In Focus by The Hindu

It is becoming increasingly crucial for people to have awareness and knowledge about COVID-19, how the virus spreads, and the reasoning behind measures like social distancing. Especially in times of great anxiety, various conspiracies theories tend to sprout up and, in response to health emergencies, several dubious ideas on medicine and treatment also come up.

In conversation with one of India’s foremost science educators, we talk about the current level of scientific awareness in India, the communication to the public about the disease, and the opportunity this sort of a situation offers for informing and educating people about virology, health and safety.

Guest: T.V. Venkateshwaran, Science Educator, Senior Scientist at Vigyan Prasar, New Delhi.

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The RBI introduced additional measures on Friday to infuse liquidity into the market and ease the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Ministry, meanwhile, has some figures about how the lockdown has slowed down the rate at which the number of cases has doubled in India. We also have a quick update on a new RT-PCR test kit for COVID-19 that has been developed by a lab in Kerala that could be a much cheaper and faster alternative to the diagnostic test kits currently available to us.

(Recorded on April 18, 2020)

Guests: Suresh Seshadri, Associate Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu

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Solidarity is an international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19, launched by the World Health Organization and partners. The treatment options on the table are the drugs Remdesivir; Lopinavir/Ritonavir; Lopinavir/Ritonavir with Interferon beta-1a; and Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine.

The latter, of course, has been the subject of much debate in India but in this episode we will look at the other options and the rationale for testing them as possible treatment options. We will also briefly look at the protocol for plasma therapy treatment started now in Kerala.

Guest: T.V. Venkateshwaran, Science Communicator, Senior Scientist at Vigyan Prasar, New Delhi.

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In the time of COVID-19 and mass lockdowns and social isolation, the video conference app Zoom has come to be all the rage as a way for people to connect with each other across the world. The Indian Home Ministry on Thursday issued an advisory saying the platform wasn’t secure, especially for government communication.

In other news, a huge consignment of rapid testing kits arrived from China on Thursday, but is the Indian Council of Medical Research actually betting big on the use of these tests as a strategy?

(Recorded on April 16, 2020)

Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindui; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu

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While most other countries around the world ave opted for some form of aggressive lockdown strategy Sweden adopted a more relaxed approach, keeping many establishments open. The strategy seemed to aim at defeating the disease by achieving 'herd immunity' an idea that seems to have gained some currency in India recently. How have they fared in this approach and what are the problems associated with this strategy.

Interview by G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Guest: Carina King, Infectious Diseases Epidemiologist with the Department of Global Public Health, at Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.

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A day after Prime Minister Modi extended the national lockdown till May 3, the Ministry of Home affairs on Wednesday issued detailed guidelines for relaxations in certain sectors that may come into effect in some parts of the country from April 20. We discuss those guidelines and also get the latest from the Health Ministry briefings.

(Recorded on April 15, 2020)

Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu

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In the 24th episode of our analysis of COVID-19-related developments, we discuss the extension of the national lockdown till May 3, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning. The Prime Minister had added that some relaxations, for some types of workers, could gradually be introduced after April 20. Those guidelines, set to be released on Wednesday (April 15) are said to be ‘like a book’.

(Recorded late on April 14, 2020)

Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu

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As we recorded this episode, the suspense of the Prime Minister's 10 a.m. address on April 14 loomed over us, because we were largely unsure still of the specifics of any kind of announcement regarding an extension of the national lockdown.

In this episode, we bring to you update about a new pilot project in Mumbai’s Dharavi area where hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) will be administered at a community level as a prophylaxis or preventive. We also get an update on the HCQ export situation (as questions continue to be asked about availability) and we get the latest from the Health Ministry briefings and questions now about the shortage of COVID-19 testing kits.

(Recorded late on April 13, 2020)

Guests: Jyoti Shelar, Health Reporter, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu

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This episode comes at a critical juncture when we are still pondering ways in which the lockdown can be lifted in a calibrated manner in some areas while being extended in others as the battle to contain the spread of COVID-19 in India continues. There are crucial questions to be asked about how to contain the virus if the lockdown is lifted, what kind of data we may need to determine the spread of the virus in the population and how to balance the costs of an extended lockdown with the economic fallout.

Mathematical modelling is essential to chart a course forward and frame policy around these questions and we try and break down some of these concepts in this conversation.

Guest: Dr. Gautam Menon, Professor of physics and biology, Ashoka University. Researcher on the modelling of infectious diseases and its implications for public policy

(Recorded on April 11, 2020)

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Looming over this 22nd episode of our daily coverage of COVID-19 is the question of whether the lockdown will be extended nationally and what strategy may be followed for a calibrated exit in some sectors.

Some States have gone ahead and announced an extension (as we publish, Telangana is the latest to do so, joining Odisha and Punjab). We discuss that as well as the mathematical graph put out by the Health Ministry which claims that India would have had over 8 lakh infections without the lockdown. We also get an update on India’s exports of hydroxychloroquine to the world — a story that seems to take on larger dimensions by the day.

(Recorded on April 11, 2020)

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