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US scientists warn social distancing may have to remain till 2022
Washington, April 16 (IANS) Social distancing measures such as restrictions on public gatherings may have to remain in place intermittently for at least a couple of more years to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the absence of vaccine against the virus or dramatic increase in critical care capacities, researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have warned.

These tough measures which have already pushed the world economy into recession may be necessary because the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may occur again in winter, according to the projections made by the researchers who used data from the US for creating a model of transmission.

The study comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has said that America has “passed the peak” of new COVID-19 cases and predicted some states would reopen this month, even as the country currently accounted for the highest number of coronavirus deaths and infections in the world.

The US has reported a total of 639,628 coronavirus cases, while the death toll stands at 30,925, according to the latest update by the Washington-based Johns Hopkins University.

According to the study published in the journal Science, resurgence in contagion could be possible as late as 2024.

For the study, the researchers examined a range of likely SARS-CoV-2 transmission scenarios through 2025 and assessed non-pharmaceutical interventions that could mitigate the intensity of the current outbreak.

They used what is known about the pandemic and different coronaviruses to create different transmission scenarios.

“We projected that recurrent wintertime outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 will probably occur after the initial, most severe pandemic wave. Absent other interventions, a key metric for the success of social distancing is whether critical care capacities are exceeded,” said the study.

“To avoid this, prolonged or intermittent social distancing may be necessary into 2022. Additional interventions, including expanded critical care capacity and an effective therapeutic, would improve the success of intermittent distancing and hasten the acquisition of herd immunity,” it added.

The researchers cautioned that their model will have to be tailored to local conditions and updated as more accurate data become available.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, COVID-19 has so far infected over 2 million people and led to the deaths of over 137,000 in the world.

– IANS

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Claiming that lockdown is only a “pause button” and not a “solution”, Mr. Gandhi warned that the virus would spread again once the lockdown is removed

PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday, urged the government to ramp up the testing for coronavirus. In a virtual press conference, the former Congress president offered various suggestions to the government to tackle the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“India’s testing rate is very low at 199 per million so far,” Mr. Gandhi noted urging the government to scale up the testing. “Our average testing has been roughly 350 tests per district. We should be able to ramp up testing. Also, random testing to get a good idea where the virus is moving. I am proposing to scale up testing and do a mapping of how the virus is moving,” he said adding that testing is our main weapon against the virus.

Mr. Gandhi also urged the Prime Minister to empower the chief ministers and district-level authorities. “The approach should be bottom-up,” he said. He also wanted the Centre to disburse more cash to the States at the earliest.

Mr. Gandhi also pitched for the NYAY scheme that was part of Congress manifesto in the 2019 general elections. “Put money in the accounts of the 20% poorest families,” he suggested and sought expansion of dry ration scheme even to those who do not possess ration cards.

Mr. Gandhi also asked the government to form a plan for the MSMEs, which have been shut down due to lockdown. He also urged the government to focus on the public healthcare infrastructure.

“The government should prepare an action plan to ramp up healthcare system including Public Health Centres,” he further suggested.

Claiming that lockdown is only a “pause button” and not a “solution”, Mr. Gandhi warned that the virus would spread again once the lockdown is removed. He also said the Chief Ministers should decide when to relax or remove the lockdown. “We are a decentralised country. The response in Kerala is different from, say, in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

When asked where the Prime Minister went wrong, Mr. Gandhi replied: “I will give the answer the day we have beaten the coronavirus.”

They include 72 people in houses of South Delhi where he made deliveries

PTI

A 19-year-old pizza delivery man has tested positive for novel coronavirus in Delhi, prompting authorities to quarantine a total of 89 people, including 72 people in houses of South Delhi where he made deliveries.

“A total of 17 people, including the owner of the shop and other delivery boys, have been put under institutional quarantine. The shop has been shut,” said B.M. Mishra, District Magistrate (South Delhi).

“72 people in houses where he made the delivery have been put under home quarantine. All these houses are within a 5-km radius of Malviya Nagar,” he added.

Mr. Mishra said the delivery man used a mask and a pair of gloves while working and was currently under treatment in Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. “We are yet to ascertain how he got infected with the virus,” he said.

The delivery man is a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh.

Bench puts on record the promise from the Solicitor-General

PTI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday recorded in its order the government’s undertaking that farmers and agricultural workers would not be harassed by the police and the authorities during the lockdown.

A Bench, led by Justice N.V. Ramana, was hearing a petition filed by activist Swami Agnivesh, represented by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, that the authorities were tormenting farm workers and blocking transport of agricultural produce, despite the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Agriculture on March 24 and 25 and then on March 28, exempting agriculture from the lockdown.

Agnivesh said this would lead to food shortage, sky-rocketing of prices and hoarding, especially in the wake of the harvesting of Rabi crops.

The Bench took note of the submission of Mr. Gonsalves that the government’s order of exemption was “not being fully implemented by the police”.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta assured the Bench that there was “full monitoring and implementation of the guidelines” issued by the Ministry. Mr. Mehta said steps would be taken to ensure that the police followed the guidelines. The court recorded his assurances, on behalf of the government, before disposing of Agnivesh’s plea.

The guidelines issued by the government, especially on March 28, exempted agricultural operations, transport of food produce and the functioning of mandis from the lockdown.

However, the petition accused the police of mercilessly beating up farmers and farm workers. “If this continues, the harvesting will severely be affected, farm produce will rot on the fields — as indeed is the case for vegetables and tea — and food shortage may begin. Similarly, in tribal areas, the governments are grossly interfering with the rights of tribal and non-tribal forest-dwellers to access forest produce in accordance with the Forest Rights Act,” the petition said.