Restarting schools unlikely to trigger surges: Experts

Restarting schools unlikely to trigger surges: Experts

Umesh.Isalkar@timesgroup.com

Pune:16.11.2020

Experts tracking Covid’s spread in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) have said that reopening of schools is unlikely to cause a surge in cases.

They cited data from sero surveys in the PMR, which shows adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age had the second-highest antibody prevalence (35%) after the age group of 51 to 65 (35.5%), meaning the young have had substantial contact with the virus already.

A vaccine, the experts said, is also unlikely to have a major link with reopening of schools as according to global consensus, children could be the last to receive any Covid-19 inoculation. Even for healthy adults, vaccination is at least a year (or more) away due to prioritization.

The experts were reacting to reports that said parents were increasingly hesitant to send children back to school until there was a vaccine in circulation.

“We are not preventing infection in children by closing schools,” said epidemiologist Amitav Banerjee. “This is evident from the results of the Pimpri Chinchwad sero survey which found that scores of adolescents unwittingly contracted the virus and have recovered from it.”

He added, “So since this antibody study has shown that children are already on the same level of immunity as the general population, the reopening of schools will not cause a resurgence of infection in the community.”

Banerjee said the health ministry’s messaging during the pandemic’s early phases had sparked fear among parents. “These initial briefings implied that children were at high risk. But they were not based on evidence. The next eight months showed that the virus hasn’t impacted children much.”

Social scientist and anthropologist Aarti Nagarkar, however, cited a recent ICMR observation that stated children could act as silent spreaders. “In another study, Indian researchers studying data from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, found that children and young adults are efficient spreaders within households, especially in resourcelimited settings. So we have to be careful while reopening schools,” Nagarkar said.

But some experts cited contact-tracing data that suggests children are less likely to be the main transmitters.

Most countries, based on evidence gathered so far, opened primary and lower classes first with no impact on transmission levels in their immediate communities.

Woman wrongly diagnosed with cancer to contest polls

Woman wrongly diagnosed with cancer to contest polls

Sajimon.PS@timesgroup.com  16.11.2020 

Alappuzha: Rejani V  , who was given chemotherapy after a wrong diagnosis of cancer, is contesting local body polls to register her protest against the government authorities for her present plight.

In 2019, Rejani was subjected to chemotherapy at Kottayam Medical College Hospital on the basis of a wrong test report from a private laboratory.

The doctors later realized that the woman was not affected by cancer when the result of the samples to the MCH lab was found negative.

“I don’t know how to explain those days. I am an ordinary woman and mother of a girl child. The shock and my mental depression at that time cannot be expressed in words. I had lost my hair and turned bald. I also experienced physical uneasiness,” said 39-year-old Rejani. Rejani, abandoned by her husband, has an eight-year-old daughter. She worked as a cashier in a textile shop in Pathanamthitta.

“The government has not come forward to help me. I knocked many doors of government departments but none opened for me. So in September 2019, I staged one-day fasting protest in front of Mavelikkara taluk office and BJP supported my agitation. After that, I got Rs 3 lakh from the chief minister’s distress relief fund. I requested the government to give me a job or better compensation as I was unable to work due to the health issues after undergoing chemotherapy. Still I am facing various health issues. The government did not consider my requests. So I have decided to contest in the election as an NDA candidate to register my protest against the government,” she said.

According to Rejani, till the last election, she cast her vote for CPM and her experiences forced her to rethink. Rejani is contesting in Bharanikavu block panchayat from Palamel block division. “I am an ordinary person and I know the problems of the poor. So, I don’t make tall promises. But I will stand with the ordinary people and will try to address their issues,” she said.

DU students find PG dreams in balance

DU students find PG dreams in balance

Mohammad.Ibrar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.11.2020

Delhi University student Nitish Kumar Mishra appeared for the online open book examination in July-August but found himself marked absent when the results were announced on October 27. Despite writing several times to DU, the final-year BCom (H) examinee from Aryabhatta College, and many others like him, are still awaiting to be declared eligible for postgraduate courses.

DU is yet to rectify many such mistakes, though its own PG admission process is to begin from Wednesday. Several students have either got zero or have been marked absent.

“Even after 18 days, the DU examination department has not rectified the results despite many emails to them,” said Mishra. While the PG admission notification states provisional admission will be granted to those whose results are yet to be declared, it doesn’t say anything about those with wrong results, he said.

He is worried that he will miss out on his LLB admissions that starts from Wednesday despite getting a good rank in the entrance.

Aakansha, a student of Dyal Singh College, has cleared the entrance for MA in Punjabi at DU. She got her results only on November 2, but it says she was absent. “The next day, I wrote to my college nodal officer, who told me to send screenshots of the mails.” She said, “I even got a receipt letter from the examination department after uploading my answer sheets.”

The story of Janki Devi Memorial College’s philosophy student, Ruchika Khavatiya, and six of her classmates is no different. “The DU authorities directed me to a phone number that doesn’t work,” said Khavatiya, who aspires to study law in postgraduation. Their faculty had spoken to the principal, who took up the matter with DU, she said. “But there has been no rectification.”

DU dean of examinations D S Rawat told TOI, “We will rectify all results in a couple of days.” He said the authorities had been working on the issues since Sunday.

STUDENT SAYS

Even after 18 days, DU examination department has not rectified the results despite many emails to them

Nov Peak: Covid Taking Four Lives Every Hour

Nov Peak: Covid Taking Four Lives Every Hour

However, Positivity Rate Much Lower Than June

Sidhartha.Roy@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:16.11.2020

Novel coronavirus has been claiming nearly four lives in the capital every hour in the past one week. On Sunday, 95 people succumbed to the infection, the third highest single-day toll till date.

This month, 1,103 fatalities have been reported in Delhi in the last fortnight, which means 73.5 deaths every day on average for the last 15 days (three deaths in an hour). In fact, this week has witnessed nearly 90 deaths every day and recorded the highest single-day death toll — 104 — on Thursday and the second highest of 96 on Saturday. The total number of Covid-19 deaths in Delhi stood at 7,614 on Sunday with an overall case fatality rate of 1.5%.

Delhi reported its first Covid-19 case on March 2. That month, two people succumbed to Covid-19 and, in the next, almost two fatalities were reported every day. May saw 414 deaths — 13.3 on average every day — but June, which saw the first major wave of Covid-19, recorded 2,269 fatalities, which amounts to 75.6 deaths on average every day. The death toll dipped to an average of 39.3 a day in July and 15.5 deaths/day in August as the Covid-19 graph dipped.

The number of Covid-19 fatalities, however, started increasing from September, which saw 917 deaths or 30.5 deaths every day on average. This figure rose to 37 deaths daily on average in October.

“We are trying our best to save every life and the best treatment possible is being provided, including plasma therapy. However, in many cases, patients are arriving at hospitals at a stage when their condition has already deteriorated to severe,” said a senior doctor of a Delhi government hospital.

On Sunday, 3,235 fresh cases were recorded in Delhi as only 21,098 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours compared with the nearly 60,000 tests being carried out daily. While nearly 20,000 RT-PCR tests are being carried out daily of late, the number was 9,221 in the last 24 hours, according to the Delhi government’s health bulletin. The positivity rate rose to 15.3% on Sunday compared with 14.7% on Saturday.

The overall positivity rate in November is 12.8%, which is a significant rise from the previous four months. The overall positivity rate in June was 21.1%, including some days when it went beyond 30%. July, however, saw the overall positivity rate dip to 9.6%, which further decreased to 7.1% in August, 7% in September and 6.6% in October even as the number of tests being carried out increased massively.

The total number of positive cases recorded in Delhi till date is more than 4.8 lakh, while more than 4.3 lakh have recovered, putting the recovery rate at 90.1%. The number of active cases on Sunday came down to 39,990 from 44,456 on Saturday, but the number of containment zones increased from 4,288 to 4,358. Out of the total active cases, 27,089 patients are recuperating under home isolation and 8,741 are admitted in hospital.

While 47.5% Covid beds in hospitals are still vacant, the availability of ICU beds reserved for Covid-19 patients is going down with only 164 or 12.2% of total 1,341ICU beds with ventilators available as per the Delhi Corona mobile application.

A DOCTOR SAYS

We are trying our best to save every life... However, in many cases, patients are arriving at hospitals at a stage when their condition has already deteriorated to severe

BCU VC and syndicate fight over upkeep plans

BCU VC and syndicate fight over upkeep plans

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru: 16.11.2020

The Bengaluru City University vice-chancellor’s plan to lay a foundation stone for redevelopment work of the university has run into rough weather, with some syndicate members saying they have not approved the agency or the proposal.

According to the syndicate members, it was decided to set aside Rs 155 crore for construction, renovation and development activities of the campus. As the university does not have an engineering department, it was decided to entrust it to either the public works department, central PWD or any other PSU after the syndicate approves the masterplan.

On October 23, vice-chancellor S Japhet wrote to the government seeking approval to prepare a masterplan and said the health and family welfare department’s engineering division had quoted Rs 155 crore.

The VC had planned a foundation stone-laying ceremony for the works on November 18. The syndicate, however, objected saying no agency was entrusted with the work or approved by the syndicate. Six members wrote to the governor on Sunday seeking the VC’s suspension for alleged misrepresentation of the syndicate and misuse of his official powers, among other charges.

In his reply to syndicate members, Japhet said, “The syndicate’s decision has been communicated to the government ... the agency’s proposal was forwarded to the government for according administrative approval since the matter was required to be placed before the state cabinet. The government has decided to hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the development work on November 18, and the chief minister is expected to participate.”

Six members wrote to the governor on Sunday seeking the VC’s suspension for alleged misrepresentation of the syndicate and misuse of his official powers, among other charges

Foreign-educated docs demand percentile-based qualifying exam

Foreign-educated docs demand percentile-based qualifying exam

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:16.11.2020

Thousands of Indians who have studied medicine abroad and are mandated to pass Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) to gain eligibility to work as doctors in their home country, are demanding their scores be put out in percentile form.

According to the Association of MD Physicians (AMD), which is spearheading these medicos’ cause, percentile scoring would help more of the eligible to work in India, which is required given the pandemic scenario.

AMD estimates the number of foreign medical graduates awaiting recognition in the country runs up to 30,000.

FMGE is held twice a year and not more than a couple of thousand candidates end up clearing it. According to AMD, 17,789 doctors appeared for the exam in August 2020, and 1,197 passed. The minimum score to qualify is 150 out of 300.

“We have candidates writing FMGE since 2008. Many miss qualifying by 2-3 marks,” a foreign medical graduate said. Successful candidates have to intern for one year at any general hospital and then apply for medical council registration in respective states.

Foreign medical graduates see a deliberate design in making it impossible for many of them to pass FMGE. They point to Opaque practices like absence of revaluation, lack of provision to see answer script and unavailability of previous question papers.

They also point out that FMGE sticks to percentage-based evaluation, even though most other exams in the country are evaluated through percentile method.

Most of these doctors have passed courses equivalent to MBBS in Russia, the US, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, China, Germany, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries.

A top Indian physician said FMGE mirrors the state of medical education in India. “Over 15 lakh students take undergraduate NEET for only 80,000 medical seats. Many of the rest end up going to countries like China, Mauritius and Russia, where medical education is cheaper. This entire process is only leading to projection of artificial shortage of doctors, which in turn is aiding medical colleges to increase their fee,” he explained.

“Results of so many candidates are withheld every year. If percentile is considered as qualifying criteria, a minimum of 7,000 doctors will get through the exam,” Dr Rajesh Rajan, president, AMD, said.

According to the website of National Board of Examinations (NBE), which conducts FMGE, 15,663 candidates wrote FMGE in December 2019 and results of 1,606 were withheld. Results of 535 candidates were announced later and 170 were declared ‘pass’.

AMD wrote to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, National Medical Commission, and also the NBE about its demand. NBE said changing qualifying criteria is beyond its purview.

Earlier this week, AMD approached the Delhi high court seeking a stay on the upcoming exam scheduled for December 4.

“When there are plenty of doctors trained in modern medicine around, the government is depending on medical students, Ayurveda and homoeopathy doctors to work in Covid wards. Isn’t this a joke?” said Dr Rajan.

Dr Devi Shetty, chairman, Narayana Health, said foreign medical graduates must be made to take up the final exit exam of Indian medical colleges. “FMGE candidates must be allowed to write the same final exam which students enrolled in Indian medical colleges are writing and the universities concerned can assess them,” said Dr Shetty.

Responding to TOI, NBE executive director Dr Pawanidra Lal said FMGE exam is equivalent to MBBS. “The passing criteria for MBBS students, appearing in first, second, third and fourth-year exams, is to secure 50% marks separately in theory and practicals for each subject. Hence, it is only justifiable that any equivalent exam shall also have the same level.”

“Percentiles are for ranking exams like NEET, postgraduation in medicine or super-speciality courses, where the candidates appearing have already secured 50% marks in the qualifying examination like MBBS or FMGE. The two are therefore not comparable,” he added.

On the allegation of results being withheld, Dr Lal said: “Result is withheld in case of those students, who fail to submit the required certificates prior to the examination. Once those are submitted, their results are declared.”

UGC TO RELEASE PENDING FELLOWSHIP

UGC TO RELEASE PENDING FELLOWSHIP

16.11.2020

The University Grants Commission has announced to release pending fellowships for Junior Research Fellows (JRF) and Senior Research Fellows (SRF) . The disbursal, said UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain, delayed due to technical issues and transition from old system to a new procedure. The JRF scheme of the UGC is for candidates who qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) and the UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The tenure of fellowship is initially for two years. JRF scholars get monthly stipend of Rs 31,000 and SRF scholars get Rs 28,000. CSIR-UGC NET Fellowships are tenable in Universities/IITs/Post Graduate Colleges/Govt. The programme is aimed at National Science & Technology Human Resource Development.