Hindi English Translation || Editorial || A measured response: On the Omicron threat

A measured response: On the Omicron threat

Omicron should not set off (cause, lead to, bring about, give rise to; trigger/spark off) panic; while more infectious, data show it as less virulent (विषैला, अत्यधिक संक्रामक)

The threat posed (खड़ा करना, गठन, वर्तमान, निर्माण) by Omicron is tenuous (तुच्छ, मामूली, अपर्याप्त) and it will still be a few weeks before a comprehensive (व्यापक, सर्व-समावेशी, व्यापक-आधारित) understanding of it emerges, but what is known unambiguously (स्पष्ट रूप से, सुस्पष्ट ढंग से) is that this latest variant (प्रकार, असंगति) of the coronavirus is extremely infectious. Nearly 50 countries now have reported its presence within their borders but insight (निरीक्षण, समझ, अहसास) into its effects is available only from South Africa. A preliminary analysis of patients in Tshwane district, in Gauteng Province (प्रान्त, क्षेत्र, राज्य) of South Africa, which has been the global epicentre (उपरिकेंद्र) of the Omicron-led fourth wave, suggests that despite its infectiousness (संक्रमणता), Omicron is less deadly (घातक, प्राणघातक) than other variants that have led the country’s previous three waves. When 166 new admissions were analysed, there were 10 deaths in the past two weeks, making up 6.6% of the 166 admissions. By comparison (when compared, comparatively, in comparison, proportionately), the death rates in previous waves ranged from 17%-23%. The major caveat (चेतावनी, सावधानी), as scientists who are part of the South African Medical Research Council point out (इशारा करना, इंगित करना, ध्यान आकर्षित करना), is that patterns could rapidly change in the next two weeks as it takes nearly a month for infection to reveal its worst-case outcome of death, and so the current data of two weeks are insufficient. Trends in hospitalisation (the act of taking (or) admitting someone to (or) in hospital for treatment) too are encouraging (promising, hopeful, favourable), the scientists say.

Finally, the third piece (example, instance, occurrence, case; report) is that an overwhelmingly (with a great majority; to a very great degree) large number of those needing intensive care were unvaccinated (not vaccinated to provide immunity against a disease). Of 38 adults in the COVID wards, six were vaccinated (inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease)), 24 were unvaccinated and eight had unknown vaccination (treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization) status. Of nine patients with COVID pneumonia (pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It is treatable and preventable), eight are unvaccinated. Therefore, the prevalent (widespread, common, general, ordinary) wisdom (knowledge, understanding, insight, discernment, perception) that despite being highly infectious, vaccination — it is not clear if those in the wards were fully or partially vaccinated — significantly (notably, importantly, crucially) protected against disease and death. But vaccination trends in South Africa are not encouraging. Only about 30% of the country has had one dose (an amount/quantity of something (a medicine/drug) prescribed to be taken at a specific time) and only 25% fully vaccinated. Reports have suggested that the South African government has actually had to delay vaccination because it claimed it had “too much stock”, underlining (emphasize, underscore, highlight) that problems of vaccine hesitancy (a reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or to have one’s children vaccinated; reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines) or easy access for the greater part of the population was a challenge. As observed in previous waves, the first line of defence (a method of defending oneself) — or neutralising antibodies (it is also called ‘immunoglobulin’; a protective protein produced mainly by plasma (blood) cells in the immune system in response to the presence of antigens (disease causing organisms (bacteria & viruses) and other harmful/toxic foreign substances like insect venom)) produced as a result of a prior infection or vaccination — was significantly reduced when confronted with (tackle, face, grapple with, try to deal/cope with) the Beta or Delta variants (Formally known as AY.2 or B.1.617.2, it’s a variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is renamed as the ‘Delta variant’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) and this variant is reclassified as Variant of Concern (VOC). The B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant “Kappa”). The same appears to be the case with Omicron, but the second line of defence, or cellular (an immune response that does not involve antibodies, but rather driven by activation of T cells) immunity, continues to be effective from the extant (present, still existing, remaining, enduring) evidence. Hence, the lesson for the world continues to be that rather than (instead of) focus on the novelty (originality, newness, freshness) of Omicron, it is wiser to double up on (use/do twice as many of something) efforts to completely vaccinate people and then, based on the evidence, consider booster or subsequent (following, ensuing, future, successive) doses.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.measured (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मापा हुआ, विचारशील, सावधान
English Meaning - thoughtful, careful, carefully chosen, well thought out, calculated, planned.

2.Omicron variant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ओमाइक्रोन संस्करण
English Meaning - On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the (new coronavirus) variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). The first known confirmed Omicron infection was from a specimen collected on November 9. In recent weeks, infections in South Africa have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection.

3.virulent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विषैला, अत्यधिक संक्रामक
English Meaning - highly infectious, highly contagious, rapidly spreading, communicable, transmittable.

4.pose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - खड़ा करना, गठन, वर्तमान, निर्माण
English Meaning - constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk).

5.tenuous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तुच्छ, मामूली, अपर्याप्त
English Meaning - slight, insubstantial, negligible, weak; doubtful, dubious, questionable, vague, unspecific, indefinite.

6.comprehensive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक, सर्व-समावेशी, व्यापक-आधारित
English Meaning - all-inclusive, broad-based; all-embracing, complete, thorough.

7.unambiguously (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट रूप से, सुस्पष्ट ढंग से
English Meaning - incontrovertibly, undeniably, unquestionably, unarguably.

8.variant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकार, असंगति
English Meaning - different or form or version or mutant of something (virus).

9.insight (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निरीक्षण, समझ, अहसास
English Meaning - understanding, realization, recognition, experience (of a thing).

10.province (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रान्त, क्षेत्र, राज्य
English Meaning - territory, region, state (of a country).

11.epicentre (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपरिकेंद्र
English Meaning - This word doesn’t come from the field of public health; it is the most prominent area with an outbreak (of a disease). Similarly, “hot spot” is not a public health term but has been used to describe areas with a particularly large cluster of cases.

12.infectiousness (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संक्रमणता
English Meaning - the state/condition of being infectious; the ability of a disease to be transmitted easily from one person to another, especially through air.

13.deadly (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक, प्राणघातक
English Meaning - fatal, lethal, life-threatening.

14.caveat (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चेतावनी, सावधानी
English Meaning - warning, caution, red flag.

15.point out (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - इशारा करना, इंगित करना, ध्यान आकर्षित करना
English Meaning - identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.

16.make up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - comprise, form, compose, constitute, account for.

17.coronavirus (CoV) (noun)

English Meaning - a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. (Courtesy: WHO)

18.set off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring about, give rise to; trigger/spark off.

19.by comparison (phrase)

English Meaning - when compared, comparatively, in comparison, proportionately.

20.hospitalisation (noun)

English Meaning - the act of taking (or) admitting someone to (or) in hospital for treatment.

21.encouraging (adjective)

English Meaning - promising, hopeful, favourable.

22.piece (noun)

English Meaning - example, instance, occurrence, case; report.

23.overwhelmingly (adverb)

English Meaning - with a great majority; to a very great degree.

24.unvaccinated (adjective)

English Meaning - not vaccinated to provide immunity against a disease.

25.vaccinate (verb)

English Meaning - inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease).

26.vaccination (noun)

English Meaning - treatment with a vaccine to protect against a particular disease; immunization.

27.pneumonia (noun)

English Meaning - pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It is treatable and preventable.

28.prevalent (adjective)

English Meaning - widespread, common, general, ordinary.

29.wisdom (noun)

English Meaning - knowledge, understanding, insight, discernment, perception.

30.significantly (adverb)

English Meaning - notably, importantly, crucially.

31.dose (noun)

English Meaning - an amount/quantity of something (a medicine/drug) prescribed to be taken at a specific time.

32.underline (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, underscore, highlight.

33.vaccine hesitancy (noun)

English Meaning - a reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or to have one’s children vaccinated; reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines.

34.hesitancy (noun)

English Meaning - reluctance, unwillingness, disinclination.

35.line of defence (noun phrase)

English Meaning - a method of defending oneself.

36.neutralizing antibody (NAb) (noun)

English Meaning - an antibody that defends a cell from a pathogen or infectious particle by neutralizing any effect it has biologically.

37.antibody (noun)

English Meaning - it is also called ‘immunoglobulin’; a protective protein produced mainly by plasma (blood) cells in the immune system in response to the presence of antigens (disease causing organisms (bacteria & viruses) and other harmful/toxic foreign substances like insect venom).

38.confront with (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, face, grapple with, try to deal/cope with.

39.Alpha variant (noun)

English Meaning - The UK Variant (Alpha variant) has a formal scientific classification: B.1.1.7.

40.Beta variant (noun)

English Meaning - The South Africa Variant (Beta variant) has a formal scientific classification: B.1.351.

41.Gamma variant (noun)

English Meaning - The Brazil Variant (Gamma variant) has a formal scientific classification: P.1.

42.delta variant/B.1.617.2 (noun)

English Meaning - Formally known as AY.2 or B.1.617.2, it’s a variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is renamed as the ‘Delta variant’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) and this variant is reclassified as Variant of Concern (VOC). The B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant “Kappa”.

43.cellular/Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) (noun)

English Meaning - an immune response that does not involve antibodies, but rather driven by activation of T cells.

44.extant (adjective)

English Meaning - present, still existing, remaining, enduring.

45.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

46.novelty (noun)

English Meaning - originality, newness, freshness.

47.wiser comparative adjective of wise (adjective)

English Meaning - well advised, well thought out, well judged, rational, logical.

48.double up on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - use/do twice as many of something.