India coronavirus dispatch: Pandemic is still quite early in the country

How Andhra plans to ensure no patient is turned away, neurological impact of mild Covid-19, and the toll on TB and HIV treatment-a roundup of news on how India is dealing with the pandemic.

Interview

Policymakers in India must understand that the pandemic is still quite early in the country: Global health expert: While nations across the world struggle to contain the fallout of the human toll and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, public health experts such as Dr Ashish Jha, Professor of Global Health at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and the Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, have been at the forefront of research and public policy guid-ance to public and private institutions dealing with the crisis. Read this interview, where he ex-plains the epidemiological basis of the pandemic, and what policy solutions hold out hope for the future in India.

Managing Covid-19 
 

How Andhra plans to ensure no patient is turned away from hospitals: Putting an end to the problem of non-availability of beds, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided that the allocation of beds in government as well as private hospitals will be monitored by the respective district ad-ministration to ensure no person requiring medical attention is turned away. Here are details of how the availability of beds will be monitored and patients accommodated in the state. Read more here. 

What toll will Covid-19 take on tuberculosis and HIV treatment? India, which has a quarter of the global tuberculosis cases, faces the grim prospects of Covid-19 pandemic disrupting its already over-burdened healthcare system struggling with tuberculosis and HIV, and putting a spanner in the country’s efforts to eliminate TB by 2025. Read more here. 

Initial results of survey show ‘high’ seroprevalence in Delhi: After blood samples of over 22,000 people were randomly collected from the city to test for antibodies formed against Covid-19, the initial results of the serological survey showed at least 15 per cent of them have developed antibodies against the virus, according to officials. The data from the survey is still being analysed and a report is yet to be released by the government. Read more here. 

India could be producing over 20,000 vials of Remdesivir per day by month-end: The health ministry may have reduced the dosage of “investigational therapy” Remdesivir over concerns related to liver toxicity, but Indian companies are pressing on with manufacturing the drug. By the end of this month, India could be producing over 20,000 vials of Remdesivir per day, according to figures compiled by the Central Drugs and Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO). Read more here. 

Opinion 
 

Joblessness and opportunity in Tamil Nadu: While the overall economic scenario is bleak, the present crisis has a silver lining. The pandemic has exposed India’s unsustainable dependence on other countries for a variety of goods and nudged the government to help build supply chains for critical products that are less dependent on foreign countries. States that can adapt quickly to shift-ing economic currents will recover faster. Read more here. 

Understanding Covid-19
 

Study warns of serious brain disorder in people with mild Covid-19: UK neurologists on Wednesday published a report detailing serious neurological complications in 40 UK Covid-19 pa-tients who had mild form of the disease. The report indicated complications ranging from brain in-flammation, delirium, nerve damage and stroke. The University College London (UCL) experts re-port brings the attention back to those with mild symptoms, often treated at home with little super-vision. Read more here. 

Is the novel coronavirus airborne? Here’s what we do and don’t know: As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, one question that keeps coming up is whether Covid-19 can be transmitted through the air. In fact, 239 scientists in 32 countries have written an open let-ter to the World Health Organisation (WHO) arguing there is mounting evidence the airborne route plays a role in the transmission of Covid-19. Like a lot of issues to do with the pandemic, what seems to be a relatively straightforward question is deceptively complex. We actually don’t know the answer for sure. Read more here.
 

There are more questions we need to ask about the Covaxin clinical trials: On June 29, the Hy-derabad-based company Bharat Biotech announced it had received permission from the Drugs Con-troller General of India to conduct human trials for its new Covid-19 vaccine, named Covaxin. The company worked with ICMR and the National Institute, Pune, to develop the vaccine. Read this piece to understand why the vaccine’s approval, production and mass administration should pro-ceed with great care. Any misstep with regard to safety protocols at this stage will have a major im-pact on the faith of India’s citizens on the public healthcare system. Read more here