India Coronavirus Dispatch: Slew of MP infections may prune monsoon session

Seasonal flu shot demand up, staff shortage hits Pune hospitals, Bengal forgets social distancing as it celebrates Mahalaya--news on how the country is coping with the pandemic

Shorter monsoon session? There’s a palpable sense of panic in parliament over the spread of Covid-19. Over 30 MPs, including Nitin Gadkari and Prahlad Patel, have tested positive so far. This  has raised the possibility of the Monsoon session being wound up by next week. The case of BJP’s Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, in particular, has rattled parliamentarians. The MP had tested negative a week before and was subsequently found to be Covid-positive a day after he was the party’s lead speaker in the Covid debate. According to the report, if bills for ordinances promulgated during the lockdown are passed then the session will be ended. Fresh protocols are also being issued on a daily basis and instructions are being repeated for all MPs to follow. Read more here.

Seasonal flu shot demand up: Even as people wait for Covid-19 vaccine with bated breath, they’re resorting to other possible measures to protect themselves. As a result, the demand for seasonal flu shots has gone up in places like Bengaluru. The city’s private hospitals have even set up vaccination camps in different places. Doctors advice taking a flu shot as the healthcare system is already overburdened and symptoms of Covid-19 will overlap with those of the seasonal flu. Doctors say the number of people taking the shot this year has gone up by 30 per cent. A single flu shot can protect a person against 3-4 types of influenza viruses. Read more here.

Staff shortage hits Pune: Hospital administrations across Pune are now struggling with a shortfall of using staff even as the pandemic continues to spread in the city. Hospitals are now engaging in group therapy and counselling sessions to somehow retain their staff. At a top city hospital, only 51 nurses are currently working against a sanctioned strength of 92. Nurses are leaving out of fear of contracting the virus and amid growing family pressure. Other hospitals have raised the Covid allowance for nurses to encourage them to stay on. According to an IMA official, many doctors and nurses have also left their workplaces to join government-run facilities that offer better salaries and work benefit. Read more here.

In Pics

Bengal forgets social distancing: West Bengal recently celebrated Mahalaya, which marks the day when Goddess Durga is believed to descend on to Earth. The festival this year, however, saw flouting of social distancing norms as hundreds flocked to the ghats of Kolkata to perform a ritual. The state’s CM, Mamata Banerjee has said she will not let Covid come in the way of celebrations. An advisory board set up by the state had earlier stated that conducting rituals amid the pandemic will be a major challenge. The government has decided to allow celebrations with some precautions in place, like not allowing pandals to be covered so as to facilitate good ventilation. Read more here.

In Numbers

Pune death count up: Pune saw a 28 per cent increase in the number of Covid-19 deaths over the week even as the number of cases saw a short decline. The overall fatality rate, however, continues to be at 2.34 per cent. The week gone by saw 295 deaths, compared to 267 for the one before that. Of the total deaths, 2,015 were those with underlying medical conditions, with an increase of 164 in a week. The number of patients above 50 years of age and with co-morbid conditions also saw a spike from 28,302 to 32,310 in a week. The week also saw Pune’s positivity rate increase from 22.1 per cent to 22.73 per cent. At 939, however, the number of critical patients has remained more or less the same. The PMC has now begun monitoring commercial establishments and shops. Read more here.

Understanding Covid-19

Aerosol Debate: Many months into the pandemic, it’s still not clear if the virus can be transmitted by air. The fact that there’s no consensus on the matter is a cause for concern as most countries have lifted lockdown restrictions. The main point of debate is on how far the virus can be transmitted by a single human being which is related to the size of droplets that carry the virus. Experts, however, have been stressing on good ventilation conditions as being absolutely necessary to stop the spread. The writer says that much of the debate revolves around how ‘droplet’ and ‘aerosol’ is defined. However, this should have very little bearing on how we react to the pandemic. It took a public outcry to get the WHO to even recommend wearing masks as a precautionary measure against the virus. Read more here.