Dr Priya Abraham was barely two months into her job as the director of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, when her lab stumbled upon a specimen that would later be confirmed as the first Covid positive case in India. Among the Indian Council of Medical Research’s 27 institutes, the NIV’s mandate is to be a watchdog against viral infections. Its microbial containment facility in Pune has been working with the actual living virus of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. In an exclusive interview, Abraham tells THE WEEK about the “trial by fire” at the NIV, the current “relatively quieter” period, the changing behaviour of the virus and why it is too early to bring down one’s guard. Excerpts:
What is your current assessment of the Covid-19 situation?
The virus has not gone away. It is very much in our midst and it is equally highly infectious and transmissible even now. But we need to prevent its fast spread because the quick transmission will encourage the creation of mutations. We are slowly upping the percentage of people who are completely vaccinated. A good number of people are adhering to social measures required to curtail the spread. So we are seeing a lower number of cases across the country, except in some states. Vaccines are extremely effective in preventing serious disease and deaths due to the virus, including the Delta variant, but it is a fact that they are not able to give more than 90 per cent protection against picking up the infection. Hence, following Covid appropriate behaviour is still recommended.
How long can the vaccines protect us?
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin October 17, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin October 17, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
War Over Wounded Earth
For the BJP andthe Congress, the ravaged farmlands of Vidarbha represent a cxitieal battleground in their larger struggle to win Maharashtra
Say no to continual elections
Following the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind to streamline the widely scattered schedule of national, state and local elections, the Union cabinet has reportedly approved two constitutional amendment bills for likely introduction in Parliament. Predictably, the return of the ‘one nation, one election’ issue to news has set off a flurry of objections by several opposition leaders.
Fabulously, fashionably funny
The third season of the Karan Johar-produced Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives dropped on Netflix, but articles criticising the show appear in some news site or the other almost daily. If it is so bad, why keep writing about it? And if it is so bad, why would the superpowers at Netflix, who are harder to meet than the prime minister, commission the show season after season?
All in the family
The Chitaras have been passing down the secret art of Mata Ni Pachedi through generations for more than 400 years now
Raise a toast to Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is a New Year baby. At 45, she is aglow in the most beautiful way, having won the hearts and admiration of countless fans across the world, who watched the supremely talented actor take a public tumble on stage at a high-profile promotional event recently, sharing the platform with no less a dancer than the eternally graceful Madhuri Dixit.
Death no bar
Being alive is not a legal requirement to be elected president of the United States
The Lotus POTUS
You should visit us one of these days— there is so much excitement in our USA! No, I don’t mean the famous USA—the Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association of Mumbai.
RAY OF HOPE
Actor and cancer survivor Lisa Ray talks to oncologist Dr Jame Abraham about inner strength and her surrogacy journey
LEVERAGE AI TO ENHANCE WORK
AT THE WEEK Health Summit, Siddharth Bagga, head (retail, CPG and health care), Google Cloud, elaborated on the significant work that Google has been doing in health care through artificial intelligence (AI).
PRESSURE POINTS
Author and MP Shashi Tharoor and motivational speaker Gaur Gopal Das on how to find healing and meaning in today's world