India Coronavirus Dispatch: Why many refuse to get themselves tested

Decline in India's daily cases, SOPs released for Uttarakhand schools, can transmission be brought down by banning public events?--news on how the country is coping with the pandemic

Non-existent study: In an answers to Rajya Sabha, Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, attributed data to a study that might not exist. In parliament, she said that less than 3 per cent of people in tribal areas had tested positive for Covid-19. She referred to a study by IIT Delhi which arrived at the figure of Covid-19 burden in 177 tribal-dominated districts across the country. An RTI filed with IIT Delhi, however, showed that no such study existed. The RTI applicant had asked for the study as well as the methodology used for the same. Further, an RTI filed with the MoTA for the study was forwarded to the the National Informatics Centre. Read more here. 

Uttarakhand schools: Uttarakhand government released SOPs for residential and non-residential schools in the state ahead of reopening for Classes 10 and 12. The SOPs call for complete sanitisation of school premises before reopening as well as after every session. Entry points to the school will have hand sanitisers and thermal screening facilities. Residential schools will require to have quarantine areas in place and ensure immediate serving of cooked meals. Only those students who have a Covid negative report will be allowed to stay at residential schools. Further, quarantine areas for teachers and students will be segregated. Only designated staff will be allowed to enter hospitals. Is a student is under quarantine, then the school will have to make arrangements for food and online classes. Read more here. 

In Numbers

India cases decline: The number of daily Covid-19 cases in India decline even as surges are witnessed elsewhere in the world. In India, for the 22nd straight day, the number of recoveries exceeded the cases. The number of active cases stood at 668,000, down from over a million a month ago. India seems to have gone against the trend seen in other hotspots. The profile of main contributing states in the country has also undergone a change. Kerala has emerged the main driver of the pandemic, becoming the first state to leave Maharashtra behind for two consecutive days since the pandemic first hit. The decline in India comes even as the US recorded its highest ever daily numbers and second waves spread across Europe. Read more here. 

Comment

Indians and Covid: A critical point regarding the pandemic in India is rarely discussed: why do some Indians refuse to be quarantined? Low demand for tests should not come as a surprise given the number of incidents where people refused to report symptoms and get themselves tested. Medical teams have even been denied entry into many villages. A pilot project was launched in Punjab to understand this trend. However, the project was a spectacular failure as only four of 465 individuals consented to a Covid-19 test. Further, researchers worry that many may have concealed any symptoms. The researchers say this could result from a fear of quarantine facilities and hospitalisation. For a lower income household, quarantine could spell disaster if the breadwinner of the family is placed under isolation for long periods. Risk of visiting a testing site itself may have also played a part in the choices. Read more here. 

Understanding Covid

Ban on public events: A new study shows that the R value — a critical measure of virus transmission — can be brought down by a ban on public events. The R value can decrease by almost 24 per cent in less than a month, it says. The researchers studied a ban on assembly of more than 10 people and public events, school and workplace shutdowns, and stay-at-home orders. They concluded that a ban on public events is the only lockdown measure that may have had any statistical significance in the fight against the pandemic. Internal movement limits, in addition to a ban on public events formed the most effective package, they concluded. Read more here.