Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Ready, or not: On rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and India’s state of preparedness

Ready, or not: On rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and India’s state of preparedness

Health systems must gear up to face the fresh rise in COVID-19 cases

The better part of management is preparedness (तत्परता, सतर्कता). Unless a certain clairvoyance (the ability/power to predict future events), inspired by evidence, is possible and systems are ready, post facto management (प्रबंधन, शासन) could be a damp squib (fiasco, failure/blunder, catastrophe/disaster). The rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the country indicate the need to gear up again. On April 12, a total of 7,830 new cases were reported in a 24-hour period, according to the Union Health Ministry’s data, possibly (संभवत, शायद) the highest in over 200 days. There are over 40,000 active cases in the country as on date (तारीख के अनुसार). A lineage of the Omicron virus called XBB.1.16 is said to be behind the current rapid proliferation (प्रसार, तेजी से वृद्धि) of cases in the country. Fatalities (death, casualty, mortality/loss) are also slowly increasing, being reported from States where there had been no deaths reported for months. It might be reassuring (आश्वस्त करने वाला) that initial studies of the behaviour of XBB.1.16 show milder infections not requiring hospitalisation, indicating that it is not a very virulent (विषैला, घातक) strain (different variant or form or version or mutant of something (virus); variety, kind, type). However, health systems can scarcely (शायद ही, मुश्किल से) afford (bear, sustain, carry, stand) to be under prepared (inadequately prepared), especially considering (taking into consideration, in view of, bearing in mind, keeping in mind) the recent traumatic (दर्दनाक, अभिघातज) experience of a raging (प्रकोप) pandemic taking a huge toll (number, count, total (number of deaths)).

In any long-winded (long-winding, lengthy, long, long-drawn-out) battle in the realm (क्षेत्र, राज्य) of public health (सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य), a sense of fatigue (थकान) is inevitable (अनिवार्य, अपरिहार्य), particularly during a pandemic (वैश्विक महामारी) when the demand on health human resources and infrastructure (the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc) is relentless (continuous, constant, non-stop, steady). Every opportunity to lay down (put down, stop) the burden (responsibility, onus, obligation, liability) will be seized (take (a chance/an opportunity) keenly and certainly), naturally, and low infection levels over time (if something occurs over time, it occurs gradually during a long period) can lead to complacence (carelessness, laziness, laxity; self-satisfaction, smugness, self-regard). The rising number of COVID-19 cases in India is that call to rouse (wake up, arouse, awaken) health systems across the country and have them in a state (condition, situation, circumstances, state of affairs) of readiness to meet the challenge. The difference though, between March 2023 and March 2020, is that the world is no longer COVID-naive. The experience has given an indication of how to be prepared, even if the World Health Organization (Founded in 1948, WHO is the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable - so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health) has come round (awaken, wake up, recover, revive) to treating COVID-19 similar to seasonal influenza. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the meeting of the COVID-19 taskforce (unit, crew, outfit, section (mainly arranged for a task)) two weeks ago, rightly advised States to focus on the stratagem (plan, plan of action, move, course of action) that worked earlier — ‘test-track-treat-vaccinate’ and adhere to (abide by, stick to, hold to, comply with, act in accordance with, conform to) COVID-appropriate behaviour. He also called for enhancing lab surveillance (monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection), testing all severe acute respiratory (relating to the organs of respiration/breathing) illness cases, and for drills (training, instruction) to be conducted regularly in hospitals, nationwide. Several States have brought in compulsory masking at various levels, and conducted drills. But, it is also clear from prior experience that a lot depends on compliance (adherence, observance, conformity) at the personal level — hand washing hygiene (cleanliness), masking, and reaching the hospital early particularly in the case of senior citizens and persons with co-morbidities. As governments prepare themselves, strengthening health systems, individuals should also be prudent (wise, well judged, well advised, shrewd, sensible, careful, circumspect, far-sighted) to take adequate precautions.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.preparedness (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तत्परता, सतर्कता
English Meaning - readiness, alertness, preparation, awareness, carefulness.

2.management (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रबंधन, शासन
English Meaning - governance, administration, handling, supervision, oversight.

3.possibly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - संभवत, शायद
English Meaning - maybe, perhaps, it may/could be.

4.as on date (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - तारीख के अनुसार
English Meaning - until today; up till now.

5.proliferation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसार, तेजी से वृद्धि
English Meaning - rapid increase, rise, escalation.

6.reassuring (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आश्वस्त करने वाला
English Meaning - alleviating, comforting, hopeful, optimistic, heartening, promising, encouraging.

7.virulent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विषैला, घातक
English Meaning - deadly, fatal, lethal, life-threatening, dangerous.

8.scarcely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शायद ही, मुश्किल से
English Meaning - hardly, barely, only just, almost not; rarely, seldom.

9.traumatic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दर्दनाक, अभिघातज
English Meaning - painful, distressing, disturbing.

10.raging (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रकोप
English Meaning - fuming, furious, incensed, wrathful, infuriated.

11.pandemic (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वैश्विक महामारी
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.

12.realm (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्षेत्र, राज्य
English Meaning - an area/field of activity; arena, domain, sphere, field, territory, area.

13.public health (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य
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.

14.fatigue (noun)

Hindi Meaning - थकान
English Meaning - tiredness, weariness, exhaustion.

15.inevitable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिवार्य, अपरिहार्य
English Meaning - unavoidable, sure to happen, unpreventable.

16.state (noun)

English Meaning - condition, situation, circumstances, state of affairs.

17.gear up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - get ready, prepare, equip (oneself) for something.

18.face (verb)

English Meaning - encounter, experience, run into.

19.clairvoyance (noun)

English Meaning - the ability/power to predict future events.

20.post-facto (adjective)

English Meaning - after a certain event.

21.damp squib (noun)

English Meaning - fiasco, failure/blunder, catastrophe/disaster.

22.lineage/clade (noun)

English Meaning - a genetically closely related group of virus variants derived from a common ancestor.

23.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.

24.XBB.1.16 variant (noun)

English Meaning - The XBB.1.16 is a mutant strain of SARS CoV 2, mainly of Omicron, and has the ability to escape the immunity smartly system of the body (both vaccine and natural immunity) smartly. XBB.1.16 is a recombinant lineage of the virus and is a descendent of the XBB lineage of COVID-19.

25.fatality (noun)

English Meaning - death, casualty, mortality/loss.

26.strain (noun)

English Meaning - different variant or form or version or mutant of something (virus); variety, kind, type.

27.afford (verb)

English Meaning - bear, sustain, carry, stand.

28.under prepared (adjective)

English Meaning - inadequately prepared.

29.take a/its toll (phrase)

English Meaning - have a serious/adverse effect on someone/something; cause damage to someone/something; cause suffering.

30.considering (preposition)

English Meaning - taking into consideration, in view of, bearing in mind, keeping in mind.

31.traumatic (adjective)

English Meaning - painful, distressing, disturbing.

32.raging (adjective)

English Meaning - spreading (very quickly or uncontrollably).

33.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.

34.toll (noun)

English Meaning - number, count, total (number of deaths).

35.take its/a toll (phrase)

English Meaning - cause suffering, deaths, or damage.

36.long-winded (adjective)

English Meaning - long-winding, lengthy, long, long-drawn-out.

37.human resource (for health) (noun)

English Meaning - Human Resources for Health (HRH) are defined as “the stock of all individuals engaged in the promotion, protection or improvement of population health”. This includes both public and private sectors and different domains of health systems, such as personal curative and preventive care, non-personal public health interventions, disease prevention, health promotion services, research, management and support services.

38.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

39.relentless (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, constant, non-stop, steady.

40.lay down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - put down, stop.

41.burden (noun)

English Meaning - responsibility, onus, obligation, liability.

42.seize (verb)

English Meaning - take (a chance/an opportunity) keenly and certainly.

43.over time (phrase)

English Meaning - if something occurs over time, it occurs gradually during a long period.

44.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to.

45.complacence/complacency (noun)

English Meaning - carelessness, laziness, laxity; self-satisfaction, smugness, self-regard.

46.call (noun)

English Meaning - need, necessity, demand.

47.rouse (verb)

English Meaning - wake up, arouse, awaken.

48.naive (adjective)

English Meaning - inexperienced, immature.

49.World Health Organization (WHO) (noun)

English Meaning - Founded in 1948, WHO is the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable - so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health.

50.come round (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - awaken, wake up, recover, revive.

51.influenza (noun)

English Meaning - it is commonly known as “the flu”, is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus.

52.taskforce (noun)

English Meaning - unit, crew, outfit, section (mainly arranged for a task).

53.stratagem (noun)

English Meaning - plan, plan of action, move, course of action.

54.vaccinate (verb)

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

55.adhere to (verb)

English Meaning - abide by, stick to, hold to, comply with, act in accordance with, conform to.

56.surveillance (noun)

English Meaning - monitoring, observation, scrutiny, inspection.

57.severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (noun)

English Meaning - SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is thought to be an animal virus from an as-yet-uncertain animal reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to other animals (civet cats). It is a viral (human-to-human transmission) that can cause severe respiratory illness or death.

58.respiratory (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to the organs of respiration/breathing.

59.drill (noun)

English Meaning - training, instruction.

60.compliance (noun)

English Meaning - adherence, observance, conformity.

61.hygiene (noun)

English Meaning - cleanliness.

62.comorbidity (noun)

English Meaning - In medicine, co-morbidity is the presence of one or more additional conditions (diseases) co-occurring/co-existing with a primary condition (disease).

63.prudent (adjective)

English Meaning - wise, well judged, well advised, shrewd, sensible, careful, circumspect, far-sighted.