India’s historic vaccine rollout seeking to inoculate its 1.3 billion+ population against the novel coronavirus launched last Saturday. However, there is some reluctance among those prioritised to receive the jab in the first phase. Rollout of India’s vaccination campaign against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – […]
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COVID-19 and smoking: Tobacco not a protector
Research into interplay between COVID-19 and smoking conducted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been questioned by scientists. The CSIR serosurvey reportedly suggested that smokers are at lower risk of contracting COVID-19 – but experts responded with doubts. The CSIR conducted a seroprevalence survey of 10,427 Indians, consisting of those working […]
Two million COVID-19 fatalities; vaccine rollout in India begins
In what UN Secretary-General António Guterres described as “a heart-wrenching milestone”, the world surpassed two million COVID-19 fatalities in recent days. The “vicious virus”, as Guterres described the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19, has claimed 2,041,232 lives since the pandemic began at the time of writing. “Behind this staggering number are names and faces: the […]
COVID-19 figures higher than any other infectious disease
COVID-19 affected more people in a single year than any other infectious disease over a comparative timeframe in recent years. COVID-19 figures are often compared to other diseases. However, until recently, the figures were simply not available to make these comparison points. According to IndiaSpend, by the end of 2020 India officially had ten million […]
Vaccine shipments to states, cities begin
States are beginning to receive COVID-19 vaccine shipments ahead of the rollout of a mass inoculation campaign officials anticipate to be the world’s biggest. Officials hope that the coming six to eight months will witness 300 million inoculated against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the novel coronavirus which causes COVID-19. The cohort […]
Mutant strain: India’s infections rise to 82
Cases of the mutant strain of COVID-19 first detected in the United Kingdom now number at 82 in India, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The mutant strain of the disease – caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – has raised concerns as it is considered more contagious […]
COVID-19 vaccine supplies imminent, states and UTs told
India’s states and union territories (UTs) can expect to receive COVID-19 vaccine supplies soon and should be prepared, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said. A communique from Dr Pradeep Halder, an advisor on reproductive and child health in the Ministry reportedly said “all the states and UTs are likely to receive […]
How does India fare on the roadmap to elimination?
India has a prolonged history of setting ambitious elimination deadlines for a host of diseases, only to miss the deadline and simply re-announce another year. Many diseases, such as leprosy, are simply neglected with most individuals affected belonging to lower castes and viewed as outcasts from society — a view proliferative through thousands of years. […]
CCIL president T. M. Chen on pollution, air quality, and health
Air pollution is among the most pressing challenges in creating a healthy society. It has been a bane on Indians’ public health for decades as the State of Global Air Report 2020 underlined. To discuss this, Health Issues India spoke with T. M. Chen, president of Continental Carbon India Limited (CCIL) and Master of Chemical Engineering […]
COVID-19 vaccine exports from India in the next few weeks
COVID-19 vaccine exports will commence in the weeks to come, the Government has confirmed. This is despite earlier confusion that the country’s largest vaccine manufacturer was not authorised to do so. India is gearing up for a mass vaccination campaign expected to begin next week. This follows emergency use authorisation for two vaccine candidates: one […]