Why most Indians may be protected from Omicron

News Network
November 30, 2021

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A “very large” number of Indians are likely to remain protected from Omicron or any other variant of Covid-19 and there is no need to panic, eminent virologist Dr Shahid Jameel has said.

Jameel, who is the former head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INASACOG), said people must be cautious and keep wearing masks.

"While we should be cautious, there is no need to panic. India's second wave due to the Delta variant was huge, infecting more people than we imagined. This is reflected in the fourth National Sero-survey that showed 67 per cent of Indians to have Covid antibodies. That is about 930-940 million people at a time when the vaccination levels were very low, and so it came mainly from infection," he said in an interview.

"More recently, Delhi showed 97 per cent with antibodies, Mumbai around 85-90 per cent and so on. All this means that a very large fraction of Indians will be protected from severe disease caused by Omicron or any other variant," Jameel said.

A new variant of Covid-19, feared to have a high amount of spike mutations, has been detected in South Africa. On November 26, the WHO had designated B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern and named it Omicron.

Speaking on the effectiveness of vaccines against the new variant, Jameel said more data is awaited but vaccine effectiveness against the variant may dip by a few points. However, vaccines will not become useless, he said.

"We don't have this data available yet. It may take another one to two weeks for the first laboratory results to become available. My hunch is that vaccine effectiveness against this variant may dip a few points, but vaccines will not become useless. They will continue to protect from severe disease," he said.

On how India can prepare to tackle the new variant, he said people should not panic, and continue to wear mask while the government should increase the rate of vaccination.

"We are fortunate to have sufficient vaccines and the ability to vaccinate. Along this line, it may help to reduce the duration between two doses of Covishield from 16 weeks to 12 weeks. This will get more people vaccinated quickly, especially those in vulnerable age groups (elderly), those with comorbidities and those in high risk occupations (health care)," he said.

On what role a booster dose of vaccine can play against the new variant to tackle waning immunity against Covid-19, he said booster shots help, but it is more important to first get more people vaccinated with two doses.

"Further, about 90 per cent of doses in India are Covishield, and this has limited use as a booster. For that we will need either RNA, DNA or protein vaccines. For the moment, just make sure more and more people get the two doses," he said.

Responding to reports claiming that the variant mainly affects people below 25 years of age, he said there is no data available on the subject.

"So far, the few known patients are in this age group. I doubt it will pose a bigger threat to children who naturally have no or mild disease to this virus," Jameel said.

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News Network
September 18,2023

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New Delhi, Sept 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed "historic decisions" - referring to his government's controversial moves on Article 370 and the GST and 'One Rank-One Pension' bills - in opening remarks on the first day of a special session that will see Parliament shift to a new building.

In a lengthy speech - which included jabs at the opposition, including a subtle dig at the row over speculation the country's name will change from 'India' to 'Bharat' - the Prime Minister recalled "bitter-sweet memories" associated with the old building, including the terror attack of 2001.

"The House will always say proudly that (the abrogation of) Article 370 became possible due to it... GST was also passed here... 'One Rank-One Pension' was witnessed (and) 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections was successfully allowed for the first time without dispute," he said.

"Bidding goodbye to this building is an emotional moment...many bitter-sweet memories associated with it. We had differences and disputes but we witnessed 'parivaar bhaav' ('feeling of family')," he continued as MPs from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party thumped their desks in agreement.

"There was a terror attack (on Parliament). This was not an attack on a building.... in a way, it was an attack on the 'Mother of Democracy'... on our living soul. The country can never forget that incident," he said as he paid tribute to security personnel who were killed in that attack.

The reference to India as the 'Mother of Democracy' was a repeat of what was said in material handed to G20 leaders and foreign officials during the summit in Delhi earlier this month.

Striking nostalgic notes, the PM also praised the Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission and said India had "made the world proud... highlighted a new form of India's strength". He also spoke about the success of the G20 Summit and attributed it to " 140 crore citizens... not any individual or party".

"Today... you have unanimously appreciated the success of G20. I express my gratitude to you. The success of G20 success is that of 140 crore citizens of the country. It is India's success (and) not that of an individual or a party. It is a matter for all of us to celebrate," the Prime Minister said.

"India will be proud the African Union became a member (of the G20) when it was President... I cannot forget the emotional moment when the announcement was made... (the) African Union President (Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros) said, 'Perhaps I will break down while speaking'."

The Prime Minister also referred to the historic Delhi Declaration and said negotiating the joint communique from G20 leaders underlined India's strength and standing in the world.

The Delhi Declaration was seen as nearly impossible till hours before it was announced due to complexities arising from Russia's war on Ukraine and the West's stance on the conflict.

"You can imagine (role) India had to fulfil... such huge hopes and expectations. It (was) India's strength that (made) it (the declaration) possible," Prime Minister Modi declared.

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News Network
September 22,2023

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Canadian tourists, business travelers and even some former Indian citizens are rushing to change flights and inquire about their trip deposits after India abruptly suspended visa applications in the country amid an escalating diplomatic row.

A day after the Indian government warned its citizens in Canada to “exercise utmost caution” and hinted that their safety is threatened, BLS International — an agency that processes visa requests in Canada — posted an online notice saying services have been “suspended until further notice.”

“This shouldn’t happen for the innocent people,” said Jothy Ilangovan, standing in line outside the BLS office in Toronto. She was there to help her brother, a Canadian citizen who has lived in the country for 33 years, obtain a visa for a Hindu pilgrimage back to India. He had already booked his vacation time from work and feared the trip would be canceled. “We want to go to the temple and pray, that’s it.”

Ties between Canada and India are at their lowest point in decades after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian activist who was pushing for an independent Sikh homeland in the Punjab region. 

India has denied the allegation, calling it “absurd” and hitting back with measures aimed at curbing travel between two nations.

Montreal-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., which now operates under the brand name of AtkinsRéalis, has limited travel to India for Canadian employees to “essential reasons only” until further notice, the firm’s spokesperson, Laurence Myre Leroux, said in an email. There hasn’t been any impact on operations so far, she added, but the situation is being monitored “closely.”

India’s move means most Canadians won’t be able to travel there if they don’t already have a visa. Travel agents said e-visa applications online were also not being processed for Canadians. And while Canadians who previously held Indian passports are eligible for Overseas Citizen of India cards — which allow visa-free entry — many do not hold them.

“This is going to impact Canada, and its trade and economy, where India has played a big role,” said Unnati Oza, a Toronto-based travel agent. “I used to work with a client who used to go there twice a year for business — to Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai. Where are Canadians going to go after this?”

It’s not just business travel. The visa suspension is also hitting leisure travelers: Canadians made 280,000 tourist arrivals in India last year, according to Indian government data, making it the No. 5 source of such visitors.

“I already have four or five people calling me this morning. They’re due to go in October and November for eight to 10 days of sightseeing. Now, they’re worried because the tours are non-refundable,” said Ottawa-based travel agent Lalit Sharma, who specializes in India. “If they don’t have the visas, they can’t go.”

At the BLS office in Toronto, a sign told visitors that visa services were suspended for “operational reasons.” Most of the people in line on Thursday morning were there to renew their Indian passports, but others were trying to get advice on the visa suspension.

Mithun Ganguly’s prospects were better, having come to the BLS office to renew his passport. A recent arrival to Canada, he said he doesn’t feel unsafe in the country, regardless of the current Indian advisory. 

“Canada is a nice country to stay in, as well as India, so I think we should talk,” he said. “The tensions are not good for either of the countries.” 

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News Network
September 18,2023

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Bengaluru, Sep 18: Prime accused in the Karnataka BJP MLA ticket scandal Chaitra Kundapura, an arrested Hindutva activist, has claimed the involvement of the top party leadership in the crime, sources said on Monday.

In a letter to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kundapura has demanded that transactions of industrialist Govinda Babu Poojari, a complainant in her case, be investigated under the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act. She also expressed her willingness to cooperate with the investigation, they added.

The sources further explained that Chaitra had made these revelations in a letter to the ED before her arrest.

She had shot the letter after Poojari, who paid over Rs 5 crore, started demanding his money back when he was denied the ticket.

An associate of Poojari had paid Rs 5 crore in cash.

Govind Babu himself also spoke to her about it. He got the money transferred for the ticket to contest the MLA election. He had given Rs 1 crore to one Manjunath, Rs 1.5 crore to Abhinava Halashri, Rs 3 crore to Vishwanath Ji.

She claimed that Poojari was advised by her to file a police complaint.

Chaitra claimed that she worked in a private company in Bengaluru and had confirmed information on illegal money transactions by industrialist Govind Babu Poojari.

This person had settled in Mumbai briefly and carried out the business. He runs a catering industry in Bengaluru.

“He was an aspirant for BJP MLA ticket and since I was a journalist, I wanted to carry out a sting operation on money transactions. Hence I called up Govinda Babu Poojari and his associate Prasad Poojari to collect information,” Chaitra stated in her complaint.

“I was in touch with those close to the businessman and gathered information with an intention to expose him,” she added.

She also alleged in her complaint that fortunately he did not get a BJP ticket to contest MLA election. Generally, the political parties don’t give positions to leaders once the elections are declared. But, surprisingly, BJP made Govind Babu Poojari as the Backward Classes Morcha Secretary.

After the posting, he had carried out a campaign for the BJP candidate Gururaj Ganthiholi in Baindur seat. During the campaigning, Govind Babu Poojari started to identify with state and national leaders. “I strongly suspected the involvement of influential leaders in the scam,” her complaint read.

Sources explain that Chaitra maintains in the complaint that she didn’t have evidence to prove these charges and she recorded the call from Govind Babu Poojari that he had lost Rs 6 crore for BJP ticket and advised him to lodge a police complaint.

Karnataka police have arrested Chaitra Kundapura and her associates on charges of cheating Rs 5 crore and threatening industrialist Govind Babu Poojari promising him MLA ticket from BJP.

The prominent religious leader Abhinava Halasri is absconding in the case.

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