Posted on Oct 21, 2020
India Covid-19: From losing loved ones to volunteering for a vaccine
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In September, a close friend of Anil Hebbar died of Covid-19 in India's western city of Mumbai after being ferried around three hospitals over five days.
Mr Hebbar, who runs a medical equipment firm, had visited his 62-year-old friend, a well-known social worker, in the intensive care unit, hours before his life ended.
The social worker was not the only friend Mr Hebbar lost during the pandemic. Since March, 10 people he knew well have succumbed to the virus in Mumbai, which quickly emerged as a hotspot. The city has reported more than 230,000 cases so far.
"It was all very overwhelming. I felt this had to stop. That's one reason I decided to volunteer for the Covid-19 vaccine trial," Mr Hebbar, 56, told me.
Earlier this month, he signed himself up for the clinical trials for a vaccine being developed by pharmaceuticals group AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
The vaccine is made from a virus which is a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. It has been genetically changed so that it is impossible to grow in humans, according to Dr Tania Thomas of the Oxford Vaccine Group. It is also one of the most promising Covid-19 vaccines among some 180 being tested around the world. None has yet completed clinical trials. CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana
Mr Hebbar, who runs a medical equipment firm, had visited his 62-year-old friend, a well-known social worker, in the intensive care unit, hours before his life ended.
The social worker was not the only friend Mr Hebbar lost during the pandemic. Since March, 10 people he knew well have succumbed to the virus in Mumbai, which quickly emerged as a hotspot. The city has reported more than 230,000 cases so far.
"It was all very overwhelming. I felt this had to stop. That's one reason I decided to volunteer for the Covid-19 vaccine trial," Mr Hebbar, 56, told me.
Earlier this month, he signed himself up for the clinical trials for a vaccine being developed by pharmaceuticals group AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
The vaccine is made from a virus which is a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. It has been genetically changed so that it is impossible to grow in humans, according to Dr Tania Thomas of the Oxford Vaccine Group. It is also one of the most promising Covid-19 vaccines among some 180 being tested around the world. None has yet completed clinical trials. CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana
India Covid-19: From losing loved ones to volunteering for a vaccine
Posted from bbc.com
Medical
Health
India
Posted 4 y ago
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Although vaccines are for prevention and, not for cure of Covid-19, most await these vaccines hoping to inject this serum into their bodies and win against this deadly virus. This gives us a lot of insight into the human mindset in these trying times.
Coming back to Mumbai. The worst hit areas of this financial hub were slum and densely populated areas of Dharavi, Dadar and Mahim. Andheri, Santa Cruz, Malad and Bandra areas also recorded 1900 cases. People wear masks and exercise good hygiene regimens, yet their idea of social distancing defeats the two-yard separation suggested by medical experts; akin to Trump.
Coming back to Mumbai. The worst hit areas of this financial hub were slum and densely populated areas of Dharavi, Dadar and Mahim. Andheri, Santa Cruz, Malad and Bandra areas also recorded 1900 cases. People wear masks and exercise good hygiene regimens, yet their idea of social distancing defeats the two-yard separation suggested by medical experts; akin to Trump.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Hopefully We'll hear from CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana Always Good to Hear that He is Still Upright, Sucking Air and Taking Nourishment.
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