The COVID-19 pandemic in India continues to worsen, as the country records a 14.5 percent increase in deaths over the course of a single week as well as an eleven percent increase in fresh cases. Between September 7th and September 13th, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) data indicates that more than 1,100 […]
Medicine and Research
HII talks to Neha Chandra on the role of the public health consultant
“A quick question for all the healthcare communication professionals: How often does trade media make to your target media list when you need to disseminate a press release? Now take a second to evaluate the content of your release and ask yourself if it suits the profile of the trade media you are pitching to.” […]
COVID-19 reinfection: Reports pour in
Hong Kong reports that it has documented the world’s first COVID-19 reinfection – and additional reports have poured in. The region announced the news earlier this week, as a man who was infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – or, simply, coronavirus – the virus that causes the disease COVID-19 – four-and-a-half-months […]
Convalescent plasma therapy: U.S. emergency approval fuels hope but caution still advised
The decision by the United States government to approve the use of convalescent plasma therapy for treating cases of COVID-19 has made international headlines and fuels hope that the treatment may be a cause for optimism in the fight against the pandemic. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced earlier this week that emergency […]
Ewing sarcoma: Hope in Guwahati?
Reports suggest that children afflicted by Ewing sarcoma in the Dr B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) in Guwahati – Assam’s largest city – show a five-year survival rate of sixty percent. Ewing sarcoma, as explained by Johns Hopkins, “is cancer that occurs primarily in the bone or soft tissue. While Ewing sarcoma can develop in […]
Antibody tests: One in four Indians infected?
More than a quarter of Indians may already have contracted COVID-19 – the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or, simply, coronavirus. This is on the basis of an analysis of antibody tests conducted by a leading private laboratory. Dr A. Velumani, the chairman, managing Director and chief executive officer of […]
Russia’s coronavirus vaccine: The controversy, explained
The world has yearned for a vaccine against the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 since the pandemic began. However the recent announcement of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine has been met with scepticism – justly or unjustly. COVID-19 – the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), or simply coronavirus – has disrupted virtually […]
COVID-19 tests: How reliable are they?
Tuesday saw Indian conduct nearly nine lakh (900,000) COVID-19 tests, reports indicate – but how reliable is India’s testing infrastructure? The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare claims that India conducted 899,000 COVID-19 tests on August 18th. However, Our World in Data puts the number of tests lower, at 818,212. Sushma Dey reported for […]
Karnataka shows how COVID-19 has hit Indians’ mental health and wellbeing
Recent reports from Karnataka encapsulate how the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the state of Indians’ mental health and wellbeing. Reports indicate that the Karnataka state government has treated almost 8,000 people with medication for mental health issues connected to COVID-19 and conducted approximately 480,000 counselling sessions since May. Those counselled and/or treated for mental health […]
Noida to become home to AIDS centre in much-needed boon
Noida is to become home to a centre dedicated to the treatment of AIDS, one of India’s most prominent public health concerns and widespread infectious diseases. Reports indicate that the city – located in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh (GB) Nagar district – is to house a treatment centre providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) to those affected […]