Health

Before I explain the title, let's look at the numbers. As of March 15th, 2020 169,444 cases of Coronavirus have been reported across the GlobeThere are more cases outside China now than in China - which was the epicenter (80,848 - China, 88,696 cases outside)83.8% recovery rate in China, 11.2% recovery rate outside China These are some simplistic numbers given above to explain the impact of the virus. Let's understand the stages of transmission of the virus: Stage 1 is when people come with the virus into India. Stage 2 is local transmission when the affected people transmit the virus…

Tamil Nadu reported its first case of COVID19 on March 9th. An individual who had travelled to Kanchipuram from Oman showed symptoms and tested positive. He was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai. Seven others who had been in close contact with the infected individual were also placed under observation for symptoms and tested negative for COVID19. On March 11th, Tamil Nadu’s Health Minister Vijayabaskar announced that the first person found to have been infected with COVID19 in the state has tested negative after treatment and subsequent tests. With this, the number of infected persons in…

Translated by Sandhya Raju தமிழகத்தில் இது வரை ஒருவருக்கு மட்டுமே தொற்று ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது எனும் நிலையில், நாட்டில் மற்ற மாநிலங்களை விட கரோனா பீதி சென்னையில் குறைவாகவே உள்ளது. ஆனால், இதற்காக நாம் அஜாக்கிரதையாக இருத்தல் கூடாது. தொற்று பரவாமல் இருக்க மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ள பல்வேறு முயற்சிகள் குறித்து அரசுத்துறையினர் சுற்றரிக்கையும், ஊடகத் தகவல்களையும் அளித்து வருகின்றனர். இம்மாத இறுதி வரை மாநிலத்தில் உள்ள அனைத்து ஆரம்பப் பள்ளி வகுப்புகளுக்கும் விடுப்பு அறிவித்து தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவு பிறப்பித்துள்ளது. இந்த நோயை பொருத்த வரை, தற்போது இந்தியா இராண்டாம் கட்டத்தில் உள்ளது.  பாதிக்கப்பட்ட பகுதிகளுக்கு பயணம் மேற்கொண்டவர்கள் அல்லது அவர்களுடன் தொடர்பில் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு மட்டும் தொற்று ஏற்படும் நிலையை இது குறிக்கிறது.  இந்திய மருத்துவ ஆராய்ச்சி கவுன்சில் படி, அடுத்த கட்டத்திற்கு இது செல்ல 30 நாட்கள் ஆகும், இதற்குள் இதை மேலும் பரவாமல் தடுக்க  இயலும். இதற்காக, அரசு, நிறுவனங்கள்,…

While the Indian government has shared information on precautions and preventive measures to tackle the Covid virus pandemic, there are specific actions that communities with residents living close to each other can take. Here is an FAQ to address questions from apartments, paying guest accommodations, and group housing quarters: What care should security personnel and housekeeping staff take? For the safety of security personnel who interact with a large number of visitors, apartments should ensure they wear masks and have access to soap/water and sanitiser solutions. Public health officials advise that the elevator should be operated only by one security…

With only one Coronavirus positive reported in the state so far, alarm bells in Chennai have predictably been less shrill than in other cities of the country. However, there is no scope for complacence. Government departments have been issuing circulars and releases to the media, detailing the various precautionary measures taken by them to prevent the spread of the disease. In the most recent development, the Tamil Nadu government has announced closure of kindergarten classes in all districts till the end of March.  India is reportedly in Stage II of the disease outbreak, where transmission is said to be contained…

India has seen 73 positive cases of novel Corona virus and one death thus far. The spread to many countries since its origin in China has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deem this a global pandemic.  Since the human transmission is the primary reason for the spread of Corona virus, cities have taken various containment measures. With the closure of schools, colleges and public events in some parts of the country, preventive measures are on in full swing. However, there is also plenty of misinformation out there on safeguards, cures and more. This has resulted in mass panic…

It was almost mid-morning on Tuesday, when Manjunath, a sugarcane juice vendor, had three unexpected visitors. Lanyards hanging from their necks, their ID cards were concealed in their pockets. However their sharp dressing - long-sleeved shirts and dark pants - was a giveaway to the 40-year-old vendor. He realised they were not ones to take a sip of ‘pressed juice’ from his makeshift outlet near Koramangala grounds. Manjunath says, “One was speaking on his phone, two others seemed to be checking the sugarcane juice vending machine, steel vessels, sieve, stored juice extracts. One of them made some notes in a…

In the last few days, cholera cases have been reported from across the city, and there are fears about a large-scale outbreak. Let us quickly understand certain basics of the disease, how it affects us, what we can do to safeguard our health and life, and be an agent of change to control the spread of the disease. Let us look at the facts first. Every year, cholera infects 1.3 to 4 million people globally, and claims the lives of 21,000 to 1.43 lakh people, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). What makes it so virulent as to turn into…

From six confirmed cases to 31 (as on March 6th), it has taken less than a week, even as suspected cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue to be reported across cities every day. How to contain the spread in a country of a billion plus, with obvious infrastructural and surveillance capacity challenges, is one of the greatest concerns in domestic public health circles today.  The Indian administration has taken a number of steps over the last one week to ensure that the spread of the disease can be arrested. Primary schools in the capital have been asked to…

In the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), Central, a corpse which was brought in seven months ago lies unclaimed even today; another such has been at the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) since December 2019. These are not isolated cases. Major government hospitals in Chennai are struggling to tackle the pressure of unclaimed dead bodies in their mortuaries. "The situation is concerning because the unclaimed bodies are taking up the capacity of the mortuary. Our morgue has the capacity to hold 60 corpses," said a doctor at the Dean's office in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).  The…