India Coronavirus Dispatch: How safe is your data with Aarogya Setu?

From oxygen supply shortage hitting industries to Coronil kits' popularity, here's a roundup of articles on how the country is dealing with the pandemic

Aarogya Setu: New revelations regarding the Aarogya Setu app show a lack of audit mechanisms and any procedure for anonymisation of data. To allay fears over privacy of data, the govt had put in place the Aarogya Setu Protocol. RTI responses by NIC now show that the body was unable to put implement these protocols. For example, the body only has a generic list of categories with whom data can be shared, not an actual list as mandated by protocol. Further, NIC shared no details about third parties that have been given Aarogya Setu data. Recipients of data are supposed to have safeguards put in place but the RTI responses showed that NIC has no clue if the safeguards were implemented. MEITY and the NIC have also not created any reasonable security practices. Read more here.

 

Medical oxygen: Experts say the September surge had a key lesson for future spikes: we can run out of medical grade oxygen supply pretty quickly. Further, as hospitals began to run short on oxygen, so did the industrial sector. 70-80 per cent of oxygen supply in India is reserved for industrial usage but this was largely diverted to hospitals amid the pandemic, leading to fears of production losses for industries such as steel, glass and pharmaceuticals. With a new spike expected anytime soon owing to festive season, experts are warning that we should prepare for a fresh shortage soon. During the peak, consumption of medical oxygen went up five to eight times since it began to be used to treat Covid-19. Part of the reason for this shortage, it has since been discovered, is that some plants shut down after a suffering a breakdown of operations. Read more here.
 

Coronil kits are a big hit: Patanjali’s Coronil kits and their individual components have turned out to be massively popular. Company data shows the kits have sold 8.5 million units till now with sales totalling Rs 241 crore. This is despite the fact that the product ran into rough weather as soon as it was launched after experts said its claims of being a Covid cure are yet to be proven. The Ministry of AYUSH had also directed the company to not advertise the product following the controversy. It’s now being packaged as an ‘immunity booster’. The CEO of the company says the response shows that the product is popular among the masses despite the controversy surrounding it. Experts say that the large amount of publicity the product garnered, in addition to the trust it has always enjoyed, have driven the large volumes. Read more here.
 

Covid survivors and their experiences: Testing positive for Covid-19 triggers surprise in some and stress in most. Covid survivors share the range of emotions they underwent after testing positive for the virus. They say coping with the virus involves being locked up in a room, brings about bodily changes and even affects relationships. Patients say they were often warned by family members to not share their test results with others over a fear of social stigma. Mental trauma was experienced by many because of the ‘information overload’ surrounding the virus. Guilt was also an overwhelming factor for many as they felt responsible for family members testing positive for the virus. Disturbed appetites and sleep cycles were also oft-mentioned side effects of the disease. Read more here.

Understanding Covid-19
 

Antibody response: A new study has found that our antibody response to coronavirus could decline over time. An analysis of prevalence of antibodies over time shows a clear decline, say researchers. What is not known yet is whether this decline leaves people vulnerable to reinfections. Secondly, it’s also not clear if the antibodies provide any effective level of immunity. The study also found that the distribution of antibodies across age groups is unequal. People aged 18 to 24 had the highest prevalence of antibodies and showed the slowest rate of decline of antibodies. Those aged 75 and over had the lowest prevalence of antibodies and reported the highest rate of decline as well. A conclusion that can be made with certainty, say researchers, is that the only way to tackle the pandemic is through a vaccine as herd immunity is still far off. Read more here.