Billion-dollar plan Almost as if to make up for the lost Trump year during the pandemic, the White House has put together an ambitious new plan with a $65.3 billion price tag that could transform the way the United States responds to pandemics by vastly accelerating vaccine development, testing, and production. But is the plan […]
COVID
Environmental degradation contributed to COVID-19 origins, UNEP India says
The COVID-19 pandemic’s origins can be traced to degradation of environmental space, species’ loss and exploitation, according to a leading United Nations Environment Programme official for India. As investigations into the origins of COVID-19 continue, United Nations Environment Programme India Country Office Head, Atul Bagai, highlighted the interconnected balance between environmental degradation and public health, […]
Lack of testing risks mutant strains running rampant
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, India has established ten state-run laboratories in order to test samples to identify the presence of mutant strains. Despite the establishment of the laboratories, fewer than one percent of all samples have thus far been tested. India has only studied 11,064 of its samples according to the Union Ministry of Health […]
COVID-19 lockdowns reduced concentration of air pollutants in Indian cities
For a crisis of such a magnitude as COVID-19, it seems arguably grotesque to seek out a silver lining. However, it is undeniable that India’s lockdowns in response to the pandemic had a positive impact when it came to air pollution. Five cities with ordinarily high rates of pollution showed a temporary reduction in particulate […]
Delhi witnessing COVID-19 “third wave”?
India’s overall COVID-19 metrics are improving across the board. However, Delhi may be witnessing its “third wave” according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi has seen a rise in cases over the last few days, giving rise to suggestions that the state is facing a third wave of cases. This rise falls against a backdrop […]
Air pollution and COVID, all the more reason for a mask
Masks have become a common sight in India over the last year. As the country enters peak smog season — witnessing heightened levels of air pollution — the masks now serve a dual purpose. According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s air quality index (AQI) — consisting of a rating system from one to 500 […]
Official COVID-19 figures an underestimate?
Could the official COVID-19 figures in India be underestimated by a significant margin? Recent surveys by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) suggest this may be the case. Following on from a serological survey assessing antibody levels against the novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19) nationwide, one […]
COVID-19 continues to hit record highs
COVID-19 daily cases have continued to reach record highs in India. On September 9th, a record 95,529 cases were recorded, marking a new high point for cases in the country. The record follows reports of a marginal dip in new cases over the preceding days. This reduction was short-lived, lasting only two days before new […]
Many will never fully recover from COVID-19
COVID-19 is gradually increasing its death toll across India, however, the impacts of the condition may be more long-lasting than first anticipated. The disease is increasingly showing further symptoms in individuals long after they have recovered from the initial infection. After the initial infection period, many people recover even from severe states requiring prolonged stays […]
COVID-19: How long until the next million?
While India has recently hit one million cases of COVID-19, the next million may be just a few short weeks away. Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday predicted that India would record two million cases of COVID-19 by the second week of August, a day after the country reported a million infections. This […]