AstraZeneca – Covishield delayed booster: Classic case of using bad science in the Lancet to make politically convenient decisions

“Modelling analyses showed an increase in vaccine efficacy after two standard doses from 55·1% (95% CI 33·0 to 69·9) with an interval of less than 6 weeks to 81·3% (60·3 to 91·2) with an interval of at least 12 weeks. A single standard dose had an efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 in the first 90 days […]

Managing The Oxygen Crisis: Supply Chain, Rationing and Permanent Solutions

Oxygen is the single most important medicine for moderate-severe COVID patients. COVID as well as non-COVID hospitals are facing an acute shortage of medical oxygen. The reason is not a lack of production of oxygen, but the inadequacy of the distribution network of tankers to transport liquid oxygen from the point of manufacture to the […]

Second Wave and COVID Vaccination: on the MyIndMakers Podcast with Aadit Kapadia

MyIndMakers kindly hosted me on their podcast for a lively discussion with Aadit Kapadia on the second wave of COVID and aspects of mass vaccination that have not been talked about much. If herd immunity is to be reached, at least 70% of population needs to be vaccinated. This is not possible by excluding the […]

Clots due to AstraZeneca vaccine – a reality check

Recent reports of a temporary pause in use of AstraZeneca vaccine due to cases of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in some European countries (Austria, Denmark, Norway and Iceland) have been going viral across the world. India is primarily using this vaccine manufactured locally by Serum Institute of India (Covishield) and hence this issue is of importance […]

COVID-19 Treatment & Vaccination: A Potential Model for Upgrading India’s Public Health System

As the nation’s COVID vaccination program takes off in earnest, a most striking feature has been the near-flawless conduction of the program at government hospitals as well as outsourced COVID facilities. The government’s rollout has received a staggeringly high 97% positive rating by healthcare workers, who were the first to receive the vaccines in the […]