The Indian Weekender, 04 June 2021

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14 INDIA Friday, June 4, 2021 The Indian Weekender NEWS in BRIEF Cancelling Class 12 exams a big relief: Kejriwal After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Class 12 board exams will not take place this year for the CBSE and CISCE students, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been pushing for cancelling board exams, termed the decision "a big relief". After chairing a high-level meeting on Tuesday evening, PM Modi said: "Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth." Reacting to the development, Kejriwal wrote on Twitter: "I am glad that Class 12 exams have been cancelled. All of us were very worried about the health of our children. A big relief." Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted: "The insistence on conducting the examination was taking a toll on the safety of the children." Over 60% feel India's foreign relations improved under Modi More than 60 per cent people believe that India's relations with different countries of the world improved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as per the ABP-C Voter Modi 2.0 Report Card. The ABP-C Voter survey found that 62.3 per cent of the respondents feel that the country's relations with different nations of the world have improved during the current tenure of the Modiled government which is into its second term. The survey was carried out between May 23 and May 27 on 12,070 people across the country. About 16.9 per cent respondents believe that India's relations with other countries have worsened and 17.1 per cent feel that the country's relations with other nations have remained the same. About 3.7 per cent were unable to say anything. The survey found that 77.5 per cent urban and 55.8 per cent rural respondents feel that India's relations with other countries of the world improved under Prime Minister Modi. Nearly 600 doctors died of Covid-19 in India’s deadly second wave Nearly 600 doctors across India have died of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) during the second wave of the pandemic, according to data compiled by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Over a sixth of the total 594 deaths so far have happened in Delhi, which experienced one of the worst surges of the viral infection with as many as 28,000 cases being reported in a day at the peak of the second wave. The toll has increased by 174 in two weeks to a total of 594 till Tuesday. This, despite 89% of the healthcare workers receiving at least one shot of the vaccine against Covid-19 so far. In the last wave of the pandemic, 753 doctors had lost their lives, according to the registry maintained by IMA. The highest number of deaths among doctors has been reported in Delhi-NCR, where 107 doctors have succumbed to the infection. India has administered 218 million Covid vaccine doses till now Even as India continues to recover from a second wave of Covid-19 with a decline in fresh infections reported daily, deaths continue to be an area of concern for the government and health experts India had administered over 218 million coronavirus vaccine doses by Tuesday, June 1, the day the Centre decided to scrap CBSE class 12 examinations, and CISCE followed suit, ending months of uncertainty for millions of students across the country. Elsewhere, the Delhi high court told the Centre to prioritise younger people over older ones to be given Amphotericin-B, the drug used to treat mucormycosis or black fungus what is in shortage due to a spike in cases. White fungus': Drugresistant fungal infections pose threat to India patients In May, a middle-aged-man suffering from Covid-19 was admitted in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata. As his condition deteriorated, the patient was put on a ventilator. He was administered steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients. But experts say the drug also reduces immunity and pushes up blood sugar levels in patients. After a prolonged stay in the ICU, the patient had recovered and was ready to go home when doctors found he was infected with a deadly, drug-resistant fungus. Candida auris (C. auris), discovered a little over a decade ago, is one of the world's most feared hospital microbes. This bloodstream infection is the most frequently detected germ in critical-care units around the world and has a mortality rate of around 70%. "We are seeing an increased number of patients with the infection during the second wave of Covid-19. There are a lot of sick people in the ICUs and many of them are on high steroid doses. That could be the reason," Dr Om Srivastava, a Mumbai-based infectious diseases specialist, said. The Aspergillus fungus affects the lungs, and it can also be fatal What are the fungal infections on the rise? As the second wave washes over India and severely ill patients clog the ICUs, doctors are seeing an uptick in a host of dangerous fungal infections. First, there was an outbreak of mucormycosis or the black-fungus, a rare but dangerous infection, which affects the nose, eye and sometimes the brain. Some 12,000 cases and more than 200 deaths from the disease have been already recorded. Now doctors are reporting a rise in other deadly fungal infections in Covid-19 patients, mostly after a week or 10 days of stay in the ICU. There are two species of Candida fungi - auris and albicans - and they can be fatal for human beings. Aspergillus, which is another kind of fungi group, affects the lungs, and it can also be fatal. Of the more than five million types of fungi, Candida and Aspergillus are the two major groups which cause a lot of human deaths. Candida is a germ that can be present on many surfaces, like shower curtains, computer screens, doctor's stethoscopes and railings of railway carriages. Doctors say C. auris frequently causes bloodstream infections, but can also infect the respiratory system, the central Candida auris causes serious multidrug-resistant infections in hospitalisd patients nervous system and internal organs, as well as the skin. Aspergillus also remains in the environment and is often found in heating or air conditioning systems. Normally our immunity helps prevent the entry of the fungal spores in the respiratory tract. But in patients suffering from Covid-19, the fungus, helped by the damage done to the skin, blood vessel walls and other linings of the airway by the coronavirus, manages to enter the respiratory tract. This infection affects about 20% to 30% of the severely ill, mechanically ventilated Covid-19 patients, according to Dr SP Kalantri, medical superintendent of the 1,000-bed non-profit Kasturba Hospital in Wardha, Maharashtra state. What are the symptoms of the infections? Symptoms of some fungal diseases can be similar to those of Covid-19, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For superficial Candida infections, symptoms include a white coloured thrush - hence sometimes it is called the "white fungus" - in nose, mouth, lungs and stomach or nail beds. For a more invasive form of infection - when the bug travels into the blood - the symptoms are often a fall in blood pressure, fever, abdominal pain and urinary tract infections. Why are these infections happening? At least 5% of Covid-19 patients become critically ill and require intensive-care treatment, sometimes for a long period. Experts say that those who are put on mechanical ventilation are always at greater risk of developing bacterial or fungal infections. Lowered infection control in crowded intensive-care units during the pandemic is a major reason, say doctors. Overworked staff in clunky protective gear, increased use of major fluid tubes, decrease in hand washing compliance and changes in cleaning and disinfection practices contribute to lower infection control. "With a prolonged pandemic, complacency and fatigue has set in among healthcare workers. Infection control practices have gone down. That is the major cause," says Dr Arunaloke Chakrabarti, president of the International Society of Human and Animal Mycology. There are other reasons too. Overuse of steroids and other drugs, which weaken the body's immune system, and underlying conditions make Covid-19 patients in critical care more prone to such infections. " It is very worrying and frustrating for the doctors treating these infections. It is a triple whammy - the patient's lungs are already damaged by Covid-19, they have bacterial infections and now the fungal infections." "These fungi typically cause infections after the body's immune system is suppressed significantly. They are also known as opportunistic infections," says Dr Zachary Rubin, an immunologist. Dr Rubin says patients with HIV/ Aids have a significantly increased risk of getting sick with such fungi. "These fungal diseases are normally rare in association with Covid-19, but are becoming increasingly more common in India." Diagnosis is not easy - testing typically requires a specimen from deep in the lungs. And the drugs are expensive. "It is very worrying and frustrating for the doctors treating these infections. It is a triple whammy - the patient's lungs are already damaged by Covid-19, they have bacterial infections and now the fungal infections," says Dr Kalantri. "It is almost like fighting a losing battle."
The Indian Weekender Friday, June 4, 2021 WORLD 15 WHO announces naming system for COVID-19 variants The World Health Organisation has and the Indian as Delta. the "Indian variant", though the WHO had announced a new naming system The WHO said this was to simplify never officially labelled it as such. for variants of COVID-19. discussions but also to help remove some Letters will refer to both variants of From now on the WHO will use Greek letters to refer to variants first detected in countries like the UK, South Africa and India. The UK variant for instance is labelled as Alpha, the South African Beta, stigma from the names. BBC News reports earlier this month the Indian government criticised the naming of variant B.1.617.2 - first detected in the country last October - as concern, and variants of interest. A full list of names has been published on the WHO website. These Greek letters will not replace existing scientific names. China's Sinovac vaccine gets WHO emergency approval The World Health Organisation has approved China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. It is the second Chinese vaccine to receive the green light from the WHO, after Sinopharm. It opens the door for the jab to be used in the Covax programme, which aims to ensure fair access to vaccines. BBC News reports the vaccine, which has already been used in several countries, has been recommended for over 18s, with a second dose two to four weeks later. The WHO said the emergency approval means the vaccine "meets international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing". According to the WHO, studies showed that Sinovac prevented symptomatic disease in more than half of those vaccinated and prevented severe symptoms and hospitalisation in 100% of those studied. It is hoped that the decision to list the Chinese vaccine for emergency use will give a boost to the Covax initiative, which has been struggling with supply problems. One of Sinovac's main advantages is that it can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius. This means Sinovac is a lot more useful to developing countries that might not be able to store large amounts of vaccine at low temperatures. Tulsa Race Massacre: President Biden commemorates 100-year anniversary Joe Biden has become the first sitting president to commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Massacre - one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history. Mr Biden flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to mark the 100th anniversary of the attack, which claimed some 300 African-American lives. The two days of violence, sparked by a white mob, were largely erased from history for decades. It re-entered the national discourse amid racial justice protests last year. On 31 May 1921, a group of white Americans razed the affluent and predominantly black neighbourhood of Greenwood in Tulsa. The community - known by the moniker of "Black Wall Street" - was the country's wealthiest African-American neighbourhood until its many homes and businesses were burned down in the riot. In addition to the lives lost, many more black Americans were left injured or homeless. In the years following the incident, many official records were lost or destroyed, and schools did not teach about the massacre. Speaking in Tulsa on Tuesday, Mr Biden said: "For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, cloaked in darkness." "My fellow Americans, this was not a riot. This was a massacre, and among the worst in our history. But not the only one." Less than two years after the Tulsa massacre, a white mob destroyed the black town of Rosewood in rural Florida. On 31 May, Mr Biden issued a proclamation for a day of remembrance. "We honour the legacy of the "We honour the legacy of the Greenwood community and of Black Wall Street by reaffirming our commitment to advance racial justice through the whole of our government, and working to root out systemic racism from our laws, our policies, and our hearts Greenwood community and of Black Wall Street by reaffirming our commitment to advance racial justice through the whole of our government, and working to root out systemic racism from our laws, our policies, and our hearts," read a statement from the White House. Only three survivors of the massacre - currently aged between 101 and 107 - are still alive. Mr Biden is expected to meet them during his trip. The president began his visit on Tuesday with a tour of the Hall of Survivors, an exhibit about the massacre at the Greenwood Cultural Center. Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum posted an apology on behalf of the city government for its failure to protect the community and "to do right by the victims". "While no municipal elected official in Tulsa today was alive in 1921, we are the stewards of the same government and an apology for those failures is ours to deliver," he wrote on Facebook. "The victims - men, women, young children - deserved better from their city, and I am sorry they didn't receive it." Greenwood was a unique sight in precivil rights America: a prosperous community where predominantly black citizens thrived at a time of racial discrimination and segregation.The actions of rioters reportedly erased decades of black wealth and wealth creation. Testifying before Congress last month, one survivor - 107-year-old Viola Fletcher - said: "We lost everything that day... Greenwood represented all the best of what was possible for black people in America." At the start of his presidency, Mr Biden said racial justice would be one of his top causes in office. As part of his visit to Tulsa, he is expected to tout several new housing and small business programmes the White House hopes can narrow the wealth gap between black and white Americans. What are the programmes Biden is proposing? The Biden administration says it will address racial discrimination in the housing market by issuing new rules on fair housing practices and curbing inequities in the home appraisal process. Another programme involves increasing federal contracts with small, minority-owned, businesses by 50% over the next five years. In addition, Mr Biden's proposed infrastructure package includes new initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunities for minority Americans. This includes a $10bn (£7bn) community revitalisation fund, which would send money to underserved neighbourhoods like Greenwood. The plan also proposes putting $31bn toward increasing access to capital and technical assistance for small business initiatives, with a focus on "socially and economically disadvantaged" firms. It also calls for a new tax credit for private investments in affordable housing. NEWS in BRIEF Biden Assigns Harris Another Difficult Role: Protecting Voting Rights President Biden said that he had directed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead Democrats in a sweeping legislative effort to protect voting rights, an issue that is critical to his legacy but one that faces increasingly daunting odds in a divided Senate. “Today, I’m asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts, and lead them, among her many other responsibilities,” Mr. Biden said during a trip to Tulsa, Okla. “With her leadership and your support, we’re going to overcome again, I promise you, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work.” The president was in Oklahoma to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, when a white mob destroyed a vibrant Black business district and killed as many as 300 people. The massacre was one of the worst outbreaks of racist violence in American history, and it has gone largely ignored in history books. JBS: World's largest meat supplier hit by cyber-attack The world's largest meat processing company has been targeted by a sophisticated cyber-attack. Computer networks at JBS were hacked, causing some operations in Australia, Canada and the US to temporarily shut down, affecting thousands of workers. The company believes the ransomware attack originated from a criminal group likely based in Russia, the White House said. The attack could lead to shortages of meat or raise prices for consumers. In a ransomware attack, hackers get into a computer network and threaten to cause disruption or delete files unless a ransom is paid. The White House says the FBI is investigating the attack. "JBS notified [the White House] that the ransom demand came from a criminal organisation likely based in Russia," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. 'Low vaccination rates in some countries dangerous for everyone' Vaccinating the world is the most effective way to boost global output in the near term, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said, warning that low vaccination rates in some countries is "dangerous" for everyone. "It is now increasingly clear to leaders everywhere and to ordinary people that we are not going to succeed in overcoming the economic crisis this pandemic triggered, unless we bring the pandemic to a durable end," Georgieva said. The IMF chief participated in the joint press conference together with the heads of the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), with a focus on a new joint call on scaling up equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines. Next-gen Covid shots: Cheaper, effective against more viruses Scientists created safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19 at an unprecedented speed. But, according to industry leaders, the next generation of Covid shots will be low in cost, easier to deliver and preserve and effective against more viruses, media reports said. The pharma companies aim to develop shots that will be more effective against certain variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes Covid-19, or even cover all viruses in the larger coronavirus family, the USA Today reported. The new vaccines, currently being tested, will be of a single dose, do not require to be kept cold, have fewer side effects, can be produced more efficiently, and can be delivered without needles. This will enable it to be provided in rural areas and the developing world. "There's a long history within vaccinology of secondgeneration vaccines being multiply improved over firstgeneration vaccines. That's just the way things go," Scot Roberts, chief scientific officer of Altimmune, a biotech company based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that is developing an inhaled vaccine, was quoted as saying.
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