Prime Minister Modi, in his address to the nation on April 14, announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3. India’s Coronavirus Positive patients have gone beyond 10,000. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the developments. Anchorperson Neha Dubey spoke to panelists including urologist Dr Raman Tanwar, cancer specialist Dr Anshuman Kumar, Homeopathy expert Dr Sudhir Tomar and chairman, PSRI Hospital, Dr TS Kler.

Dr Tanwar said: “Coronavirus symptoms take time to show, which is why precautions are needed to control its spread. Due to the lockdown, the rise in numbers has been manageable. In the US and the UK, the situation is quite bad, and greater management logistics are needed there. The decision to extend the lockdown is good. The economic costs are small in comparison to the gains we expect.”

Dr Kumar said: “Coronavirus cases are on the rise. And in the coming days, the numbers are bound to rise. It’s important to arrest this trend. You can’t see everything from the global perspective. Our population is far greater than any European or other nations. The lockdown will lead to a delayed rise in cases. The virus is not going to end. Ultimately, we all will have to go through herd immunity. We have to see per area population.”

Dr Tanwar said: “We should understand that this is not the time to conjecture. We should not try to create a scare. If the existing cases are in isolation, the numbers will be arrested. Hotspot identification will help to segregate such areas to look at further isolation. If 60 percent of the population is infected, then it leads to herd immunity and the virus is less likely to spread further. It’s important to remain positive.”

Dr Kumar said: “Doctors must present a realistic picture so that proper actions can be taken at the societal level in time. The reality is that cases are bound to rise. Even the lab testing is not as much as is required.”

Dr Tomar said: “We could look at homeopathy since the vaccine will take time. I would recommend patients to try homeopathy treatment. We could show result in three hours.”

Dr Kumar said: “In allopathy, we see antigens and antibodies. How to check the response in homeopathy? If homeopathy helps, that’s good because even the proposed vaccine will take time.”

Dr Kler said: “We have not seen any studied scientific result through homeopathy. It was important to extend the lockdown. The coming days are crucial. In the next ten days itself, we shall see the result of this extended lockdown.”

Dr Tanwar said: “It is true that in areas where social distancing has not been followed, like Mumbai’s Dharavi, and in certain areas of Jharkhand, there has been a rise in numbers. That’s why it’s important to maintain social distancing.”

Dr Tomar said: “I would say there’s no harm in trying homeopathy since there is so far no medicine to deal with it in allopathy.”

Dr Kumar said: “We are allopath doctors. And we believe in evidence. Homeopathy was started in Germany, why they did not take the homeopathy route in Germany?”

Dr Tomar said: “Homeopathy came from Germany, but there its practice is next to nil. Allopathy is a science that goes on evidence. 98 percent of treatments in the world are through allopathy, but right now the crisis is such that there is no treatment. The vaccine will take time, there are a lot of able scientists but till one may look at homeopathy. I have treated thousands of viral patients. This is not a debate on allopathy and homeopathy.”

Dr Kler said: “There should be no fear, it’s not that the disease is spreading through quarantine centres. One thing we would like to see is that there should be more testing. It is important to test immunity, through the antibodies test, for example.”

Dr Tomar said: “Homeopathy has effective immunity-boosting cure. In three hours’ immunity improves through homeopathy.”

Dr Anshuman said: “This is no time to debate. If there is a way out in homeopath, please go ahead. In allopathy, we too evaluate immunity.”

Dr Kler said: “To try an alternative therapy, there is a protocol that needs to be followed and the patient needs to be informed of that. Also, I would like to reiterate that emphasis must also be given to the mental health of Corona patients and also those in quarantine or isolation. Those on quarantined must be counselled so that they do not feel any stigma or shame.”

Covid-19 has impacted us all, and triggered many social, mental and psychological issues as well. A 32-year-old man who was suspected to have coronavirus and was kept at the quarantine facility at Galgotia College, Greater Noida, committed suicide on Sunday. There have been cases of people committing suicide due to Covid-19 fears, due to the stigmatisation arising out of quarantines or feeling social pressure due to being the frontline workers. APN’s popular debate Mudda discussed the issue. Anchor Neha Dubey discussed the issue with panelists including medical experts Dr Naresh Chawla and Dr Romesh Raina, APN Editor Ajay Kaul and Covid-19 recovered patient, Umashanker Pandey.

Dr Raina said: “In the 1920s, 50 million people lost their lives due to the Spanish Flu. Then there was SARS and MERS. The Covid-19 virus has jumped from animals to humans. Social distancing is important to deal with it.”

Dr Chawla said: “This is the neocroronavirus. I would like to say that this illness is not as scary as is made out to be. Right now, there is panic. Prime Minister Modi announced the lockdown. US did not announce any lockdown at the start, but we all know it’s right now facing a huge challenge. The PM has advised all to be at home. The virus is spread through droplets and through contaminated surfaces. Symptomatic or asymptomatic people are advised quarantine or preventive isolation. Observation over a 14-day period is needed of suspected people. I am surprised that this is leading to suicides.”

Pandey said: “The patient feels a bit weird, the way he is segregated, but there is no negative feeling. All the government is doing is for our good. I did not have any cold or sore throat. I only felt feverish and had upset stomach. My test turned out Positive. I had travelled to Turkey and back, was tested at the airport and there was nothing at that time. I became symptomatic later. Once admitted, the patients are regularly checked.”

Dr Raina said: “A kind of panic is triggered. There is also information overload and that affects the overall wellbeing of the quarantined person. We will have to change our social behaviour, and a positive atmosphere needs to be created.”

Dr Chawla said: “We are both a modern nation and a developing nation. Illiteracy is rampant and people are superstitious. See for the vast majority of people, they are feeling the impact of the sudden shutdowns. Media and governance have to chip in to remove the fear psychosis. Quarantine is no treatment, neither is there any reason to stigmatise such persons.”

Pandey said: “I was admitted to hospital on 18/3/20 and went out on 10/4/20. I would not like people to bear any ill-will for Corona patients. One should be in the midst of positive-thinking people.”

Dr Raina said: “There is social responsibility too involved in dealing with Covid 19 outbreak. After all, isolations are recommended for the benefit of society. So, the society has to ensure that such people do not feel stigmatised. Now the PM is going to addressed the nation at 10 am tomorrow. Modi ji is leading not just the country but the whole world with a lot of positivity. This is commendable.”

Kaul said: “It was expected that the PM would address the nation today, since tomorrow the 21-day lockdown ends. Lockdown might get extended by some states. We already have news for the extension in Punjab, Haryana, Telangana etc. It could be that the same approach is taken countrywide. The government has to look at both life and livelihoods. For instance, small business have been impacted severely. But cases are on the rise, so social distancing has to be imposed. People are not doing it voluntarily, so lockdown becomes imperative. Logistics need to be studied, like how economic activities can function after observing social distancing.”

Dr Chawla said: “Lockdown is not an easy decision for the government. The issue is of both life and livelihoods. In all probability, lockdown will be extended till April 30; people are getting frustrated, and many are dealing with depression and anxiety. The rising Covid-19 curve needs to flatten. This is a strong reason to go in for the lockdown extension. In South Korea, people have been responsible. On the other hand, people in our country have even hid their travel histories! In other countries, legal action would have started against such people.”

Dr Raina said: “Marking of Red Zones, Yellow Zones and Green Zones will help in identifying containment zones. The public health initiatives of the government have been strong and the exit policy is likely to be strong with suitable identification of hotspots. The economy will take time to pick-up, and might take another year. Social responsibility of the society includes not to target frontline workers.”

Kaul said: “Lockdown is a desperate measure to break the chain. This can’t go on indefinitely.”

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Vignettes from Jaipur Lit Fest 2017

The tenth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival kicked off on January 19. It was attended by an array of glittering literati and the masses. On the first day, footfall touched an unprecedented 9,000, as reporter and author of Street of Eternal Happiness Rob Schmitz’s talk became the big hit of the day. Speaking of talks, Sadhguru’s chat with festival organiser Sanjay K Roy also attracted eyeballs, while at the bookstore Paul Beatty’s The Sellout was the unchallenged bestseller.

The second day saw a footfall of about 10,000. About 25,000 visitors are expected over the weekend. Anand Neelakantan, SS Rajamouli, Rana Daggubati and Sudha Sadanand’s conversation on Baahubali drew the crowds on the second day while Patrick French’s talk on Magna Carta was a hit on the third. Devdutt Pattanaik’s mythological fan fictions and Gulzar’s ‘Suspected Poems’ were, respectively, Day 2 and Day 3 bestsellers.

Here are some photographs capturing moments from the festival:

THREE’S COMPANY: Dancers pose for the perfect picture

WISE MAN FROM THE WEST: Writer-translator Roberto Calasso

CAGED THOUGHT: An installation at the fest

LONE SENTINEL: A guard doubles as a model

RAPT: A variety of listeners at the talk on ISIS and the current geopolitical environment

WHAT COLOUR DO YOU CHOOSE? More ‘cartists’ get ready to ferry passengers

–Photos and Text by Sucheta Dasgupta

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