In Focus by The Hindu

As we complete one month of the national lockdown, we look at the government's recent statement that the growth of cases in India has been linear and not exponential thanks to the lockdown having being imposed. And while talk of national numbers is well and good, the more important datasets, perhaps, are how individual States are handling the spread of the virus, and the testing rates and strategies they are deploying. We map those divergent trajectories in this episode and look ahead to what we need to analyse moving forward. Guest: Srinivasan Ramani, Deputy National Editor, The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Also track: https://www.thehindu.com/data/covid-19-state-wise-tracker-for-coronavirus-cases-deaths-and-testing-rates/article31248444.ece?homepage=true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we complete one month of the national lockdown, we look ahead to probable changes in labour market dynamics. Will there be an imbalance between rural and urban economies in the short run? Will the scars of the COVID-19 crisis deter labourers who have returned to their villages from migrating long distances in search of employment? And what can be done by government and private sector do provide more security for labour. Guest: K.R. Shyam Sundar, labour economist, professor at XLRI, Jamshedpur. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’ll get an update from The Hindu's United States Correspondent Sriram Lakshman on the overall situation with regard to the Coronavirus in the U.S. and the reasoning behind President Donald Trump’s temporary ban on immigration, on which he signed an executive order on April 22. We’ll then move on to Ministry briefings — from the External Affairs Ministry, National Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar will give us an update on medical supplies coming into India from other countries and particularly on whether there has been any response to rapid testing kits imported from China being largely inaccurate. Deputy Science Editor Jacob Koshy has an update from the Health Ministry on some rather detailed numbers put out by the government to show that the growth in the number of cases in India has been linear and not exponential. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a five-member Central team projected that the number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai would touch an estimated 42,604 by April 30 and spiral to 6,56,407 by May 15, the Maharashtra government has contested the methodology and tools used for the projection. We will discuss that story and also take a detailed look at the various problems the ICMR and state governments are facing with the rapid antibody test kits that have come in from China. Guests: Sharad Vyas, Deputy Editor, Mumbai, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s rather diverse episode covers issues ranging from the BMC in Mumbai revealing that several journalists in the city have tested positive for COVID-19, blood banks across the country running short as thalassemia and dialysis patients are the worst hit, and a developing situation in the Gulf countries where thousands of Indian immigrant workers could find themselves without jobs as the economic effects of the pandemic grow more acute. We also have an update from the Health Ministry briefings. (Recorded on April 21, 2020) Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Regional despatches from Health reporters Jyoti Shelar and Bindu Shajan Perappadan Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The WHO is facing arguably its biggest-ever crisis, with questions being raised over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has said it will cut its funding to the WHO while many other nations are calling for reforms. Is the criticism being mounted against the WHO justified and where does the world body go from here? Interview by Ananth Krishnan, The Hindu Guest: Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite its large population, the South Asia region has recorded low figures of the virus. The eight SAARC nations, for instance, account for approximately 1.1% of the world total of nearly 23,00,000 coronavirus cases. In this episode, we pause to look at these numbers, the initial projections for the region and ask thr question — does a separate study need on COVID-19 impact in South Asia? if a separate study needs to be carried out for the region and ask if this variance needs to be studied more closely. We also have a discussion on India revising FDI policy to shield firms from takeovers during the pandemic — a move that seems to be pointed toward China, and updates from the Health Ministry briefings. (Recorded on April 18, 2020) Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is becoming increasingly crucial for people to have awareness and knowledge about COVID-19, how the virus spreads, and the reasoning behind measures like social distancing. Especially in times of great anxiety, various conspiracies theories tend to sprout up and, in response to health emergencies, several dubious ideas on medicine and treatment also come up. In conversation with one of India’s foremost science educators, we talk about the current level of scientific awareness in India, the communication to the public about the disease, and the opportunity this sort of a situation offers for informing and educating people about virology, health and safety. Guest: T.V. Venkateshwaran, Science Educator, Senior Scientist at Vigyan Prasar, New Delhi. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The RBI introduced additional measures on Friday to infuse liquidity into the market and ease the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Ministry, meanwhile, has some figures about how the lockdown has slowed down the rate at which the number of cases has doubled in India. We also have a quick update on a new RT-PCR test kit for COVID-19 that has been developed by a lab in Kerala that could be a much cheaper and faster alternative to the diagnostic test kits currently available to us. (Recorded on April 18, 2020) Guests: Suresh Seshadri, Associate Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Solidarity is an international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19, launched by the World Health Organization and partners. The treatment options on the table are the drugs Remdesivir; Lopinavir/Ritonavir; Lopinavir/Ritonavir with Interferon beta-1a; and Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine. The latter, of course, has been the subject of much debate in India but in this episode we will look at the other options and the rationale for testing them as possible treatment options. We will also briefly look at the protocol for plasma therapy treatment started now in Kerala. Guest: T.V. Venkateshwaran, Science Communicator, Senior Scientist at Vigyan Prasar, New Delhi. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the time of COVID-19 and mass lockdowns and social isolation, the video conference app Zoom has come to be all the rage as a way for people to connect with each other across the world. The Indian Home Ministry on Thursday issued an advisory saying the platform wasn’t secure, especially for government communication. In other news, a huge consignment of rapid testing kits arrived from China on Thursday, but is the Indian Council of Medical Research actually betting big on the use of these tests as a strategy? (Recorded on April 16, 2020) Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindui; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most other countries around the world ave opted for some form of aggressive lockdown strategy Sweden adopted a more relaxed approach, keeping many establishments open. The strategy seemed to aim at defeating the disease by achieving 'herd immunity' an idea that seems to have gained some currency in India recently. How have they fared in this approach and what are the problems associated with this strategy. Interview by G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Guest: Carina King, Infectious Diseases Epidemiologist with the Department of Global Public Health, at Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A day after Prime Minister Modi extended the national lockdown till May 3, the Ministry of Home affairs on Wednesday issued detailed guidelines for relaxations in certain sectors that may come into effect in some parts of the country from April 20. We discuss those guidelines and also get the latest from the Health Ministry briefings. (Recorded on April 15, 2020) Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 24th episode of our analysis of COVID-19-related developments, we discuss the extension of the national lockdown till May 3, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning. The Prime Minister had added that some relaxations, for some types of workers, could gradually be introduced after April 20. Those guidelines, set to be released on Wednesday (April 15) are said to be ‘like a book’. (Recorded late on April 14, 2020) Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we recorded this episode, the suspense of the Prime Minister's 10 a.m. address on April 14 loomed over us, because we were largely unsure still of the specifics of any kind of announcement regarding an extension of the national lockdown. In this episode, we bring to you update about a new pilot project in Mumbai’s Dharavi area where hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) will be administered at a community level as a prophylaxis or preventive. We also get an update on the HCQ export situation (as questions continue to be asked about availability) and we get the latest from the Health Ministry briefings and questions now about the shortage of COVID-19 testing kits. (Recorded late on April 13, 2020) Guests: Jyoti Shelar, Health Reporter, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu; Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode comes at a critical juncture when we are still pondering ways in which the lockdown can be lifted in a calibrated manner in some areas while being extended in others as the battle to contain the spread of COVID-19 in India continues. There are crucial questions to be asked about how to contain the virus if the lockdown is lifted, what kind of data we may need to determine the spread of the virus in the population and how to balance the costs of an extended lockdown with the economic fallout. Mathematical modelling is essential to chart a course forward and frame policy around these questions and we try and break down some of these concepts in this conversation. Guest: Dr. Gautam Menon, Professor of physics and biology, Ashoka University. Researcher on the modelling of infectious diseases and its implications for public policy (Recorded on April 11, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looming over this 22nd episode of our daily coverage of COVID-19 is the question of whether the lockdown will be extended nationally and what strategy may be followed for a calibrated exit in some sectors. Some States have gone ahead and announced an extension (as we publish, Telangana is the latest to do so, joining Odisha and Punjab). We discuss that as well as the mathematical graph put out by the Health Ministry which claims that India would have had over 8 lakh infections without the lockdown. We also get an update on India’s exports of hydroxychloroquine to the world — a story that seems to take on larger dimensions by the day. (Recorded on April 11, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 21st episode of our daily COVID-19 updates, The Hindu's political editor Nistula Hebbar talks to us about some reporting that suggests that the lockdown may ease up in rural areas as the government keeps an eye on the supply of food grains in the country while urban areas are likely to remain shut. Deputy Science Editor Jacob Koshy also joins in to give us the latest from the Health Ministry briefings. (Recorded on April 10, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While questions over the possible extension of the lockdown loom large, there are several points to ponder over about the strategy to contain the spread of COVID-19 going forward. In this episode we get an in-depth analysis on ‘hotspot’ cluster containment, the types of testing we need to be doing to gain more data about community spread and some sound advice about the types of masks we should be using and when. “If you’re going out in the public domain, wearing a mask or some piece of cloth is a good idea. How do you know if a cloth mask is good enough or not? If you hold it out to the light you should not be able to see the light coming through. If the cloth is too thin it really can’t help you. Second, if it becomes wet or moist, take it off and put on another one. If you don’t have a replacement you are better off without any mask than having a wet mask.” Interview by Zubeda Hamid, Reporter, The Hindu. Recorded on April 9, 2020 Guest: Dr. Subramanian Swaminathan, Senior Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Chennai and Bangalore Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There have been instances of coronavirus in patients who had no established contact with someone who had picked up the disease from abroad — from as early as March 22, according to a research study in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, authored by several ICMR scientists — including its head Balram Bhargava — and made public late on April 10. Notably, the national lockdown was announced two days after this evidence came to light. We discuss the report in this episode as well as an interesting data point about gender imbalance in COVID-19 cases in India. Joining us is Deputy Science Editor Jacob Koshy. (Recorded on April 9, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While sections of our news media have been dominated by reporting on the Tablighi Jamaat convention and how it has turned into a major nodal point for spreading infections across the country it’s worth noting that this is not the first ‘super spreader’ event traceable to a religious group. In this episode we look at the Shincheonji church incident in South Korea, how it was reported and how numbers relating to it were shared in the public domain. We also explore other lessons that India can take from South Korea’s handling of the pandemic so far. Interview by G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Guest: Rishikesh Ramachandran, former journalist and Seoul-based marketing consultant. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In collaboration with The Hindu’s data team, this episode comes to you on the cusp of an impending decision on extending the 21-day lockdown period in order to battle the spread of COVID-19. We discuss two data points in the context of a possible extension in the lockdown period — the effect that the lockdown has had thus far on unemployment rates and the State-wise tracker for confirmed cases, deaths and testing rates that provide a real-time view of where each State stands as the stipulated end of the lockdown period draws closer. We also discuss an interesting data point about Japan that provides some context about where India is at the moment. Guest: Srinivasan Ramani, Deputy National Editor, The Hindu. (Recorded on April 8, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 76 days, the lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus originated, was lifted on April 8. As many parts of China now emerge out of various stages of shutdown, residents describe a ‘new normal’ in terms of how cities function and how they go about their day-to-day lives. Could China’s experience shed some light on how post-lockdown life might pan out in India? Interview by Ananth Krishnan Guests: Danny Geevarghese is an independent Indian journalist who has been living in Beijing since 2011; Hu Jianlong is a Chinese entrepreneur and writer who works in the start-up space in Beijing. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 18th episode of our coverage of developments on the COVID-19 front, we discuss the drug hydroxychloroquine after Indian lifted a ban on its export on Tuesday. There are questions about whether this is in response to U.S. president Donald Trump threatening retaliatory action given that the U.S. had placed an order some time before the ban on exports was put in place. India is the world's largest producer of hydroxychloroquine, a drug used in the treatment of malaria which many countries now believe can be repurposed for treating COVID-19 patients. However, despite the global race for the drug, has the efficacy of HCQ actually been borne out by testing? We also discuss the possible extension of the 21-day lockdown. Joining us as usual are National Editor Suhasini Haidar and Deputy Science Editor Jacob Koshy. (Recorded on April 7, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With her extensive experience in government, working in the public health space, former Union Health Secretary K. Sujatha Rao is at the very heart of the debate on the global Coronavirus pandemic. In this episode of the “In Focus” podcast she discusses with Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor at The Hindu, the critical issue of system preparedness in India, in particular the importance of rapidly building up critical health infrastructure during the lockdown, of extensive testing to slow transmission, and of future-proofing the country’s pandemic preparedness strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 17th episode discussing daily developments on the COVID-19 front, we go into topics ranging from the ban on export of the drug hydroxychloroquine, which the government may be reconsidering given that several countries have placed orders to use the drug both as treatment and as a prophylactic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday also sought suggestions on a calibrated exit strategy from the lockdown while the Health Ministry released some interesting statistics on the gender break-up of cases and the age break-up of fatalities from COVID-19. Finally, we discuss some new concepts for testing centres that States and private enterprises are introducing. Joining us as usual are National Editor Suhasini Haidar and Deputy Science Editor Jacob Koshy. (Recorded on April 6, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 16th episode of our coverage of COVID-19–related developments, we try and cover a flurry of updates in a somewhat rapid fire way. Once again, India reported its highest single-day spike in cases on Saturday, as the Indian Council for Medical Research released new guidelines on antibody-testing and the Health Ministry seems to largely be prescribing the use of ‘homemade face protectors’. We also discuss Air India flights being chartered to repatriate foreign citizens from India but not being able to bring back Indian citizens, and the various concerns over the power grid’s capacity to deal with Prime Minister Modi’s nine-minute challenge on Sunday. (Recorded on April 4, 2020) Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Besides the obvious news point in the Prime Minister’s video address on Friday, there’s more to discuss about the staggered exit from the 21-day lockdown that the PM discussed with Chief Ministers on Thursday, and we’ll give you a broad overview of the factors that need to be taken into consideration in this regard. Our Tamil Nadu Chief of Bureau Ramya Kannan joins us in this discussion. We also have an update on the latest COVID-19 numbers in India and a quick explainer from our Deputy Science Editor Jacob Koshy on whether the BCG vaccine could indeed give us an immunological advantage in the battle against the novel coronavirus, as an academic study has claimed. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To start off the 14th episode of our daily updates on COVID-19, U.S. Correspondent Sriram Lakshman describes the alarming numbers being reported in the United States — over 120,000 cases, with New York City death toll alone passing 1,000 — the response of the Trump administration and the economic impact that is already being felt by millions. We round it with quick updates by National Editor Suhasini Haidar on Prime Minister Modi’s call with Chief Ministers on Thursday to discuss a coordinated strategy for coming out of the 21-day lockdown, and Strategic Affairs Editor Atul Aneja, who is reporting on a looming problem in the Gulf countries — 23 Indians were diagnosed with COVId-19 in Kuwait on Thursday. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the COVID-19 pandemic relentlessly sweeps across the globe, many countries are in some form of lockdown with people being asked to stay at home and limit all forms of social interaction. With the national lockdown in India, we may have just started on a trend that many now say could be the ‘new normal’ for social interaction. This episode explores the question of mental health at a time like this, the toll that anxiety about the pandemic takes on people, the sense of isolation felt by many and what all of us can do to protect our general mental well being. Interview by Zubeda Hamid, Reporter, The Hindu Guest: Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, Psychiatrist, Founder of Sneha (a helpline for the suicidally inclined), and WHO Consultant. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past few days, pictures and videos have come streaming in of migrants anxious to go back to their homes after the announcement of a national lockdown. In this episode we look ahead to the possible ramifications — the potential radius of the virus’ spread based on known patterns of migration, the disruption in the labour market that we will see now and what we can to provide more security for migrant workers to avoid such situations, both in the long term or in the short term in case of another lockdown being imposed. Guest: Chinmay Tumbe, Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Author of India Moving: A History of Migration Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 13th episode of our daily updates on COVID-19, we discuss a strange development from the press briefing held by the Ministry of Health today, where questions were only allowed from Doordarshan and ANI. What caused this turn of events and what can we read into it? We also have updates on the Tablighi Jamaat hotspot that is throwing up cases all over the country, foreign funding invited for the PM Care Fund and assorted international developments. (Recorded on April 1, 2020) Guests: Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this show with a discussion around the Tablighi Jamaat congregation which took place earlier in the month which has unfortunately emerged as a major nodal point of infections. Cases in six States now can be directly traced to the event. A blame game broke out today over it but we analyse both sides of the story. Plus we get the latest updates on the number of cases in India, what we can read into the rate of the increase and a debate about whether we need to be wearing masks. (Recorded on March 31, 2020) Guests: Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Dr. Faheem Younus, Chief Quality Officer and Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Maryland, U.S. Host: Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Indian crosses 1,000 cases the coming week is set to be crucial. There has not been a sharp exponential rise in cases though that has to be qualified by low testing numbers so far, but could there be signs now that such a sharp rise may be avoided. In collaboration with The Hindu's data teams today, we discuss an inter-country comparison of the rising 'curve' of infections and discuss which trend we may be following. We also discuss the latest responses from the government and Health Ministry. Srinivasan Ramani Jacob Koshy Guests: Srinivasan Ramani, Deputy National Editor, The Hindu, Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for journalists, both while covering events on the ground as well as in trying to assimilate reams of scientific information as it comes in and delivering it in an accessible way to the reader. In this podcast, we address the challenges of reporting on a pandemic, what to look for behind sensational headlines and projections, and what questions we need to be asking of healthcare systems and the government. Guest: Thomas Abraham, senior journalist and professor of Journalism at University of Hong Kong; author of Twenty First Century Plague, the Story of SARS and Polio: The Odyssey of Eradication Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As much of the world continues to be devastated by the COVID-19 contagion, work has started in a handful of labs around the world to create a vaccine against the deadly coronavirus. These efforts are progressing at unprecedented speeds thanks to international collaboration between scientists but a vaccine is still thought to be at least a year away. In this episode we take a detailed look at the various stages that through which a vaccine must go before it can be widely distributed, and the pioneering clinical trials currently underway. Guest: Dr. Gautam Dey, Cell Biologist, University College London Also read: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/the-vaccine-was-rapidly-synthesised-as-novel-coronavirus-sequence-was-available/article31129228.ece Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India on March 28 crossed 900 with over 180 fresh cases as well as 2 deaths being reported during the day, the highest single-day increase so far as per Union Health Ministry data. Meanwhile, on Day 4 of the national lockdown images continue to pour in of thousands of migrant labourers who have lost their daily sustenance and are now trying to walk several hundred kilometres back to their villages. Guests: Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The RBI on Friday announced measures to protect the Indian economy from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a huge repo-rate cut and a three-month moratorium on loan payments. We discuss these measures in detail and how they will help. We also discuss some directives that have come from the government today on improving surveillance on travellers who entered the country before the lockdown and on helping migrant workers. Guests: Raghuvir Srinivasan, Business Editor, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Adam Kucharski, Associate Professor and Sir Henry Dale Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Kucharski specialises in the mathematical analysis of infectious disease outbreaks. Host: Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of India’s most authoritative voices in the field of epidemiology joins us today to discuss the 21-day lockdown and whether India already has entered the community transmission phase with COVID-19 and the steps that we are to take going forward if we are to achieve a ‘herd immunity’ to the disease that can protect the young and the elderly. Guest: Dr. Jayaprakash Muliyil, Epidemiologist, former Principal, Christian Medical College, Vellore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Union government on Thursday announced a ₹1.7 lakh crore package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide lockdown, providing free food and cash transfers to support the poorest citizens, who are most vulnerable during a crisis such as this. In this update podcast, we give you a quick rundown of the various benefits announced and share some initial impressions about whether the package is adequate, looking at the sections of people who are left out and how India’s spending on economic support for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic compares with that of other countries. Guest: Priscilla Jebaraj, Deputy Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we hear from a specialist in intensive care medicine in the U.K. on how rapidly the COVID-19 disease has spread and the lessons that India can take from the experience there. Guests: Hugh Montgomery, professor of medicine and the director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance at University College London Host: Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we deal with the crucial question of what this lockdown will mean for our economy and what measures the government can take to deal with it. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced some measures but a full-scale economic stimulus package is still yet to come. Going briefly over the Finance Minister’s announcements today, The Hindu’s business editor Raghuvir Srinivasan goes into what a stimulus package should look like, what the government can do for individuals and companies. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces an official 21-day lockdown across the country to combat the spread of COVID-19, we talk about the fallout of his address to the nation, and discuss developments on the health and science front. Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor; & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at [email protected] Additional reading: https://www.thehindu.com/news/resources/what-will-be-available-and-what-will-be-closed-during-the-21-day-lockdown/article31156364.ece?homepage=true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our fifth episode of the daily COVID-19 update, we start with an update from the United States, where New York has emerged as a new epicentre of the virus, now accounting for a staggering 5% of confirmed cases around the world. We look at how have things escalated to that level over there. We also get updates on a new drug that the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended for use with high-risk novel Coronavirus cases and we give you an update on the evacuation and return of Indian citizens who have been stuck in different parts of the world during this crisis. Guests: Sriram Lakshman, U.S. Correspondent, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor; & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as the country was coming together to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of a ‘Janta Curfew’ came the news in the evening that further curbs and restrictions — in the form of a lockdown in 75 affected districts across the country — would come into place from tonight. Life in India is set to change very drastically from Monday. We look ahead to that and also to some major debates now that are likely to play out about India‘s strategy to deal with the virus, especially with regard to testing. Recorded on March 22 Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu, & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cases of novel coronavirus are now being reported from almost every State in India and the number of reported cases has crossed 300. We’re going to use this episode to give you a quick update on what we know so far. We are building up to a big day tomorrow, when the ʻjanta curfewʼ announced by Prime minister Narendra Modi will come into force. And we’re also building up to a huge week ahead where we are likely to be in the middle of a huge debate about the estimates for how far this could go in India, the number of cases and deaths that we could ultimately end up with and what are the strategies that we need to be adopting now, especially with regard to testing. Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu, & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our second episode covering the spread of COVID-19 in India, we look at the alarming rise in the number of reported cases, the communications between various countries around the world as the virus spreads unchecked, and the strange story of Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor. Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu, & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu, & Jyoti Shelar, who is based in Mumbai and writes on healthcare for The Hindu. Check out the previous episode here: https://www.thehindu.com/podcast/pm-modis-speech-and-where-we-stand-now-on-covid-19-in-india-the-hindu-in-focus-podcast/article31111365.ece Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start a new series today, sometimes as a stand-alone, and sometimes as a bonus episode added to our discussions on other topics, about the spread of COVID-19 in India, chronicling and discussing major developments. Today we discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation. While he struck a serious and sombre tone, did we learn anything new at a policy level about India’s strategy to deals with the spread of the virus? Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices