Author: Nagpur Updates

नागपूर : संशोधनाच्या नावाखाली आता कोरोना विषाणूची अफवा पसरवली जात आहे. यात ‘ए’ रक्तगट असलेल्यांना कोरोनाचा सर्वात अधिक धोका तर ‘ओ’ रक्तगट असलेल्या लोकांना कमी धोका असल्याचे समोर येत आहे. परंतु हे वृत्त चुकीचे असल्याचे प्रसिद्ध फिजिशियन डॉ. जय देशमुख यांचे म्हणणे आहे.

त्यांच्यानुसार, या संदर्भात कुठलेही पुराबे उपलब्ध नाहीत. कोरोनाची झालेल्या वृत्तानुसार, युहान मधील वैज्ञानिकांनी सुमारे २१७३ कोरोना विषाणूची लागण झालेल्या रुग्णांचा अभ्यास केला. यात सुमारे ३८ टक्के लोकांचा रक्तगट ‘ए’ होता. तर ‘ओ’ रक्तगट असलेल्या रुग्णांची २६ टक्के होती. या शिवाय, हुयेई प्रांतातील तीन रुग्णालयात दाखल झालेल्या कोरोना विषाणूच्या रुग्णांमध्ये सुमारे भीती पसरविण्याचे हे एक निमित्त असू शकते, असेही डॉ. देशमुख म्हणाले.एका ब्रिटिश वृत्तपत्र मध्ये प्रसिद्ध२०६ लोकांचा मृत्यू झाला.

यापैकी ८५ मृतांचा रक्तगट ‘ए’ होता. असेच संशोधन दुसऱ्या हॉस्पिटलमध्ये करण्यात आले असता ‘ए’ रक्तगट असणारे लोकच कोरोनाचे जास्त बळी ठरल्याचे दिसून आल्याचेही वृत्तात म्हटले आहे. सध्या हे वृत्त ‘सोशलमीडियावर व्हायरल झाले आहे. ‘ए’ रक्तगट असलेल्या लोकांमध्ये भीतीचे वातावरण पसरत आहे. तर ‘ओ’ रक्तगट असलेल्या लोकांना रान मोकळे झाले आहे.

है वृत्त मात्र चुकीचे असल्याचे डॉ. देशमुख यांचे म्हणणे आहे.

त्यांच्यानुसार, युहानमध्ये सर्वात जास्त नागरिक ‘ए’ आणि ‘ओ’ रक्तगटाचे आहेत. यामुळे तिथे तो अभ्यास झाला असलातरी भारतात तो लागू होईल असे नाही. तसेच या संदर्भातील प्रसिद्ध झालेली आकडेवारी वेगवेगळ्या ग्रुपवर वेगवेगळी आहे. महत्वाचे म्हणजे, या वृत्ताला घेऊन कुठलेही पुरावे सादर करण्यात आलेले नाहीत.

यामुळे कुठलाही रक्तगट असला तर प्रतिबंधात्मक उपाययोजना न केल्यास या रोगाची लागण होण्याची शक्यता असतेच. ‘जर तुमचा ‘ए’रक्तगट असेल तर घाबरून जाण्याचे कारण नाही, कारण कोरोना केवळ याच रक्तगटालाच होतो असेही पुरावे नाहीत. ‘ओ’ रक्तगट असणाऱ्या कोरोना होत नाही, ते पूर्णपणे सुरक्षित आहेत, असेही नाही. जर तुमची रोगप्रतिकारशक्ती चांगली असेल, तुम्ही वारंवार हात धुवत असाल, स्वच्छता राखत असाल तर कोरोनाला घाबरण्याची गरज नाही. मात्र खबरदारी घेणे आवश्यक आहे, असेही डॉ. देशमुख म्हणाले.

Nagpur: Several restaurants are still operating in the city and orders have been taken with food delivered using Zomato, Swiggy and other food delivery platform gave the civil administration’s lock-out order.

To avoid the COVID-19 neighborhood outbreak, Wednesday’s civic administration pushed toward lock-down by ordering all commercial outlets and restaurants throughout the city to be closed. The steps kicked in with immediate effect after the issuance of a notification by Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe ordering the closure of all commercial establishments to remain closed until March 31.

It was not clear whether the Admin Keeping in mind people’s need to get food the administration has allowed restaurants, eateries to deliver parcel to customers or not.

District Collector Ravindra Thakre clarified the lockdown preview while talking to the media on Wednesday saying it’s meant to prevent people from assembling at one location. Therefore all rooms and restaurants allowed, restaurants included in hotels, eateries are ordered to be closed. But deliveries from Zomato, Swiggy and other food platforms that continue to operate normally because they are on the move and not in one location.

Is it really free, though?

Companies such as Zomato, Swiggy claim to have taken precautionary steps, but the question arises how secure this is when Govt asks people to avoid touch and keep social distance to flatten the curve.

“There is currently no evidence that the transmission of Covid-19 is associated with food or product packaging,” says the Product & Drug Administration on a virus-devoted website.

“It’s possible, like other viruses, that the virus that causes Covid-19 will live on surfaces or items,” says experts. That means it’s still important to wash your hands during food service transactions and avoid letting the food contact potentially infected surfaces.

Getting food delivered is the riskier choice when it comes to taking-out vs delivery, experts say. Food delivery staff are in the business of meeting strangers, and they risk “higher customer exposure”

Consider this case, a delivery boy who delivers food to a lot of people on a single day unintentionally comes into contact with a person who may be contaminated with COVID-19 when delivering the food and exchanging money or food than it does. This delivery boy is the city’s carrier of the virus that will trigger a community outbreak.

Until its too late Govt and city administrator will intervene and ban the services immediately until group transmission happens which is also named as stage 3 COVID-19.

Nagpur: This was just a day when their channels were shut down and forced to stay home. Many are concerned about their future and are still restless. While some have to pay monthly installments, some are concerned about their future, because they have to earn every day to keep the family running with a few food vendors and some well-known joints owners about how they would endure this forced vacation until March 31.

“Bhukhmarivirus is not a coronavirus. How are we going to navigate this lockdown? We have a staff of 25-30 and all are on fixed wages. If we don’t earn a penny, we’re going to have to pay their monthly wages out of our own pockets, “said Ramji Pandey, owner of the famous Raamji Shyamji Pohewale operating at Chhatrapati Nagar Square.

Ramji added that they are not a single family of four members, “we do have a single employee family to handle.”Our day starts at 2.30 am when we begin poha preparations. Our store is open at 5 am. Today was our first day of the compulsory holiday, and even a glass of water at home is hard to swallow, “he said.

“Our company was down because people were unnecessarily panicking because of the danger of the virus. Now the complete shut down means the soon everyone will be on the road, “Ramji said.

Chunni Singh, who owns a pav bhaji shop in Dharampeth, spends some time with his family in Udaipur, taking a break from business. He told his employees all day-to-day wagers to come after March 31 for work.

Pawan Kumar of Laxmi Nagar’s New Popular Chat Center is concerned if he should pay his monthly loan installment. “I have a double-wheeler loan with a monthly Rs 5000 installment. I earn and feed my six-family per day, and also save some amount to pay the installment. If I’m not going to work for 15 days, then what will I gain and how can I survive, “Pawan asked.

Rajkumar Patel has a Chinese food stall near Shankar Nagar and an ice gola. When asked about his plans, Patel said, “We have no choice but to handle either way since the government has brought in this law. I have five employees and I’ll have to pay if we decide to keep them. I’ll be at home and have some fun time.

As all is locked, we have nothing to do but I’m going to schedule a short ride. “Manoj Choubey, a Kachipura resident and owner of Shreenath pav bhaji and pulao, added, “If this lock-down isn’t relaxed, my existence is in grave doubt.

I’ve got some money so I can handle stuff for a few days. My staff gets paid regularly and that’s a problem. We won’t get paid without some job and I have serious doubts about their survival as two of them have bought new cell phones on installment.

Nagpur: The Indian Railways revoked concessions on ticket booking Thursday after several low-occupancy trains were cancelled on many routes due to coronavirus alert.

To discourage unnecessary travel and to prevent vulnerable groups of senior citizens from undertaking unnecessary travel, concessional booking of all tickets, except for patients, students and divyangjan (persons with disabilities) category for the unreserved and reserved section was suspended from 20 March.

Central Railway has also barred with immediate effect all outsiders from accessing the office premises of the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).

Until 31 March, 155 pairs of low-occupancy trains have been cancelled as a precautionary measure and to prevent non-essential travel and overcrowding of trains.

“Trains are cancelled taking into account the availability of alternate trains for passengers and ensuring that no passenger is left stranded. All passengers will be given a full refund if the train has been cancelled, “railway officials said.

Indian Railways has also facilitated the return of stranded students to their homes in southern, northeastern and eastern parts of India due to the sudden closure of educational institutions.

Passengers are advised to avoid non-essential train journeys and to ensure they do not have a running fever when they begin their journey. Whenever a passenger thinks he has a fever, he can contact railway staff at any stage on the journey for medical treatment and more support.

To avoid excessive crowding at railway stations following Covid-19 spread, Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) were instructed to review the situation at railway stations and increase platform ticket prices to Rs50 where appropriate.

In addition to Nagpur, Chandrapur, Ballarshah, Betul, Sewagram and Wardha under Central Railway, ticket prices for the platform were increased to Rs50 under South East Central Railway (SECR) at Itwari and Gondia stations.

All SECR and Central Railway have stepped up passenger drive against spitting and littering. “We have been penalizing 289 passengers in the last 18 days, from 1 to 18 March, and recovering a fine of Rs30,000,” said SG Rao, Central Railway spokesperson. Similarly, 110 cases were reported by SECR and a fine of Rs10,800 was recuperated.

SECR made sanitary hand washing compulsory for all those who enter the administrative building of the DRM office. And the DRM and other officials are instructed to push it along.

Daily announcements are made at railway stations and on board trains to sensitize the public about various dos & don’t to keep hands clean with regular washing, maintaining social distance and covering the mouth when sneezing and coughing.

Even as routine steps are being taken, passengers have been spurred on to cancel tickets. About 60,500 bonafide passengers in Nagpur Division have cancelled tickets in the last five days. Of these, 45,000 passengers were station-only from Nagpur.

Nagpur updates: Twenty-eight persons, including three Azerbaijan nationals who are currently in Gadchiroli, were tested negative for novel coronavirus (Covid-19) infection on Thursday. 

Their samples were sent to the lab at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH or Mayo) from across Vidarbha and other parts of Central India.
Out of the 28 swab samples, 21 were from Amravati, two from Nagpur GMCH, three from Gadchiroli, one from Akola and one from Buldhana.

In Nagpur, no fresh case was reported while suspects from the city and several places were reported at the government colleges.

Authorities in Chandrapur heaved a sigh of relief after a passenger, who had come in contact with positive patients in some other state, was alighting from a train coming from Hyderabad and taken to GMCH there on Wednesday evening. His swabs were sent to Mayo lab. He is yet to be discharged.

There was panic after reports emerged that three Azerbaijan nationals have developed symptoms while they stay in Gadchiroli. Report about a flyer who was advised home quarantine from this district too is awaited.
In Yavatmal, no new admission at the isolation ward of GMCH was reported. District collector MD Singh said there are seven patients including the three positive at the GMCH Yavatmal isolation ward. Among the four suspects, two have no symptoms while the other two have symptoms.
Their swabs were sent to Mayo on Wednesday and the report is awaited. Singh said 127 persons are in the home quarantine across the district and special teams are deployed to keep a watch on their movements.
The condition of the positive patients is stable and they are recovering speedily. In Pusad, three elderly women who returned from Nepal after a tour have been asked to remain under home quarantine though they have no symptoms of coronavirus.
The three nationals from Azerbaijan were among the 21 home quarantined at Gadchiroli after they developed some symptoms.
Amravati district collector Shailesh Naval said that 24 throat swab samples sent for examination till Wednesday were found negative while reports are awaited for 11. He said citizens returning from abroad are being checked and advised to subject themselves to home quarantine.
In the Chandrapur case, the suspected coronavirus patient had travelled by the positive patients in train. Three more foreign returned, including the UK and two Philippines travellers, were home quarantined.
The suspected patient was alighted from the train on Wednesday evening after health authorities in Hyderabad informed that two others travelling with him have been tested positive for Covid-19. “This suspect patient had breathing difficulty and was treated for the same in the isolation ward. His samples were urgently sent to Nagpur for testing the same night. The test result came negative,” said civil surgeon Dr ND Rathod.
He informed that the patient has not been discharged and is still being treated at Chandrapur GMCH.
Health administration has so far tested seven suspected patients of coronavirus in Chandrapur and all of them have been found negative.
Dr Rathod informed that with the addition of three new foreign returns among the quarantined people, a total of 47 foreign returned people are currently under home quarantine and strict observation.

Nagpur: As schools shut down till March 31 as a preventive measure for coronavirus, learning apps seem to be getting a shot in the arm with some claiming spike in usage as they offer free sneak-peak offers.

Akhand Swaroop Pandit, CEO, and founder of the online learning platform Catalyst Group said, “Overall we have witnessed 30-40% in admissions in the last two to three days and also the number of students regularly attending the online classes has increased due to college and school shutdown. He added that screentime too is increasing. Daily screentime has almost doubled in the past two to three days as students are at home,” said Pandit.

Vamsi Krishna, CEO, and co-founder of Vedantu said, the shift towards learning apps during the current situation seems only natural. “We believe, online learning is a safe option in these risky and uncertain times. Students can study from the safety of their home and avoid travel and public places,” said Krishna.

According to Shobhit Bhatnagar, CEO, and co-founder of Gradeup, this could be a turning point for online education. “As schools and universities continue to go into lockdown mode around the world, the EdTech industry is gearing up for its biggest test — and an opportunity. The likes of Harvard have already begun the transition from offline to online, and I can see Indian universities and schools the following suit. The biggest benefit that the EdTech industry can offer, especially in times like these, is live online classes, which provide a safe, convenient study-from-home option,” said Bhatnagar.

For parents, online learning apps help keep kids engaged in a manner that provides productive screentime.

Parent Komal Domkundwar said the learning apps have an advantage as they help parents track the child’s progress. “These apps help me a lot in keeping track of my kid’s past and present knowledge and I can see the score graph rising high through online studies,” she said.

Another parent Ragini Sharma feels the way online learning resources are presented is very student-friendly. “I believe they enjoy it more because of the pictorial information that gets stored directly into their minds,” said Sharma.

All parents agreed that a balance needs to be maintained between online and offline learning resources. Maria Rangoonwala, a parent, said, “These apps are definitely a good way to keep them occupied for a certain duration, but I would not want to depend on them too much. These apps and videos also increase the screentime for my child, which can be much longer than the desired limit. ”

Parent Suvarna Ghosh says a balance of both online and offline study will lead to the best results. “Of course, the apps are fun and innovative. When traditional studying becomes mundane, online resources come to the rescue. But, as parents, we know that relying on learning apps completely is not a good idea. And most significantly, that screentime has to be a priority as well, ”said Ghosh.