Delhi Police arrests four accused in ICMR data breach
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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Two months ago, central probe agencies had flagged that personal details of 81 crore Indians available with ICMR’s databank were compromised.
The cyber unit of Delhi Police has arrested four people accused of breach in the database of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The police said that the arrests were made around 10 days back.
The police has indicated that the four accused allegedly sold personal details of the citizens on the dark web after managing to get the data leaked from ICMR’s databank.
Two months ago, central probe agencies had flagged that personal details of 81 crore Indians available with ICMR’s databank were compromised. Several opposition leaders and cyber security experts had also urged for a swift probe.
In October 2023, a handle on X (formerly Twitter) had advertised the data of 81 crore Indians on the dark web which included their names, Aadhaar details, passport details, contact numbers and addresses. The handle accused of this data breach had claimed the information was sourced from the COVID test details of citizens available with the ICMR.
In November, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said that while there was evidence of data leakage but the data was not stolen. He had pointed out that several people had access to the databases prepared by government departments during the COVID pandemic; pertaining to testing, vaccination and diagnosis of patients.
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ICMR study: Who’s more at risk after leaving the hospital with COVID-19?
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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A recent ICMR study unveils varying vulnerability to post-discharge mortality in COVID-19 cases. It identifies risk factors such as age and disease severity, while highlighting the protective effect of pre-infection vaccination.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently published a research paper highlighting varying vulnerability to post-discharge mortality in COVID-19 cases. The study highlights three risk factors for death after discharge while also highlighting the importance of vaccinating prior to contracting the coronavirus.
“Post-discharge mortality” refers to the occurrence of death after a person has been discharged from a medical facility, such as a hospital, following treatment for a specific medical condition.
The new ICMR study, titled “Determinants of post-discharge mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients,” identifies three prominent risk factors associated with post-discharge mortality among COVID-19 survivors. People over the age of 40, men with co-morbidities and individuals who endured moderate to severe COVID-19 cases have a more pronounced risk of post-charge mortality.
On a more positive note, the study reveals that those who received at least one dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine before contracting the virus experienced a 60 percent reduction in the risk of post-discharge mortality.
The research accumulated results from 14,419 participants hailing from 31 hospitals nationwide, who were followed up for a period ranging from four weeks to one-year post-discharge. 942 individuals (6.5 percent) had succumbed, while the remaining 93.5 percent were documented as alive during the year-long follow-up.
“Similar trends were seen in participants, 18-45 years of age,” the ICMR team said.
While the findings offer valuable insights, the study acknowledges limitations stemming from telephonic follow-ups, which could lead to symptom underreporting. Also, the study’s focus was exclusively on hospitalised COVID-19 patients, which restricts the generalisability of the conclusions to the broader population.
Furthermore, the ICMR is actively researching factors associated with sudden deaths among adults aged 18–45 years in India.
Meanwhile, PK Mishra, the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, held a high-level meeting to review the global and national COVID-19 situation in view of the new variants, Pirola (BA.2.86) and Eris (EG.5).
During the meeting, Mishra highlighted the need for states to monitor trends of influenza-like illnesses despite the stable COVID-19 situation, and prepared healthcare systems. He also focused on the need to send enough samples for genome sequencing.
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E-cigarettes and vaping: Your guide on health dilemma and Indian laws banning it
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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A study revealed that most of those surveyed (89 percent of children in the age group of 14 to 17 years) were not aware of the harmful effects of vaping. As the survey hints at the worrying situation among the youth, here’s your guide on e-cigarettes and the laws regarding them in India:
A survey released recently hints at the lack of awareness among students and children about the use of vapes and e-cigarettes. The study revealed that most of those surveyed ( 89 percent of children in the age group of 14 to 17 years) were not aware of the harmful effects of vaping, while 52 percent perceived vaping as “completely harmless” and viewed it as a cool and fashionable activity.
It showed that 96 percent of the participants in the age group of 14-17 years did not even not know that vapes and similar electronic devices (e-cigarettes) are banned in India.
The study titled “Ideas for an Addiction-Free India” was conducted by the Think Change Forum (TCF). The survey covered 1,007 students in public schools in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, news agency PTI reported.
The survey findings came over a week after the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sent notices to 15 websites selling e-cigarettes, directing them to stop advertisement and sale of the products. An official told PTI four of the 15 websites stopped operations, while the rest are not yet to respond.
As the survey hints at the worrying situation among the youth, here’s your guide on e-cigarettes and the laws regarding them in India:
When did India ban e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes were banned in India under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, which came into force in 2019. The ban was imposed on production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement) of e-cigarettes.
What’s the punishment for violation?
Those accused of producing/manufacturing/importing/exporting/ transporting/selling/distributing/advertising/promoting e-cigarettes will be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with a fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh, or with both. This is for first-time offenders.
A repeat violation attracts a jail term of up to three years and a penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh.
Under the law, those found storing e-cigarettes will be punished with imprisonment up to 6 months or a fine up to Rs 50,000 or both.
The Act describes an “electronic cigarette” as an electronic device that heats a substance, with or without nicotine and flavours, to create an aerosol for inhalation. It’s a battery-operated device. Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco.
E-cigarettes can look like ordinary smokes but are metal and plastic battery-powered gadgets that heat flavoured liquids into a cloud which users suck in, then exhale as dense white plumes.
It “includes all forms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS or non-combustible tobacco products), Heat-Not-Burn Products, e-Hookah… but does not include any product licensed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940”.
In 2019, when India banned e-cigarettes, India had 106 million adult smokers, second only to China in the world, Reutershad reported. This made India a lucrative market for companies making vaping products such as US-based Juul and Philip Morris, which manufactures a heat-not-burn tobacco device.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) termed India’s move to ban e-cigarettes “a strong and definitive step to protect its citizens, especially the youth and children, from the increasing risk of nicotine addiction”.
The health dilemma
Some experts argued that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes and could aid existing smokers to quit, while both the WHO and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have highlighted the negative health impact of using e-cigarettes, saying that they could result in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
SIDE 1: Harmful effects
Many tobacco-control activists are opposed to the devices, saying they could lead to nicotine addiction and push people towards consuming tobacco.
In an interview with The Hindu in 2019, Professor Balram Bhargava, former ICMR director general, said some adverse effects of e-cigarettes on humans include:
> DNA damage > Carcinogenesis > Cellular, molecular and immunological toxicity > Respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological disorders > Adverse impact on foetal development and pregnancy
Besides, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that “it is difficult for consumers to know what e-cigarette products contain. For example, some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine”.
The US health regulatory body further says “there is some evidence that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future”. It cited a 2018 National Academy of Medicine report as showing that there was some evidence that e-cigarette use increases the frequency and amount of cigarette smoking in the future.
“…e-cigarette use among young people is still unsafe, even if they do not progress to future cigarette smoking,” the CDC adds, saying that “e-cigarettes expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than burned cigarettes”.
Earlier this year, Ranjit Singh, an advocate practising at the Supreme Court, said: “E-cigarettes and like products with attractive flavouring have been proven to hook the younger generation to nicotine addiction.”
SIDE 2: Are E-cigarettes a safer choice?
Advocates for e-cigarettes say vaping, which usually involves inhaling a vapour formed from heating up a liquid containing nicotine, is far less harmful than smoking tobacco.
According to Reuters, the Association of Vapers India, an organisation that represents e-cigarette users across the country, had attacked the Indian government’s decision to ban, saying it would deprive millions of smokers of a safer solution to cut back on smoking.
Amid these claims, Dr. J. Taylor Hays, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, said while some people might think they are safe to vape, the harmful chemicals in that vapor are similar to tobacco smoke but at much lower levels. “It’s safer, but it’s not safe,” he added, saying, “What we don’t know are what long-term effects will these lower-level toxicants have.”
Rampant use of E-cigarettes has been observed among the youth, including school children. “E-cigarette marketers have illicitly managed to achieve a foothold in the market that has not been completely redressed by the ban,” Binoy Mathew, Manager, the Voluntary Health Association of India, had said earlier.
India’s health ministry had issued a public notice this year to strengthen the enforcement of the Act which prohibits the manufacture, sale and advertisements of electronic cigarettes.
With e-cigarettes still being easily accessible online and at tobacco shops despite the ban, the ministry had directed all stakeholders, including producers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, advertisers, and retailers, to strictly comply with the Act’s provisions.
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Indian Medical Association advises against indiscriminate use of antibiotics
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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Viral cases have also surged due to air pollution, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said, adding that it mostly occurs in people aged below 15 and above 50 and causes upper respiratory infections along with fever. The association also asked doctors to prescribe only symptomatic treatment and not antibiotics. “It is necessary to diagnose whether the infection is bacterial or not before prescribing antibiotics,” it said.
A persistent cough, sometimes accompanied by fever, running through India for the past two-three months is due to Influenza A subtype H3N2, ICMR experts said. The H3N2, which has been in wide circulation for the past two-three months, causes more hospitalisations than other subtypes, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) scientists who keep a close watch on ailments caused by respiratory viruses through the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories network.
They have also suggested a list of Dos and Don’ts for people to follow to protect themselves from contracting the virus.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), on the other hand, has advised against the indiscriminate use of antibiotics amid rising cases of cough, cold and nausea across the country.
Seasonal fever will last five to seven days, it said. The fever goes away at the end of three days but the cough can persist for up to three weeks, the IMA’s Standing Committee for Anti-Microbial Resistance said.
Viral cases have also surged due to air pollution, it said, adding that it mostly occurs in people aged below 15 and above 50 and causes upper respiratory infections along with fever.
The association also asked doctors to prescribe only symptomatic treatment and not antibiotics.
“Right now, people start taking antibiotics like Azithromycin and Amoxiclav etc, that too without caring for done and frequency and stop it once start feeling better. This needs to be stopped as it leads to antibiotic resistance. Whenever there will be a real use of antibiotics, they will not work due to the resistance,” the IMA said in a statement.
The most misused antibiotics are Amoxicillin, Norfloxacin, Oprofloxacin, Ofloxacin and Levofloxacin. These are being used for the treatment of diarrhoea and UTI, it said.
“We have already seen widespread use of Azithromycin and Ivermectin during Covid and this too has led to resistance. It is necessary to diagnose whether the infection is bacterial or not before prescribing antibiotics,” it said.
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Monkeypox: India invites bid to develop vaccines; WHO advises to ‘reduce sexual partners’ | Top developments
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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he government floated an Expression of Interest (EOI) for developing monkeypox vaccine, and diagnostic kits to detect the virus in public-private partnership mode. Meanwhile, the US has become the global monkeypox capital after the country reported a record-breaking 1,048 monkeypox cases.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) invited vaccine manufacturers, pharma companies and in-vitro diagnostic industry partners for the development of indigenous vaccines against monkeypox. This came days after India reported its first monkeypox case.
The government floated an Expression of Interest (EOI) for developing monkeypox vaccine, and diagnostic kits in public-private partnership mode. The last date for submission of EoI is August 10. The research body even said the National Institute of Virology has isolated monkeypox virus strain from the samples of an infected patient.
“The ICMR is willing to make available monkeypox virus strain/isolates for undertaking R&D, validation, as well as, manufacturing activities using characterised isolates of monkeypox virus under the joint collaboration in the public-private partnership mode for the following two activities — development of vaccine candidate against monkeypox disease and diagnostic kits,” the objective of the tender read.
Here’s all you need to know about monkeypox cases around the world
> Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries and there have been five deaths so far. In India, four cases have been reported so far — one from Delhi and three from Kerala.
> With a majority of monkeypox cases being reported among “men having sex with men”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended men to reduce “the number of sexual partners”.
“For men who have sex with men, this includes, for the moment, reducing your number of sexual partners, reconsidering sex with new partners, and exchanging contact details with any new partners to enable follow-up if needed,” the WHO said.
> Earlier, the WHO noted that 98 percent of monkeypox cases so far are among men who have sex with men. However, it clarified, “…anyone exposed can get monkeypox, which is why WHO recommends that countries take action to reduce the risk of transmission to other vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women and those who are immunosuppressed.”
> The WHO also released a statement regarding the “stigma and discrimination” against a particular community because of a disease. “Stigmatising people because of a disease is never ok. Anyone can get or pass on monkeypox, regardless of their sexuality,” it said.
> The US became the global monkeypox capital after the country reported a record-breaking 1,048 monkeypox cases, taking the total cases to 4,639. With the new tally, the US has overtaken the Spanish count of 3,738 infections, News 18 reported.
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ICMR study has shown rise in antibodies post Covaxin booster dose: MoS Health tells Rajya Sabha
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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International data available on booster doses of AstraZeneca and Covishield suggests a three- to four-fold increase in antibody levels after their administration, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
An ICMR study to examine the effect of Covaxin’s booster dose has shown an increase in the levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. International data available on booster doses of AstraZeneca and Covishield suggests a three- to four-fold increase in antibody levels after their administration, Pawar said in a written reply.
“A study has been conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to examine the effect of booster dose of Covaxin which shows increase in the levels of neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 after the booster dose,” Pawar stated.
As per the recommendation of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), precaution dose is administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people aged 60 years and above since January 10,2022, she said.
As on March 24, 2022, 2.21 crore precaution doses against COVID-19 have been administered.
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Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited an expression of interest (EoI) from companies who are looking to collaborate to conduct phase-III clinical trials of vaccine candidates developed to prevent mosquito born viral disease dengue.
ICMR has said that the applications must be submitted by March 11.
Dengue was recognised as one of the top 10 global health threats in 2019. However as of now there is no specific treatment for the disease.
There are vaccines approved in some part of the world but not in India.
According to ICMR, the companies ought to have completed phase-I and phase-II trials successfully. ICMR will provide infrastructure to undertake further R&D activities.
The collaboration will be on a royalty basis of around 5 percent or above for conducting the phase-III trials.
Revised clinical guidance for COVID patients advises testing for TB, other conditions if cough persists over 2-3 weeks
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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Anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapy, such as steroids, can have the risk of secondary infection like invasive mucormycosis, when used too early, at higher dose or for longer than required, they highlighted. If cough persists for more than two-three weeks, one should opt for investigation for tuberculosis and other conditions, the revised guidelines stated.
The Union health ministry has advised COVID patients to go for tests for tuberculosis and other conditions if cough persists for more than two-three weeks. The revised ‘Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients’ issued by AIIMS, ICMR-COVID-19 National Task Force and Joint Monitoring Group (DGHS) under the health ministry on Monday underlined there is no evidence of injectable steroids benefitting COVID patients not requiring oxygen supplementation or in continuation after discharge.
Anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapy, such as steroids, can have the risk of secondary infection like invasive mucormycosis, when used too early, at higher dose or for longer than required, they highlighted. If cough persists for more than two-three weeks, one should opt for investigation for tuberculosis and other conditions, the revised guidelines stated.
The revised guidelines continue to recommend emergency use authorization (EUA) or off-label use of remdesivir in patients with “moderate to severe” disease and those with no renal or hepatic dysfunction within 10 days of the onset of any symptom. It warned against use of the drug for patients who are not on oxygen support or in home settings.
According to the guidelines, EUA or off-label use of the tocilizumab drug may be considered for use in the presence of severe disease, preferably within 24 to 48 hours of onset of severe disease or intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Tocilizumab may be considered for patients with significantly raised inflammatory markers, and not improving despite use of steroids with there being no active bacterial, fungal or tubercular infection, they stated.
Coronavirus patients have been classified into those affected by mild, moderate and severe disease, the guidelines stated. Injection methylprednisolone 0.5 to one mg/kg in two divided doses, or an equivalent dose of dexamethasone, can be given usually for a duration of five to 10 days in moderate cases, the guidelines stated. The same drug in two divided doses of one to two mg/kg can be given for same duration in severe cases.
“Inhalational budesonide (given via metered dose inhaler/dry powder inhaler) at a dose of 800 mcg BD for five days can be given in mild cases if symptoms (fever and/or cough) are persistent beyond five days of disease onset,” it was stated in the guidelines.
According to the guidance note, upper respiratory tract symptoms without shortness of breath or hypoxia has been categorised as mild disease and have been advised home isolation and care. Those suffering from mild COVID should seek medical attention if they have difficulty in breathing, high grade fever, or severe cough lasting for more than five days.
Those having breathlessness with SpO2 fluctuating between 90-93 percent, can get admitted to a ward, and they will be considered moderate cases. Such patients should be given oxygen support and awake proning should be encouraged in all patients requiring supplemental oxygen therapy, in sequential position changes every two hours, the guidelines stated.
Respiratory rate over 30 per minute, breathlessness or SpO2 lower than 90 percent on room air should be considered as severe disease and such patients have to admitted to an ICU as they will need respiratory support, they said. Such patients should be put on respiratory support. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) — helmet or face mask interface depending on availability — may be considered in those with increasing oxygen requirements if work of breathing is low. High flow nasal cannula should be considered in patients with increasing oxygen requirements. Intubation should be prioritised in patients with high work of breathing if NIV is not tolerated and institutional protocol for ventilatory management should be used when required, the new guidelines stated.
Those aged above 60 years, or those having cardiovascular disease, hypertension and coronary artery disease diabetes mellitus and other immunocompromised states, such as HIV, active tuberculosis, chronic lung, kidney or liver disease, cerebrovascular disease or obesity are at high risk for severe disease and mortality, the guidelines stated.
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ICMR approves Tata MD developed real time RT-PCR test kit for quick detection of Omicron
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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Currently, Omicron patients are detected only after genome sequencing. But OmiSure can help eliminate that step and detection can be done during the testing. It is the first test globally to employ a combination of two S gene viral targets – one based on S gene dropout or S gene target failure (SGTF) and the other based on S gene mutation amplification (SGMA).
The Indian Medical Research Council (ICMR) has given approval to the made-in-India test kit ‘OmiSure’ developed by the Tata Medical and Diagnostics. It is a real-time RT-PCR test kit for quick detection of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
Currently, Omicron patients are detected only after genome sequencing. But this test can help eliminate that step and detection can be done during the testing, Ravi Vasanthapuram, the head of the research and development of TATA MD told PTI.
OmiSure is the first test globally to employ a combination of two S gene viral targets – one based on S gene dropout or S gene target failure (SGTF) and the other based on S gene mutation amplification (SGMA). The test can also detect other variants of COVID-19 that have been reported so far.
Vasanthapuram said the test run time of this kit is 85 minutes. The result turnaround time, including sample collection and RNA extraction, is 130 minutes. Currently, all tests across the globe employ either SGTF or SGMA, but this unique test design combines both, he said. Therefore, it has two checks in place for Omicron detection without compromising the ability to detect other SARS-CoV-2 variants, Vasanthapuram added.
When asked about the commercialisation, Vasanthapuram said the company has applied for a license with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). He said once the license is approved by the CDSCO, the kit will be manufactured by TATA MD at its Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu. It currently has the capacity of manufacturing 2,00,000 kits daily but plans are on to ramp up the capacity to 5,00,000 to 10,00,000 by the third week of January.
The kit will be manufactured for both domestic and international markets, he added. Vasanthapuram declined to comment on the price of the kit but said it would be competitive and mostly cost around what the existing RT-PCR tests cost. The company also applied for a patent for this kit on December 23.
According to the Indian Medical Research Council, it approved OmiSure on December 30. The kit has been developed for direct and very specific detection of the new variant of SARS-CoV2, he stressed.
Cases have been surging in India as well as the globe after the new variant was classified as ‘Variant of Concern’ by the World Health Organisation in the last week of November.
Mumbai’s COVID-19 graph has been rising steadily. The Maharashtra capital on Tuesday reported 10,860 cases, up 34.37 percent from a day before, and 2 deaths, taking infection tally to 8,18,462 and toll to 16,381, according to the civic body. The tally of Omicron cases in Mumbai stood at 368 as on Monday, the Maharashtra government’s health department had said.
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Using graphs to denote transmissibility of omicron is bad science, says Dr Anurag Agarwal
KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)
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Dr Anurag Agarwal, Director at CSIR Institute of Genomics Studies shares his views on how one should read the Omicron challenge, and specifically, what India should do to be prepared. He said that any study concluding Omicron to be six times more transmissible than the delta variant is bad science. He also said blanket shutting down of flights is a bad idea, especially for countries not acutely suffering.
India has stepped up efforts to tackle the new COVID variant “Omicron”. The government is enhancing genomic surveillance of incoming passengers from ‘at risk’ countries and may also modify the plan to fully resume international travel. However, top virologists have noted that there is still no conclusive evidence to prove Omicron is more transmissible or can lead to more severe symptoms.
On studies on Omicron, Dr Anurag Agarwal, Director at CSIR Institute of Genomics Studies, said, “Any study concluding six times more transmissible than delta, based on replacement of delta, in the graphs that you see, is based on bad science. Now, why do I say this? If two viruses are both growing and competing with each other, it is easy to compare the relative transmissibility. If one of them has already had a big surge, and there is immunity in the population, it is declining. If a new variant comes in, which does not have immunity in the population and starts rising, it can displace the other quite easily, without being multiple times more transmissible. This is something we must keep at the back of our mind, by interpreting WHO’s very correct statement that we don’t know enough yet.”
He added, “Immune escape alone can explain a large part of its ability to replace delta. To use those graphs to conclude six times transmissibility, is bad science, and we must not panic. It could be as transmissible, it could be slightly less transmissible. It could be slightly more transmissible, but I would be shocked if it was six times more transmissible than delta in reality, because the numbers you are looking at, the displacement of delta, are based on a combination of immune escape and transmissibility.”
On how severe this virus is, Agarwal said, “What we are really asking the missing piece of knowledge is whether it will cause severe disease like the previous variants and that can only come with time. So far, all that we know is that hospitalisations are starting to rise. But that in itself does not mean very much. Hospitalisation will rise, as cases rise anywhere; there is nothing unexpected about what we have seen so far. Anecdotal reports are very clear on this topic that they seem to think it is mild.”
He added, “If we were going to see a lot of severity, we will see it in the next week or few weeks, exactly as WHO is saying. So again, I can simply reiterate the point that WHO is currently saying it is early days, we have identified this as a variant, of concern, because there are certain concerning features about it.”
On blanket shutting down of flights, Agarwal said, “By and large, I think India has steered the middle path quite nicely. Blanket shutting off of flights is a bad idea. Let me be point blank about that, especially for countries that are not acutely suffering from an ongoing wave. So I don’t necessarily understand why many people have done that. Because seeding has already occurred. You should be implementing the standard measures for public health responsiveness, including better screening, quarantine, whatever are reasonable. I think the Indian government’s measures of better screening of every passenger, a strict home quarantine, these are reasonable measures, because you really cannot penalise a country for being the first to report.”
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