The coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate the global discourse surrounding public health – with India being no exception. Indian COVID-19 cases now exceed 4,000 and the country has reaped a death toll of more than 100 due to the disease. At the time of writing, the global COVID-19 case count numbers at 1,288,080 and fatalities […]
COVID-19
PandemiCast, Episode 4: COVID-19 and other diseases
This is the fourth edition of PandemiCast, the weekly video podcast discussing subjects related to the coronavirus pandemic. The topic focuses on how COVID-19 has affected the treatment of other diseases. The other editions of PandemiCast can be accessed here.
COVID-19: Modi asks citizens to shine a light
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 now exceed one million at the global level, as the death toll has risen to more than 54,000. At the time of writing, the world has confirmed 1,034,085 cases of COVID-19 and 54,458 people have lost their lives. Active cases of infections with the coronavirus number at 759,604, considering both the […]
Coronavirus – not India’s sole health concern
Media coverage – especially on the topic of healthcare – is currently dominated by the coronavirus (COVID-19). This is not unexpected, as the disease figures worldwide are surging, now exceeding one million cases. However, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of other health concerns, as failure to address these could […]
COVID-19 cases in India at 1,600+
The largest jump in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in India in a single day has been recorded. The country saw 386 fresh infections confirmed according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, taking the total case count to 1,637. The Ministry has also reported 38 fatalities due to COVID-19 whilst 132 people have recovered. […]
Migrants sprayed with disinfectant: The latest controversy
The Union Government’s decision to implement a quarantine affecting 1.3 billion has alternately been praised and criticised – some deeming it necessary to counteract a large-scale coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, others deeming it draconian and callous. However, fresh controversies have surfaced in recent days surrounding the impact on migrant workers. Footage has been unearthed showing a […]
Mental health conditions on the rise
A spike in reports of Indians being affected by mental health conditions has been reported amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a survey conducted by the Indian Psychiatry Society. In the week since a 21-day lockdown was declared by the Union Government, the number of people reporting mental health issues has increased by fifteen to […]
Quarantine at Nehru Stadium
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi is to be repurposed as a quarantine facility to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak in India. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) relinquished the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to the Delhi state government. The SAI announced last month that sports facilities under its purview could be used for quarantine purposes. […]
PPE kits dispatched to hospitals, more ordered
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced provisions for the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to the nation’s healthcare providers amidst the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Already, 60,000 PPE kits have been procured by the Union Health Ministry for hospitals so healthcare workers can safeguard themselves against COVID-19. 3.34 lakh PPEs […]
COVID-19 testing: Is India falling behind?
“Test, test, test,” is among the most resounding messages issued by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), during the coronavirus pandemic. However, when it comes to COVID-19 testing, is India falling behind? “We have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing – which is the […]