India Coronavirus Dispatch: How can vaccines be kept safe from hackers?

Night curfews in many states, the risk of taking antibiotics, how Covid could be affecting children emotionally, and more-news on how the country is coping with the pandemic

How countries can keep their Covid vaccines safe from hackers

In the wake of the pandemic, how can countries fight their way back to good public health and economic recovery? Short answer: develop enough doses of vaccines to be distributed and administered to millions of people without a hitch.

That’s the ideal, but the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine supply chain is rife with logistical complexities. What’s more, the enormously valuable intellectual property and data on the various vaccines, components, and therapeutics are relatively easy for threat actors to pilfer. Nation-states are already attempting to steal vaccine formulae and disrupt operations. Read more here

Stop harming yourself with cold and flu antibiotics

Antibiotics are over-prescribed and often for infections that do not need their help, particularly respiratory conditions. While these unnecessary prescriptions may contribute to the development of resistant bacteria, there is another reason to be cautious about antibiotics: Direct harms caused by these drugs. Read more here

Gearing up for a tough Winter: Covid means precautions — and more space — for those at night shelters

Thermal scanners at a night shelter in Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, mask distribution at one near AIIMS, and instructions to maintain social distancing at 'portacabins' for the homeless in Kashmere Gate. As temperature drops and Covid cases rise in the national capital, night shelters — temporary homes to thousands — are gearing up for a tough winter ahead. Read more here

As cases surge, these states have imposed a night curfew

Several states have decided to bring in curfew during the night in districts witnessing a spike in the cases of the coronavirus disease among other measures to contain the spread of infections. Authorities in several districts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan have imposed night curfew. Under the Union home ministry’s orders states cannot impose a complete lockdown without its permission. Here are the details of the night curfews in place in these states. 

As tourist inflow rises, policing a challenge in Covid times but cops ready

With the number of tourists in Goa increasing, crowd management is expected to be challenging for the police in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Winter being the peak tourist season for the coastal state, Goa police is gearing up for a bigger inflow of tourists. Read more here

Classroom digitisation, online learning to get priority 

In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis and suspension of classrooms, the government is planning to dedicate a special package for the digitization of classrooms and to promote online learning. Read more here

Is the pandemic making children introverted?

The pandemic has affected us both physically as well as emotionally, be it adults or children. The lockdown was a big transition, necessitating variable degrees of adjustments. This ‘adjustment’, by definition, is stress. For children, uncertainty, social isolation, lack of peer to peer interaction, and no outdoor activities have led to signs of irritability, boredom, anxiety, depression, stress, fear, worry, and other negative feelings. Another point of debate is “Does personality (introvert/ extrovert) influence how children are handling this pandemic or is the pandemic making children introverted?” Read more here