NAME : HARSH KUMAR

ROLL NO : SBU200404

SECTION : ‘A’

REPORT
COVID-19 AND INDIA
Ranchi: 21 march,2021

Coronavirus are large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the most
common cold to more severe diseases such as middle east respiratory disease(MERS) and
severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS).A noble corona virus (COVID-19) was identified in
2019 in Wuhan , china. This is a new corona virus that has not been previously identified in
humans, roads in and out of the city were blocked; trains and flights were cancelled. In the days
that followed, as the virus continued to spread unabated restrictions become more significant,
the city of 11million people were more or less locked in their homes. As the ripples of infection
spread wider, similar restrictions were imposed on other cities in china. India watched this
drama unfold in real time and was given plenty of warning about how quickly the virus could
spread, and the enormous impact it could have on hospitals, doctor, nurses and health care
workers. The first infection in India was detected as early as 30 January. The initial studies from
Wuhan shows that around 80% of those infected had mild symptoms, the real issue would be
with the 20% who required hospitalisation and intensive care. scientist have identified that
consumption of wildlife foods such as bats had caused this virus.

This pandemic has brutally exposed the vulnerabilities of some of the best health systems. For
Indian health system, one of the most burdened and least funded in the world, this could be a
critical moment; as government facilities are already overstretched in a highly fractured,
underfunded and geographically uneven health system, This invites us to examine the way the
current crisis risks to enhance long lasting health inequalities and how dysfunctional health
infrastructures may collapse under the strain of the coming dramatic spike in Covid-19 cases in
India. Testing is crucial to gauge the extent of Covid-19 transmission in any country. India
currently has one of the lowest ratios of testing in the world, which may have masked
coronavirus cases. Until the national lockdown, the testing strategy of the government was
relying on the assumption that no community was happening in India, and that there were only
foreign imported cases. Basing the testing strategy on this and testing only people coming from
infected areas abroad may have unintended consequences on the spreading of the epidemic.
Indeed, with the lockdown, a large amount of workers migrated internally from existing
hotspots like Mumbai and Delhi towards their home states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Failure
to acknowledge presence of Covid-19 infections in the community and failure to test all
symptoms in Mumbai or Delhi itself may have exposed these states to the diffusion of the virus
and a potential explosion of cases, in places where health infrastructures are poorer. With such
a vast population, India's medical system is grossly inadequate. A study has shown that, owing
to inadequate medical care systems, nearly 1 million people die every year . India is also
engaged in trading with its nearby countries, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Myanmar,
China, and Nepal. During the financial year 2017–18), Indian regional trade amounted to nearly
$12 billion, accounting for only 1.56% of its total global trade value of $769 billion. The
outbreak of such viruses and their transmission would significantly affect the Indian economy.
The outbreak in China could profoundly affect the Indian economy, especially in the sectors of
electronics, pharmaceuticals, and logistics operations, as trade ports with China are currently
closed. An easy way to decrease covid infection rates is to avoid virus exposure. People from
India should avoid traveling to countries highly affected with the virus, practice proper hygiene,
and avoid consuming food that is not home cooked. Necessary preventive measures, such as
wearing a mask, regular hand washing, and avoiding direct contact with infected persons,
should also be practiced. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), India, has raised
awareness about the recent outbreak and taken necessary action to control COVID-19. Besides,
the MOHFW has created a 24 h/7 days-a-week disease alert helpline (+91-11-23978046 and
1800-180-1104) and policy guidelines on surveillance, clinical management, infection
prevention and control, sample collection, transportation, and discharging suspected or
confirmed cases.Those who traveled from China, or other countries, and exhibited symptoms,
including fever, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, cough, and breathlessness, were asked to
visit the nearest hospital for a health check-up. Officials from seven different airports, including
Chennai, Cochin, New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, have been ordered to screen
and monitor Indian travelers from China and other affected countries. In addition, a travel
advisory was released to request the cessation of travel to affected countries, and anyone with
a travel history that has included China since January 15th, 2020, would be quarantined. A
centralized control room has been set up by the Delhi government at the Directorate General of
Health Services, and 11 other districts have done the same. India has implemented COVID-19
travel advisory for intra- and inter-passenger aircraft restrictions.In addition, the TruenatTM beta
covid test on the TruelabTM workstation validated by the ICMR is recommended as a screening
test. All positive results obtained 0n this platform need to be confirmed by confirmatory assays for
covid. All negative results do not require further testing. Antibody-based rapid tests were
validated at NIV, Pune, and found to be satisfactoryCPC, Diagnostics. As a step further, on the
technological aspect, the Union Health Ministry has launched a mobile application called
“Aarogya Setu” that works both on android and iOS mobile phones. This application constructs a
user database for establishing an awareness network that can alert people and governments
about possible COVID-19 victims.

In such moment, one would expect to place national unity above all and to relegate
stigmatization as well as religious/ethnic/caste/class-based polarization to the backstage. But
nothing is less certain. As migrants go home, they face attacks and are ostracized by fear of
infection. And it was not long before hatred discourses surfaced in this crisis with Muslim,
north-eastern, tribal or Dalit Indians, all being accused of spreading the virus. It is yet to
observe whether and how the government will take the opportunity of this crisis to further
divide or re-unite its people. The immediate concern is for the poor and the minorities, who as
we have seen, will be the first to suffer from this crisis. For them, the consequences of the
lockdown will be dramatic. They will die at home, in silence, maybe from a much deadlier thing
than the virus itself: the profound socioeconomic inequalities that divide Indian society.

Infections caused by these viruses are an enormous global health threat. They are a major
cause of death and have adverse socio-economic effects that are continually exacerbated.
Therefore, potential treatment initiatives and approaches need to be developed. First, India is
taking necessary preventive measures to reduce viral transmission. Second, ICMR and the
Ministry of AYUSH provided guidelines to use conventional preventive and treatment strategies
to increase immunity against covid19 These guidelines could help reduce the severity of the
viral infection in elderly patients and increase life expectancy The recent report from the
director of ICMR mentioned that India would undergo randomized controlled trials using
convalescent plasma of completely recovered covid-19 patients. Convalescent plasma therapy
is highly recommended, as it has provided moderate success with SARS and MERS, India has
expertise in specialized medical/pharmaceutical industries with production facilities, and the
government has established fast-tracking research to develop rapid diagnostic test kits and
vaccines at low cost . In addition, the Serum Institute of India started developing a vaccine
against covid-19 infection Until we obtain an appropriate vaccine, it is highly recommended
that we screen the red zoned areas to stop further transmission of the virus. Medical college
doctors in Kerala, India, implemented the low-cost WISK (Walk-in Sample Kiosk) to collect
samples without direct exposure or contact . After Kerala, The Defense Research and
Development Organization (DRDO) developed walk-in kiosks to collect covid-19 samples and
named these as covid-19 . After the swab collection, the testing of SARS-CoV-2 can be achieved
with the existing diagnostic facility in India. This facility can be used for massive screening or at
least in the red zoned areas without the need for personal protective equipment kits. India has
attempted to broaden its research facilities and shift toward testing the mass population, as
recommended by medical experts in India and worldwide.

By : Harsh kumar.