Left, Right & Centre

With India seeing record numbers of Covid cases and with the number of vaccinations nowhere close to what it should be, various states are looking at innovative solutions. Among them is the state of Goa which has said that patients will be treated with the drug Ivermectin 12 mg for a period of 5 days. Though, the World Health Organisation still believes that the drug needs to be administered under emergency use conditions. On Left, Right and Centre, we speak to a panel of doctors about whether the use of Ivermectin can cut the risk of contracting the virus.

"The drug Ivermectin is not allowed in the USA and Europe. It is used for stopping parasitic diseases, not for viral diseases. It is anti-inflammatory but it has not shown to be optimum for Covid disease. The drug cannot stop the viral infection or transmission," says Professor Polly Roy, Chair of Virology at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to NDTV.

On Left, Right and Centre, we speak to PayTM founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, on how the company is helping India fight the pandemic and what steps are states taking to ensure people's safety.

With vaccination numbers collapsing, it may take years at this rate to get to the target numbers we need. On Left, Right & Centre, we speak to experts on whether India can increase its present rate of vaccination.

Amid shortage of COVID-19 jabs, Maharashtra is looking to import vaccines. Speaking to NDTV, Aaditya Thackeray, a minister, explained the state's strategy and said that Mumbai can be fully vaccinated in a matter of weeks.

Author Chetan Bhagat told NDTV that India needs to prioritise and increase the rate of vaccinations since that's the only key to preventing a third wave.

"India stood with us when we needed and we will do the same," Israel's Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka told NDTV amid the Covid crisis, adding "the Israeli government is searching every corner of India to get aid delivered to those who are in need." The envoy spoke about how Israel beat the virus by following a simple message - "Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate," even though the country initially paid an 'expensive price' for its vaccines, it paid off in the end. "We are open, beaches are open, schools are open and no need for masks in outdoor spaces anymore, because nearly 55 per cent of the country is vaccinated," the envoy told NDTV, tracing Israel's road to recovery.

On this episode of Left, Right and Centre: How different is the second wave of COVID in comparison to the first wave and what makes it more deadly? Vishnu Som discusses.

On the day India recorded over 4,000 COVID-19 deaths -- its highest ever single-day count -- international medical journal the Lancet criticised the Indian government's Covid strategy, saying the country "squandered" its early successes in controlling the virus and must now restructure the response.

The US backs an Indian and South African demand to relax patents of Covid vaccines to try and enable greater access for these lifesaving drugs amid the pandemic. On Left, Right and Centre, we ask - will this change the landscape of vaccination around the world, particularly in poorer nations, or will it be impossible to implement just because of the complex process of manufacturing involved?