Dayanand's World

*Is Herd Immunity an answer to this fight against Covid?* Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a large percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby providing a measure of protection for individuals who are not immune. There is a big class of people who want that the Government should lift the lockdown, open up everything and leave it to the people to take care of themselves and Corona. They are pointing to some small European countries which are relying on Herd Immunity to tackle Covid. So in India, much is being said about ‘ herd immunity’ .  Don’t get fooled or become careless or complacent. ( by herd immunity theory).  A society develops herd immunity against an infectious disease, when a majority of individuals become immune to the disease either through an earlier infection or through vaccination.  Even though estimates vary,  most expe...

*To lift or not to lift : the Lockdown embroglio* It has been four long months since the world came to a standstill due to the novel Coronavirus, with people locking their doors and staying indoors. This gave governments and medical facilities time to get their house in order and attend to the constant stream of infected patients pouring in day after day.  With viral transmission coming under control and economies buckling under the pressure of industries shutting down, countries are contemplating lifting lockdown restrictions. But the staggered lift in restrictions has led to a rise in cases. New Zealand, which had successfully eradicated the virus, has seen a spike in new cases, along with China, Iran, and Japan, to name a few.  Back home, since easing the restrictions, we have seen our cases zoom from 1 lakh to now almost 8 lakhs in no time. States which had eased restrictions and opened up have had to hastily enforce the lockdown, more harshly than before. Lockdown is mean...

Explained: In Indian Express archives, reminder of Galwan in 1962 before the echo in 2020 IN JULY 58 years ago, Indian and Chinese troops were taking steps towards disengagement on the Line of Actual Control. On July 15, 1962, The Sunday Standard ran its front-page lead report with the headline ‘Chinese Troops Withdraw From Galwan Post’. And on July 8, 2020, The Indian Express headline on the current steps towards disengagement ran: ‘After Galwan Valley, troops on both sides start pulling back in Hot Springs sector’. Archives of The Indian Express from 1962 reflect how tensions unfolded in the same areas of Ladakh, particularly Galwan, that have been in the news in the last two months. June 12, 1962 China has charged India with setting up Army posts on its territory; India denies it. Report: The Indian Express reports the government’s rejection of the Chinese assertion that the Indian Army has set up two new posts in Sinkiang-Uighur of Chinese territory. It says India has protested aga...