Omicron hits MP, HP, tally tops 500-mark

Omicron hits MP, HP, tally tops 500-mark

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.12.2021

India’s Omicron count crossed the 500-mark and stood at 504 on Sunday even as the highly infectious variant of coronavirus spread to two more states — Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh — taking the number of affected states and UTs to 17.

Madhya Pradesh reported nine cases, all of them foreign travelers. MP home minister Narottam Mishra confirmed on Sunday that Omicron cases were detected in the state, hours after TOI had published a report in its edition in the morning that a private lab at Indore had confirmed eight cases. Later in the day, a 23-year-old man who had returned from Dubai on December 17 also tested positive for Omicron.

“All nine Omicron cases are fully vaccinated, including one from the US who has taken a booster dose. Six have been discharged and the other three are either hospitalised or in home isolation,” Indore chief medical health officer Dr BS Saitya said. Himachal reported its first case — a 45-year-old woman who had arrived from Canada on December 3 – just a day before PM Modi’s scheduled public meeting in Mandi.

Kerala reported maximum daily cases on Sunday with 19 patients testing positive for the variant, taking the state’s total tally to 57, the third highest in the country after Maharashtra (110 cases) and Delhi (79 cases). Rajasthan and Gujarat have 49 cases each. As many as 16 of the fresh cases detected in Kerala on Sunday returned from abroad recently while three of them are patients’ contacts. Haryana reported seven new cases raising the state’s tally to 13.

TOI Survey Finds 86% Of Cos Will Stick To Hybrid Model

Missing office? Wait to swipe in just got longer

TOI Survey Finds 86% Of Cos Will Stick To Hybrid Model

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

27.12.2021

If you were looking forward to going to office regularly in the coming year, you may be disappointed. Most organisations (86%) will continue to follow a hybrid work model in 2022, according to a poll by TOI, which surveyed companies across sectors.

Some companies, who are in minority, have expressed hope of returning to the pre-pandemic normalcy. This, however, would depend on the Covid situation easing. All FMCG & IT companies in the poll have adopted the hybrid way of working. Among automobile manufacturers, four out of the six surveyed said they have adopted the hybrid way, reflecting the current realities.

Once PepsiCo India decides to resume office, it will follow a hybrid work model for its office-based staff. “A large majority of our employees find resonance in this model of work and, with employee centricity and flexibility at the core of the business, we shall adhere to work that works for our employees,” said PepsiCo India CHRO Pavitra Singh.

Maruti Suzuki India executive board’s member Rajesh Uppal said, “This hybrid model is way more productive and effective and we’ve learnt this structure through the pandemic which we will sustain.”

Hyundai Motor India’s current model is a mix of workfrom-home and a staggered work (with differentiated work time). The company said it aims to keep work-from-office at an optimum 50:50. It has been working on a futuristic model, which is being done in a cocreated way, with workgroups (such as its ‘millennial board’) involving employees and managers reimagining ‘work, workplace & people at work’.

To ease employees into the change, L’Oreal India has initiated an internal campaign called ‘Reconnection’, so teams learn, and contribute to the new ways of working. Marico has adopted the hybrid work model under ‘ways of work’ design for the long term, with currently 20-25% of its corporate office employees coming in on an alternate week roster model, which the company expects to continue.

“At GSK, we believe that availing flexibility does not trade off business delivery, rather it acts as a catalyst for enhanced business performance,” GSK Pharma EVP (HR) Chinmay Sharma said.

TVS Motor uses flexible attendance rosters where some functions are categorised under alternate week patterns, while others have alternate days. The company said its investments in building robust digital infrastructure have helped find a suitable long-term operating model for a more balanced hybrid approach for the future.

A Hero MotoCorp spokesperson, however, said the company, which regularly monitors the dynamic situation, will take a call on future work models towards the end of January 2022.

Mahindra & Mahindra said it will evaluate the situation and return to office fully only when it is safe to do so. On whether the company hopes to return to the pre-pandemic work style of 100% attendance in office, a spokesperson said, “We hope that will be the case.”

TCS said it is committed to the 25x25 model — no more than 25% of the employees will need to work from the office at any given point, and an employee will not need to spend more than 25% of their time in office — by 2025. At present, less than 10% of its associates are working from offices.

Science Vs Coronavirus, Again

NEW YEAR MUSINGS PANDEMIC

Science Vs Coronavirus, Again

New vaccine technologies will be developed, and India will be key player in battle against variants

K Srinath Reddy

27.12.2021

Even in the new year, will there be fear? Or will the pandemic descend the slope, as we fervently hope? Will vaccines win the game, even if variants don’t stay the same? Or will we still need to seek safety behind a mask, as taming the wily virus is no easy task?

I have been posed these questions, which are on everyone’s mind. I will start with the disclaimer that uncertain elements of virus behaviour and inconsistent elements of human response dim the images on my crystal ball. However, science provides a light to navigate through the thickets of available facts and posit a plausible path that the pandemic may take during 2022.

Omicron arrived on the world stage in November, replacing the prospect of joyful jingle bells in December with blaring alarm bells. Early studies show that it is milder in virulence but far more infectious than its dreadful cousin Delta which devastated India in the first half of 2021 and is still on a world tour in the western hemisphere.

While individuals may be at a lower risk of severe disease with Omicron, the total number of severely ill persons will still be high if very large numbers get infected by the new variant which is reported to have high capability for escape from prior immunity. Even a small fraction of a large mass of infected persons will yield numbers that will stress our health and social systems.

Recent news from South Africa, that their outbreak of Omicron has been short-lived with case counts coming down, is reassuring. While this decline needs to be sustained, for us to be certain that Omicron is a breezy batsman that does not last long at the crease, the prospects for 2022 do not appear as gloomy as they appeared in mid-December.

As India is just beginning to experience the Omicron effect, we will get to know to what extent the ‘hybrid immunity’ conferred by the Delta wave and the still-advancing vaccination programme offer protection against Omicron-induced illness if not infection.

For India, the first quarter of 2022 will be challenging, with elections and festivities that will draw crowds despite virus warnings. Will people at least wear masks, for protection as they abandon physical distancing? If the initial case counts do not rise steeply, Covid-appropriate behaviour may not find enthusiastic adherents, resulting in a sharp rise in cases later. We will get the reality check by February.

New vaccines will enter our supply chain after completing trials and securing regulatory approvals, as viral variants stimulate innovation. The task of completing double dose vaccination for all eligible adults will be a priority.

January 2022 will see a third dose protection commencing for sections of the population who are at high risk of exposure (frontline health workers) or high risk of severe illness (elderly individuals with co-morbidities). Vaccination will also commence for children in the 15-18 year age group from January 3. India will scale up vaccine development and manufacture for domestic and global use.

Globally, search for new vaccines will continue. Despite being high performers in clinical trials, the mRNA and virus vector vaccines are now demanding additional ‘booster’ doses to provide protection against variants which emerged after the trials. Their current versions are being tweaked to counter recent variants, but will they hold ground against other variants that may emerge later?

Adverse effects of these vaccines, infrequent though they may be, are a matter of concern as boosters are advocated. Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) and blood clotting disorders (thrombotic thrombocytopenia) are complications of concern. Sub-unit protein vaccines and inactivated virus vaccines may become the preferred options for boosters next year.

Concern that spike protein specific vaccines are becoming less effective against variants with spike mutations will lead to development of multi-antigen vaccines. Besides the inactivated whole virus vaccines, laboratory developed vaccines with an ensemble of several viral antigens are in the trial pathway, with the nucleocapsid protein being a prominent target. India’s growing scientific prowess will play a larger role in vaccine development.

Recently, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in the US successfully completed the Phase 1 clinical trial of a pan-corona vaccine which targets all Covid and SARS variants, including Omicron and SARS-1. This soccer ball shaped Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle Covid-19 vaccine has 24 faces, which allows spikes of multiple coronavirus variants to be attached. If it completes the multi-phase clinical trial journey successfully, it may become one of the preferred vaccines.

New antiviral drugs will also be developed and trialled, besides those that have received WHO approval in 2021. Therapeutic approaches to effectively treat symptomatic Covid will improve, for home and hospital care. Telemedicine will see amplified potential and extended use. Investment in health system strengthening will see increased infrastructure and improved surveillance systems, with the challenge of limited health workforce beginning to get addressed. With uncertainty about new variants persisting, mask mandates will continue for several months, even as other restrictions ease.

The virus will continue to mutate. If we widely adopt Covid-appropriate behaviours and vaccinate equitably across the world, we can exert evolutionary pressure on the virus to mutate to an even milder form. The virus will follow the logical path of evolutionary biology if we travel on the road of rational public health policy. We may then not need a Covid-related prediction for 2023.

The writer, a cardiologist and epidemiologist, is President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Views are personal

This is the first in a multipart series of commentaries on how 2022 may shape up for India and Indians

It’s about time to reopen schools

It’s about time to reopen schools

Children must return to schools to gain a sense of normalcy, to bridge the content-specific learning gap

Sonal.Srivastava@timesgroup.com

27.12.2021

After being shut for almost two years, schools are now gradually reopening across the country. There has been a massive learning loss, hence students must return to the physical classes to let teachers remedy it. They also need to return to schools for their mental and physical well-being, extracurricular and co-curricular learning, which often take a backseat during online classes.

Children have also developed a lackadaisical attitude towards classes and exams. “We are noticing that many children have become obese; parents also have to go back to their workplaces as the offices are reopening. We have to learn to live with the pandemic, closing the schools cannot be the solution to overcome pandemic-related problems. Peer interaction is also important for children’s all-round development,” says Jyothi Menon, head of school, Ekya School, ITPL Bengaluru.

Though virtual learning has ensured that the learning of students doesn't stop, but it cannot create a strong bond between students as a traditional classroom does. “Physical school also provides numerous opportunities for students to hone their skills in the co-scholastic arena, collaborate with their peers and build a sense of connectedness,” says Bonny Bhansali, principal, The Green Acres Academy, Chembur, Mumbai, elaborating that students are missing out the chance to connect informally with their classmates and teachers be it during the break or the sports period. Teachers have also had a difficult time juggling personal and professional responsibilities, but largely they have benefitted from adopting digital technology. Bhansali says that this is a great time for all schools to adopt 'agile' approaches. “An agile or improvement science approach allows us to continuously improve through cycles of planning - implementing - reflecting. This is especially important in uncertain, complex, and fast-changing situations, which we are in now,” she says, adding that schools can plan for a short term and reopen in a staggered manner.

Talking about the studies conducted over the past year to assess the learning loss, Ted Mockrish, head of school, Canadian International School, Bengaluru, says that it is important for students to return to their cohort of classmates, as they provide support to closing content-specific gaps.

Demand-supply gap key to vacant faculty posts in IITs

Demand-supply gap key to vacant faculty posts in IITs

Reverse brain drain has affected the number of quality faculty

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

27.12.2021

The Education ministry has recently pointed out that over 10,000 faculty posts are lying vacant in central universities, IITs and IIMs. While much has been written about the challenges facing central universities, the IITs and IIMs may also be facing a similar predicament. Statistics claim 3,876 full-time faculty posts are lying vacant in the 23 IITs, with around 32 ST, 183 SCs and 462 OBC faculty posts lying vacant. At the IIMs, 403 posts across 20 IIMs are lying vacant, while collectively, the IIMs have 5 SC, 27 ST and 45 OBC faculty posts lying vacant.

Sarit K Das, institute professor, IIT Madras, and former director IIT Ropar attributes it to the demand-supply gap that was there even two decades back. “Just as the number of IITs have gone up—from 5 to 23—so have the number of students and the demand for quality faculty. Even though several faculty have been recruited in the last five years, the gap in faculty posts continues.”

Merit counts

The vacant posts are also due to the IITs’ stringent selection criteria and meritocracy culture, he says. “If the IITs do not get the right candidate with proper academic and research credentials, they would rather keep the post vacant than fill it up with a candidate who falls short of expectations.”

Lacunae exists

“Even as the demand for quality faculty is going up, the availability of quality faculty is not increasing at the same rate despite reverse brain drain and the impetus given to research. Following the recommendations of the Anil Kakodkar Committee report on the future of the IITs 5-6 years ago, the intake of PhD scholars had almost doubled in the IITs. But these scholars would need another 3-5 years to complete their post doc which is a key requisite for IIT posts, hence the lacunae will continue to exist,” Das adds.

Location factor

The faculty vacancies may also be location-driven, he says. “The IITs or IIMs in the bigger cities find it easier to attract the right candidates as compared to similar institutes in Tier II and Tier III cities since spouse’s employability, children’s education and medical facilities matter in the final decision-making process. Even though visiting faculty may help fill the gaps albeit temporarily, less faculty translates into more teaching and administrative responsibilities for the existing faculty which results in less time for quality research.”

Fulfilling norms

“Filling up of faulty posts is a continuous process”, says BS Sahay, director, IIM Jammu, stressing that the IIMs too are selective in recruiting the right candidate. The prospective faculty needs to have a PhD from a top-ranking institute, along with impressive publications.

Civic body wants colleges to enforce social distancing

Civic body wants colleges to enforce social distancing

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.12.2021

To counter the threat from the Omicron variant, the Greater Chennai Corporation has asked colleges and universities in the city to ensure physical distancing in classrooms, labs, libraries and hostels. “Since schools and colleges have resumed classes, it has been observed that in many institutions, there is poor compliance with wearing masks among the students and teaching staff in classrooms and many instances of nonmaintenance of social distancing,” corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said in his letter to deans, registrars and heads of institutions on Friday.

“With Omicron variant spreading rapidly, any Covid inappropriate behaviour will increase the risk of spread of infection,” the letter said.

It also asked colleges to avoid cultural events and functions involving crowding of students and to encourage the use of disposable plates in hostels and canteens.

However, city colleges said it will be difficult to follow social distancing while conducting physical classes.

“It is difficult to maintain social distancing in normal mode with students attending physical classes six days a week. If colleges are allowed to conduct classes in dual mode, we will be able to maintain social distancing,” said Madras Christian College principal Paul Wilson. He said colleges will space out the offline exams if cases increase. DG Vaishnav College principal S Santhosh Baboo said most of the students above 18 years were vaccinated. “If vaccination is allowed for those below 18 years after January 3, we will ask all our first year students to take the jab. Then our campus will be fully vaccinated,” he said.

18 suspected Omicron patients discharged

18 suspected Omicron patients discharged

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.12.2021

As many as 18 out of the 34 Covid-19 patients, who were infected by the new Omicron variant, have been discharged from hospitals. All the remaining active cases, who had a S-gene drop and suspected to be infected with Omicron, are undergoing treatment. This included actor Vadivelu and some members of his film crew, who returned from the UK recently. Chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday inspected infrastructure, amenities and availability of medical oxygen here to tackle the Omicron strain. Around 1.15 lakh beds are ready, and steps are being taken to create another 50,000 beds if warranted, said an official release.

In Tamil Nadu, 610 tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday -- this was marginally higher than the numbers reported in the last two days. Chennai topped the chart with 171 new cases. With ten more people dying, TN's death toll increased to 36,735. But the state has received applications from 42,600 people for the CM's ex-gratia of Rs50,000 for every covid victim. The government claims that 20,900 have received this amount till date. It has spent Rs104 crore towards this.

As far as vaccination is concerned, more than 17.3 lakh people got inoculated through the state's 16th mega vaccination camp on Sunday. Among them, nearly 70% got their second doses. TN still has more than 90 lakh people who are still due for their second dose. The release said that 58% of the state's vaccine-eligible population have got their first dose and 86% were fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, the government is gearing to begin administration of booster doses for frontline workers and vaccination for children (aged 15 to 18). Health minister Ma Subramanain said TN has over 1.4 crore frontline workers and they will start getting booster shots from January

10. For children (15-18 age), health officials will vaccinate them at their respective schools and special camps.

Nine new Covid-19 cases in Puducherry

Puducherry:

Puducherry logged nine fresh Covid-19 cases on Sunday, taking the tally to 1,29,415, while the toll remained at 1,880 with no fresh fatalities being reported from any of the four enclaves of the Union territory. Puducherry accounted for the maximum number of cases

(8), while Mahe reported one. Karaikal and Yanam reported nil infections, Director of the Department of Health G Sriramulu said in a release. Active cases stood at 127, of whom 34 patients were in hospitals and the remaining 93 in home isolation, he said.

PTI