Dheeraj Kalgutkar

  Photo by Kate Trifo on Unsplash   Cases in China are skyrocketing and although they have been doing so for months now, scaremongering in India has only begun recently. Let me not go into why that might be and instead stick to the virus and its shenanigans. Reports from China indicate BF.7 has the strongest infection ability out of the Omicron subvariants in the country, being quicker to transmit than other variants, having a shorter incubation period, and with greater capacity to infect people who have had a previous COVID infection, or been vaccinated, or both.  To put this into context, BF.7 is believed to have an R0, or basic reproduction number, of 10 to 18.6. This means an infected person will transmit the virus to an average of 10 to 18.6 other people. Research has shown Omicron has an average R0 of 5.08.  The high transmission rate of BF.7, taken with the risk of hidden spread due to the many asymptomatic carriers, is understood to be c...

It is six months since the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 was published by Chinese scientists and was available to the world. What has India done since that January should find no excuse in the otherwise legitimate accusation that China did not inform about the novel virus to the world in time or it kept WHO in dark. It is true that China erred and it is also true that there are reasons to scrutinize WHO. But what have we done since it indeed released the information about the virus? For instance, while some countries like Taiwan, South Korea, Japan had cases of probable infection long before China released the vital information, India registered its first case only in late January, long after China had published genome sequence of the virus and WHO had informed the world about such an outbreak. So unlike those countries, and they have it under control now and cases are breaking new records in India, we cannot blame the outbreak on Chinese malfeasance. Whatever situation we are in to...

There are 6,653 cases of COVID-19 in India as of 9 April 11:45 PM. And this is despite India testing the least. And our government is broadcasting these comparative low numbers as some sort of success. Think of this. If India had not tested anyone at all then India would have had zero SARS-CoV-2 positive cases. And the gullible public would have bought even that as the success of their God Modi. People are yet to realise or do not want to indulge in a thought that goes against great leader’s image how the ‘low number of recorded cases across the country might be a result of the government’s strict guidelines on who can be tested.’ The number of cases in India right now is dreary low compared to the world at large but even these numbers are not being managed respectfully. Doctors in India are facing a shortage of PPEs so much so that according to a Reuters report, PPE shortages are forcing some doctors to use raincoats and motorbike helmets. If doctors are facing this, it is not...

Dear Modi supporters, Let me make it easier and clear for you. Remember the ‘Indira is India, India is Indira,’ cry of Congress. Well, you are increasingly imitating those sycophants. No matter who is the leader, India has been India, is and will remain so. Yes, Modi is the popular leader but there are still people in few (or most of) villages who don’t know who Modi is. So calm down. Here is something on Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), mocking India or celebrating India’s defeat in getting breakthrough at Seoul, banning Chinese goods to teach China a lesson they won’t forget and a bit more. First things first, yes China opposed India’s bid to become member nation of NSG but it was not China alone. In addition to China, Switzerland and Brazil, both nations which previously supported India’s claim, withdrew their support. Switzerland, in case you forgot, was the country which our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a tour of. ‘Futile’ is the word you must be looking for. Ap...

Everyone who follows news or not but on social-media platforms knows that something is going on in a part of world called Syria. Few know what it is but don't know why and those who know why too, wonder why US president Obama is pitching for war against state of Syria. This piece is for all such enthusiasts who know bits and wish to explore more. To know exactly what is going on in Syria and why is a challenge in itself. On basic note as New York Times says it: Syria and its history are actually complicated. So mastering its happenings ditto is long, tedious and near impossible task. Let us not deal the same. To begin with, Syria is a country in middle-east, along the eastern shore of Mediterranean Sea with population of 22 million. It is diverse, ethnically and religiously, but most Syrian’ are ethnic Arab and follow Sunni branch of Islam. Presently it is in the middle of extremely violent civil war, fighting between rebels and government forces has killed 100,000 and ...