Thursday, April 23, 2020


Lockdown hits TASMAC loadmen hard

23/04/2020, S. SUNDAR,MADURAI



The COVID-19 lockdown has burdened families of workers involved in loading and unloading of Indian-made foreign liquor bottles at TASMAC godowns in the State

Over 2,500 loadmen working in the 43 godowns and a similar number of workers who do their job for unloading at TASMAC shops have lost their livelihood ever since the shops were closed on March 24.

“We were earning around ₹ 500 to ₹ 600 a day. And it always remained a tight-rope walking to run the family with this income,” says S. Ayyanan, 55.

Hence, Mr. Ayyanan, who works at the TASMAC godown in Manalur in Sivaganga district, never misses even a single working day to make ends meet for his family of four.

“All loadmen, being illiterate, never had the habit of saving money for the rainy days and hence, our problem has compounded these days,” says his colleague, M. Muniasamy, 42.

Both the loadmen have two school-going children each. Between the two, Mr. Muniyasamy ‘s plight is better as his wife too was working till the lockdown in a local mill. He has managed with whatever little the family had.

But, Mr. Ayyanan has already started borrowing from his neighbours.

“How long do you think the ₹ 1000 and essential commodities distributed through ration shops can last for a family of four?” he asks.

“How much can we starve? The price of essential goods, including the vegetables, has gone up these days. Except for brinjal and ladies finger, nothing is cheaper these days,” he says.

Both the families have cut down on everything, but basic food to survive.

“But, I cannot say no to my children, who ask for biscuits. We eat lesser these days so that children can eat more,” Mr. Ayyanan says. His wife has even started to cook less quantity of food.

“When the liquor bottles from TASMAC shops were brought back to prevent burglary, we got work for four days amidst lockdown. And that money is now helping me to keeping us remain afloat,” says Mr. Muniyasamy.

“The plight of almost all the loadmen is the same across the State. We have not got any relief, except for that given through ration shops. Our request for quick relief to the TASMAC loadmen has not been heeded so far,” says R. Pandi, CITU secretary, Tamil Nadu Sumaithookkum Thozhilar Sammelanam.
Stranded foreign nationals fly back home in 30 rescue flights

23/04/2020, SUNITHA SEKAR,CHENNAI


Homeward bound: A special flight carrying stranded passengers. B. Velankanni Raj B. Velankanni Raj

Since the lockdown, hundreds of foreign nationals, who were stranded in the city, have left in 30 rescue flights from various countries over the past month.

According to Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials, the rescue flights flew to destinations like Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Bangladesh, USA, UK and Malaysia in the past few weeks carrying their nationals stranded in the city.

Some of the flights picked up passengers from Chennai then head to Mumbai or Hyderabad or Bangalore, take more foreign nationals stranded there and head to their respective country, the officials said.

For instance, a flight to Atlanta in USA from Chennai had a stopover at Mumbai, took in some more passengers and departed, officials said. Many flights also land here for refueling of their flights, they added.

“Almost everyday, sa pecial rescue flight departs from the city. Before each such flight, the international terminal is fumigated thoroughly. All the areas are deep cleaned so that passengers are not at risk. Also, all passengers are subjected to temperature checks before they board the aircraft. There is always someone monitoring the activities during such times in the terminal,” an official said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Indians, who have been stranded in various parts of world like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Australia, have been waiting to return. Many have constantly requested the government and posted tweets asking them to make arrangements to help them get back home, officials said.
‘Shift doctor’s mortal remains to Kilpauk cemetery’

Anandhi Simon appeals to CM to honour husband’s ‘last wishes’

23/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

No-go area: A locality near Anna Nagar West has been declared a containment zone. K. Pichumani

The family of neurosurgeon Simon Hercules, who died of COVID-19 on Sunday and was buried in Velangadu amid chaos, has appealed to the Chief Minister that his mortal remains be shifted to the cemetery in Kilpauk, as per his last wish.

On Sunday evening, the Chennai Corporation had made arrangements at its burial ground near Kilpauk. However, as residents took to the road, objecting to the burial, they decided to bury him at Velangadu which has a crematorium with limited space for burials.

But a mob attacked Corporation staff and colleagues of the doctor, in Velangadu, opposing the burial. The body was later buried with police protection.

In a video message, the doctor’s wife, Anandhi Simon, said that it was his last wish to be buried at the Kilpauk cemetery.

“We had obtained permission to bury him at the Kilpauk cemetery, but he was buried in Velangadu due to a few incidents. We could not witness his burial. He has been buried in a sealed casket and this can be shifted to the Kilpauk cemetery. It will not create any trouble for anyone,” she said.

She added that he spoke to them before he was put on ventilatory support. “It was his last wish to be buried as per our rituals. Please fulfil his last wish,” she appealed to the Chief Minister.

CM speaks to Anandhi

On Wednesday forenoon, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami spoke to Ms. Anandhi Simon over the phone and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family. In his tweet about his phone call with her, @CMOTamilNadu said he requested her to remain strong considering the future of her son and daughter.

Stalin’s call

DMK president M.K. Stalin spoke to Ms. Anandhi and expressed his condolences. He also spoke to journalist who had tested positive for the virus.

The Tamil Nadu Engineers' Federation (TNEF) has condemned the attack on persons who had accompanied the mortal remains of Dr. Simon to the burial ground on Sunday.

In a statement, president of the TNEF S.Ananth said that two engineers belonging to the Greater Chennai Corporation had sustained injuries when they were on duty and are currently undergoing treatment for the same.

They welcomed the immediate action taken by the Tamil Nadu government against the perpetrators.
Ration tokens on April 24, 25

23/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,CHENNAI

Tokens for getting essentials from ration shops for May will be distributed at consumers’ doorsteps on April 24 and 25, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Wednesday.

“The tokens will have a specific day and time when ration cardholders can get their supplies. Consumers can collect them from ration shops on the specified day and time,” the CM said in a statement. He insisted that people strictly observe physical distancing norms while collecting rations.

It may be recalled that the State government had earlier announced that ration supplies for the month of May would be distributed for free. Essentials for May for a ration cardholder includes 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of tur dal and 1 kg of edible oil, besides the usual entitlement of rice.
Long arm of the law


23/04/2020


Slamming the ‘brakes’ A police officer tries stopping motorists from speeding away after they were found violating prohibitory orders and carrying a liquor bottle. They were later taken to the Arumbakkam police station. R. Ravindran
Facebook buys ₹43,574 cr. stake in Jio Platforms

WhatsApp to link JioMart, shoppers

23/04/2020, PIYUSH PANDEY ,MUMBAI


Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook Inc. on Wednesday announced that it had agreed to buy a 9.99% stake in the Mukesh Ambani-led Jio Platforms Limited for ₹43,574 crore, valuing the subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) at an enterprise value of ₹4.62 lakh crore.

The transaction, which will need regulatory approval, will help the RIL unit to leverage Facebook’s WhatsApp in accelerating business on the JioMart platform and connecting neighbourhood grocery stores with consumers. “In the near future, JioMart and WhatsApp will empower nearly 3 crore small Indian kirana shops to digitally transact with every customer in their neighbourhood,” Mr. Ambani said in a video message.

Jio Platforms, which houses all of RIL’s digital businesses, intends to use a part of the funds invested by Facebook to reduce debt. “Jio Platforms has debt of ₹40,000 crore,” Anshuman Thakur, head of strategy at Reliance Jio, told The Hindu.

“About ₹15,000 crore of proceeds will stay in Jio Platforms and the remaining will be used to pay for optionally convertible preference shares investments made by RIL in this company,” he added.
Most sectors will be open by May 3, says Sanjeev Sanyal

Downturn could last years, says Principal Economic Adviser

23/04/2020, PRISCILLA JEBARAJ,NEW DELHI


Sanjeev Sanyal

The process of “unwinding” the lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19 has already begun, and most sectors of the economy will be open by May 3, Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal told members of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry via a video-conference call.

“Well before the rest of the world is out and about, the Indian economy will be open,” he said. International passenger travel, however, would be locked down for a long time. “I think it will be months, not weeks, as much of the world remains unsafe,” he said.

With regard to an economic stimulus, Mr. Sanyal exhorted industry leaders to view the process as “a marathon, not a sprint.” He warned that the economic downturn was expected to last a long time. “Not weeks, but possibly years, and certainly months,” he said. So the government also expected to dole out support in incremental doses, rather than spend all its resources in one go.

Mr. Sanyal acknowledged that many other countries announced huge stimulus packages, running into trillions of dollars, even before announcing shutdown measures to prevent the spread of the infection. However, most of these countries “wasted” their money on a “big bang” and felt the Indian approach of first announcing the lockdown, and then taking “calibrated” measures to protect and revive the economy was more effective in the long run.
Attacks on health workers to attract up to 7 years in prison

Union Cabinet approves promulgation of ordinance

23/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI


Battle ready: Medics performing a mock drill in Ernakulam district of Kerala on Wednesday.PTI

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the promulgation of an ordinance to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, making acts of violence against medical staff a cognisable and non-bailable offence and to provide compensation for injury to healthcare personnel or for damage or loss to property.

The ordinance proposes that in cases of attacks on healthcare workers, the investigation will be completed within 30 days and the final decision arrived at within one year.

The punishment for such attacks will be three months to five years and the fine ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.

In severe cases, where there are grievous injuries, the punishment will be six months to seven years and the fine ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh.

‘Zero tolerance’

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, in a series of tweets after the announcement, said that as per the “new ordinance, there shall be zero tolerance to any incidents of violence against healthcare service personnel and/or damage to property. All offences of violence will be cognisable and non-bailable”.

“This will facilitate punishment under the law in cases of violence against healthcare service personnel serving during an epidemic. Public venting of angst against healthcare service personnel leading to harassment assault and damage to property is being highlighted daily. Portrayal as potential spreaders of COVID-19 pandemic played havoc with the confidence of the medical community which is demanding protection,’’ the Health Minister tweeted.

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Confirmed cases cross 20,000; nearly 4,000 people recover

With 50 new deaths, toll jumps to 652; 1,383 fresh cases reported in 24 hours

23/04/2020, BINDU SHAJAN PERAPPADAN


India on Wednesday reported 50 new COVID-19 deaths and the recovery of 3,959 patients, taking the recovery rate to 19.36% from 17% previously.

The Union Health Ministry said 20,971 individuals have been confirmed positive as of now, while the death toll stood at 652. Since Tuesday, 1,383 new cases were reported.

However, reports from the States put the toll at 683 and the total number of positive cases at 21,324, out of which 16,489 are active. Maharashtra has the most number of cases (5,649), followed by Gujarat (2,407) and Delhi (2,248).

The Ministry said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had promised to collect data from the States to assess the scope and extent of the utility of the rapid antibody test in field conditions.

“It [ICMR] shall keep advising the States on a regular basis. The States have also been advised to follow the prescribed protocol for this test and use it for the purpose for which it is meant,” said a release issued by the Ministry. The ICMR had reiterated that the rapid test was largely to be used as a tool for surveillance.

“Globally also, the utility of this test is evolving and it is currently being used for detecting the formation of antibodies in individuals. The test results are also dependent on field conditions,” the release noted and asserted that the test cannot replace the RT-PCR test to diagnose COVID-19 cases.

The Ministry said it had directed State Chief Secretaries and the UT administrations to ensure the safety of health workers. “Their skill and service amongst all professionals place them in a unique position to save people in present times. The States and the UTs have been advised to take up various measures, including human resource and capacity-building training, medical safety, timely payments, psychological support, training of front line workers and life insurance cover,” it stated.
BHU plans clinical trial of Covid drug

Fifatrol, enriched with immune-enhancing herbs, was found to be effective in curing major bacterial infections: Experts


New Delhi  23.04.2020

Professors at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) proposed to carry out a clinical trial of immunity-boosting ayurvedic drug fifatrol to check its efficacy in tackling the deadly Covid-19.

However, the proposal is yet to be approved, official sources said. According to BHU professor and principal investigator for the proposed project Dr K N Dwivedi, the plan has been sent to a task force formed by the government for scientific validation of ayurveda and traditional medicinal formulas through research institutions in tackling Covid-19. The Interdisciplinary AYUSH Research and Development Task Force has members from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as also ayush practitioners.

Their job is to identify potential preventive therapy and therapeutic approaches from ayush systems in different stages of Covid-19 treatment. The AYUSH ministry had issued a notification on March 31, asking ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy (AYUSH) practitioners and institutions to submit their suggestions on various therapies, and has received over 2,000 proposals. Experts say that fifatrol, enriched with immune-enhancing herbs, has been found to be effective in curing major bacterial infections such as staphylococcus species that causes fever, cough and cold, and skin diseases among others.

AIMIL Pharmaceuticals, the company that produces fifatrol, said that drug is used to treat flu and viral infections of upper respiratory tract. But this is for the first time that experts have decided to determine if it can be helpful in combating the novel coronavirus. Head of the Department of Dravyaguna at BHU Dr Dwivedi said fifatrol is given to patients with symptoms similar to Covid-19. “So, we are now trying to evaluate this drug on critically-ill Covid-19 patients to check if it can help reduce mortality,” he said. “During a trial on dengue patients at AIIMS, Bhopal, the drug was found to have increased platelet count significantly. The study also established that fifatrol can strengthen the liver with no systemic side effects,” the professor said. PTI
The emergence of asymptomatic coronavirus cases is a matter of concern


Aggressive testing is key

Since people have been following lockdown strictly, it’s now with the authorities to go for aggressive testing. Widespread testing with vigorous contact tracing is the need of the hour. However, the emergence of new cases without showing virus symptoms is definitely a matter of concern. It is alarming that India’s positive cases are picking up pace, from 10 cases per day to 1,100 cases per day on average. The number of cases has already crossed the 20,000 mark. What is more worrying is that 80 per cent of all infected cases are showing mild or no symptoms. Hence, the government should now conduct random tests on a war footing. Aggressive testing has helped countries like South Korea contain the spread of the virus. India also needs a more sophisticated strategic plan to tackle the deadly disease. Moreover, in a country like India with 1.3 billion people, testing has to be rationalised. This is not a political issue it’s more of a humanitarian one. We are living in a different world today than we were yesterday. It’s not a good time for political blame games. We should hope for the best and be ready for the worst.

Ravi Teja Kathuripalli   Hyderabad

Good decision

I appreciate the decision of the Telangana government to turn the Gachibowli Sports Village into a Covid hospital. This move exhibits the intelligence and creative thinking of the government to make good use of the available resources. The renovation of the entire facility and arrangement of 750 regular beds as well as 750 multi-specialty wards with sophisticated equipment within a short period of time is worthy of praise. With TIMS as a super-specialty hospital, which could be used on the lines of NIMS, it will be a gift for the poor.

DN Rao   Hyderabad

Perks of working from home

The concept of working from home is not a new one. But the extraordinary crisis sparked off by Covid-19 has given the idea a leg-up. Many employers, particularly in the IT/BT sector, are discovering the perks of making their employees work from home. Besides cutting costs, this can bring in huge revenues for the companies. One can envision a future with shrinking office spaces, less traffic, and long-term benefits to the environment. Home could be the new office!

N J Ravi Chander  Bengaluru

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Migrants take railway tracks to avoid checkposts


A group of migrant workers on way to their native places on foot, trekking alongside railway tracks in Thandur mandal on Wednesday. — Photo: K Srihari 

State Bureau   Mancherial  23.04.2020

The railway line between Secunderabad and Ballarshah Junction of Maharashtra is situated parallel to road route from the capital of Telangana to many parts of Chandrapur district in the neighbouring district. This has come in handy for the hapless migrant workers of North India to avoid checkposts during their marathon journeys from Hyderabad to their native places.

Around 30 migrant workers including 15 women and five children took the railway line in place of road to avoid being stopped by the policemen at an inter-district checkpost in Tandur mandal centre on Wednesday. A brief conversation revealed that they were relying on the tracks for skipping the watch of cops and subsequent denial to their return journey. “With the help of the railway line, we are hoodwinking the cops, whenever we are stopped by police. In fact, travelling distance is slightly lower when compared to that of road from Hyderabad to several parts of Chandrapur district,” a migranworker told ‘Telangana Today’ over the phone. The workers began their journey to their native district Gondia in Maharashtra on foot four days back. They exuded confidence that they would reach it by four days. They disclosed that the relying on the railway track had its own demerits. “You don’t find the public or voluntary organisations that are coming to rescue of the migrants on the way, by providing food and breakfast and shelter” the worker regretted. 

“Using the railway tracks to commute a destination is a risky move. Goods trains are operational on the line, posing threat to the workers. Walking along the track is tougher than that of the road. You need to bear the sharp edged concrete and to cross high-level bridges built across rivers and streams,” said K Santosh Kumar, a president of Abhinava, voluntary organisation from Tandur.
Expert Speak

Field day for purveyors of fake news during crisis

The scale of misinformation around Covid-19 unprecedented


Governments across have launched dedicated websites, chatbots to provide authentic information to citizens.

23.04.2020

In addition to being a global pandemic of epic proportions, the Covid-19 outbreak is probably the first-ever ‘information epidemic’ or ‘infodemic’ of the technology era. The extent and scale of the misinformation (fake news) around the outbreak is unprecedented. It is equally concerning that this is not confined to a country or two but is spread across the world.

It is not without reason that governments world over are equally wary of misinformation as they are of the virus itself. As far as India is concerned, the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of many States have asked people not to believe rumours as the real-world impact of the misinformation could be counterproductive to the efforts of the government.

Take for instance the two pieces of misinformation that went viral on the eve of the ‘Janata Curfew’. One claimed that the virus lives for only 12 hours outside the human body and that one day of curfew would break the cycle. The other claim in the form of a video by an individual spoke about the power of positive vibrations and that collective clapping would make the virus impotent. Both these fake news were amplified by celebrities, film stars and millions of others. The result of that amplification was that people in some places came out at 5 pm and took out rallies ignoring all social distancing norms, as if to show that louder the sound, the sooner the virus would become impotent. Though the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Government of India debunked both these claims, the damage was already done.

Multiple themes

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak in China, misinformation was created around five broad themes. First of these was around causes and symptoms like what caused the virus, its origin, what may or may not be the symptoms of Covid-19. Many of these claims came with names attached to them so as to sound credible. One claim said how a runny nose was not a symptom, while the other advised a breath test to evaluate Covid-19 infection. Such misinformation adds to the anxiety of people or makes them non-serious about the symptoms.

The second theme, dominant in India, was about cures. All these claims suggest miracle cures that can prevent or cure the novel coronavirus. From hot garlic to lemon to turmeric, many home remedies, which are otherwise good for health, were claimed as the cure for the virus. Alcohol, toddy and beef were also suggested as cures for the virus. Some of these claims cited non-existent studies from credible institutions. Such miracle cures could have serious repercussions if people stop seeking medical advice and use these even in the case of symptoms.


Shocking images

The third theme was around the spread of the virus. The claims would share unrelated and shocking images or videos and link them to China or Italy or those countries bearing the brunt of the virus. One image that really went viral was from an art installation in Germany where human bodies are seen as lying on the ground. The image was claimed as both from China and Italy. All these were meant to shock people and make them believe that the situation was much worse than what it actually was.

The fourth theme was misinformation about and around authorities or governments. From claims of lockdowns to images of crying Prime Ministers to statements they did not make; these tend to scare people. In some States, fake government orders were circulated about liquor shops being opened during lockdown. These led to people queuing up in front of these shops.

The other theme was misinformation on wild conspiracy theories around the origin of the virus or the knowledge about the virus or how it was being spread from a Netflix series aired in 2013 to a Dettol bottle with the name ‘Coronavirus’; all claims that suggested that people had prior knowledge of the virus. All these were meant to strengthen the theory that the virus was a man-made conspiracy. Along with these, in recent times, there was a surge in fake news with religious overtones on both sides of the spectrum.

Proactive info sharing

While countries like Hungary are exploring special legislations to make the sharing of misinformation around Covid-19 a criminal offence, some States in India have been booking those who share false information under Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. While such actions may act as deterrents, the only long term and sustainable solution is proactive information sharing from all stakeholders, most importantly the government. Making authoritative and credible information available to everyone in their language has to be the agenda.

Governments have to share accurate, reliable and timely information proactively so that people do not fall prey to rumours. Any delay in information sharing or debunking a viral hoax will be counterproductive. Governments across have launched dedicated websites, chatbots to provide authentic information to citizens.

The State Government is the first State government to have launched a dedicated fact-check initiative in collaboration with us, Factly. Recently, the PIB also initiated a Fact Check program to fact-check claims about government schemes or programmes. While this is a welcome initiative, especially during a crisis, they should be more proactive.

Information hubs

Technology companies have also launched information hubs on their respective platforms to provide authoritative content to readers. Fact-checkers around the world have also debunked thousands of false claims around Covid-19, playing an important role in arresting misinformation. Under the aegis of the Internal Fact Checking Network (IFCN), an informal alliance of more than 100 fact-check organisations from 45 countries has taken shape, which is putting out thousands of fact checks in more than 15 languages with the hashtag #CoronaVirusFacts. Multiple fact-checking organisations from India are part of this alliance.

At an individual level, every citizen has the responsibility not to share false information at a time like this. Each one of us can become the foot soldiers in arresting misinformation in our own networks. Our response in times of a major global crisis like this has the potential to mark a paradigm shift in our collective fight against misinformation.

— Rakesh Dubbuduis the founder of Factly, a well-known fact checking initiative.
UoH researchers train at CCMB


Technical personnel from the School of Life Sciences, UoH, undergoing training at the CCMB for Covid-19 testing.

They are being trained on testing for Covid-19 using RT-PCR besides other precautions that need to be taken

CITY BUREAU   Hyderabad  23.04.2020

Giving a boost to the testing capacity for coronavirus in the State, University of Hyderabad (UoH) technical research students have started undergoing training at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB).

According to university officials, about 15 technical personnel from the School of Life Sciences, UoH, were identified for data entry, sample sorting, aliquoting and coordination with other testing labs. A batch of eight members went to the CSIR-CCMB on Wednesday and they were being trained by the scientists on the testing for Covid-19 using RT-PCR besides precautions that need to be taken. After one day training, they would be working at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) during late night shift. The CCMB posted on the Twitter, “We have started training volunteers for #COVID-19 #diagnostic testing using the RT-PCR. We start with students from @HydUniv and @csiriict. Video call for the theoretical discussions and in lab for the nitty-gritty of doing the actual tests. Power to more testing in Telangana!”

Recently, the Department of Biotechnology, identified UoH as Covid-19 testing centre under the city clusters.

The cluster in Hyderabad consists of CDFD, CSIR-CCMB, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, CSIR-IICT in addition to University of Hyderabad.
Waiting for ventilators

The pandemic has fuelled demand for the devices as there is a scramble to procure them


Anywhere between 80-90 per cent ventilators in India are manufactured by foreign companies, and the rest by domestic companies.

M Sai Gopal   HYDERABAD  23.04.2020

In a short span of just three to four months of coronavirus pandemic, ventilators have become gold dust, the most sought after medical devices across the world. There is literally a mad rush by medical device companies, engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists and start-ups in India to design and manufacture ventilators that will meet industry benchmarks and at the same time are affordable and safe.

The Covid-19 outbreak has fuelled the demand for ventilators, as governments, policymakers and public health officials scramble to procure as many as possible. From being considered as high-end devices that are found in Intensive Care Units (ICU) of health care establishments, the ventilator technology now has become ‘open-source’ with DIY guides available to manufacture them even at homes.

As care givers understood the epidemiology of SARS-CoV2 better, it became clear that 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the positive cases need hospitalisation while 3 per cent to 5 per cent need critical care i.e. ventilator support in an ICU.

Among such patients needing critical care, SARS-CoV2 attacks lungs, making it impossible for them to breathe on their own. Such patients need to be put on ventilators so that the body gets some time to fight the virus while the ventilator does it job.

At present, there are non-invasive and invasive ventilation systems available for patients. In non-invasive ventilation, the air is passed through the mouth and nose with the help of a tightly fitting ventilation mask. In invasive ventilation, which is also known as intubation, a tube is pushed through the mouth or nose and into the trachea i.e. windpipe.

Often, depending on the condition of the patients, doctors go for tracheotomy, which means they make a direct access to trachea through a small hole in the throat. Patients, who are on ventilators, cannot speak and eat on their own and have to be fed artificially through a tube.

Moreover, invasive ventilation is tough on patients, a reason why they are put into artificial coma through anaesthesia while the body is allowed to fight coronavirus on its own.

How much is the  shortage?

As the intensity of coronavirus spreads, public health officials across the globe quickly realised that there was an acute shortage of ventilators to meet the huge demand. By estimates, there are 40,000 to 48,000 ventilators available in India and 1,100 to 1,300 ventilators in Telangana. The State government recently ordered 500 more ventilators, but challenges remain as to when they will be delivered. Anywhere between 80-90 per cent of these existing ventilators in India are manufactured by foreign companies while the rest were from domestic manufacturers. With demand outstripping the supply, governments have eased restrictions and also have issued basic guidelines and frameworks to design and manufacture ventilators domestically.

What is a ventilator?

A ventilator takes over the body’s breathing process when lungs fail, which gives patients enough time to fight the infection and recover. Any instrument that pushes or pumps air into the human lungs and releases the air from the lungs are ventilators.

There are many kinds of ventilators like Ambu bag that can be pressed and released with hands. A mechanical Ambu bag is a ventilator. There are some other versions of ventilators, including CIPAP (needed for sleep apnea patients) and portable ventilators that form an integral part of an ICU.

However, according to experts, devices like Ambu bag, CIPAP or BIPAP machines will not help or provide any clinical benefits for Covid-19 positive patients. To address these issues, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, United Kingdom, and other countries have issued specifications that define the minimum clinically accepted criteria for a rapidly manufacturable ventilator to address the covid-19 situation.

Can manufacturing   be scaled up?

According to medical device experts, in theory the manufacturing of ventilators can be scaled up. However, there are many practical difficulties as there are very few manufactures in the world who are involved in manufacturing medical devices for Intensive Care Units (ICU). Typically, depending on the configuration of ventilator, the cost of manufacturing them will hover between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 20 lakh. Apart from the high costs, there are difficulties in ensuring there is enough supply of parts in large quantities within a short duration of time. The devices that go into manufacturing ventilators comprise of highly precise sensors with very quick response time. Such medical devices, on which the lives of patients depend, can’t be introduced into the market without adequate testing. That’s the reason why the governments have come up with standard guidelines or specifications for rapidly manufacturing a Covid-19 ventilator.
Quarantine period extended in TSNo tests for asymptomatic secondary contacts who will now be quarantined for 28 days

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and Director General of Police Mahender Reddy at a containment zone in Suryapet on Wednesday.

CITY BUREAU  Hyderabad  23.04.2020

The Telangana government has advised its officials to only send primary contacts of Covid-19 positive cases to government identified quarantine centres, while the asymptomatic secondary contacts will be ordered to undergo home quarantine for 28 days instead of 14 days.

Hitherto, the home quarantine was only for a period of 14 days, but on Wednesday Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar issued orders extending the home quarantine period to 28 days and that the ‘asymptomatic secondary contacts shall not be tested’.

Such secondary contacts, however, would be identified, stamped and placed in strict home quarantine for a period of 28 days and monitored daily by the local area multi disciplinary surveillance teams.

15 new cases

Meanwhile, 15 new cases were reported, taking the tally to 943 in Telangana. While there have been no Covid-19 recoveries and discharges, one more positive person died of coronavirus, which has taken the overall number of fatalities to 24.
PIL for disclosure of Covid patients’ identity dismissed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.04.2020

The Madras high court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest writ petition for disclosure of the identity of Covid-19 patients in Tamil Nadu, so people who were in contact with them could quarantine themselves.

The PIL also wanted the court to direct authorities to monitor Covid-19 patients for at least 3 months to ensure that they are isolated from all kinds of social activities.

Refusing to entertain the PIL, a division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar dismissed the petition moved by K Narayanan of Chennai.

“Considering the nature of the contagious disease and the impact it could have on public, unless the identity of affected persons is revealed it is impossible for others to know whether they have come across an infected person and decide on self-quarantining. This is not a disease like HIV to withhold the identity of patients. This is a contagious disease which can spread to hundreds of people and therefore, it is necessary that the identity of the parties are revealed so that others can take preventive measures,” the petitioner said.

According to the petitioner, the Union and state government have announced the nationwide lockdown to contain the outbreak of Covid-19 which has killed hoardes across the globe. However, the identity of persons infected or affected by the virus is not being revealed by authorities to maintain privacy of the patients as it is believed that revealing their identity would harm the patients and their family.

The PIL also wanted authorities to monitor Covid-19 patients for at least 3 months to ensure that they are isolated from all kinds of social activities
Giving kin job the least we can do: Retd judge

Justice K P Sivasubramaniam (retd)

23.04.2020

We have exposed to ourselves how barbarian we are by not allowing the body of a doctor, a victim of Covid-19, to be buried or cremated. I am of the view that it is not sufficient to just give kin of such victims a compensation.In addition, one of their family members should be appointed to a government service. Appointments on compassionate grounds are now misused, granted even for deaths due to natural causes unconnected with their duties or after retiring voluntarily, violating regular recruitment process.

I had dealt with the issue in one of the cases placed before me and had given a detailed judgment condemning such practice and held that such appointments should be restricted only to cases of deaths resulting directly from the performance of duties as in the case of Army, electricity board, drainage workers, police. The death of a doctor or any paramedical/ nurse as a result of unusual riskof duty whiletreating Covid-19 patients is an extraordinary situation that warrants such appointments. Even in the case of death of a non-governmental person, as a special case, such appointments can be granted based on their qualification or if the family member is a student with an admission into a professional course subject to satisfying required qualification.Thisistheleastthecountry can do for people who perform unenviable duty to the public.

Pollution adds to north Chennai’s vulnerability

U.Tejonmayam@timesgroup.com

Chennai:23.04.2020

In North Chennai, which is reporting more Covid-19 cases with respiratory infections, the presence of pollutants could make residents, particularly in high-risk groups, more vulnerable to the disease.

Satellite images captured by researchers of Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) show nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over parts of north Chennai during the first phase of lockdown. Researchers said though levels of NO2, which could be emissions from thermal power plants, may be lower during the lockdown, they still poses risk as the gas converts into PM 2.5 that people may end up inhaling.

NO2 comes mainly from combustion of fossil fuels and from petroleum products.

Analyst Sunil Dahiya, who studied the pollution levels before and during lockdown periods with the images, said the level of NO2 in the north Chennai region was within the limits of the national ambient air quality standards but still risky.

Between March 11 and 24, the levels were between 3.32 ug/m3 and 12.52 ug/m3 at Manali village station and between 7.22 ug/m3 and 19.1 ug/ m3 in Manali. From March 25 to April 7, the levels were between 1.3 ug/m3 and 8.68 ug/m3 in Manali village and between 1.74 ug/m3 and 24.68 ug/m3. National ambient air quality standards say levels of NO2 should be 80 ug/m3 when monitored every 24 hours. However, the Central Pollution Contgrol Board (CPCB) continues to show air quality index in the region as ‘moderate’ and not ‘good’.

The presence of the pollutant in the region comes at a time when studies have found that high levels of air pollution could raise the risk of dying from Covid-19.

Dr Kalpana Balakrishnan, director, ICMR Centre for Advanced Research on Air Quality, Sri Ramachandra Institute for Higher Education and Research, said air pollution may increase the vulnerability of the population to Covid-19 though several other factors like population density in the area and contact with an infected individual are involved. “You cannot directly associate high level of pollution to high level of covid cases because many other factors come into play. But one thing is for sure, both air pollution and all kinds of environmental hazards that predispose you to ill health aregoing to play on the vulnerability of the population.”

Lockdown movies are making a scene online

Filmmakers Join Via Net To Make Thematic Movies

Kamini.Mathai@timesgroup.com
23.04.2020

A cast of one per scene (physical distancing protocol in place), actors in masks (pandemic measures taken), the house as a shooting spot (isolation rules followed)… lockdown-hero, budget-zero movies are taking the internet by storm as filmmaking enthusiasts get together (while apart of course) to create short films, often with a message.

Take the case of law student buddies N Soorya, Sachin Raj, and R Eneyan, all of them quarantined in various parts of TN but together in spirit. “Filmmaking has always been a passion for me,” says Soorya. So after practising his violin for days on end, and writing short stories and blogs, Soorya decided to get down to filmmaking to beat the quarantine blues. The storyline of his nine-minute, made-at-home short ‘3 In Corona Out’ is simple — a comedy about three bachelors stranded in one house and how they manage the situation. “We made the film from our homes in Velachery, Alwarpet and Dharmapuri,” says Soorya, a fourth-year student at Chennai’s School of Excellence in Law. “The film took us three days to put together. I learned how to do it by watching online tutorials,” says Soorya.

Several aspiring as well as amateur filmmakers are putting together “quarantine films”, collaborating across borders but from within the confines of their homes. The Mumbai Thamizhan crew for instance — inspired by the recent shot-at-home short film featuring Amitabh Bachchan and other Bollywood actors looking for a pair of spectacles — have created a nineminute film ‘Sarakku Engada’ (Where’s the liquor?) featuring a bunch of people looking for their uncle’s bottle of alcohol. The bilingual — interspersed with messages on drinking being injurious to health, Covid-19 isolation measures, and even match fixing — ends with one of the actor’s (the crew’s equivalent of Bachchan) urging people to stay safe at home. The Bachchan spectacle search short film seems to have inspired many amateur filmmakers. Why Not Films, founded by a bunch of film school students in Lucknow, has put one up on people helping a friend look for a mask before he heads out.


CAUGHT IN THE ACT: ‘3 In Corona Out’, a short film by three law students, is a comical take on three bachelors stranded in a house

Lockdown film contests announced

Chennai-based theatre artists too are getting into the act. Sum Phun Gai, a short film, features theatre actors and directors like Freddy Koikaran and Michael Muthu reminiscing about life and how the lockdown period is “not the end of the world, but just a safety measure”. “The film is about aging, accepting imperfections, learning to live life to the fullest and not let what others think stop you. It is reflective of the times,” says Freddy. Lockdown short film contests too arebeing announced,where participantshavetoshootone minute videos themed on quarantine. “A nominal amount of prize money is up for grabs just to make it more fun. The contest ends on May 3, a day before the lockdown is supposed to be lifted,” says Fahad Kalam from Thiruvananthapuram, an actor-musician who has hosted the contest throughhisDOHMedia House. “People are getting bored athome.The contest is not so much about the finesse of filmmaking but a way to keep people creatively engaged, which is the need of the moment.”
Gujarat goes from No. 6 to second worst-hit in 5 days

Maha, Guj, Delhi Account For 48% of Total Cases

DurgeshNandan.Jha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:23.04.2020

The gravity of the Covid-19 outbreak continues to be grim in Maharashtra and Gujarat with the two western states accounting for more than 52% of the total 1,273 fresh cases recorded across the country on Wednesday. Of the 39 new deaths, 79% came from the two western states — 18 from Maharashtra and 13 from Gujarat.

With 229 fresh cases recorded in the last 24 hours, Gujarat on Wednesday emerged as the second worst affected state after Maharashtra, which reported 431 new cases. Just five days ago, Gujarat was at number six, with Delhi, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh — apart from Maharashtra — having more confirmed cases.

With 92 fresh cases (up from Tuesday’s 75) and 2,248 in all, Delhi is now the third worst affected state in the country. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi alone account for over 48% of the total 21,355 cases so far. India’s death toll at the time of going to press was 683. With one more death, Delhi’s toll now stands at 48.


16% of Covid-19 patients recover across states

However, on the positive side, 16% of Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease across states. Delhi has recorded maximum of 724 recoveries, followed by Tamil Nadu (662), Rajasthan

(344) and Kerala (308).

With 431 new cases, Maharashtra’s figure now stands at 5,649. The total toll in the state now is 269 and Mumbai alone accounts for 161 of the deaths. Mumbai reported 10 deaths in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra’s case fatality rate is 4.76% while for Mumbai, which has total 3,683 cases, it is 4.37%. On the positive side, there is a 22% dip in cases in Maharashra compared to Tuesday. In the case of Mumbai, the dip is 45%.

With 13 deaths on Wednesday, Gujarat’s toll rose to 103, becoming the second state after Maharashtra to cross the 100-mark. Out of the 13 deaths, nine were recorded from Ahmedabad alone while three were from Vadodara and one from Valsad. Gujarat’s current recovery rate is 7.4%.

Delhi added one Covid-19 death on Wednesday, that of a 40-year-old woman, a resident of Jahangipuri, who passed away during treatment at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini four days ago. Test results confirmed on Wednesday that she was positive, after which all 57 healthcare workers in the hospital who had come in her contact were advised self-quarantine. UP recorded 101 new Covid-19 cases and no fresh deaths. The state’s tally stands at1,465.


› More reports, P 9, 10

Covid 19


NEWS TODAY 17.01.2025