We will win the battle
The world is racing against a pandemic. But I am sure a suitable vaccine will be invented at the earliest (‘The invisible killer’, May 3). Vaccines are very important in the fight against any disease. Producing a safe and effective vaccine, without any side-effects, is assiduous. Nevertheless, in this case, it is worth the wait.
I believe India will be the first country to come out with a vaccine against Covid-19, as Indian scientists and researchers are the best in the world. We have to make these vaccines affordable for all, and that is going to be a challenge.
Half the battle against coronavirus is already won. Let us wait patiently for some more months, and we will emerge victorious.
Kuldeep Sharma,
On email.
It was interesting to know about Jennifer Haller, the first person in the world to take a trial of Covid-19 vaccine. Like her, even we are confident that a successful vaccine will emerge, whether from her trial or trials in other countries.
In these times of uncertainty, more people should show the willingness to take part in such R&D trials for a speedy result. We will never forget the services rendered by people like Haller.
T. Damodar,
On email.
It was news to me that apart from Covid-19, some other diseases are being prioritised for research and development because of lack of countermeasures. Today it is Covid-19, tomorrow it can be any of the other deadly disease that can hold us to ransom. So, we need to be prepared always. Research on vaccines against all deadly diseases should be an ongoing effort and it should never end.
Devender Tokas,
On email.
Some say we may never get a Covid-19 vaccine. But I do not agree with it. I am hopeful that we will get an effective vaccine this year. More than hundred research groups are pursuing vaccines across the world. So the success rate is that much more. All hundred of them, I am sure, are not going to fail.
All said, we should make sure that there are no serious side-effects in volunteers who have so far had a shot of these vaccines. Their lives are equally precious.
Tanushri Nagori,
On email.
The Covid-19 pandemic, amidst all the devastation it has caused, has brought in a special attention to hygiene and safety practices. The use of masks could well be the new norm. People have to be made aware of the proper use and disposal of masks as they are considered as bio-medical waste and are potential source of further infection.
The decision to designate masks as essential commodities is a welcome move to prevent hoarding and to check price rise. It is also the time to initiate awareness campaigns through mass media, regarding the types of masks for the general public, patients and health care workers, and their proper use and disposal.
R. Venkitachalam,
On email.
The shortage of testing kits is a major obstacle faced by the government while dealing with the pandemic. A feasible solution would be group testing—a technique which involves mixing multiple samples together to create a super sample, which is then tested. If it is negative, all samples are negative. This method was experimented by scientists in Israel and Germany and its efficiency was proved.
It is more effective for countries like India, which stand on the better side of the spectrum with a fairly low rate of infection, when compared with countries like the US, Italy and the UK.
Varsha Sharma,
On email.
Get used to it
The loss of connection with the outside world is unsettling and distressing. But we need to live with it for some time to come, I guess (‘Distance yearnings’, May 3). Even during Emergency, people in India were not used to such curbs and restrictions. The feeling of community is the strongest in India and people like gathering for every other thing.
Social distancing and such norms have been hard for people who have lost their family members during the lockdown. This includes the two actors who died recently. Even their families did not get any special privilege during the lockdown and had to restrict their functions and movements.
I hope and pray that very few people in the country lose their loved ones during this crisis as it is going to make their lives even more miserable.
Gaurav Mathur,
On email.
For the long run
Virtual classrooms are one good thing that have emerged from the lockdown, and will transform India’s education system (‘Screen taught’, May 3). Post Covid-19, the education process in the country will change drastically. Whether we like it or not, we have to live with it.
Students need to take these online classes seriously and not consider it as some fun activity.
Technology, these days, has turned education from teacher-centric to student-centric, which is really good. The impact of the lockdown on the education sector has been minimal, thanks to technology.
Nandu Kishore,
On email.