The cusp: on disconcerting note of coronavirus story

India must press ahead with vaccination (टीका) to avoid repeat of troubles of the second wave

August has begun on a disconcerting (चिंताजनक, परेशान करने वाला) note (ध्यान दें) in India’s coronavirus story. The seven-day weekly average of cases hovers around (आसपास मंडराना) the psychologically important 40,000 mark and there is an uptick (a small increase or upward trend) in daily new cases with the latest numbers a little over 41,000. A major concern (चिन्ता, आशंका, मुद्दा) that has assumed (मान लेना, अनुकूल होना) national proportions (अनुपात, भाग, हिस्सा) is the trajectory (प्रक्षेपवक्र, मार्ग, दृष्टिकोण) of cases in Kerala. With nearly 20,000 fresh cases being added every day, it is of concern that if a State with an admirable (प्रशंसनीय, असाधारण, उल्लेखनीय) track record (पिछला कार्य-निष्पादन रिकार्ड, पिछली उपलब्धियाँ) during the earlier wave is under siege (घेराबंदी के तहत) now, then many other States could be particularly vulnerable (endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of) against new variants (प्रकार, असंगति) at the start of a third wave. In Kerala, the rise in cases is concomitant (सहगामी, जुड़ा हुआ) with a rise in testing that has increased from 130,000 a day on July 25 to 162,000 as of Monday, indicating that the infection may be rapidly spreading. Nearly 11 States are now showing a weekly increase in cases. Kerala is not the only point of concern. The national situation has prompted (प्रेरित करना, आग्रह करना) the Health Secretary to write to States that all districts reporting a positivity rate (the proportion of positives to total tests done for disease; the percentage of tests that are turning out to be positive for disease; the rate at which people getting tested for disease receive positive results) of more than 10% in the last few weeks ought to (must, should) consider strict restrictions to curtail the movement of people and formation of crowds to prevent the spread of infection. Apart from Kerala these include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. As early as in 1911, the Government of India set up the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. It was redesignated in 1949 as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare) has also expressed concern that 46 districts are showing more than 10% positivity while another 53 districts are showing a positivity between 5%-10%. India’s positivity rate is around 5%, that could well descend into a runaway (out of control, uncontrolled, unchecked) climb (increase, rise, growth.) in serious infections if unchecked.

The ICMR’s flag-waving comes in the context (circumstances, conditions, situation) of the agency’s Fourth National Serology (a method of diagnostic examination of blood serum concerning the immune system’s response to pathogens (the pathogen is something, like bacteria/virus, that causes disease). (serum is an amber (yellowish-orange), watery fluid, rich in proteins, obtained from blood…)) Survey finding that nearly 40 crore Indians likely (probably, in all probability, presumably, doubtlessly) lacked (be without, be deficient in, not have enough of) antibodies to the virus and were particularly vulnerable. On its own, the rise in infections would have been less of a concern had a substantial number of Indians — particularly those over 45 — been double vaccinated (inoculate, administer, introduce (with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease)). As in previous waves, the elderly continue to be the most vulnerable. Nearly 80% of the mortality ((in a particular time/for a cause) the rate/number of death) was from these vulnerable age groups and only 11% of the eligible adults have been fully vaccinated, which means significant numbers of the population are yet to get sufficient protection. India has so far (until now, up to the present, up to this point) administered 47.1 crore doses (an amount/quantity of something) since the beginning of the vaccination drive in January. The Centre has said it will vaccinate all adults, 94.4 crore approximately, by the year-end. This target requires a daily inoculation (vaccination, injection, immunization; jab, shot) of 90 lakh to 100 lakh doses per day. For most of July, the average inoculations have ranged from 30-60 lakh. States whose districts are most vulnerable ought to be given preference and there should be accelerated (increased, expedited, stepped up, hastened) campaigns (an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group; drive, effort, push/thrust) to double inoculate the elderly. Every effort should be made to break the link between infections and hospitalisation (the act of taking (or) admitting someone to (or) in hospital for treatment) and deaths.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.cusp (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उभार, सिरा
English Meaning - a point where something will change from one state to another.

2.disconcerting (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चिंताजनक, परेशान करने वाला
English Meaning - discomfiting, unsettling, disturbing, troubling.

3.note (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान दें
English Meaning - records, report, account.

4.vaccination (noun)

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

5.hover around (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आसपास मंडराना
English Meaning - remain at a level.

6.concern (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चिन्ता, आशंका, मुद्दा
English Meaning - worry, anxiety, apprehension; issue.

7.assume (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान लेना, अनुकूल होना
English Meaning - begin to have, come to have, adapt (a particular quality/appearance).

8.proportion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुपात, भाग, हिस्सा
English Meaning - portion, share, quantity; ratio, distribution.

9.trajectory (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रक्षेपवक्र, मार्ग, दृष्टिकोण
English Meaning - way, track/course, route, direction, approach.

10.admirable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशंसनीय, असाधारण, उल्लेखनीय
English Meaning - commendable, praiseworthy, laudable, exceptional, notable.

11.track record (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पिछला कार्य-निष्पादन रिकार्ड, पिछली उपलब्धियाँ
English Meaning - previous performance, previous accomplishments, previous achievements.

12.under siege (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - घेराबंदी के तहत
English Meaning - going through a siege; very seriously attacked/criticized.

13.variant (noun)

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

14.concomitant (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सहगामी, जुड़ा हुआ
English Meaning - associated, related, connected, linked.

15.prompt (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरित करना, आग्रह करना
English Meaning - cause, impel, urge.

16.uptick (noun)

English Meaning - a small increase or upward trend.

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.press ahead/on (verb)

English Meaning - continue, proceed (in one’s activity/effort).

19.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded ill-protected; easily affected by, prone to, at risk of.

20.positivity rate (noun)

English Meaning - the proportion of positives to total tests done for disease; the percentage of tests that are turning out to be positive for disease; the rate at which people getting tested for disease receive positive results.

21.ought to (modal verb)

English Meaning - must, should.

22.curtail (verb)

English Meaning - decrease, lessen, reduce, restrict, limit.

23.Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (noun)

English Meaning - the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. As early as in 1911, the Government of India set up the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. It was redesignated in 1949 as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR is funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

24.descend into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - (of a situation) fall, slide, degenerate, deteriorate, decline.

25.runaway (adjective/noun as modifier)

English Meaning - out of control, uncontrolled, unchecked.

26.climb (noun)

English Meaning - increase, rise, growth.

27.unchecked (adjective)

English Meaning - uncontrolled, unconstrained, unrestricted.

28.flag-waving (noun)

English Meaning - signaling; forewarn, caution.

29.context (noun)

English Meaning - circumstances, conditions, situation.

30.serology (noun)

English Meaning - a method of diagnostic examination of blood serum concerning the immune system’s response to pathogens (the pathogen is something, like bacteria/virus, that causes disease). (serum is an amber (yellowish-orange), watery fluid, rich in proteins, obtained from blood…).

31.serology survey (noun)

English Meaning - A serological survey is conducted to assess the prevalence of a disease in a population. It is done by detecting the presence of specific antibodies that are produced against the virus.

32.serosurvey (noun)

English Meaning - collection and testing of serum (or proxy such as oral fluid) specimens from a sample of a defined population over a specified period of time to estimate the prevalence of antibodies against a given pecific infectious pathogen as an indicator of immunity.

33.likely (adverb)

English Meaning - probably, in all probability, presumably, doubtlessly.

34.lack (verb)

English Meaning - be without, be deficient in, not have enough of.

35.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).

36.on one’s own (phrase)

English Meaning - used to mention that something happens alone; all alone, by oneself, all by oneself, independently, single-handedly.

37.substantial (adjective)

English Meaning - considerable, significant, large.

38.vaccinate (verb)

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

39.mortality (noun)

English Meaning - (in a particular time/for a cause) the rate/number of death.

40.so far (phrase)

English Meaning - until now, up to the present, up to this point.

41.administer (verb)

English Meaning - dispense, provide, give, apply (a drug/vaccine).