Day Ninetythree
Amma went out of her home for the first time after 90 odd days. She had to go to the bank to withdraw cash and also submit Form 15H. Amma has been asking when the the domestic help can return. A highrise in the posh Napean Sea Road area has been sealed after some domestic helps allegedly spread the infection.
I was thinking about the Covid statistics that we are beng bombarded with daily. The emphasis on "Total Positive Cases" is alarmist and rather useless. It has only historical value. 135, 796 "Total Positive Cases" from Maharashtra have been reported. Only the fine print says that 45% (61,793) of them are currently active. The remaining have mostly recovered, and a small fraction have passed away. It is the number of currently active cases that should be of interest to people, as they evaluate the risk of resuming their normal life. It is this which will determine their chances of getting a hospital bed in case they catch the bug.
Government has rightly shifted the goal post from reducing the number of cases to reducing the number of fatalities. This policy needs new metrics:
1) Time taken to get an ambulance to go to the hospital
2) Time spent in the triage before a hospital bed is assigned
3) Time taken before oxygen is administered.
Delhi administration plans to provide Pulse Oximeter to all patients in home isolation. They can summon emergency help when the oxygen level falls. A great idea on paper.
Ramdev's Patanjali has created a buzz with the Ayurvedic Coronil. The claims are bombastic and the government has asked them to stop advertising before proving their claims. The concoction has Tulsi and Ashwagandha and is more likely to improve immunity than provide magical cure.
Trump has suspended H1B visas till end of this year to protect local jobs. Those opposing this are arguing that America will lose the best talents in the world. Exactly, why should India lose her best talent to USA? We should see this as an opportunity to build world class institutions in our own country.
I was thinking about the Covid statistics that we are beng bombarded with daily. The emphasis on "Total Positive Cases" is alarmist and rather useless. It has only historical value. 135, 796 "Total Positive Cases" from Maharashtra have been reported. Only the fine print says that 45% (61,793) of them are currently active. The remaining have mostly recovered, and a small fraction have passed away. It is the number of currently active cases that should be of interest to people, as they evaluate the risk of resuming their normal life. It is this which will determine their chances of getting a hospital bed in case they catch the bug.
Government has rightly shifted the goal post from reducing the number of cases to reducing the number of fatalities. This policy needs new metrics:
1) Time taken to get an ambulance to go to the hospital
2) Time spent in the triage before a hospital bed is assigned
3) Time taken before oxygen is administered.
Delhi administration plans to provide Pulse Oximeter to all patients in home isolation. They can summon emergency help when the oxygen level falls. A great idea on paper.
Ramdev's Patanjali has created a buzz with the Ayurvedic Coronil. The claims are bombastic and the government has asked them to stop advertising before proving their claims. The concoction has Tulsi and Ashwagandha and is more likely to improve immunity than provide magical cure.
Trump has suspended H1B visas till end of this year to protect local jobs. Those opposing this are arguing that America will lose the best talents in the world. Exactly, why should India lose her best talent to USA? We should see this as an opportunity to build world class institutions in our own country.
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