Coronavirus in India

[OMB]

Karnataka imposes complete lockdown from 6 am on May 10 till May 24; no one allowed outside after 10 am

Karnataka Chief Minister ** Yediyurappa on Friday evening announced that a complete lockdown will be imposed in the state from 6 am on May 10 till 6 am on May 24 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

While announcing the decision, Yediyurappa said his government has decided to impose the lockdown as Corona Curfew, imposed earlier, was not successful in curbing the spread of the virus.

“As COVID-19 cases are surging in the state, Corona Curfew was not successful. So, a complete lockdown will be imposed from 10th May 6 am to 24th May 6 am,” he said.

The Karnataka Chief Minister informed that all hotels, pubs and bars will remain closed across the state. However, eateries, meat shops and vegetable shops can remain open from 6 am to 10 am.

The BJP leader categorically stated that the lockdown will be enforced strictly and no one will be allowed to step out after 10 am.

“Not even a single person will be allowed after 10 am in the lockdown; I have suggested to police officers to take stringent action. We have decided this after looking at the death toll and increasing number of cases,” Yediyurappa told the media.

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/complete-lockdown-imposed-in-karnataka-from-6-am-on-may-10-till-6-am-on-may/754244

 

[MP2011]

This is a tricky one, on one hand this will definitely get praise from the hindi belt idiots.

But those idiots are already in pocket of BJP.

This decision may irk the casual Hindu middle class/upper middle class who have been struggling the most in cities such as kanpur, lucknow, Noida, ghaziabad, meerut etc and let BJp to lose vote among the city base hindu voters who voted for BJP last time


I don't see any gain from this decision to BJP, just losses. But maybe they did it because they are seeing the existing cow belt votebank slipping away from them after the Covid handling fiasco so to strengthen their existing hindi belt vote bank and can turn it on later as Yogi saviour of Cows during his election campaign.

Time will tell us, once this pandemic is over and campaigning begins for UP elections we will see why they did it.

I think most important thing to see will be whether Jats & Dalits vote for them in next assembly elections. They voted en masse for them in last assembly elections. Jats & Muslims particularly matter most in Western UP (the cities you mentioned like NOIDA, Ghaziabad, Meerut etc. lie in this part of UP).

Last time these guys swept this entire sugar belt. Now majorly due to the cane farmers not getting their just dues from Bisht over last 5 years and farmers' and anti farmer farm laws, Jat farmers are super angry with Bisht.

If the opposition can corner (for a good reason too) this chunk of votes then Bisht can say goodbye to his ambitions of being in PM's chair in near future at least.

 

[OMB]

SC orders release of prisoners to decongest jails amid Covid-19 second wave

It also directed the high-powered committees to consider release of fresh prisoners by adopting the guidelines of the National Legal Services Authority on the issue.

Taking note of an "unprecedented surge" in Covid-19 cases in the country, the Supreme Court on Saturday passed directions for decongestion of prisons and ordered forthwith release of all those prisoners who were granted bail or parole last year in view of the pandemic.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices L Nageswara Rao and Surya Kant said that all those prisoners who were allowed to go out on bail in March last year by the high-powered committees of states and Union Territories (UTs), set up following the apex court's order, be granted the same relief without reconsideration by HPCs to avoid delay.

"Further we direct that, those inmates who were granted parole, pursuant to our earlier orders, should be again granted parole for a period of 90 days in order to tide over the pandemic," the bench said in its order uploaded on the apex court's website on Saturday.

Referring to a judgement, the top court asked authorities not to arrest mechanically in cases where the maximum sentence is up to seven years of jail term.

It also directed the high-powered committees to consider release of fresh prisoners by adopting the guidelines of the National Legal Services Authority on the issue.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sc-orders-release-of-prisoners-to-decongest-jails-amid-covid-19-second-wave-101620460596341.html

 

[OldWarHorse]

Centre revises policy, COVID-19 positive test report no longer mandatory for admission to hospital


"No patient will be refused services on any count. This includes medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city," the Union Health Ministry said.

The Centre has revised the national policy for admission of COVID-19 patients to the hospitals. A test report confirming the coronavirus infection is no longer mandatory for admission of patients to the COVID-dedicated medical facilities, the Union Health Ministry said on May 8.

"Requirement of a positive test for COVID-19 virus is not mandatory for admission to a COVID health facility. A suspect case shall be admitted to the suspect ward of CCC (COVID Care Center), DCHC (Dedicated COVID Health Centre) or DHC (Dedicated COVID Hospital) as the case may be," the Health Ministry said.


As per the government's guidelines, the patients with mild symptoms are to be admitted at the CCC, those with moderate symptoms at DCHC and those clinically assigned as severely infected are to be treated at the DHC.

The Centre, as part of the revision in admission policy, said no patient will be refused services on any count. "This includes medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city," it added

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/centre-revises-policy-covid-19-positive-test-report-no-longer-mandatory-for-admission-to-a-covid-health-facility-6869201.html

 

[OldWarHorse]

This could be useful. Lots of people were being turned down hospital admissions inspite of detoriating conditions because of the delay in the RT-PCR test results coming in and them having little faith in the Rapid Antigen Tests. Hope they can now avail hospital care

 

[MP2011]

"India Squandered Early COVID-19 Success," Says Medical Journal Lancet

New Delhi: India "squandered" its early successes in controlling COVID-19 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government could preside over "a self-inflicted national catastrophe", international medical journal The Lancet said in an editorial on Saturday.

In a piece highly critical of the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the widely respected publication said the success of India overcoming the crisis will depend on the PM Modi's administration "owning up to its mistakes".

"[PM] Modi's actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable," it said.

"India squandered its early successes in controlling COVID-19. Until April, the government's COVID-19 taskforce had not met in months. The consequences of that decision are clear before us, and India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages," the Lancet editorial said.

"The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart," it said.

The journal called out the government for giving out the impression that India had beaten COVID-19 after several months of low case counts, despite repeated warnings of the dangers of a second wave and the emergence of new strains.

"Before the second wave of cases of COVID-19 began to mount in early March, Indian Minister of Health Harsh Vardhan declared that India was in the "endgame" of the epidemic," it noted.

"Despite warnings about the risks of super-spreader events, the government allowed religious festivals to go ahead, drawing millions of people from around the country, along with huge political rallies-conspicuous for their lack of COVID-19 mitigation measures," Lancet said.

Calling India's vaccination policy "botched" and "falling apart" at the central level, the journal noted that the government abruptly shifted course without discussing the change in policy with states and has managed to vaccinate less than 2 per cent of the population.

"At times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has seemed more intent on removing criticism on Twitter than trying to control the pandemic," Lancet said.

"The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that India will see a staggering 1 million deaths from COVID-19 by Aug 1. If that outcome were to happen, Modi's government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe," it added.

India on Saturday reported its highest ever single-day COVID-19 deaths, as cases continued to rise and states imposed stricter lockdowns.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/lan...inexcusable-2437880?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

[MP2011]

No, we shouldn't even blame these clowns in getting us into this catastrophic state! What a logic, devotees!

 

[MP2011]

On second thoughts, Lancet is anti national and a no name journal and hence shouldn't be taken seriously by us!

 

[King-Misbah]

I am worried that there seems a lack of reporting out of India in the past few days.

 

[Lego20]

On second thoughts, Lancet is anti national and a no name journal and hence shouldn't be taken seriously by us!

We are seeing criticism of Modi pretty much everywhere. While on the other hand, the accusation is that he is curbing criticism ? We dont care what foreign media/organizations have to say about India. They have negative credibility in our eyes.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

We dont care what foreign media/organizations have to say about India. They have negative credibility in our eyes.

Who’s we lol? Clearly Modi does care considering his High Commissions are lodging complaints against random articles in Australia...

Also Why were you happy to quote these foreign media sources all the time when they would talk about ‘India growing’ or ‘Pakistan bad.”

 

[Technics 1210]

In all frankness, we’re gonna need another thread; C19 in India isn’t going anywhere soon.

 

[Lego20]

No, we shouldn't even blame these clowns in getting us into this catastrophic state! What a logic, devotees!

Who’s we lol? Clearly Modi does care considering his High Commissions are lodging complaints against random articles in Australia...

Also Why were you happy to quote these foreign media sources all the time when they would talk about ‘India growing’ or ‘Pakistan bad.”

I am not sure I did. That said when we discuss India/Pak I dont think either side will accept non neutral sources. I would obviously believe and prefer Indian sources but it wont be accepted here. In short, using neutral source in that context is not a choice but necessity.

 

[MenInG]

New Delhi: India registered more than 4,000 deaths and over 4 lakh cases of Covid-19 in single day, as per the Union Health Ministry data on Sunday. As many 4,03,738 new COVID-19 cases and 4,092 deaths have been officially reported by the government, taking the total active cases to 37,36,648 and the death toll to 2,42,362.

The new cases have taken the total caseload of the country to 2,22,96,414. With 3,86,444 people discharged in the last 24 hours, the total number of discharges stood at 1,83,17,404.

The total number of samples tested up to May 8 stood at 30,22,75,471 including 18,65,428 samples tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, 16,94,39,663 doses of vaccine have been given across the country.

 

[Technics 1210]

New Delhi: India registered more than 4,000 deaths and over 4 lakh cases of Covid-19 in single day, as per the Union Health Ministry data on Sunday. As many 4,03,738 new COVID-19 cases and 4,092 deaths have been officially reported by the government, taking the total active cases to 37,36,648 and the death toll to 2,42,362.

The new cases have taken the total caseload of the country to 2,22,96,414. With 3,86,444 people discharged in the last 24 hours, the total number of discharges stood at 1,83,17,404.

The total number of samples tested up to May 8 stood at 30,22,75,471 including 18,65,428 samples tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, 16,94,39,663 doses of vaccine have been given across the country.

17M Indians have been vaccinated? The vaccines have been out for about 6 months, and just over 1% of Indians have been vaccinated.

Shocking.

 

[Gayle_Force]

I am not sure I did. That said when we discuss India/Pak I dont think either side will accept non neutral sources. I would obviously believe and prefer Indian sources but it wont be accepted here. In short, using neutral source in that context is not a choice but necessity.

I think any reasonable person would prefer a neutral source regardless of the topic to get their news to avoid bias. However i guess in your case it seems you are not willing to accept neutral sources and instead prefer non neutral sources that are biased towards Modi/BJP.

 

[Saurav]

17M Indians have been vaccinated? The vaccines have been out for about 6 months, and just over 1% of Indians have been vaccinated.

Shocking.

Thats more than 10 %,though most have only recieved first dose

 

[gani999]

17M Indians have been vaccinated? The vaccines have been out for about 6 months, and just over 1% of Indians have been vaccinated.

Shocking.

At least 120 million Indians have received at least one dose of vaccine. 35 million have received a second dose.

That's way above 1% but still a lot more needs to be done.

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country=IND

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57027829

On Saturday morning, Dr Akshay Nair, a Mumbai-based eye surgeon, was waiting to operate on a 25-year-old woman who had recovered from a bout of Covid-19 three weeks ago.

Inside the surgery, an ear, nose and throat specialist was already at work on the patient, a diabetic.

He had inserted a tube in her nose and was removing tissues infected with mucormycosis, a rare but dangerous fungal infection. This aggressive infection affects the nose, eye and sometimes the brain.

After his colleague finished, Dr Nair would carry out a three hour procedure to remove the patient's eye.

"I will be removing her eye to save her life. That's how this disease works," Dr Nair told me.

Even as a deadly second wave of Covid-19 ravages India, doctors are now reporting a rash of cases involving a rare infection - also called the "black fungus" - among recovering and recovered Covid-19 patients.

Mucormycosis is a very rare infection. It is caused by exposure to mucor mould which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables. "It is ubiquitous and found in soil and air and even in the nose and mucus of healthy people," says Dr Nair.

It affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.

Doctor believe mucormycosis, which has an overall mortality rate of 50%, may be being triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients.

Steroids reduce inflammation in the lungs for Covid-19 and appear to help stop some of the damage that can happen when the body's immune system goes into overdrive to fight off coronavirus. But they also reduce immunity and push up blood sugar levels in both diabetics and non-diabetic Covid-19 patients.

It's thought that this drop in immunity could be triggering these cases of mucormycosis.

"Diabetes lowers the body's immune defences, coronavirus exacerbates it, and then steroids which help fight Covid-19 act like fuel to the fire," says Dr Nair.

Dr Nair - who works in three hospitals in Mumbai, one of the worst-hit cities in the second wave - says he has already seen some 40 patients suffering from the fungal infection in April. Many of them were diabetics who had recovered from Covid-19 at home. Eleven of them had to have an eye surgically removed.

Between December and February, just six of his colleagues in five cities - Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and Pune - reported 58 cases of the infection. Most of the patients contracted it between 12 to 15 days after recovery from Covid-19. Mumbai's busy Sion Hospital has reported 24 cases of the fungal infection in the past two months, up from six cases a year, according to Dr Renuka Bradoo, head of the hospital's ear, nose and throat wing.

Eleven of them had to lose an eye, and six of them died. Most of her patients are middle-aged diabetics who were struck down by the fungus two weeks after recovering from Covid-19. "We are already seeing two to three cases a week here. It's a nightmare inside a pandemic," she told me.

In the southern city of Bengaluru, Dr Raghuraj Hegde, an eye surgeon, tells a similar story. He has seen 19 cases of mucormycosis in the past two weeks, most of them young patients. "Some were so sick that we couldn't even operate on them."

Doctors say they are surprised by the severity and the frequency of this fungal infection during the second wave, compared to some cases during the first wave last year.

Dr Nair says he has come across not more than 10 cases in Mumbai in the past two years. "This year is something different," he says.

In Bengaluru, Dr Hegde had never seen more than one or two cases a year in over a decade of practice.

Patients suffering from the fungal infection typically have symptoms of stuffy and bleeding nose; swelling of and pain in the eye; drooping of eyelids; and blurred and finally, loss of vision. There could be black patches of skin around the nose.

Doctors say most of their patients arrive late, when they are already losing vision, and doctors have to surgically remove the eye to stop the infection from reaching the brain.

In some cases, doctors in India say, patients have lost their vision in both eyes. And in rare cases, doctors have to surgically remove the jaw bone in order to stop the disease from spreading.

An anti-fungal intravenous injection which costs 3,500 rupees ($48) a dose and has to be administered every day up to eight weeks is the only drug effective against the disease. One way to stall the possibility of the fungal infection was to make sure that Covid-19 patients - both in treatment and after recovery - were being administered the right dose and duration of steroids, says Dr Rahul Baxi, a Mumbai-based diabetologist.

He says he treated some 800 diabetic Covid-19 patients in the past year, and none of them contracted the fungal infection. "Doctors should take care of the sugar levels after the patients are discharged," Dr Baxi told me.

A senior government official says there is "no big outbreak". Yet it is difficult to say why a growing number of cases of mucormycosis are being reported from all over the country. "The strain of the virus appears to be virulent, sending blood sugars soaring to very high levels. And strangely, the fungal infection is affecting a lot of young people," says Dr Hegde.

His youngest patient last month was a 27-year-old man, who was not even a diabetic. "We had to operate on him during his second week of Covid-19 and remove his eye. It's pretty devastating."

 

[Lego20]

I think any reasonable person would prefer a neutral source regardless of the topic to get their news to avoid bias. However i guess in your case it seems you are not willing to accept neutral sources and instead prefer non neutral sources that are biased towards Modi/BJP.

Ideally, you are right. But in reality, these neutral sources are anything but neutral.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Ideally, you are right. But in reality, these neutral sources are anything but neutral.

Yes, Lancet must hold a grudge against the Modi Government.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

I am not sure I did. That said when we discuss India/Pak I dont think either side will accept non neutral sources. I would obviously believe and prefer Indian sources but it wont be accepted here. In short, using neutral source in that context is not a choice but necessity.

So what are these neutral sources?

As per you:

Foreign media sources = we don’t care
Indian media which criticize Modi = left wing propaganda

 

[MenInG]

A small private hospital in India's most populous state is being charged under the National Security Act for sounding the alarm over a lack of oxygen.

The director of the Sun Hospital in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh told Sky News he faced being arrested at any time and his business seized after the police laid charges against him.

Akilesh Pandey, who owns and runs the hospital in the state's capital, said four of his patients died on a single day when oxygen ran out.

He says he made repeated appeals to the state authorities warning them his supplies were running low but they failed to re-supply him with oxygen for 13 hours.

The notice he posted at the hospital on 3 May is still stuck up in places around the building.

It says: "After repeated request to the UPCM/Central Government we are not able to get enough oxygen supply, hence we requesting family members those patients who are on oxygen support please take their patients higher centre for further management."

Days later, Mr Pandey says the police laid charges against him for "false scaremongering", raided his hospital and seized the CCTV from that day.

We arrived at the hospital as it was receiving a consignment of oxygen cylinders. The hospital's oxygen-flow gauge showed once again it was running perilously low.

"I care about my patients enormously," Mr Pandey told us. "They are my family but that day we could not give them oxygen."

He showed us the oxygen supply just near the entrance of the hospital.

"These are the five oxygen cylinders that we had that afternoon…that would give one-and-a-half, to two hours of oxygen to patients.

"We decreased the pressure flow slightly so that we could extend the flow to about three to three-and-a-half hours hours…." he told us.

But the oxygen supply ran out by 9am the following morning - the relatives of those who died say that is what killed them.

One young man who lost both his 45-year-old aunt and 22-year-old cousin recounted how it was like "a never-ending nightmare".

He said he hadn't had time to process what's going on: his uncle is still ill with coronavirus in the same hospital and he hasn't had the courage to tell his aunt's husband who is at home suffering with coronavirus too.

"My aunt needed high oxygen but when oxygen finished here, she was put on a concentrator but she could not manage by that.

"If there was oxygen she would not have died - my cousin would not have died."

"This is the government's responsibility to provide oxygen," he said. "This has been made a COVID centre and the government must provide.

"The hospital is trying its best."

The state's High Court judges seem to agree, pronouncing last week: "The death of COVID patients just for non-supplying oxygen to the hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen."

We have contacted the Uttar Pradesh authorities for a response but have yet to receive one.

The police charge against the hospital's administrators is the latest in a line of draconian measures in Uttar Pradesh which has seen individuals arrested for putting out SOS appeals for oxygen.

The state's authorities have suggested the alarms are inducing panic and the situation is under control - even as the area posted a new record daily high number of deaths on Friday.

The authorities have been heavily criticised for allowing mass gatherings during local elections even as the country was recording global highs in the COVID-19 infection rate.

Our team travelled from New Delhi more than 200 kilometres to Agra and then several hundred more kilometres onto Lucknow - and all along the route, we found thousands of people flouting the lockdown and the night-time curfew only being patchily enforced.

It's almost certainly contributed to the upsurge in infections and deaths over the past few weeks.

Although medics believe the situation is stabilising, there's still an unknown number of infections and deaths throughout this large state which dwarfs whole countries in terms of population.

The sheer size of the state makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compile accurate figures.

A substantial number of the estimated 225 million residents in Uttar Pradesh live in remote, rural areas where there is little or no treatment for coronavirus.

A resistance to testing due to fear of isolating; the lack of access to hospitals or even clinics and an absence of co-ordinated monitoring of the COVID deaths has meant widespread scepticism about the official statistics.

Several doctors we spoke to from a variety of hospitals - in Delhi, Agra and Lucknow - are telling us the same information all the time about the virus and the variants.

This second wave is different; the variants are reacting differently and patients are developing some different symptoms.

Of course, there are important caveats. All of this information is anecdotal but with a fast-changing and developing disease, those on the frontline - especially in India - are anxious to share whatever they can glean about the disease and its changing make-up so others may be quicker to react or respond.

According to the range of doctors, nurses and health workers we've spoken to, there's a marked increase in the number of patients who are suffering from body aches.

Often they don't even have a cough but a fever.

The disease appears to be attacking a much younger age group but it's not clear yet whether this is because the elder age group was the first vaccinated.

More patients are suffering from diarrhoea and eye infections and a very small number also suffer renal problems.

The variants appear to be more aggressive, seem to be more infectious and debilitate the sufferer far more quickly.

Dr Akhil Pratapsingh told us: "It seems the virus is more lethal this time…it seems so.

"Because the number of deaths are a little higher than last time…also what we are observing is last year it took some time for the patient to deteriorate but this virus, the infectivity or aggressiveness of the virus is so high it hardly takes a day for the patient, otherwise fine, to de-saturate and get compromised."

In the crematoriums around Uttar Pradesh that we visited, all the workers spoke of a sharp increase in the number of deaths over the past few weeks although it now shows signs of plateauing.

But they also mentioned how the dramatic rise in funerals didn't seem to match the official figures.

We watched as a sadhu (a Hindu holy man) performed a ritual around the many burning pyres at one crematorium.

He appeared to be the only person recognising the many dead people here.

We may never get an accurate toll of the pandemic dead throughout India.

SKY

 

[Lego20]

Yes, Lancet must hold a grudge against the Modi Government.

India is composed 10000 countries. Language changes every 100 miles. We cant describe/generalize the country ourselves. You want me to believe lancet/foreign media/orgs can do that?

Heck, internally within India, politics of the flithiest kind/vulture news media will spin the news as they please.

Indians in India by now, know very well from smell which news to believe.

Unfortunately, thats the sorry state of affairs (even around the world).

Media in pakistan and china is heavily censored and curated by the ispr. So, you will see consistent reporting (though falsehoods many times). Indian media is a wild west with political influences. Inconsistent reporting is the norm.

 

[Gayle_Force]

India is composed 10000 countries. Language changes every 100 miles. We cant describe/generalize the country ourselves. You want me to believe lancet/foreign media/orgs can do that?

Heck, internally within India, politics of the flithiest kind/vulture news media will spin the news as they please.

Indians in India by now, know very well from smell which news to believe.

Unfortunately, thats the sorry state of affairs (even around the world).

Media in pakistan and china is heavily censored and curated by the ispr. So, you will see consistent reporting (though falsehoods many times). Indian media is a wild west with political influences. Inconsistent reporting is the norm.

I am not exactly sure which part of the Lancet article is stinks of misleading information?

Are you suggesting that Modi government did a super job procuring vaccine for the 1.4 billion population? Or was Modi govt right in preemptively declaring victory against Covid and allowing super spreader events? Did Indian govt not request Twitter to remove tweets critical of govt’s Covid 19 response?

 

[Lego20]

I am not exactly sure which part of the Lancet article is stinks of misleading information?

Are you suggesting that Modi government did a super job procuring vaccine for the 1.4 billion population? Or was Modi govt right in preemptively declaring victory against Covid and allowing super spreader events? Did Indian govt not request Twitter to remove tweets critical of govt’s Covid 19 response?

The whole nation including the govt was complacent.

Vaccine delays are due to normal lags in bridging trials, procurement procedures, manufacturing ramp up and more so due to raw material curbs from US. Modi has little influence over lot of these factors.

Govt is to be blamed for Super spreader events I agree.

We miss though that 2nd wave has been equally brutal in other countries. India being a poor country is worse off in handling it. I guarantee a similar or worse outcome in any third world nation. However, you will not see your nypost, wapo, bbc spewing venom and blaming it all on the leader.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

The whole nation including the govt was complacent.

Vaccine delays are due to normal lags in bridging trials, procurement procedures, manufacturing ramp up and more so due to raw material curbs from US. Modi has little influence over lot of these factors.

Govt is to be blamed for Super spreader events I agree.

We miss though that 2nd wave has been equally brutal in other countries. India being a poor country is worse off in handling it. I guarantee a similar or worse outcome in any third world nation. However, you will not see your nypost, wapo, bbc spewing venom and blaming it all on the leader.

They would. They did it for Brazil too.

Also you have to look at significance of nation.

Nepal obv won’t get same eye balls and coverage as a Brazil or India

 

[Gayle_Force]

The whole nation including the govt was complacent.

Vaccine delays are due to normal lags in bridging trials, procurement procedures, manufacturing ramp up and more so due to raw material curbs from US. Modi has little influence over lot of these factors.

Govt is to be blamed for Super spreader events I agree.

We miss though that 2nd wave has been equally brutal in other countries. India being a poor country is worse off in handling it. I guarantee a similar or worse outcome in any third world nation. However, you will not see your nypost, wapo, bbc spewing venom and blaming it all on the leader.

India has over $500B in reserves, a fact that has been rubbed in by many Indian posters here in the past. Why did the govt not utilize any of these funds towards vaccine R&D, production, or procurement like most first world countries? Shouldn’t the govt face blame for that?

Now when **** hits the fan you guys say you are a ‘poor’ country. I guess it’s upto you guys to decide which is it?

 

[Lego20]

They would. They did it for Brazil too.

Also you have to look at significance of nation.

Nepal obv won’t get same eye balls and coverage as a Brazil or India

Ok. They cant pin it on one person with limited influence on factors like regulatory and curbs on export by US.

 

[Lego20]

India has over $500B in reserves, a fact that has been rubbed in by many Indian posters here in the past. Why did the govt not utilize any of these funds towards vaccine R&D, production, or procurement like most first world countries? Shouldn’t the govt face blame for that?

Now when **** hits the fan you guys say you are a ‘poor’ country. I guess it’s upto you guys to decide which is it?

$ cant buy research. Who told you there was no investment on any of these Mr big boss? We have our own vaccine - it took slightly longer to produce due to several reasons (later prevalence of corona in India, vaccine tech (inactivated virus which takes longer to validate) etc.).

Re: procurement
There were only 2 nations (US and UK) with vaccine advancements. US refused to export their vaccine to anyone from the very beginning. We signed up with UK (AZ/covishield) along with our own vaccine (covaxin) and other partnerships (sputnik, J&J, Novavax etc).

India has vaccinated 168M doses second only to US at 260 million (for comparison: Pakistan has administered 3 million doses). India has the second largest population in the world. Easier to throw mud sitting from Ivory tower.

 

[MP2011]

Yes, Lancet must hold a grudge against the Modi Government.

As I said earlier, Lancet is anti national to be directly accusing event manager for this catastrophe!

 

[MP2011]

17M Indians have been vaccinated? The vaccines have been out for about 6 months, and just over 1% of Indians have been vaccinated.

Shocking.

This is nothing.

We'll take at least 3 more years at current rate of vaccination to fully vaccinate our entire adult population. Now let that sink in for a while!

 

[Lego20]

$ cant buy research. Who told you there was no investment on any of these Mr big boss? We have our own vaccine - it took slightly longer to produce due to several reasons (later prevalence of corona in India, vaccine tech (inactivated virus which takes longer to validate) etc.).

Re: procurement
There were only 2 nations (US and UK) with vaccine advancements. US refused to export their vaccine to anyone from the very beginning. We signed up with UK (AZ/covishield) along with our own vaccine (covaxin) and other partnerships (sputnik, J&J, Novavax etc).

India has vaccinated 168M doses second only to US at 260 million (for comparison: Pakistan has administered 3 million doses). India has the second largest population in the world. Easier to throw mud sitting from Ivory tower.

"doses" in above post is actually "people"

 

[Gayle_Force]

$ cant buy research. Who told you there was no investment on any of these Mr big boss? We have our own vaccine - it took slightly longer to produce due to several reasons (later prevalence of corona in India, vaccine tech (inactivated virus which takes longer to validate) etc.).

Re: procurement
There were only 2 nations (US and UK) with vaccine advancements. US refused to export their vaccine to anyone from the very beginning. We signed up with UK (AZ/covishield) along with our own vaccine (covaxin) and other partnerships (sputnik, J&J, Novavax etc).

India has vaccinated 168M doses second only to US at 260 million (for comparison: Pakistan has administered 3 million doses). India has the second largest population in the world. Easier to throw mud sitting from Ivory tower.

Yea I have read about Covaxin, Bharat Biotech’s CEO clearly stated that they did not receive any funding from GOI. It’s only now in April 2021, when **** hit the fan did the govt give them a grant to expand supply facilities.

 

[MenInG]

New Delhi: India registered 3,66,161 cases and 3,754 deaths in a span on 24 hours, as per the data updated by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the country have now reached 2,26,62,575 while the number of active cases stands at 37,45,237.

taking into account the people discharged from the hospital in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of discharges to 1,86,71,222.

So far 17,01,76,603 doses of vaccination have been administered nationwide.

Meanwhile, several states have imposed lockdown or strict curbs as the Covid-19 catastrophe continues. In Delhi, Metro services have been discontinued and more than 20 people are allowed in weddings as the national capital is set to see stricter lockdown till May 17.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also extended the lockdown till May 17 amid rising Covid-19 cases in the state. Tamil Nadu has announced a 14-day complete lockdown from May 10. The Karnataka and Rajasthan governments have also announced a complete lockdown from May 10 to 24.

In Haryana, the lockdown has been extended and not more than 11 attendees are allowed at marriages and funerals.

 

[Lego20]

Yea I have read about Covaxin, Bharat Biotech’s CEO clearly stated that they did not receive any funding from GOI. It’s only now in April 2021, when **** hit the fan did the govt give them a grant to expand supply facilities.

Again, a post just for mud slinging. Large funding is required mostly for manufacturing and you get there after phase 3 trial & auhtorization. Knowing that, look at the funding approval dates & authorization dates of covaxin and covishield and see if your comment still holds.

 

[Thomaskutty]

There were only 2 nations (US and UK) with vaccine advancements. US refused to export their vaccine to anyone from the very beginning. We signed up with UK (AZ/covishield) along with our own vaccine (covaxin) and other partnerships (sputnik, J&J, Novavax etc)

India didn't sign up with AZ, it was the Serum Institute that did it on their own where they gambled that the license partnership would be profitable for them. Also Pfizer came to India in Dec 2020 for approval and Modi government more or less told them to get lost by putting up all kinds of regulatory roadblocks in front of them.

 

[Itachi]

India didn't sign up with AZ, it was the Serum Institute that did it on their own where they gambled that the license partnership would be profitable for them. Also Pfizer came to India in Dec 2020 for approval and Modi government more or less told them to get lost by putting up all kinds of regulatory roadblocks in front of them.

regarding pfizer, your statement is wrong.

pfizer wanted indemnity bond which Indian govt refused to provide. if given, any pharmaceutical company will be free from any lawsuit which will cause irregularities in an already overly competitive sector in the biggest drug manufacturing which deals with human life.

 

[Lego20]

India didn't sign up with AZ, it was the Serum Institute that did it on their own where they gambled that the license partnership would be profitable for them. Also Pfizer came to India in Dec 2020 for approval and Modi government more or less told them to get lost by putting up all kinds of regulatory roadblocks in front of them.

Misinformation. No extra roadblock for pfizer than to any other vaccine maker. Pfizer wanted exemption to skip bridging trials and imdemnity waiver which was duely refused.

 

[Hitman]

I’m getting vaccinated tomorrow.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Again, a post just for mud slinging. Large funding is required mostly for manufacturing and you get there after phase 3 trial & auhtorization. Knowing that, look at the funding approval dates & authorization dates of covaxin and covishield and see if your comment still holds.

These are facts, no mud slinging involved. Again, if to put it simply, it was the modi govt that came out taking credit when cases were low, claiming victory against Covid. Now when things have taken a horrible turn shouldn’t they be held responsible?

Also, regarding Pfizer, shouldn’t the govt have shown some flexibility knowing they had not procured sufficient vaccines?

 

[Saurav]

I’m getting vaccinated tomorrow.

in Guwahati?

 

[Itachi]

I’m getting vaccinated tomorrow.

where? give me the name of the facility. My brother in ghy isn't able to find slots.

 

[MP2011]

Yea I have read about Covaxin, Bharat Biotech’s CEO clearly stated that they did not receive any funding from GOI. It’s only now in April 2021, when **** hit the fan did the govt give them a grant to expand supply facilities.

However there is no shortage of funding for their election campaigns,

Conservative cost estimates of around 100 rallies organised for the BJP's top guns at Rs 5-10 crore per rally are Rs 500-1,000 crore; lesser netas' 200+ rallies at about Rs 2 crore per rally would cost an additional Rs 400-500 crore; election funding for booth and voter management and for 'other purposes' could add upto Rs 200-300 crore; travel for the Prime Minister, Home Minister, the BJP President and the Delhi brigade, along with orators such as Yogi Adityanath, might have cost a modest Rs 25 crore; and then there are publicity expenses, banners, posters, the logistics of creating a 'hawa' on the ground. By these standards, the BJP's total outgo on the Battle of Bengal could have buzzed past Rs 2,500 crore.

So the BJP could have spent on average Rs 30 crore per victory in the 77 Assembly seats it won. Considering that the BJP is the PM's and Home Minister's party, the two top officials of the country leading the fight against the pandemic, here's a dose of Covid maths: Rs 2,500+ crore would buy 17 crore vaccines at Rs 150 per vaccine, sufficient for a double dose for 8.5 crore Indians.

https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/opinio...l-campaign-2438583?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

 

[MP2011]

And this is just the cost incurred for canvassing for 77 assembly seats that have been won! What about the other 217 seats those were being lost?

You do the Maths!

If this isn't corruption of the highest order, at the highest order and by the highest order, for the highest order, what else it is?

 

[cricketjoshila]

Yes, Lancet must hold a grudge against the Modi Government.

Lancet is a medical journal. Why is it publishing political news?

 

[cricketjoshila]

Yea I have read about Covaxin, Bharat Biotech’s CEO clearly stated that they did not receive any funding from GOI. It’s only now in April 2021, when **** hit the fan did the govt give them a grant to expand supply facilities.

Covaxin was developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR. ICMR is a government organization.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Days in we still have Hindutva followers being apologists for their extremist leaders.

But can anyone tell us if the peak has occured, is oxegyn being given to all, are beds avaliable to all?

 

[Lego20]

These are facts, no mud slinging involved. Again, if to put it simply, it was the modi govt that came out taking credit when cases were low, claiming victory against Covid. Now when things have taken a horrible turn shouldn’t they be held responsible?

Also, regarding Pfizer, shouldn’t the govt have shown some flexibility knowing they had not procured sufficient vaccines?

Modi govt claimed victory (falsely, prematurely & complacently) of the nation. Not as a personal achievement.

Re: Pfizer
No. They did the right thing. Read up on accidents like Bhopal gas tragedy. Unrelated, the role of citigroup in stock market scams in 1991. That said, there was no need to either with covishield/covaxin on the horizon at that time.

Read this:

Comparison between US and India

Total cases so far
US - 3.34 Cr / India - 2.19 Cr
Total Population
US - 33 Cr / India - 139 Cr
Total Covid Deaths
US - 594K / India - 238K
Total Active Cases
US - 65 lac / India 37.31 Lac

Per Capita Income
US - $ 54000 / India $ 1700

US successful / India unsuccessful!!
Reason?
Health infrastructure in US is 10 times better than India.
Whose fault?
Modi? No. Governments which ruled India for maximum years since independence. That is Congress!
Media / hypocrite educated illiterate paid journalists who go after Modi for everything to get popular.

When was the election in US? Right in the middle of Pandemic. Did you read any reports from these same journalist blaming US for election?No.

US denied raw material for making vaccines to India resulting in slowing down the pace of vaccination. Did these journalist write about the same? No.

US people are in crisis over job loss. Any journalist highlights the same? No.

In US dead bodies of Covid patients were kept in cold storage / refrigerated because they could not handle so many dead bodies. In India, the culture is to cremate dead bodies immediately so you see queues at shmasans. These journalists used this as photo op and publicity! There were pictures from China / US / Europe where dead bodies were lying outside hospitals. Did anyone highlight those? No. But our paid journalists use such opportunity to fill their pockets.

So stop reading and spreading the negativity. Start realising what actual India is. What is the capacity of India in handling pandemic and then compare how it is handling! Opposition parties have single agenda. Month back all were saying lockdown is not an option. Now the same bunch is saying lockdown is the only option. So if these guys are experts then why they change their opinions!

It’s human psychology, whatever is repeated again and again in front of people, they will start getting influenced by that and start believing it. So rise above the herd psychology!

 

[gani999]

Meanwhile, somewhere in India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...rictions-in-ups-badaun/videoshow/82525226.cms



They will never learn, will they? And please don't bring the religion of those guys in the procession. It's equally unacceptable, whichever religion does it.

 

[gani999]

And this is just the cost incurred for canvassing for 77 assembly seats that have been won! What about the other 217 seats those were being lost?

You do the Maths!

If this isn't corruption of the highest order, at the highest order and by the highest order, for the highest order, what else it is?

Indian politicians of all hue are corrupt. period. I don't see the point in singling out the BJP.

If all the billions stashed away by the Jayalalaithaas, Mayawatis, Gandhis, Yadavs, Pawars and other sundry looters had instead been used to help the poor, we would have no poverty in India today.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Meanwhile, somewhere in India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...rictions-in-ups-badaun/videoshow/82525226.cms



They will never learn, will they? And please don't bring the religion of those guys in the procession. It's equally unacceptable, whichever religion does it.

The Kumbh Mela has a history of producing diseases inc Cholera. Millions went, got infected and transmitted the virus to parts of India. What is Modi's views on this? Has he accepted this to be the case?

Perhaps you could answer this too.

can anyone tell us if the peak has occured, is oxegyn being given to all, are beds avaliable to all?

 

[Lego20]

https://www.republicworld.com/world...d5i017j_5g1GxZIrkvJnoge3nRF51A8e-BLEM7BXUBe40

'India Doesn't Need Vaccine Supply Lectures; Has Exported For Humanity': France's Macron

Amid the COVID-19 vaccine shortage and criticism aimed at Modi government, Macron asserted that India does not need to be 'lectured from anyone'
Written By
Jitesh Vachhatani
KooEuropean Council Meet
AP/PTI


Affirming his faith in India's ability to counter the second deadly COVID-19 wave, France's President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India-EU virtual summit in presence of 26 other EU leaders on Saturday evening. Amid the noise over COVID-19 vaccine shortage and criticism aimed at the Narendra Modi government, Macron asserted that India does not need to be 'lectured from anyone' on vaccine supplies. At the virtual summit attended by Germany's Angela Merkel and the EU president Ursula von der Leyen amongst others, the French President highlighted India's vaccine exports to several countries in the time of the pandemic.

"India does not need to listen to lectures from anyone about vaccine supplies. India has exported a lot for humanity to many countries. We know what situation India is in," the French President said.

Proving to be 'World's Pharmacy,' India under its 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative to help the globe battle COVID-19 pandemic, initially exported COVID-19 vaccines to as many as 95 countries, as per MEA data. Nearly 663.698 lakhs of COVID-19 jabs have been exported to countries across the globe including Iran, Uganda, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Brazil amongst others, since India began manufacturing the vaccines. This was paused as India's domestic requirements overwhelmed any possibility of exports.

READ | PM Modi continues COVID-19 reach-out to CMs; Tamil Nadu CM Stalin among those called


PM Modi calls for TRIPS waiver
At the EU council meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged European leaders to support the TRIPS waiver at WTO for COVID-related treatments and vaccines. The TRIPS agreement provides the basic minimum standards on how 7 different forms of Intellectual Property: copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents, layout designs for integrated circuits, and undisclosed information (trade secrets) are governed. For context, the WTO has the ability to invoke a waiver of certain Intellectual Property rights, thereby ensuring greater accessibility to key drugs and vaccines across the globe. PM Modi's call comes days after the United States declared its support for the waiver of Intellectual Property protections on COVID-19 vaccines.

READ | As PM Modi is set to attend European Council Meet, City Hall of Porto lit up in Tricolour
European leaders, including the Spanish Prime Minister and the Portuguese head of state, individually expressed their gratitude to PM Modi as India extended support when the second wave of Coronavirus wreaked havoc across Europe last year. They also expressed solidarity with the people of India and committed to provide support in aiding India's battle against the second wave.

READ | India Surviving Because Of Nehru-Gandhi Family: Shiv Sena To Modi Government
EU- INDIA JOINT STATEMENT

"We deeply condoled the loss of lives and expressed the deepest sympathy with the families of the victims of this pandemic in India.

we welcomed the EU’s and its Member States’ contribution to vaccines’ production and their substantial support to the COVAX Facility, as well as India’s efforts to produce and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to over 90 countries through its ‘Vaccine Maitri’.

India appreciated the EU’s and its Member States’ quick support and assistance, coordinated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, thus keeping the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that has been the hallmark of India-EU relations."

India-EU Virtual Summit
At a virtual summit with 27 national leaders, European Union (EU) and India pushed for a deeper strategic alliance. A strengthened exchange of views and information between India and the EU on matters of mutual interest in the areas of economic cooperation has always improved the business environment and strengthened economic association.

READ | PM Modi joins India-EU Leaders Summit; 'a new chapter' & 3 crucial agreements on slate
The leaders will exchange views on the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare cooperation; fostering sustainable and inclusive growth; strengthening the India-EU economic partnership as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The leaders are set to negotiate on 3 important agreements including a) Trade, investment and geographical indications; b) Connectivity Partnership and Human Rights Dialogue c) Closer security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

 

[MP2011]

Indian politicians of all hue are corrupt. period. I don't see the point in singling out the BJP.

If all the billions stashed away by the Jayalalaithaas, Mayawatis, Gandhis, Yadavs, Pawars and other sundry looters had instead been used to help the poor, we would have no poverty in India today.

They're, all of them are corrupt. Period.

Why BJP is singled out is due to 2 reasons, firstly due to it having such a brute mandate to govern India for second time running. With great power, comes great responsibility!

Secondly, the extraordinary times we are living in. I think everyone will agree that post partition, this is our biggest crisis. If ruling political class spends such exorbitant and obscene sums of money on an assembly election while dithering on providing free vaccination to all eligible Indians, questions will be raised which they should be!

 

[MP2011]

Meanwhile, somewhere in India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...rictions-in-ups-badaun/videoshow/82525226.cms



They will never learn, will they? And please don't bring the religion of those guys in the procession. It's equally unacceptable, whichever religion does it.

Poor, pathetic! When will these illiterates learn?

We suffer most due to such religious lunatics!

 

[Lego20]

 

[Lego20]

^Double face of western media described

 

[KingKhanWC]

^Double face of western media described

It was delusion on the part of Indians who thought western nations would love brown Indians. They have and will continue using Indians for their own geo-political and imperial advantages. However I can assue you Indians wont learn from this , you'll continue to bend over backwards for their interests esp buying their weapons while your people are dying on the streets.

 

[Lego20]

It was delusion on the part of Indians who thought western nations would love brown Indians. They have and will continue using Indians for their own geo-political and imperial advantages. However I can assue you Indians wont learn from this , you'll continue to bend over backwards for their interests esp buying their weapons while your people are dying on the streets.

Well, not everything is black and white/all or nothing. These western nations control the world order including markets, technologies, currencies, resources, rules etc. Poor/developing nations with dependence have to compromise on principles and maintain relations transactionally.

 

[kabbirann]

My favorite anchor speaking the truth like very few can. So missed this unafraid and sane voice and so happy to see him hale and hearty.

 

[ahsan17]

^Double face of western media described

Do you see the irony? When western media trashes Pakistan, Indians use that as an example of how Pakistan is viewed in the west and how whole world is against Pakistan. When western media trashes India, it's propaganda and why does Western media need to focus so much on India?

 

[MenInG]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the coronavirus variant first found in India last year as a "variant of global concern".

It said preliminary studies show the B.1.617 mutation spreads more easily than other variants and requires further study.

The variant has already spread to more than 30 countries, the WHO says.

Three other variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil have been given the same designation.

A mutation is elevated from a "variant of interest" to a "variant of concern" (VOC) when it shows evidence of fulfilling at least one of several criteria, including easy transmission, more severe illness, reduced neutralisation by antibodies or reduced effectiveness of treatment and vaccines.

The variant is being studied to establish whether it is responsible for a deadly surge in India, which is currently overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums.

India reported 366,161 new infections and 3,754 deaths on Monday, down from record peaks. Experts say the actual figures could be far higher than reported.

Surging cases have meant that oxygen shortages continue to be a problem and have spread beyond the capital, Delhi.

Local media in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh reported that 11 Covid patients died overnight in the city of Tirupati after an oxygen tanker supplying the hospital was delayed.

The Indian government says there is evidence of a link between the variant and India's deadly second wave, but that the correlation is not yet "fully established".

Several states have imposed localised lockdowns, curfews and curbs on movement over the last month.

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is coming under increasing pressure to announce a nationwide lockdown and stop the spread of the virus.

He is also facing criticism for allowing massive gatherings at Hindu festivals and election rallies to go ahead despite rising cases.

On Monday, Delhi's health minister said the capital had just three or four days of vaccine supplies left.

Shortages are further disrupting a lagging vaccination programme, with just over 34.8 million, or about 2.5% of the population receiving both doses of a vaccine so far.

The WHO says current vaccines will continue to be effective against the Indian variant, although the WHO's technical lead did say there may be some evidence of "reduced neutralization," at a press conference on Monday.

BBC

 

[MP2011]

Do you see the irony? When western media trashes Pakistan, Indians use that as an example of how Pakistan is viewed in the west and how whole world is against Pakistan. When western media trashes India, it's propaganda and why does Western media need to focus so much on India?

lol, hypocrite is these guys' second name! Why would western media let these clowns go scot free from this unmitigated mayhem unleashed by the clowns? When the same media praises them, it becomes certificate for their master's supremacy!

Just because they're devotees' darlings! And this clown Sudhir is least qualified to question western media. Unlike him, his western counterparts have actually a fully functional spine and can call spade a spade in their countries.

 

[ahsan17]

Besides the irony with respect to what I posted above, this is completely **. There were many pics of bodies being loaded into trucks, pics of mass graves, videos of ICU ward. More importantly, even though death count may have been higher in the US, no one was dying on the streets or being given oxygen cylinders on the street, so the media can't cover what doesn't exist. The US government as well as other western governments have been roasted big time for their handling of the pandemic. This guy is mostly shooting from his hip.

 

[ahsan17]

lol, hypocrite is these guys' second name! Why would western media let these clowns go scot free from this unmitigated mayhem unleashed by the clowns? When the same media praises them, it becomes certificate for their master's supremacy!

Just because they're devotees' darlings! And this clown Sudhir is least qualified to question western media. Unlike him, his western counterparts have actually a fully functional spine and can call spade a spade in their countries.

To be honest, in some cases it can be argued reasonably that western media is misleading or plain lying. This isn't one of those cases though. All the things he's accusing western media of - primarily not covering the covid crisis in western countries in as much detail - is just not true even remotely. The crisis and its handling was in our faces for a year. Canada was roasted for rolling out vaccines slowly initially, and then for having worse case counts than the US through spring. And US government, particularly Trump but also NY state governer, was roasted to Chaar.

 

[street cricketer]

Do you see the irony? When western media trashes Pakistan, Indians use that as an example of how Pakistan is viewed in the west and how whole world is against Pakistan. When western media trashes India, it's propaganda and why does Western media need to focus so much on India?

The western media of course tends to have its own bias, every media does, but the western media by and large tends to be far more objective in its news reporting than the media in south asia.

Indians and Pakistanis conveniently trash the western media as "propaganda material" when it criticises legitimate issues in their countries simply because they cannot come to terms with the ugly issues in their respective countries.

 

[MP2011]

To be honest, in some cases it can be argued reasonably that western media is misleading or plain lying. This isn't one of those cases though. All the things he's accusing western media of - primarily not covering the covid crisis in western countries in as much detail - is just not true even remotely. The crisis and its handling was in our faces for a year. Canada was roasted for rolling out vaccines slowly initially, and then for having worse case counts than the US through spring. And US government, particularly Trump but also NY state governer, was roasted to Chaar.

All said and done, western media is miles ahead of our sellout 'media', that is if you can call it that!

 

[MP2011]

Besides the irony with respect to what I posted above, this is completely **. There were many pics of bodies being loaded into trucks, pics of mass graves, videos of ICU ward. More importantly, even though death count may have been higher in the US, no one was dying on the streets or being given oxygen cylinders on the street, so the media can't cover what doesn't exist. The US government as well as other western governments have been roasted big time for their handling of the pandemic. This guy is mostly shooting from his hip.

This guy is a big time sellout to the current regime. What else did you expect?

 

[MP2011]

Btw, this is a common refrain from devotees whenever I interact with them even in WA groups I'm part of. Don't show their master in poor light! Let thousands die every day, their master should never be shown as a bloody incompetent clown!

 

[Itachi]

The western media of course tends to have its own bias, every media does, but the western media by and large tends to be far more objective in its news reporting than the media in south asia.

Indians and Pakistanis conveniently trash the western media as "propaganda material" when it criticises legitimate issues in their countries simply because they cannot come to terms with the ugly issues in their respective countries.

western media is generally neutral. Issue comes when a Desi guy is writing the column. It'll be either of the two extremes.

 

[OMB]

Covid-19 death toll in India nears dreaded 2.5 lakh-mark after 3,876 more people succumb to virus

There were as many as 3,876 fatalities in the past 24 hours across the country, taking the overall death toll to 2,49,992.

The grim landscape of India’s Covid-19 crisis continues to turn darker by the day as the total number of deaths due to the deadly virus has reached almost 2,50,000 in the country.

There were as many as 3,876 fatalities in the past 24 hours across the country, taking the overall death toll to 2,49,992 ever since the pandemic began last year.

India also recorded 3,29,942 new Covid-19 cases and 3,56,082 discharges in the past one day, as per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With this, the total caseload of the country has mounted to 2,29,92,517, with 37,15,221 active cases at present.

A total of 1,90,27,304 people have so far been discharged from hospitals and medical facilities across the country.

“More than 18 crore vaccine doses have so far been provided to states and Union Territories free of cost by the government of India. More than 90 lakh doses are still available with states and UTs to be administered. In addition to that, more than 7 lakh doses will be received by states and UTs in the next 3 days,” the Health Ministry said.

India’s Covid-19 count had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It surpassed 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore Covid-19 cases on May 4.

According to the Indian Council for Medical Research, a total of 30,56,00,187 samples have been tested up to May 10, with 18,50,110 samples being tested on Monday alone.

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/covid-19-death-toll-in-india-nears-dreaded-2-5-lakh-mark-after-3876-more-people-succumb-to-virus/755458

 

[OMB]

Dozens of bodies wash up on banks of Ganges river


The bodies of at least 40 people have washed up on the banks of the Ganges river in northern India, officials say.

The discovery, near the border between the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, was confirmed to the BBC on Monday.

It is not clear how the bodies came to be there, but local media reports suggest they may be Covid-19 victims.

Some media reports say as many as 100 bodies have been found, and that their condition suggests they may have been in the river for several days.

"There is a possibility that these bodies have come out of Uttar Pradesh," a local official, Ashok Kumar, told the BBC after questioning local residents.

He said the remains would be buried or cremated.


How bad is India's second wave?
Officials said the bodies appeared to be bloated and partially burnt, and that they may have ended up in the river as part of the practice of cremating victims of coronavirus along the river Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, India's NDTV news channel reported.

Some local residents and journalists told BBC Hindi a shortage of wood for cremations and the rising costs associated with funerals were leaving some families with no option but to put the bodies of loved ones who had died from coronavirus directly into the river.

Local resident Chandra Mohan said: "Private hospitals are looting people. Common people are not left with money to pay a priest and spend more on cremation at the river bank. They are asking 2,000 rupees [£20; $27] just to get the corpse out of the ambulance. The river has become their last recourse so people are immersing corpses in the river."

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state.

A second wave of the virus is ravaging parts of India, with deaths rising significantly in recent weeks. Most of the country's crematoriums have run out of spaces.

The country is now the epicentre of the global pandemic.

India has recorded more than 22.6 million coronavirus cases and 246,116 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Experts believe the real death toll could be far higher.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57061452

 

[Hitman]

where? give me the name of the facility. My brother in ghy isn't able to find slots.

Got vaccinated merely and hour ago. It was at the Geetanagar High School. The Govt. has revealed yesterday that slots would be opened for booking at 4 PM everyday from now onwards. Ask your brother to try finding slots at 4 PM everyday until he gets one.

 

[Hitman]

in Guwahati?

Yes, got vaccinated in the Geetanagar High School almost an hour ago.

 

[Thomaskutty]

regarding pfizer, your statement is wrong.

pfizer wanted indemnity bond which Indian govt refused to provide. if given, any pharmaceutical company will be free from any lawsuit which will cause irregularities in an already overly competitive sector in the biggest drug manufacturing which deals with human life.

Misinformation. No extra roadblock for pfizer than to any other vaccine maker. Pfizer wanted exemption to skip bridging trials and imdemnity waiver which was duely refused.

We are in the middle of a pandemic where hundreds of countries have given emergency use authorization of vaccines like the Pfizer shot. These guaranteed like indemnity and bridging trials are not needed in this time.

 

[Itachi]

We are in the middle of a pandemic where hundreds of countries have given emergency use authorization of vaccines like the Pfizer shot. These guaranteed like indemnity and bridging trials are not needed in this time.

It can go much worse if you don't follow the protocols. Those are there for a reason.

Why we need degree holder MBBS then? At this time, when doctors are already in scarcity, allow any volunteer from common mass to treat patients. what is the harm?

Because once you allow to break the protocols, there will be other companies which will be lining up claiming they have covid vaccines too. How will you differentiate them?

will it be because pfizer is the biggest brand and hence they get the green signal but smaller ones won't be allowed?

You will put the whole health system at risk.

 

[Itachi]

Got vaccinated merely and hour ago. It was at the Geetanagar High School. The Govt. has revealed yesterday that slots would be opened for booking at 4 PM everyday from now onwards. Ask your brother to try finding slots at 4 PM everyday until he gets one.

thanks.

And take care. I took last week and all hell broke down. high fever, body ache, weakness, dizziness for 2 days straight. if you live alone, then do the marketing and buy some ready made foods.

 

[King-Misbah]

thanks.

And take care. I took last week and all hell broke down. high fever, body ache, weakness, dizziness for 2 days straight. if you live alone, then do the marketing and buy some ready made foods.

I heard if you have had corona recently, you should wait couple of weeks before getting vaccinated. Is this correct?

 

[Itachi]

I heard if you have had corona recently, you should wait couple of weeks before getting vaccinated. Is this correct?

Not sure. May be CJ or kayal or moghul might provide detail information.

calling all doctors here. I want to know this one too.

 

[MenInG]

Doctors in India warn about 'black fungus', a fungal infection found in some recovering COVID-19 patients

Mucormycosis, or "black fungus", is a potentially fatal infection affecting COVID-19 patients in India, where doctors believe it may be triggered by the use of steroids. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued an advisory, saying that the infection has been affecting "people who are on medication for other health problems that reduce their ability to fight environmental pathogens."