Health

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…

Pre-Covid, Delhi's crematoriums used to be littered with heaps of withered marigold, broken bits of earthen pots, tetrapac containers containing ghee and mineral water bottles. Today, even as COVID has made cremation of bodies a challenge in itself and sharply restricted attendance at funerals, the garbage dumped at these sites is becoming dangerous -- consisting mainly of biomedical waste as people carelessly strew their PPE body suits, masks, gloves, shoe covers etc that they wore to the funeral. Such are the proportions of the problem that on June 22nd, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation slapped a Rs 50,000 penalty on the Arya Samaj…

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…

Since the last few weeks, Bengalureans have been in a state of panic and confusion. COVID-positive patients are unsure where to go, those who are symptomatic are frantically trying to find a bed in case they get serious, while attenders of seriously-ill patients are desperately trying to find hospitals which will admit and treat emergencies. We, at the social welfare organisation Naavu Bharatheeyaru, demand an urgent meeting to see how best the government and civil society can work together to minimise the distress that people are currently facing.  In a letter to Chief Minsiter B S Yediyurappa, we have identified…

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…

More than 830 police personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 in Chennai. An Inspector with Mambalam Police Station succumbed to the virus recently, the first cop to have died with COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu.  From protecting individuals to taking care of guest workers in shelters, ensuring compliance with mandated norms in hospitals and public places and inspecting checkpoints, the police has had to deal with a variety of tasks on a daily basis. Well aware of their vulnerability to the infection, a total of 18,000 cops belonging to Traffic, Law and Order and crime departments have been toiling on the…

Translated by Sandhya Raju கொரோனா தொற்று பரிசோதனை மற்றும் சிகிச்சை செலவை உங்களின் மருத்துவ காப்பீடு உள்ளடக்கியுள்ளதா? தனியார் மருத்தவமனைகளின் கட்டணம் குறித்து கவலைப்பட வேண்டுமா? 100% கட்டண செலவையும் உங்கள் காப்பீடு நிறுவனம் திரும்ப அளிக்குமா? கோவிட்-19 மருத்தவக் காப்பீடு குறித்த நீங்கள் அறிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டியவற்றை இங்கே தொகுத்துள்ளோம். கோவிட் சிகிச்சைக்கு புதிதாக மருத்துவ காப்பீடு எடுக்க வேண்டுமா? அவசியமில்லை. எல் ஐ சி, ஓரியன்டல் இன்சுரன்ஸ், நியூ இந்தியா அஷுரன்ஸ், ஆதித்யா பிர்லா, எச் டி எஃப் சி எர்கோ போன்ற பெரும்பாலான காப்பீடு நிறுவனங்கள் தற்போதைய காப்பீட்டிலேயே, கூடுதல் பிரிமீயம் கட்டணமின்றி, கோவிட் தொற்று சிகிச்சையை சேர்த்துள்ளது. கோவிட் காரணமாக ஏற்படும் மரணத்திற்கும் இழப்பீட்டு தொகையை எல் ஐ சி உள்ளடக்கியுள்ளது மற்றும் இவை மரணத்திற்கான பிற காரணங்களுடன் இணையாக பரிசீலிக்கப்படுகின்றன. ஐசிஐசிஐ லம்பார்ட் கோவிட்-19 காப்பீடு அம்சங்கள்- கோவிட்-19 தொற்றின் முதல் அறிகுறி…

As the number of COVID-19 cases are sharply rising in Bengaluru, there's much debate on whether the city should go into another lockdown. When the city entered the first phase of unlock earlier this month, SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) had been issued to commercial establishments and offices, on preventive measures they need to take. Have establishments in Bengaluru been complying with these norms? Is it safe for you to visit them? Restaurants are among the businesses most impacted by lockdown, with low footfall even weeks into the unlocking. Most restaurants have some preventive measures in place, but the extent varies.…