City colleges come forward to help Covid-19 patients

City colleges come forward to help Covid-19 patients

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.05.2021

In the war on Covid-19, city colleges are chipping in by opening their campuses for oxygen beds and isolation rooms, preparing food packets for frontline workers and tele-counselling patients. A majority have handed over their buildings to the Greater Chennai Corporation to convert them into Covid care centres.

Madras Christian College created a 15-bed isolation facility for patients with mild symptoms, five-bed facility for primary contacts and also launched an ambulance service. “The facility is open to all faculty members, staff members, students, alumni and general public. The centre will provide basic ambulance and isolation services,” said Paul Wilson, principal. The centre will provide online medical consultation, food and nursing services. The ambulance will be available up to a radius of 15 km from MCC. .

Loyola College is offering tele-counselling to Covid-19 patients in partnership with the corporation. “We have an additional tele-counselling facility in our college as well. The centre has three dedicated phone lines and counsellors. Social workers are giving counselling," said principal Thomas Amirtham.

The college also identified 200 community leaders to train in basic awareness. "Each person will get a corona home Kit which will have an oxymeter, masks, hand sanitizer and tablets. They will operate as community healers,” he added. The college along with GCC plans to start a 50-bed Covid care centre for asymptomatic persons at the hostel.

Some colleges are also organising vaccination drives and functioning as community kitchens. “We are conducting a vaccination drive for the general public along with the Rotaract club. We have also handed over a building for Covid care centre,” said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of DG Vaishnav College.

Alagappa College of Technology hostel at Anna University campus in Chennai functioning as Covid care centre for police personnel. “We have also handed over the knowledge park building for converting it as a Covid care centre,” a university n official said.

STEPPING UP: Madras Christian College created a 15-bed isolation facility

Kids break piggy banks to help fight Covid

SHOT OF HOPE

Kids break piggy banks to help fight Covid

Sindhu.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.05.2021 

They had saved up the money to buy toy cars they could sit in and drive. But when they saw how people were contributing to the fight against the coronavirus, eight-year-old Mithun Sanjith and six-year-old Mithran Sanjay from Chengalpet decided to break their piggy banks and givetheir contents to the government.

The coins and notes they had assiduously put away ever since they drove their dream cars at a mall two years ago made up a tidy sum. Their mother Pramila helped them count the money that came to ₹10,045. Their father Shiva, a journalist with a Tamil daily,

said at first he did not take him seriously when Mithun asked if he could donate the money. The boys really wanted the toy cars, but they had put off a trip to the mall because of the pandemic. But then the children broke open the piggy bank and offered the money, saying they would rather give it away than buy the cars. Since Saturday was Mithun’s birthday, they decided to hand over the money on that day to Chengalpet collector John Louis, who gifted him a book.

The collector lauded Mithun Sanjith, a class three student of V S Star matriculation school, and Mithran Sanjay, a class one student of Good Shepherd public school in Kalpakkam. Shiva said the boys used to get worried watching TV news and hearing him on the phone discussing the pandemic. They would press him not to leave home.

HEART OF GOLD: Mithun Sanjith, 8, and Mithran Sanjay, 6, from Chengalpet donated ₹10,045 to the government’s Covid fund

Remdesivir to be sold directly to TN pvt hosps

Remdesivir to be sold directly to TN pvt hosps

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.05.2021

After milling crowds at remdesivir sales counters opened at six places in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu sparked fear of turning into super-spreaders, the state government has decided to sell the anti-viral drug directly to private hospitals treating patients from Tuesday, and not to the family and friends of the infected. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday.

A new online portal will be launched on Tuesday through which private hospitals can register their requirement, a press release said.

‘Hospitals required to submit records of patients in need of O2’

Health minister Ma Subramanian said, “Hospitals will be asked to submit medical records pertaining to oxygen-dependent patients. After going through the documents, Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation will approve remdesivir vials. Hospital representatives can collect them from sale depots.”

A K Ravikumar, state secretary, Indian Medical Association (IMA), said once the changes come into effect, government should not prioritise bigger hospitals (with 100-beds or more) and provide the drug to all Covidempanelled hospitals based on a common waiting list. Or else, the government can collect a weekly or15-day indent from private hospitals and supply the required quantity upfront. In order to monitor usage, hospitals can be asked to return used vials and upload patient details before making request for the next batch (as it is done for supplying vaccines), he said.

Health authorities said that they will continue to monitor private hospitals to ensure they administer remdesivir only to eligible patients and the drug is sold only at the price fixed by the government.

Though remdesivir is recommended only for severe cases, some private physicians are recommending it to all patients thereby increasing the drug’s market demand. This has led to hoarding and black marketing of the drug. Chennai police arrested people for trying to sell a vial for ₹15,000 to ₹35,000 last week.

The government has promised to take legal action against those who sell it at exorbitant rates and prescribe it without necessity, the press release said.

Study: Covaxin tackles all new strains, works against double mutant

Study: Covaxin tackles all new strains, works against double mutant

Swati.Bharadwaj@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:17.05.2021

Indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin is effective in fighting all key emerging variants, including the double mutant B.1.617 and B.1.1.7, which was first identified in India and the UK, its developer Bharat Biotech said on Sunday while citing a study published in an Oxford journal.

Pointing out that Covaxin was successful in retaining neutralising activity against emerging variants, a top official of the company said that no difference in neutralisation was observed between B.1.1.7 (first isolated in the UK) and the vaccine strain (D614G) that was used to develop Covaxin.

Citing a study published in peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, Bharat Biotech joint managing director Suchitra Ella tweeted: “A modest reduction in neutralisation by a factor of 1.95 was observed against B.1.617 variant compared to the vaccine variant (D614G). Despite this reduction, neutralising titre (concentration of neutralising antibodies) levels with B.1.617 remain above levels expected to be protective.”

Neutralising antibodies are part of the body’s immune system and helps defend from viruses and bacteria by neutralising their effects on the body. These antibodies are produced when one gets infected or vaccinated.

The study, ‘Neutralisation of variant under investigation B.1.617 with sera of BBV152 vaccinees’, was covered in the May 7 issue of the journal that is published by the Oxford University Press.

The study found that the sera drawn from those vaccinated with Covaxin performed better against the B.1.617 variant as compared to the sera taken from patients who had recovered from Covid.

SHOT OF HOPE: A health worker administers a vaccine dose to a woman in Bengaluru on Sunday

Top virologist quits Covid-19 advisory group

Top virologist quits Covid-19 advisory group

17.05.2021

Veteran virologist Shahid Jameel, chair of the scientific advisory group of the forum INSACOG, has quit the forum but declined to give a reason. “I am not obliged to give a reason,” he said, adding that he quit on Friday. Asked why the Centre did not respond forcefully to their findings on new variants, Jameel had told Reuters that he was concerned that authorities were not paying enough attention to the evidence as they set policy.

No HC relief for student who indulged in exam malpractice

No HC relief for student who indulged in exam malpractice

Madurai:17.05.2021 

Madras highcourt has refused to interfere with he punishment given to a student by an autonomous college for indulging in malpractice, while appearing for an online semester exam. The petitioner, a student, joined an MBA course in an autonomous college in Virudhunagar district in 2019. According to the petitioner, the college initiated disciplinary proceedings against him for indulging in malpractice during an online examination and thereafter he was never allowed to attend the classes.

In the counter affidavit submitted by the college,it stated that the petitioner was involved inmalpractice in anonline exam conducted in January2021 for second semester. The petitioner had uploaded the answer sheet of another student. During the inquiry, it was proved that the petitioner was involved in malpractice. Though the college had permitted him to attend the onlineclasses,he did not attend the classes from February 6. Justice N Anand Venkatesh observed that from the documents submitted, it is clear that the petitioner was involved in malpractice during the online exam and had uploaded the answer sheet of another student. TNN

New lockdown restrictions hard on bachelors, elderly

New lockdown restrictions hard on bachelors, elderly

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.05.2021

It’s the need of the hour, but the new restrictions disallowing general stores from functi0ning after 10am, has become tough on bachelors, elderly people staying by themselves and those working night shifts, among others.

While those with the financial and technical capacity to order provisions online are using it, public say it is prudent to order in advance as most stocks are running out while ordering online.

“Ever since the lockdown was announced, customers have been stocking up on instant noodles, readymade chappatis, snacks and similar dishes,” said S Baskar, a grocery store owner in Puzhuthivakkam. While during the first announcement, there was not much rush, after the second lockdown announcement, there has been a rush to stock up on such items.

Not all bachelors staying in the city can afford to buy food through delivery apps and elderly people too are facing difficulties and are reliant on neighbours. “We are a group of friends staying together and working odd jobs. Most days our breakfast and dinner used to be a cup of tea and biscuits at the nearby tea stall to save money. Now, that tea stalls are closed, we are finding it difficult,” said S Sivakumar of Velachery.

Since there has been no restrictions on domestic helps, elderly people who are vaccinated make use of them to avail provisions and other needs.

“I usually work late into night and by the time I wake up now, the shops are closed. While the government’s move is understandable, the authorities can consider allowing roadside vendors selling vegetables and fruits and push carts too for the benefit of bachelors and elderly persons,” R Ram Kumar, a resident of Adambakkam said.

Traders and shop owners too are facing the heat as they feel 6am to 10 am is a limited time period for them to run business. “Some of us have employers to pay for and with limited business, we find it difficult to pay them,” said a shopkeeper.