One person in every four households are affected by comorbidities that could amplify the risk of severe COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or simply coronavirus. The data comes from the West Bengal state capital of Kolkata, where a survey of as many as 85,000 people found that approximately […]
coronavirus
Forced evictions: Driving India’s homelessness crisis
It is a travesty that people lose their health insurance during this pandemic. So it follows that it is a travesty that people lose their homes. However, forced evictions accomplish just this. The Housing & Land Rights Network tweeted as much, emphasising in their message that people from marginalised communities are affected disproportionately. “[Forced evictions] […]
High-burden states: Modi to hold meeting
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to review the COVID-19 pandemic with the Chief Ministers and health ministers of several high-burden states and union territories. The COVID-19 pandemic in India has grown precipitously in scope. In the early stages of the outbreak of the disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or […]
India’s COVID-19 figures fluctuate
The media has been swift to herald the most recent COVID-19 figures as a potential sign of India gaining a foothold in handling the situation. While the newest figures may be encouraging, any conclusions drawn from a single day’s figures may be jumping the gun. The Hindustan Times reports that 75,083 new daily cases were […]
Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, as India on track to become first in the world
India is on track to overtake the United States as the country worst-affected in the world by cases of COVID-19 – the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or, simply, coronavirus. At the time of writing, India has confirmed more than five million cases of COVID-19 according to Worldometer data. To […]
2022 vision: Gates on when the pandemic could end
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has said the COVID-19 pandemic could well end in 2022 – on the proviso that “we do a brilliant job.” In an interview with Surojit Gupta of Times News Network, Gates said “if we do a brilliant job, we end the pandemic in 2022. If we are lucky to have a […]
Accelerate testing, Centre tells high-burden states
The Government has instructed multiple states to scale up testing for COVID-19. In the Centre’s crosshairs on testing are Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra. They are among the states most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with a positivity rate in excess of the national average of 8.4 percent. Of the four states, Maharashtra […]
Oxygen shortages: Health Ministry issues denial, says there is a surplus
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said there are no medical oxygen shortages in the country. Reports of oxygen shortages in the country have surfaced in recent weeks. Al Jazeera reports that multiple states severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, have witnessed a threefold increase in […]
PandemiCast XV, Part II: The view from Africa
The long-awaited second part of PandemiCast XV is finally here. This episode, you will know from the trailer, is an insight into the #COVID19 pandemic in #Africa. Edited by Iknoor Kaur & featuring Francois Baird Simba Makoni Sheriff Bojang Jr. and Tandeka Nikiwane. Moderated by Mark CHATAWAY and Matshidiso Masire. You can watch it here. […]
COVID-19 pandemic in India: Worsening still
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 […]