Covid Vaccines: Why you can’t compare 92% efficiency with 81% efficiency

The only way to fight this deadly pandemic is by vaccinating ourselves. People are people’s cure. With so many companies releasing Covid-19 vaccines, people get confused as to which parameter is to be used while comparing them. Most of them start comparing vaccines based on their efficiency. There is a strong reason behind why you shouldn’t do that.

Parameters to consider
covishield,covaxin,sputnik
Covaxin, Covishield, Sputnik V (left to right)

Let us consider the three most used vaccines in India: Sputnik V, Covaxin, Covishield. The efficacy rates of the three are:

  • Sputnik V- 92%
  • Covaxin-81%
  • Covishield-70%

Based on this data, one may conclude that Sputnik V is the best and Covishield the worst. But before reaching this conclusion, let us consider some more important specifications.

Sputnik V vaccine:

Sputnik V is an adenoviral based Russian made vaccine, used against Covid-19. It works by introducing a weakened virus into the body so that they don’t immediately replicate and cause disease. Instead it prepares our immune system so that when the real virus attacks, the severity can be minimum to none. It requires two doses, with a 21 day interval between.

The trials were conducted on volunteers from Russia from June 2020 to Nov 2020 against the original and UK variant Covid-19. 19,000 volunteers from Russia participated in the trial, so trials were not done on Indian people.

Covaxin:

Covaxin was developed by India’s National Institute of Virology (NIV). It works by introducing a dead Covid virus into the body, thus enabling the immune system to develop a response, and this method is often considered safe. It was first trialed on animals, and then proceeded to human trials. It requires two doses, with a 4-6 week interval between.

The trials were conducted on volunteers from India from June 2020 to Jan 2021 against both the original and UK variant virus. Trials were done on a total of 26,000 volunteers.

Covishield:

Covishield was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. It works by introducing a weakened version of a common cold adenovirus into the body and triggers an immune response. It requires two doses, with a 4-8 week interval between.

The trials were conducted on volunteers from USA from August 2020 to December 2020 against the original virus only. Trials were done on a total of 30,000 volunteers.

As it can be observed, all three vaccine trials were conducted under different time periods, in different countries, on people of different nationalities on different variant viruses. Thus comparing them solely on the efficiency rates alone is not fair.

So which one to choose?

The answer to this question is that all three do their jobs as specified. There is no single ‘perfect’ vaccine. So instead of waiting for a vaccine with higher efficiency rate, try to vaccinate yourself as soon as possible. The goal of a vaccine is not to prevent you from getting Covid-19, but to reduce its severity, thus reducing severe symptoms and death.

Evidently, no vaccinated individual during the trials were hospitalized when they got Covid-19. The intake of medicines prescribed by their doctors, good food and isolation cured them. Hence this is proof that vaccination reduces the severity of the virus. Do not be under the false pretense that once vaccinated, Covid-19 cannot affect you and hence do not roam out. You maybe vaccinated, but other may not be. So do not be the cause of their attack.

This post was written with the intention of debunking the false hope of people that better efficiency rate equals better vaccine. So vaccinate yourself when you get the chance instead of waiting for the perfect vaccine. Be safe and be home. Let us together win this battle and soon return back to normal.

India achieves major milestone in Corona Vaccination; Over 21 Crore doses administered

India has crossed a major landmark in Covid-19 vaccination. More than 21 Crore Cumulative Vaccine Doses have been administered in the country so far. Health Ministry said, vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy of the Government for containment and management of the pandemic, along with Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour.

The Ministry said that more than 28 lakh nine thousand beneficiaries were inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine doses yesterday. Out of which more than 25 lakh 11 thousand beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and around three lakh beneficiaries received 2nd dose of the vaccine. The Ministry said, more than 14 lakh 15 thousand beneficiaries of the age group 18 to 44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine yesterday and more than nine thousand beneficiaries of the same age group received their second dose of vaccine.

Cumulatively, over one crore 82 lakh persons across 37 States and Union Territories have received their first dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive. The Ministry said, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have administered more than 10 lakh beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years for the first dose of COVID vaccine.

Centre liberalises insurance compensation schemes under ESIC, EPFO

Centre has enhanced and liberalised the insurance compensation schemes under Employees State Insurance Corporation and Employees Provident Fund Organization with a view to mitigate the financial difficulties faced due to death of single earning member in the family. The decision on the relief measures were taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an important meeting held in New Delhi yesterday.

Under the relief measures announced, benefit of ESIC pension scheme for employment related death cases has been extended to even those who have died due to COVID. Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from 24th of March of last year and for all such cases till 24th of March next year.

Additionally, the insurance benefits under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) have been enhanced to seven lakh rupees. The provision of minimum insurance benefit of two lakh 50 thousand rupees has been restored and will also apply retrospectively from 15th of February last year for the next three years. To benefit families of contractual and casual workers, the condition of continuous employment in only one establishment has also been liberalized.

The benefit under the relaxed norms will be made available to families of even those employees who may have changed jobs in the last 12 months preceding their death.

Prime Minister announces financial aid for children orphaned by Covid-19

In a major relief announcement extending much needed support for the children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday approved slew of measures under PM-CARES for Children scheme, including free education and an amount of 10 lakh rupees on attaining the age of 23, among others.

The Prime Minister chaired an important meeting to discuss and deliberate on steps which need to be taken to support children who have been orphaned due to COVID-19. Mr. Modi emphasized that children represent the future of the country and the country will do everything possible to support and protect the children so that they develop as strong citizens and have a bright future. He stressed that in such trying times, it is our duty as a society, to care for our children and instill hope for a bright future.

All children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to COVID-19 will be supported under PM-CARES for Children scheme.

Under the PM-CARES for Children scheme contribution will be done through the PM CARES Fund till the age of 18 years to create a corpus of 10 lakh rupees for each child orphaned due to COVID-19. The beneficiary will be given a monthly stipend for five years from 18 years of age till he completes 23 years. On attaining the age of 23, the full amount of 10 lakh rupees will be transferred to the beneficiary for his professional or personal use.

Ensuring free education to such Kids, under this scheme, children under 10 years of age will be given admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas and private schools whereas provision has been made for educating kids between 11 to 18 years of age in residential schools including Sainik Schools and Navodaya Vidyalayas. Expenditure on uniform, text books and notebooks for beneficiary kids will be done through PMCARES Fund. Students going for higher education will also be assisted to get education loans and scholarships.

All children beneficiaries will be enrolled under Ayushman Bharat Scheme with a health insurance cover of five lakh rupees, the premium for which will be paid by the PM CARES Fund.

PM Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio at 11 AM today. It will be the 77th episode of the monthly radio programme. It will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News website www.newsonair.com and newsonair Mobile App.

It will also be streamed live on the YouTube channels of AIR, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry. AIR will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast. The regional language versions will be repeated at 8 in the evening.

5 tips to improve your personality

Do you remember someone from a party long back who had an everlasting impression on you because of their charismatic presence? It might happen at times that you meet people with great personalities and persona. This might want you to leave a similar impact on the people around you as well. It is always great to develop your personality and attitude which makes you more likeable. This is also why we keep looking for tips and ideas to keep improving our personality. Developing your personality means improving your behaviour and other personal traits, which makes people want to be with you. Personality should not be confused with looking beautiful or handsome, instead its the way you carry yourself and the impact you make in a room full of people. Wherever you go, be it to any competition or interview or even a social event, your personality plays a very important role in your success and growth. This is why brushing up your personality is important. While there also are a lot of personality development courses available, following these tips might help you develop your personality yourself-

  1. Dress well –

The way you carry yourself is very important in making a mark on the people you are around. Would you want to be around someone who wears un-ironed, shabby unclean clothes? That makes the person in front of you feel that you have taken no effort to look presentable. Dressing well is very important to make that first impression count.

2. Communication skills –

Talk politely, yet be interesting. Being able to engage the other person in the conversation while keeping it flowing is important. Keep brushing up your knowledge to help you be well-equipped with all the information required to keep conversations meaningful. 

3. Self-belief –

Self-belief is a very important factor determining one’s personality. You will only interest another person or make a mark on them when they remember you as someone who is strong-headed and trusts their actions. Having self-belief is extremely essential, it gives off an intoxicating aura. That captivates others and want them to be around you.

4. Not fearing change –

Remember change is the only constant. Sticking to something just because you are comfortable and you fear change will never let you grow. Embrace the change, because only when things change do they improve too. Remember you are the author of your life, and you have the power to carve for yourself the personality that you aspire to be. Do not fear and be open to changes in life.

5. Be confident and positive –

Be confident – as that makes you ready for all challenges in life and also the other spheres of life. It makes you reach your full potential, as you do not question your abilities. Have a confident attitude and positive mindset and that will reflect in the way you look at things, be it the most difficult problems. This mindset will surely have a positive impact on your body language and the way you tackle your problems, enhancing your personality.

Should smoking be prohibited?

Smoking is one of the greatest killers of mankind in the present day world. It causes various diseases like asthma, lung cancer, bronchitis and leads to millions of untimely deaths annually all over the world. But still people become its slave. To create awareness of its harmful effects, statutory warnings like “Smoking is injurious to health” is displayed in every cigarette packet and hoarding advertising for cigarettes.

The problem of smoking has to be viewed from different angles. Banning of smoking by legislation will not only remove this potential source of health hazard but also result in useful monetary savings to the consumers. But this will have an adverse effect on the economy. The entire tobacco industry will have to be closed down, throwing large number of people into unemployment. Government also will lose substantially in excise revenues.

The situation creates a vicious circle in which millions of people are killed by an industry that supports another few millions for their economic survival. But life is certainly more precious. Attempt should, therefore, be made to ban smoking in stages. People dependent on tobacco industry for their livelihood are to be provided with alternative means for economic support.

LIVE-IN-RELATIONSHIP

The Invisible Parts of Your Relationship. - Kim CochraneKim Cochrane

INTRODUCTION

Live-in-relationship means where the partners live together as husband and wife without marriage. It involves continuous cohabitation between the partners without any responsibilities or obligations towards each other. It resembles like marriage but in actual it is little bit different as marriage is a sacred bond accepted by the society whereas on the other hand live-in-relationship is not accepted by the society at large till now.

Change is the law of nature and where right we should change ourselves a bit over time like we have started changing our perspective on live-in-relation. As we live in a society where our customs, rituals, ceremonies, traditions, etc. matter a lot so it will take some time to accept this emerging concept at large.

 

 

 

LAW IN INDIA ON LIVE-IN-RELATIONSHIPS

A BOND BY HEART OR BY KNOT” A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ON MARRIAGE AND LIVE IN RELATIONSHIP | RACOLB LEGAL

Marriages are governed by the personal laws of the parties to which they belong but there is no uniform code for Live-In-Relationship. There is neither any law relating to Live-in-relationship nor any enactment which can determine the rights and obligations of the parties living as partners. It is nowhere defined in the law but if two major consenting adults are living together without marriage for a long span of time it is not illegal or unlawful. However, court has interpreted this concept in various judgements. By interpreting it, court ascertained certain rights and is amending the existing legislations so that misuse of such relations can be prevented.

VARIOUS LEGISLATIONS

  • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT,2005 : The provisions of the act are now extended to those who are in live-in-relationships as well. The amendments intend to protect the victims of domestic abuse in live-in-relation. Legislature has given the rights and protection to the females not legally married but living with a male individual in a relationship having resemblance of marriage. A woman who is in live-in-relationship can now seek the legal remedy against her partner in case of abuse or harassment.

Section 2 (f) of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 defines :

Domestic Relationship means a relationship between two persons who live or have, at any point of time, lived together in a shared household, when they are related by consanguinity, marriage, or through a relationship in the nature of marriage, adoption or are family members living together as a joint family.

Section 2 (g) of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 provides :

A relationship between the two individuals who live together or have lived together in the past is considered as a domestic relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EVIDENCE ACT,1872 : It raises the presumption of the existence of the fact.

Section 114 of the Evidence act,1872 says :

The court may presume the existence of any fact which it thinks likely to have happened, regard being given to the common course of natural events, human conduct and public and private business, in a relation as to the facts of the particular case. Therefore, where a man and a lady live respectively for a long time as a couple then there would be an assumption of marriage between the two.

 

 

 

 

 

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE,1973 : 

The Supreme Court of India has confirmed the proposition in Velusamy vs. Patchaiammal case that a woman who was in a live-in-relationship with man not legally wedded is not entitled to claim maintenance under Section 125 of Criminal Procedure Code. However, if such a woman proves that she was in domestic relationship with the man in the nature of marriage would be entitled to claim maintenance under Section 20 (3) of Protection of Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHILDREN BORN OUT OF LIVE-IN-RELATIONSHIP :

Legal Rights of a Child Born in a Live-In Relationship

In January 2008, the Supreme Court held that children born out of live-in-relationships will not be considered as illegitimate.

In Vidyadhari v Sukhrana Bai, the Supreme Court passed a landmark judgement wherein the Court granted inheritance to the children born from the live in relationship in question and ascribed them the status of “legal heirs”.

  • Maintenance can also be claimed by a child born out of such live-in-relationship under section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code,1973.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPREME COURT OBSERVATIONS AND JUDGEMENTS :

  • In the landmark case of S.Khushboo vs. Kanniammal (2010), the Supreme Court held that a live-in-relationship comes within the ambit of right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The court further held that live-in-relationships are permissible and the act of two major living together cannot be considered as illegal or unlawful.

 

  • In Lata Singh vs. State Of U.P & Anr., AIR 2006, the Supreme Court of India observed that live-in-relationship between two consenting adults of heterogenic sex does not amount to any offence (exception adultery which is decriminalized now) , even though it may be perceived as immoral.

 

 

  • In Indra Sarma vs. V.K.V.Sarma (2013), the Supreme Court observed that live-in-relationship like relations are neither a crime nor a sin though socially unacceptable in this country. The decision to marry or not to marry or to have a heterosexual relationship is intensely personal. 

 

  • In its recent judgement in the case of Pardeep Singh and Anr. vs. State Of Haryana

the Punjab & Haryana High Court : Live-In-Relationships not prohibited; such persons are entitled to equal protection of laws. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION 

Live-in-relationships are not illegal or unlawful, if the two consenting adults are living together for a long period of time and that too without marriage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pride and Prejudice Novel by Jane Austen – Book Review

   A novel that is relevant at all the times is “pride and prejudice ” . This novel was written by Jane Austen in 1813. 

You might have read this book at some point in your life time because this book has constantly appeared in the top lists of the famous novels. It is one of the most popular novels in English literature  with 29 million copies sold The very  first line in this book is very catchy line and it had has inspired many people.” It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of wife”. And, of course, a single woman in search of good fortune must equally be in want of a husband. These lines were true for all the characters in this book. Once if you read this book , you left with nothing but  a new out look on life , prejudicing  someone is results in great destruction and you could understand what true love means.  

  The story in this novel is beautifully written.  This is a romantic novel.  Though it is a romantic novel, the knowledge or the theme that we gained from this novel is more. The plot of the story is marrying for love, not for money or social prestige.   

   The author also focuses on the social problems. The plot of this novel is the development of relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr.Darcy. Mr.Bennet was the owner of Longburn state. He didnot have sons to inherit his property,  so the property will directly goes to his cousin William Collins. Mr.and Mr.Bennets main motive is to get married to their five adolescent daughters. He wanted atleast one of his daughters to marry well , so that one can support others if his father is no more. There came Mr.Bingley, the new tennant of Netherfield Park arrived with his two sisters and his friend, Mr. Darcy. After knowing this, Mrs.Bennet wanted one of his daughters to get married to the  wealthy men. People found that two friends personalities are quiet different. Bingley is a  good- tempered and kind man where as Darcy is unfriendly and  unapproachable. Bingley loves Jane and loves to dance with her but Darcy on the other have who looks all the women with disdain and said that he doesn’t Elizabeth is  pretty enough to dance with him. There was a misunderstanding happened between them. The excessive pride of  one and the  prejudice of other certainly splitted them apart. At the end, Darcy won all the readers heart.   

This story also reverses the statement ‘first impression is the best’.Though this book contains an element of humor,  they also deals with an issue that the author’s contemporaries  would have seen as of significance. The simple  plot and the dissimilar characters makes the book even more attractive.    

There  are few  flims  based on this novel pride and prejudice and won few awards. If you didn’t read the book or not interested in reading books just watch the flim based on this novel. This is the one of the bestest  novels that I have read.The way she used the words to express their love towards each other is alluring.

Future of English

English has a huge space in world of communication. Various factors opened the way of English toan international level. Historical and political reasons are there. The establishment of colonies in various parts of the world allowed the entry of English into those countries. As the language of the rulers, English got more acceptance in a large number of countries where English was introduced as a foreign language particularly suitable to use as a language for higher education and also as a link between two persons from different places.The international organization like the UN, the UNESCO, WHO, and so on accepted English as their medium. The world leaders who speak different languages felt the need for a common language, and the lot fell on English. English is also the medium of International Airtraffic. English is a rich language with rich literature. Books on science and technology are available in plenty in English, and so it is the best medium for education in these subjects. English is spoken as the first language in several countries. It is used as a second language or a foreign language in almost all other countries. So now English has a vast realm to reign.but what would be the future of this language?
The course of the English language is going to be influenced by those who speak it as a
second or foreign language as by those who speak it as a mother tongue. The total number of mother-tongue speakers in the world is steadily falling when it compared to the number of second language speakers. As the numbers grow, and second/foreign speakers gain in national and international prestige, it is likely that some of the traditional rules of concord change according to the fashion of New Englishes .The new varieties of English will become powerful and prestigious. Though there are few studies about this, we can see several of these linguistic features increasing in their respective countries. New words are introduced and these words first come with some effort but soon become popular through the continuous use of the same.In the past it was wrong to use the language like this, But today the new words will be accepted as correct usage. Thus linguistic features are raised from a national level to an international level. These days, regional national varieties of English increasingly are being used with prestige at the international level.And the nature of the reaction also well illustrates the nature of the problem which all New Englishes encounter, in their early stages.English is developing as a strong non-native presence and at all levels. There is a trend around the English speaking world to approve many expressions that were penalized as local and low class. How far this trend develops depends on economic and social factors more than anything else. If the people who use these new varieties become more influential, attitude will change and shortly we shall find ourselves an English language that contains large areas of contact influenced vocabulary borrowed from other languages.There are constant change in English which made by the speakers especially the second language speakers of English.Some of them considered it as degrading one language,but linguists accepting it as positive.We have to understand the fact that the growth of this language all over the world is due it’s nature to accept all the changes!Do you think there will be englishes for each country in the future?

Lakshadweep in Danger ?

 

Lakshadweep, the group of 36 islands is located 400 km away from Malabar coast. The Island is full of exotic and sun-kissed beaches and lush green landscape. It is known for its beautiful Lagoons and coral reefs. ‘Kavaratti’ the capital of Lakshadweep is also known as ‘Coral paradise’. 

 

India’s smallest Union Territory Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km. The territory comprises of 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and ten inhabited islands. The islands have a total area of 32 sq km. All Islands are 220 to 440 km away from the coastal city of Kochi in Kerala, in the emerald Arabian Sea. The natural landscapes, the sandy beaches, abundance of flora and fauna and the absence of a rushed lifestyle enhance the mystique of Lakshadweep. 

 

Politically, Lakshadweep is very different from rest of the country. These Islands are represented by a Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha who is Mohammad Faizal of NCP currently. They have local self government or Panchayats and an administrator appointed by the President of India. The residents of Lakshadweep Islands take pride in the way they follow their cultural traditions while maintaining and preserving the rich treasure of abundant wildlife. 

 

The Islands have special provisions that are different from rest of the country. Special permission is required from the administration for non-residents to visit the Islands. Also, Liquor is banned in all the places in these Islands. There are restrictions on outsiders buying land here. Recently there has been widespread protests in these Islands and the #savelakshadweep has flooded the social media posts. 

 

This article will provide you with all the insights about ongoing protests in Lakshadweep- 

 

These protests started after Dineshwar Sharma an IPS officer and administrator of Lakshadweep died in December 2020. From a very long time this position has always been occupied by prominent civil servants from all across the country. But this time a politician and administrator of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Praful K Patel was appointed as administrator here. Praful Patel was an MLA in Gujrat in 2007 here. In 2010 he was made Minister of State Home of Gujrat by Narendra Modi. In 2014 when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister he was made Administrator of Daman and Diu. In 2016 he was appointed as administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli too. 

 

After his appointment as administrator many reforms were made without consultation of people’s representatives which the people are finding autocratic. 

 

Beef ban – Residents of Lakshadweep are known to value beef culturally and are mostly non-vegetarian. But the administrator has closed down all dairy shops and has proposed to ban slaughter, transportation and selling of beef products. 

 

Destroying links with Kerala- Kerala and Lakshadweep are known to have close links with their culture and traditions being alike. Located at about 175 nautical miles from Kerala, the people of Island are known to depend on Kerala for educational and medical facilities. But according to some residents administrators new decisions will allegedly destroy this link and affect the local residents. 

 

Powers of Panchayat taken away– The Powers of Panchayat to take decisions has been taken away according to new Lakshadweep Panchayat staff rules from major sectors like Education, Healthcare, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries sectors. Centralizing powers in these major areas implies imposing decision of single person over residents of Island which violated the very essence of Democracy. Also, persons having two or more than two children have been made ineligible to contest elections which will make most of the people to participate in decision making process. Island which has neither a high fertility rate nor overpopulation has been imposed with such law. 

 

Rising Coronavirus cases– Lakshadweep till previous year was the only place in India with zero Covid-19 cases. This was because of the stringent rules of testing and 14 days Quarantine. But when rules were changed by administrator demanding only RT- PCR report before entering Island coronavirus cases began surging and according to the reports have crossed 6000 marks. 

 

Prevention of Anti-Social activities law– According to this new law anyone can be detained without public disclosure for upto one year. Lakshadweep Development authority regulation- This reform would allow for orderly progressive development of land in urban and rural areas. 

This will also involve building, mining, quarrying and other operations which would lead to destruction of ecologically rich Island. This would also allows for a ‘plan’ which will indicate land or zones that can be identified for parks, industries, residential or commercial use, national highways, arterial roads and so on. Under section 72, it also gives power to the Planning and Development Authority to evict anyone who is found to occupy land under a final scheme formulated under the proposed law. “If the Planning and Development Authority is opposed or impeded in evicting such person or taking possession of the land from such person, the District Magistrate shall, at the request of the Planning and Development Authority, enforce the eviction of such person or secure delivery of possession of the land to the Planning and Development Authority,” the draft says.   

 

The residents of Lakshadweep have been protesting for a few months now. The way in which cultural and territorial rights of these people have been harmed is mindless and will harm the only ecologically flourished place Lakshadweep.         

 

Hand Hygiene

 

                    HAND HYGIENE


Hands have been known to be involved in many infectious disease outbreaks especially in nurseries, neonatal units, intensive care units and other hospital settings. This happens because hands of medical personnel may be transiently infected with pathogenic organisms from infected patients or environment, and thus these can be transmitted to other patients. Therefore, hand hygiene is very important in keeping the health care associated infections at minimum.

Types of Hand Hygiene Techniques-

1.   Routine hand washing

2.   Hygienic hand care

3.   Surgical hand washing or hand scrub

 

1. Routine Hand Washing

It involves washing of hands with soap and water. It removes most transient microorganisms from the hands. Routine hand washing should be performed in the following conditions:

·         Before and after contact with patients,

·         Before wearing and after removing gloves,

·         After wound dressing,

·         After contact with body fluids of patients,

·         After handling devices for patient care or having contact with inanimate objects in and around patient.

 

2. Hygiene Hand Care


      ·         Wash hands with soap and water by rubbing hands in the six                    movements by covering all surfaces of hands.

·         Rinse hands with water.

·         Dry hands with single-use towel.

            Alcohol based method

·         When alcohol-based hand rub solution instead of soap, dry hands are required.

·         Wash hands with soap and water by rubbing hands in the six movements by covering all surfaces of hands.

·         Rinse hands with water.

No towel is required for drying as alcohol evaporates in the environment.

 

3. Surgical Hand Washing or Hand Scrub

·         It requires more time for washing than hygiene hand care.

·         Besides hands, wrists and forearms are also included for washing.

·         For drying, sterile towels are used.

 

Indian scenario

In India, the quality of healthcare is governed by various factors, the principal amongst these being whether the health care organization is government or private-sector run. There is also an economic and regional disparity throughout the country. About 75 per cent of health infrastructure, medical manpower and other health resources are concentrated in urban areas, where 27 per cent of the population lives. There is a lack of availability of clean water for drinking and washing. Like in other developing countries, the priority given to prevention and control of HCAI is minimal. This is primarily due to lack of infrastructure, trained manpower, surveillance systems, poor sanitation, overcrowding and understaffing of hospitals, unfavorable social background of population, lack of legislations mandating accreditation of hospitals and a general attitude of non-compliance amongst health care providers towards even basic procedures of infection control. In India, although hand hygiene is imbibed as a custom and promoted at school and community levels to reduce the burden of diarrhea, there is a paucity of information on activities to promote hand hygiene in HCFs. Sporadic reports document the role of hands in spreading infection and isolated efforts at improving hand hygiene across the country.

The practice of compulsory training on standard precautions, safe hospital practices and infection control for all postgraduates upon course-induction, as is being done in a few Delhi medical colleges seems very promising for our country. Such an exercise may be made mandatory across all medical and nursing colleges of India, especially since the “patient safety” is increasingly being prioritized by the Government of India and the country being one of the 120 signatories pledging support to the WHO launched world alliance (available

at http://www.who.int/patientsafery/events/06/statememts/India_pledge.pdf).

 

Conclusion

Hand washing should become an educational priority. Educational interventions for medical students should provide clear evidence that HCWs hands become grossly contaminated with pathogens upon patient contact and that alcohol hand rubs are the easiest and most effective means of decontaminating hands and thereby reducing the rates of HAIs. Increasing the emphasis on infection control, giving the charge of infection control to senior organizational members, changing the paradigm of surveillance to continuous monitoring and effective data feedback are some of the important measures which need to be initiated in Indian hospitals.

One of the reasons microbes have survived in nature is probably their simplicity: a simple genomic framework with genetic encryption of basic survival strategies. To tackle these microbes, human beings will have to follow basic and simple protocols of infection prevention. The health care practitioners in our country need to brace themselves to inculcate the simple, basic and effective practice of hand hygiene in their daily patient care activities and serve as a role model for future generations of doctors, nurses and paramedical personnel.

A love quote!

 

We,the people are surrounded by love.Love is everywhere around and means to be everything.The first true love we witnessed is the mother love which is unexpected in return,meant to be only giving…lucky are the ones who get! Everyone in their life has one person who is meant to be their whole world!That person has the key to our all kind of emotions.When we have met them for the first time,we wouldn’t have been realised that they gonna be this important to us!But later we do.

We used to care them,accepting their flaws,always worrying and thinking about their safety and welfare,being a needy support,always wanted to hear their voice and to be with them,used to say sorry first though it’s not our fault,having belief and hopes on them,doing each &everything for them with care, valuing their feelings and respect them,giving often chances to rectify their mistakes,getting refreshed with a smile on their face,making them feel better,feeling liberal,wanting to share everything, accepting &loving them as they are,trying our level best to keep them happy always,not even a single day passes without thinking about….And moreover loving them unconditionally!

The moment when we feel that magic, when we have really started exploring ourselves,finding ourselves to be a newly flourished one,freshly born again…..the day when we fall in love with them despite their flaws,when they become only our dreams,feels extremely difficult to forget& hard while missing them,being true to them,when they made you feel contented and serene,who knows us like they know their soul….

The moment when we just know that we will never be able to replace them if they left,when we used to sacrifice everything for them unintentionally,when we afraid of losing them and not even think to go to the extreme end,the moment when we never used to give up on them…that moment when we realize that we have been already changed and started dedicating our lives to them,when we blindly believe that-in them lies happiness,under their palm lies our world, everything within them…..ask yourself,who’s that one person? For whom we have been changed this a lot? On finding our answer we might come to know about that one person of our life!

With whom we are connected deeply and soulfully!It takes someone really special to make us smile with tears in our eyes.The greatest gift is the time we give ,we are giving our portion of life that we’ll never get back. We cannot see the beautiful things,it must be felt by our whole heart!

Love is a hidden treasure,we never know we have it until someone special explore &reveals it. Love is all about only giving,love is where ,our heart is.

Is coding an absolute necessity for kids starting from 1st grade?

The world is moving at a fast pace. And adults try their best to match the pace, but often they cannot because such is the development consuming the world. While 25 year olds are still trying to earn a place in this highly competitive salary race, what about 5 year olds? You would have seen many advertisements endorsed by popular celebrities saying that kids should start coding right from age 5. The tender age where they should be chasing a butterfly, they are to sit before computers. And not just learn coding, but also aim to be the stalwart that companies should be hounding after.

The biggest scam

Coding is an integral part of the digital world and of course, everything is done with the help of it. But that alone is not enough to incentivize parents into signing up their 5 and 6 year olds to coding classes. These ‘education’ platforms supposedly charge a hefty amount from parents just by some flashy marketing and advertising. You would’ve come across ads where a company allegedly claims that a 2nd grader bagged a 1.2-150 crore job from Google. It is definitely hard to believe(it has been proved that the claims are bogus) and at the same time, saddening that kids are now forced to enter the salary race.

Why coding isn’t the only thing in picture

child in front of laptop

The deeper unsettling fact is that parents are put up in such a situation where they feel bad for not signing up their kids. Think about what any parent would do if they hear that any child has the capability to design an app and can bag a place in top firms. They will readily sign up their kids, thinking they are going to secure their child’s life. But, what they don’t know is that, there is time. 1st grade or even 8th grade is not the age for children to learn the fundamentals of a for loop construct. It is the age where they are to learn the world, the surroundings, and their presence.

It is when languages should be given importance to. No, not programming languages, but the languages which lets them express their opinion to the world and which lets them explore the richness of their culture. It is when social and democratic sciences should be learnt, letting them know about their ancestral world.

It is also when values and ethics should be imparted into them, not by texts, but by making them experience it in a situation where it is put into test. While there is so much to learn about, forcing them to create a video game application not only burdens them with unnecessary information, but it also limits their creativity by directing it into one field only.

A note to parents

One thing parents must hardwire into their mind is that, coding alone cannot land you a job in Google or Microsoft. It is just another tool to put an idea into implementation. By introducing kids to coding at an early age, the ‘idea’ part gets subdued. There is no particular age to start coding. It is a gradual process.

We may not be aware, but every individual is already coding, no matter their knowledge in computer science. The literal meaning of coding is: to use a particular system for identifying things. As kids, as adults we already incorporate it in daily life when a kid arranges his play blocks in a certain manner or when adults have a particular system of doing their chores.

creativity
Let children explore their creativity. Source: Deposit Photos

Hence everyone can code if they have the interest to do so. The reason kids shouldn’t be obliged to learn coding at an early age is to allow them to have the time to identify their interests. So as parents, the least you can do is by providing them that right. The right to choose things that delight them. The right to choose it for themselves instead of pushing it down their throats at an age where they don’t even recognize it. Do not let falsified ads ruin childhood. Let them decide for themselves who they want to be. Until then, enjoy their transition. Because they are going to be kids only once.

You have a lifetime to work. But children are only young once.