Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Limited gains: On Omicron risk

Limited gains: On Omicron risk

Increased vaccination (टीकाकरण), COVID-appropriate behaviour can cut (कम करना, घटाना) the Omicron risk

If China was severely criticised for keeping the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak (प्रकोप, उभार, फूटना, भड़कना) that began in November 2019 shrouded (cover, conceal, hide) in secrecy and for sharing the genetic sequence (अनुक्रम, श्रेणी) on a public database only on January 12, 2020, countries that are transparent (पारदर्शी, स्पष्टवादी, सीधा) and quick in sharing vital (महत्वपूर्ण, आवश्यक) information are not rewarded but are punished. After the first infection by a new variant (प्रकार) — it has 32 mutations (परिवर्तन, स्थितिभेद, उत्परिवर्तन) in the spike protein (spike (S) protein is the sole viral membrane protein responsible for coronavirus entry into host cells) alone — was confirmed from a specimen (नमूना, आदर्श, प्रतिरूप) collected on November 9, Botswana and South Africa diligently (कर्मठतापूर्वक, मेहनत से) posted its genetic sequence on the public database, on November 23. Instead, the travel bans now imposed (थोपना, बल, जोर देना) on South Africa and a few other African countries are not only incongruous (inappropriate, contradictory, irreconcilable, strange, odd, absurd, bizarre) but can actually be counterproductive (प्रतिकूल, अनुत्पादक). Such rash (जल्दबाज, लापरवाह) decisions disincentivise (हतोत्साहित करना, रोकना) countries from promptly (तत्काल, शीघ्रता से) reporting and sharing vital data with huge public health (the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention) implications (consequence/outcome, ramification, repercussion), particularly during the pandemic (the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area). The demonstration (manifestation, indication, revelation, display) by Botswana and South Africa of their capability to quickly detect new variants through superior surveillance via genomic (relating to the gene (genetic material) of a living thing) sequencing needs to be rewarded through enhanced (improved, reinforced, increased) vaccine (a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease) access to protect Africa and cut the risk of new variants. On November 30, the Netherlands reported that samples collected on November 19 and 23, before South Africa announced its findings and the travel bans went into effect, were of the Omicron variant (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). While it is unclear whether these people had also visited southern Africa, 14 of the 61 passengers returning from South Africa on November 26 and who tested positive for Omicron showed different strains (variety, kind, type; variant, mutant). This suggests that the people were ‘very probably (most likely, in all likelihood, all things considered, perhaps) infected independently... from different sources and in different locations’.

Belgium and Germany too have reported the presence of the variant well before South Africa flagged (indicate, identify, point out) it. Even if the Omicron variant did not emerge in Europe, the presence of the variant before South Africa notified it and the travel bans strongly suggests that the variant was already spreading in some European countries. It also reflects the relatively (comparatively, proportionately, somewhat, to a certain extent/degree) poor surveillance in place (set up, established, arranged) there when compared with the two African countries. This underscores (underline, emphasize, highlight) the need to have systems in place that delay or reduce the spread of the new variant through testing prior to or upon arrival or the application of quarantine (a process of separating out people, animals and things (such as plants) from others for a period of time in order to control/restrict the spread of a contagious disease; Quarantine is imposed to separate and restrict the movement of persons, who may have been exposed to infectious disease, but not yet known to be ill), as recommended by WHO. An indiscriminate (thoughtless, unthinking, unconsidered, casual, careless, aimless, foolish, mindless, impulsive, ill-considered) travel ban is no solution. Several countries, including India, have already reported cases of the Omicron variant, said to pose (constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk)) a ‘very high’ global risk. Though disease severity (seriousness) in different categories of people still remains unclear, preliminary evidence suggests that the new variant increases the risk of reinfection and possesses a possible transmission advantage, as seen in the surge (sudden increase or rise of something) in Omicron cases in South Africa. It is time India increases the pace of vaccination and has better adherence (compliance, observance, conformity) to COVID-appropriate behaviour to cut the risk.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.vaccination (noun)

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

2.cut (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कम करना, घटाना
English Meaning - reduce, decrease, lessen.

3.outbreak (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकोप, उभार, फूटना, भड़कना
English Meaning - outburst, flaring up, breakout, sudden appearance/occurrence of something.

4.sequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुक्रम, श्रेणी
English Meaning - the complete order of compounds/building blocks (nucleotides) of nucleic acids, such as RNA or DNA.

5.transparent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पारदर्शी, स्पष्टवादी, सीधा
English Meaning - open/candid, forthright, straightforward, honest.

6.vital (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महत्वपूर्ण, आवश्यक
English Meaning - key, essential, important.

7.variant (noun)

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

8.mutation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिवर्तन, स्थितिभेद, उत्परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a significant and basic “alteration/variation” in the DNA sequence.

9.specimen (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नमूना, आदर्श, प्रतिरूप
English Meaning - sample.

10.diligently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - कर्मठतापूर्वक, मेहनत से
English Meaning - carefully, attentively, thoroughly.

11.impose (verb)

Hindi Meaning - थोपना, बल, जोर देना
English Meaning - force, thrust, inflict, urge (an unwelcome decision).

12.counterproductive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिकूल, अनुत्पादक
English Meaning - harmful, damaging, dangerous/destructive.

13.rash (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जल्दबाज, लापरवाह
English Meaning - reckless, impulsive, hasty.

14.disincentivise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - हतोत्साहित करना, रोकना
English Meaning - discourage, prevent, stop.

15.promptly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - तत्काल, शीघ्रता से
English Meaning - quickly, swiftly, rapidly.

16.novel coronavirus (nCoV) (SARS-CoV-2) (noun)

English Meaning - a new strain (type/variety) coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. (Courtesy: WHO)

17.Omicron variant (noun)

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.

18.shroud (verb)

English Meaning - cover, conceal, hide.

19.genetic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to genes/genetics.

20.genome (noun)

English Meaning - the genetic material (a complete set of DNA, including all of its genes) of an organism. The sum total of the genetic material of a cell or an organism.

21.genome sequence (noun)

English Meaning - a process that determines the order, or sequence, of the DNA (nucleotides i.e., A, C, G and U) in each of the genes present in the virus’s genome.

22.spike (S) protein (noun)

English Meaning - spike (S) protein is the sole viral membrane protein responsible for coronavirus entry into host cells.

23.incongruous (adjective)

English Meaning - inappropriate, contradictory, irreconcilable, strange, odd, absurd, bizarre.

24.public health (noun)

English Meaning - the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention.

25.implications (noun)

English Meaning - consequence/outcome, ramification, repercussion.

26.pandemic (noun)

English Meaning - the worldwide spread of a new disease; The illness spreads around the world and typically affects a large number of people across a wide area.

27.surveillance (noun)

English Meaning - monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection.

28.genomic (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the gene (genetic material) of a living thing.

29.enhanced (adjective)

English Meaning - improved, reinforced, increased.

30.vaccine (noun)

English Meaning - a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.

31.go/put/come into effect (phrase)

English Meaning - implement, apply, carry out.

32.strain (noun)

English Meaning - variety, kind, type; variant, mutant.

33.probably (adverb)

English Meaning - most likely, in all likelihood, all things considered, perhaps.

34.flag (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, identify, point out.

35.reflect (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate, reveal, exhibit.

36.relatively (adverb)

English Meaning - comparatively, proportionately, somewhat, to a certain extent/degree.

37.in place (phrase)

English Meaning - set up, established, arranged.

38.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - underline, emphasize, highlight.

39.quarantine (noun)

English Meaning - a process of separating out people, animals and things (such as plants) from others for a period of time in order to control/restrict the spread of a contagious disease; Quarantine is imposed to separate and restrict the movement of persons, who may have been exposed to infectious disease, but not yet known to be ill.

40.indiscriminate (adjective)

English Meaning - thoughtless, unthinking, unconsidered, casual, careless, aimless, foolish, mindless, impulsive, ill-considered.

41.pose (verb)

English Meaning - constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk).

42.severity (noun)

English Meaning - seriousness.

43.surge (noun)

English Meaning - sudden increase or rise of something.

44.adherence (noun)

English Meaning - compliance, observance, conformity.

45.demonstration (noun)

English Meaning - manifestation, indication, revelation, display.