Coronavirus pandemic

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. … [Read more...] about Coronavirus pandemic | 65 staffers of Haryana’s Sukhdev Dhaba test COVID-19 positive

That India’s healthcare system is appalling, despite the undiluted commitment of its frontline and overworked medical staff battling all odds, is hardly saying anything new. What may appear to be shocking is that in the wake of the Wuhan outbreak, the government failed to sufficiently invest in COVID testing kits and protective gear for medical personnel. There was ample time to do so, but somehow the government lost an opportunity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sounded the alarm bugle and as the Sunday evening utensil-beating revealed, the people have become alive to the imminent danger that the pandemic poses. However, there is ample evidence that tells us that India’s carefree society is entirely capable of thumbing its nose at what the world considers standard health practices. The tamashas on Sunday evening – from Kolkata to Mumbai – demonstrated that the more things change, the more they remain the same. Add to it factors that can welcome the … [Read more...] about Coronavirus pandemic: India’s measly investment in healthcare may come back to haunt it

Chinese troops carried rods, spears and clubs in aggressive approach towards Indian post: Govt sources on fresh border tension Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray attacks Centre on GST dues, mocks it on COVID-19 fight India needs more banks to double credit-to-GDP ratio to 100%: RBI board member … [Read more...] about UN agencies supporting Indian govt-led efforts to deal with coronavirus pandemic: UN spokesperson

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. … [Read more...] about Coronavirus pandemic | Jobseekers turn to remote working roles

On a day when Delhi conducted 45,797 fresh COVID-19 tests – the highest conducted in one day so far – the national capital also registered 3,609 fresh coronavirus cases. With the spike in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases registered on September 8, Delhi now has a total COVID-19 caseload of 1,97,135. … [Read more...] about Coronavirus pandemic | Delhi records 3,609 new COVID-19 cases, highest single-day spike since June 24