Dr. Tarun Bhatnagar, Senior Scientist at Chennai’s National Institute of Epidemiology, Dr. Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University and Dr. Giridhara Babu, epidemiologist at the Public Health Foundation of India, Bengaluru explain the advantages and shortcomings of using a sustained increase in new cases in three States to warn the beginning of … Continue reading Can some States serve as a bellwether for the third wave in India?
Delhi
Cannot emphatically say India has passed the COVID-19 peak
Dr. Gautam Menon and Dr. Giridhara R. Babu discuss whether India has gone past the peak. Dr. Menon says in major cities in India and in some districts adjacent to those cities that already have sufficient numbers of people infected with novel coronavirus, the number of new infections is going down. But one can't say … Continue reading Cannot emphatically say India has passed the COVID-19 peak
Coronavirus spread shifts from large to smaller Indian cities
In the last one month, cases in seven large Indian cities have reduced from 59% to 50% and deaths from 46% to 35%. Drop in cases seen in a few metros cities accompanied by rise in cases in smaller cities shows the new foci of local expanding circulation. Even as the number of novel coronavirus … Continue reading Coronavirus spread shifts from large to smaller Indian cities
COVID-19: What explains the low case fatality rate in India
The case fatality rate in India, which has been falling steadily, has for the first time dipped below the 2.5% mark on July 19; it was 3.2% in the second week of May. There are many factors that could alter the case fatality rate. Increased testing in recent weeks could be just one of them. … Continue reading COVID-19: What explains the low case fatality rate in India
A report card of States as coronavirus cases cross one million in India
With surveillance not being commendable, the 10.3% test positivity rate nationally in the last few days is a clear indication that a very large pool of infected people in the community remains undiagnosed. The number of tests done daily has now crossed three lakhs but the high-test positivity rate underscores the need to increase the … Continue reading A report card of States as coronavirus cases cross one million in India
COVID-19: States should bite the bullet and increase testing
It is important for every State to take a leaf out of Maharashtra’s book and test large numbers each day unmindful of the rising fresh cases each day. Moving from a smaller number of targeted tests to increased testing in the community about two weeks ago has led to test positivity rate reducing from 35% to … Continue reading COVID-19: States should bite the bullet and increase testing
War against coronavirus should not acquire a religious colour
The large religious congregation held in mid-March by Tablighi Jamaat Nizamuddin in Delhi has turned into a large cluster of novel coronavirus. The organisers should have been aware how their congregation in Malaysia in February led to a spike in cases there. But Delhi government is also equally culpable. Nizamuddin in Delhi has turned into … Continue reading War against coronavirus should not acquire a religious colour
Novel coronavirus cases in India shoot up to 28, marks local transmission
On March 4, 22 confirmed cases were reported from India taking the total to 28. India has for the first time reported local transmission of the virus as all the 22 new cases were infected locally. India now has local transmission of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) with 22 contacts found positive for the virus today … Continue reading Novel coronavirus cases in India shoot up to 28, marks local transmission
Nearly 6,200 H1N1 cases reported in India in three weeks
In three weeks (February 24 to March 17) this year, the number of H1N1 cases reported from across India has increased by nearly 6,200. At 20,977, the number of cases reported till March 17 is far more than what was reported in the whole of 2018 (14,992) and nearly half the number of cases reported … Continue reading Nearly 6,200 H1N1 cases reported in India in three weeks
As another smog season looms, India must act soon to keep Delhi from gasping
Vijay Koul, CSIRO "Smog chokes Delhi”, declared the the New York Times on November 7, 2016, informing readers around the world that contaminating particulates in the air in the Indian capital had “soared in some places to…more than 16 times the limit India’s government considers safe.” I was in Delhi at the time for my … Continue reading As another smog season looms, India must act soon to keep Delhi from gasping
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