5 docs in Karnataka get COVID after first vaccine shot, health officials allay fears

COVID-19

The vaccines being provided in India are effective only after the second shot is given. Doctors say people who get the first shot should continue to follow all precautions.

Soumya Chatterjee

IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATION: PTI

Five doctors in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district have tested positive for the novel coronavirus a week after they were administered the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine. However, health authorities and experts have said that this does not mean that the vaccine is ineffective. The Union government and other health authorities in the country have said that both vaccines (Covaxin and Covershield) approved for use in India will be effective only after the second shot, which is to be given 28 days after the first shot. This means that those who receive the first shot of the vaccine should follow all precautions like wearing masks, hand washing and avoiding crowded areas. Further, experts advise that even those who are fully vaccinated — that is, those who have received both shots of the vaccine — should follow all precautions until a significant percentage of the population has been vaccinated. In this instance, local health officials say that it is highly likely that the five doctors had contracted the virus prior to getting the first jab. “All the five doctors are attached to the district hospital and the government medical college here. They are in the 40-50 age group and have mild symptoms. Of the five, some took Covishield while some of them were given by Covaxin last week,” Dr MC Ravi, District Health Officer, Chamrajanagara, told TNM. He added, “It is highly likely that their incubation period of catching the virus had started before they took the vaccine. They were tested only after they started showing symptoms. This issue is not related to vaccination and we are tracing contacts of these doctors.” Experts speak Dr Jacob John, a noted virologist and former professor at Christian Medical College in Vellore, said this development is not surprising. “The vaccine first dose induces immunity very partially only about two weeks later, and that too is yet to be defined very well due to lack of experience. Partial immune response will mean that a serious disease will be rendered milder. But here, the two week period was not available. It is only 5-10 days after the second dose, that the efficacy for Covishield is in the range of 60-70%,” he said. He added, “Here in this case, it means they were probably infected before, or on the day they were given the vaccine. This is because the incubation period is 5-10 days and sometimes up to 14 days.” He further said that those vaccinated should wear masks and follow other COVID-19 guidelines until two weeks from the second shot. “After that there is a small chance that people are protected from disease but not the infection. A transient infection may occur until the disease is very low in the community. The second reason to wear a mask is for discipline and public education,” he added. When asked if these doctors should be given the second shot at a later date, Dr John said that won’t be necessary and they will probably be better protected from getting the infection. Health dept to review development Dr Rajani Nageshrao, State Deputy Director (Immunisation) told TNM that she has sought details on how and when the doctors were given the vaccine shot and when they contracted the infection. She said after gathering the details a meeting will be held with Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Department, and other officials regarding this development. As done in other parts of the country, doctors and other frontline workers are being vaccinated on priority in this first phase of the vaccination drive. According to the state COVID-19 War Room report, Chamarajanagar district has reported 23 cases in the last seven days and has a recovery rate of 97.8% since the onset of the pandemic. The district has a positivity rate of 0.4% and no fatalities in the last 15 days.

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Lifestyle bloggers, TikTokers and docs mount online push to vaccinate America

Health care leaders are relying on social media and local doctors and nurses to battle vaccine skepticism, especially in hard-hit minority communities.

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Polio vaccine for 64 lakh kids in Karnataka on Sunday

Vaccine

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will flag off the polio drive at his home-office in the city centre on Sunday.

IANS

IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATION: PTI

 Amid the Covid pandemic, Karnataka would give polio vaccine to over 64 lakh children across the state on Sunday, said Health Minister K. Sudhakar on Friday. "In the polio vaccination drive on Sunday, 64,07,930 children in the 0-5 age group will be given the medicine through oral drops. All parents should immunize their children," said Sudhakar in a statement here. As the nationwide anti-Covid vaccination drive was launched on January 16, polio vaccination programme was postponed to January 31 from January 17 even in the southern state. Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will flag off the polio drive at his home-office in the city centre on Sunday. "Even if children were vaccinated earlier, they have to be vaccinated again. There will not be any side-effect from it for the kids. The country has been polio-free with no case of the infection over the last 10-11 years," said Sudhkar, a medical doctor by profession. The state health department has over 85-lakh doses of polio vaccine and 1.1-lakh vaccinators. "The health department has formed 6,645 supervisor teams, 904 mobile teams and set up 32,908 booths across the state to administer polio drops to kids," said the minister. Meanwhile, state Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar has urged the Centre to give anti-Covid vaccine to teachers in the next round of its drive, as they have been frontline workers in containing the pandemic through field work. "As thousands of teachers played a key role in containing the virus spread, they should be given the vaccine on priority in recognition of their service over the last nine months," Kumar said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. The teachers were deputed for door-to-door data collection, stressing on the importance of social distancing and assisting healthcare warriors for many allied activities across the state.

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Bengaluru cops book sedition case against Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai and others

Controversy

This is the third such case against them, after they were booked by the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh police earlier this week.

TNM Staff

The police in Bengaluru have registered a sedition case against former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, besides journalists including Rajdeep Sardesai, for their tweets on the death of a protester during the Republic Day farmers’ parade in New Delhi. The other accused in the case are Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath, Anant Nath and Vinod K Jose. Other than sedition, they have been also accused of promoting communal disharmony and insulting religious beliefs. This is the third such FIR (First Information Report) filed against these prominent personalities within a week, after the police in Uttar Pradesh (Noida) and Madhya Pradesh also registered sedition cases against them on the same issue.  The Parappana Agrahara police have booked the former minister and journalists under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 124A (sedition), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 295A ( outraging reli­gious feelings and insulting religion) and 298 (uttering, words, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was registered on Friday by the Parappana Agrahara police based on a written complaint filed by a Rakesh BS, who identified himself as a social worker. Read:Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod K Jose and others booked for sedition Also read: Second FIR against Tharoor, Rajdeep and other journos, this time in Madhya Pradesh Reacting to the FIRs by UP and MP police, the Editors Guild of India had issued a statement condemning the police action and said it was an attempt to "intimidate, harass and stifle" the media. It also asked for such FIRs be withdrawn immediately and said that the media should be allowed to report without fear and with freedom.

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Indigenous fishes have been dwindling in Bengaluru's rivers and lakes

Environment

Experts fear that these varieties could be lost forever as their population has dwindled considerably in recent years.

Girisha

Image for representation: Picxy

Fifteen years ago, Hebbal Lake in Bengaluru was filled with Chelu Meenu, a species of fish known as Singhi in English, with the scientific name Heteropneustes Fossilis. “When harvested, we would find around 50 kg of the fish in a day,” a fisheries officer, who was involved in its production at the time recollected. Today, there are barely any Chelu Meenu left in Hebbal Lake, causing fear that this variety of fish might be gone forever in and around Bengaluru. While wild animals are disappearing from forests owing to destruction of habitat in Karnataka, as many as 32 varieties of indigenous fishes are not to be seen in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the state. Experts fear that these varieties could be lost forever as their population has dwindled considerably in recent years. Observers say that there was no plan to conserve them so far, and hope that adequate plans are drawn up by concerned officials soon. Along with Chelu Meenu, Kuchu (Magur in English), Korava (Asiatic Snake Head), Cat Fishes, Haavu Meenu (Spiny Eel), Baale Meenu (Fresh Water Shark), Owl Meenu (Giant Snake Head) are some of the other varieties of fishes that are on the decline. A source in the Fisheries Department recalled that Haavu Meenu (Snake fish in English) was so tasty that late Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah relished eating it as part of his diet. Another fish variety which was often relished was Kuchhu Meenu, but these varieties are hard to find now. Experts said that instead of focusing on indigenous fishes, the Fisheries Department gave a thrust to fast production of fishes, resulting in indigenous varieties vanishing from rivers and lakes. Nowadays, Rohu and Katla among other varieties, all belonging to Ganga river region, have been bred in state fish farms for consumption. Attention has not been given to indigenous varieties, which are making a slow exit from rivers and lakes. Fishes started to dwindle after fisheries officials began to promote the highly predatory African Catfish among farmers, which grow fast and prey on indigenous varieties, making them disappear at a rapid rate, a fisheries officer said. Seemingly unaware of the dangers that the African Catfish could pose to indigenous fishes, the Fisheries Department brought them to Karnataka from Kolkata. These African Catfishes are native to the River Nile in Egypt and started to feed on indigenous fishes and created havoc before the department could sense the danger, according to observers. However, officers are hopeful that indigenous fishes could be revived in the state, provided the fisheries department draws a plan and hatches them, after collecting them from available regions. These indigenous fishes should be developed and released into rivers and lakes to make their numbers grow, experts said, adding that it should be done once they reach adulthood and grow to about 1.5 inches, to enable breeding. Another reason for indigenous fishes vanishing is unscientific fishing by fishermen, an official said, adding that there were specifications for fishermen to use fishing nets to catch fishes but not all fishermen adhere to the rules and have smaller fishing nets smaller, that catch small fishes, causing their numbers to drop in rivers and lakes. Recently, retired fisheries officer MF Rahman submitted a representation to the Karnataka government, asking it to take steps to revive the population of indigenous fishes in reservoirs, rivers and lakes but nothing substantial has happened, he said. “I have gathered details of each indigenous fish and given it to the state government to revive them in farms but the report has been gathering dust,” Rahman said. When contacted, Joint Director of Fisheries department, Mysuru Narayan said that, “If Karnataka Veterinary, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Sciences University officials come forward to conserve these dwindling indigenous fishes, then Fisheries Department would extend all support to conserve these fishes, before it is too late.” Girisha is a freelancer who writes on wildlife and forests.

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K'taka to come out with new sandmining policy for coastal region

Environment

The minister said that policy will be brought in primarily to counter shortage of sand.

IANS

IMAGE FOR REPRESENTATION: PTI

Karnataka said that it would take steps to introduce a separate sand policy for the coastal region of the state, as per the long-standing demand of the people. Responding to questions during question hour in Assembly here, Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani said on Friday that a separate sand policy will be introduced to help the people of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts in the coastal region. "The construction activities are affected in many parts of the state due to shortage of sand. The government will take necessary steps to prevent such problems in any part of the state," Nirani added. The minister said the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) authority has been instructed to clear 13 sand mounds located along river beds coming under its jurisdiction in 2020-21. "A seven-member District Sand Monitoring Committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner will issue temporary permits to 104 applicants to extract sand from 13 sand mounds for a year," he said. He added that the department had taken a decision to clear the sand mounds along the riverbeds in the CRZ as per the receiving directives from the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change. "The Mines and Geology department would consider only those having temporary permits to clear the sand mounds of 2011-12 and a couple of years prior to that along the riverbeds in the CRZ. The minister said that the state government's aim is to supply quality sand at market price to the people in order to boost construction activities. In a statement released by his office here, he also added that - Mines Adalats - would also be held across the state under which he, along with department officials, would go to divisions to resolve the issues on the spot. Nirani claimed that he has been holding district and state-level meetings with officials after assuming power and was aware of the problems faced by people due to shortage of sand, as he promised to ensure its availability without further delay. Legislators like Venkata Rao Nadagouda of JD(S), BJP's Raghpathi Bhat and Kumar Bangarappa also raised the issue of shortage of sand during question hour and blamed the apathy of officials. The minister assured that sand would be made available to public to spur construction activities and sand auction would be conducted as per the rules.

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Karnataka wants to vaccinate teachers on priority, writes to PM Modi

COVID-19

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar said that teachers also played an effective role in containing the pandemic.

PTI

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Friday appealed to the Union government to treat teachers as frontline workers and include them in the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive as a priority. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, he said the staff of the education department, especially teachers, played a huge role in containing the pandemic through their on-field work, including maintenance of containment zones. "It would be the best recognition of their services if teachers are declared as frontline workers, in terms of getting a vaccine for COVID-19," the minister said in the letter, enclosing a copy of the state Chief Secretary's proposal in this regard. Suresh Kumar said the government had utilised the services of the teachers for door-to-door collection of data, propagating the importance of physical distancing, assisting health staff like never before and for many other allied activities. "Approving the proposal submitted by the Chief Secretary of Karnataka would go a long way in instilling the much needed faith of this community in our system," he said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media in Bengaluru. The vaccination drive started in the state on January 16 and at present covers the medical and paramedical staff in the priority sector. As of Thursday, a total of 2.84 lakh people have been vaccinated in the state in the ongoing phase. The government has said after covering the frontline workers, people with co-morbidities and above 50 years would be given the vaccine. The state government's proposal comes at a time when schools and colleges have started functioning, especially for Class 10, PUC (Pre-University Course) students and second year and final year degree students in the state, since early this month.

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