GENRE: Explainers

With the surge in COVID cases, Karnataka government recently announced that asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients need not get admitted to hospitals and may only need to go into home isolation. On July 4, the Department of Health and Family Welfare issued guidelines on home isolation. Following are these guidelines, specifying which categories of patients are eligible, and the protocols for their isolation and release. The persons who have tested COVID positive shall be permitted to be in "home isolation" on meeting the following conditions: Only those who are asymptomatic or mild symptomatic shall be allowed to be in isolation…

On July 8th, the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai’s figures showed 87,513 COVID positive patients in the city.  59,238 people have shown symptoms and are awaiting test results. Mumbai continues to be the worst-affected in Maharashtra and newer hotspots in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region such as Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli are mushrooming. The government is struggling to ramp up health infrastructure even as complaints of lack of ambulances, beds, and other health facilities mount. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do if you are tested positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai:  When to worry: The onset of symptoms is usually between 2…

With around 25,000 positive cases, the city of Chennai has not yet flattened the COVID curve. As more and more people are affected by the virus, the basic questions around getting a test done and choosing the right hospital still remain unanswered for many. The result: as soon as the tests return positive, panic grips the patient and their family members, and they are left struggling in the absence of proper information. "Many of the COVID -19 deaths in Chennai are due to the lack of treatment at the right time. This is a crucial time for every citizen to…

Soon after a COVID patient was identified in a gated-community in Chennai, panic struck other residents living in the housing society. The patient’s family was caught unawares as their flat was sealed, and they ran out of essentials. The apartment association swung into action at this point and arranged for essentials upon the family’s request. That, however, is not the only to-do in such circumstances. Although panic during a health emergency is unavoidable, it is highly advisable for every apartment community to have an action plan ready. From forming a crisis team to arranging essentials for all residents in the…

In the one week between June 28 and July 5, Bengaluru's COVID-19 count more than tripled, with 7240 new cases. The surge in cases has overburdened the city's healthcare capacity, and as a result, there have been many reports of patients not finding hospital beds or treatment on time. This has led to panic and confusion about what one should do on testing COVID-positive. “The panic and fear of COVID is actually worse than COVID itself. That’s what we have to address before anything else,” says Dr Giridhara R Babu, Professor, Head-Lifecourse Epidemiology, Indian Institute of Public Health. Dr Giridhar…

Watched Bulbbul? The film, released in OTT recently, throws light on the all-pervasive male violence that existed a few decades ago and continues even today. Set in a fantastical background, the film is heart-rending, as it highlights the disastrous consequences of a deeply entrenched misogynistic and feudal outlook. But if you think that the film is just an anachronistic fictional tale, you couldn’t be more mistaken.  Consider this report from about a fortnight ago, in which at least five minor girls at a shelter home in Kanpur – who were being tested for COVID-19 – were found to be pregnant.…

With the Delhi government ramping up testing, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the city is creating new records almost on a daily basis. There is also a group, including some medical professionals, who feel that the virus will eventually get to each of us, or at least most of us, and we should just stay prepared and reasonably cautious, without getting into panic mode. So how shall we manage and what can we expect, if we test positive for the virus? According to the new rules announced by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on June 22nd, home quarantine…

When Sunita R called up the customer support of the bank in late June to complain of certain technical glitches in a banking application that she uses, she was assured of a solution. Hours later, she received a call from a person, claiming to be from the support team. Sunita was instructed to download an application named ‘Quick Support’ through a link that the caller sent her via SMS. Unsuspecting, she downloaded the application. The caller then sent her a form to fill in the "Know your Customer" (KYC) details, that included Aadhaar number and other details. She was told…

It is unfortunate that we needed a pandemic to realise that we need more decentralized food production and localised distribution, better soil quality management, more dietary changes and climate and disease resilient foods. And most importantly, self reliance. This happens to be in our best interest, and also in the best interest of the environment.  The world has 1.5 billion hectares of land under agriculture. To put this in perspective, imagine the whole of India covered in agricultural fields. Now imagine four and a half such Indias. That gives us 1.5 billion hectares of land, which was once pristine forest…

India is undergoing rapid urbanisation, the pace of which poses significant challenges to urban governance. India’s urban population has expanded from 26 percent of the total population in 1991, to 31 percent (or 400 million people) in 2011. It is estimated that by 2030, more than 40 percent of the Indian population will be living in cities. The question is: Are local urban governance structures in India equipped to respond to the needs of their citizens and tackle future problems? Why is local government important? Local governments are the closest to understanding the problems and requirements of their citizens, and are therefore best equipped to make…