. But what does indemnity against liability mean? Watch the video to understand the issue in detail.
People have fallen literally like a pack of cards during this Corona pandemic, in particular, the second wave. To the extent that it has become difficult to find someone in India who has not experienced grief at some level. How does one deal with grief and loss of a loved one and heal oneself. The pain of losing someone can feel overwhelming, but there are healthy ways to cope with your loss. This week we bring you two leading lights on mental and spiritual health –eminent Psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh, Director of Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, and renowned spiritual guide and mentor, BK Shivani >
Every time when a person from rural India travels miles for a healthcare facility, it tells us how far we are from building an efficient healthcare system. And when something like a pandemic hits that fragile health infrastructure, everything falls apart. And at a time when the whole country is bearing the brunt of Covid-19 with patients and their families struggling to get medical attention, even in India's metropolitan cities, people in rural areas are facing a different challenge altogether. Today, we are talking about the worsening state of health affairs in Bihar. Watch video
An 84-year-old Covid positive man was recently given monoclonal antibody therapy at a Gurugram hospital, and he is said to be doing well after the treatment. In fact he came home after being kept under observation for just one day. An official of the same hospital claimed it was Delhi-NCR's first case of monoclonal antibody therapy for a Covid patient. But what is monoclonal antibody therapy and how does it work? Let's understand it from experts. Watch video
RS Sharma, CEO of National Health Authority and head of CoWIN platform, speaks to Business Standard's Nivedita Mookerji about the challenges in the CoWIN journey, the innovations on the way, the demand and supply mismatch and more. He compares the struggle to find a vaccination slot through CoWIN with a railway platform full of people and few trains running. Watch video
From assessing the economic fallout of the second Covid wave to how the government can help Indians plan their own vaccine schedules without extreme anxiety, here's what Business Standard columnists and editorials had to say this week. >
People need not take an antibody test after the vaccination since it is only one measure of immunity, V K Paul, member-health, Niti Aayog said. Paul was responding to the concerns of people who have not shown antibody presence after taking two doses of the vaccine. The government is also looking to mix-and-match vaccine doses on a trial basis and there is no concern if just in case people are getting different doses, the government's top advisor said. Watch the video to know more
As many as 577 children across the country were orphaned after their parents succumbed to Covid-19 in the second wave of the pandemic.The government has revealed its plan on how to secure the future of these vulnerable children. Watch this video to get a sense of the issue and how we can also play an important part as a responsible citizens help the authorities in the noble initiative.
AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said that as the number of recovered patients rises, clinics have to be developed to deal with the treatment of symptoms which persist beyond the disease. He said there was now a better understanding of post-Covid acute syndrome which can continue 8 to 12 weeks and long Covid which can occur if symptoms continue beyond 12 weeks. Watch this video to understand the post-Covid complications and treatment options as explained by the AIIMS chief.
AIIMS director Randeep Guleria has said it is better to identify mucormycosis by its name rather than by the colour as labelling the same fungus with names of different colors can create confusion. Watch the video for his full statement on fungal infection in Covid patients.
India has so far reported approximately cases of 8,848 mucormycosis or black fungus, one of the rapidly spreading infections observed in those recovering from Covid-19. Taking note of the increasing numbers, the Central government has emphasised upon expediting the allocation of vials of Amphotericin-B, a key drug to treat raging mucormycosis. Watch this video to understand the disease and get answers to all the FAQs from top doctors of the country.
From how coronavirus crisis exhausted what PM Modi had in plenty all these years to why government's worry on corporation tax revenue front may worsen in coming years, here's what Business Standard columnists wrote this week. >
A UP girl who delivers oxygen to the needy on her scooty, an IAS-turned-actor who has launched 'OxyTaxi' for Covid patients and a social activist who feeds over 250 people on roadside in Madurai amid curfew, there are several heart-warming stories from across the country about people who are doing their bit to provide helping hand to the needy amid an unprecedented crisis. Watch the video