In Focus by The Hindu

One of India’s most authoritative voices in the field of epidemiology joins us today to discuss the 21-day lockdown and whether India already has entered the community transmission phase with COVID-19 and the steps that we are to take going forward if we are to achieve a ‘herd immunity’ to the disease that can protect the young and the elderly. Guest: Dr. Jayaprakash Muliyil, Epidemiologist, former Principal, Christian Medical College, Vellore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Union government on Thursday announced a ₹1.7 lakh crore package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide lockdown, providing free food and cash transfers to support the poorest citizens, who are most vulnerable during a crisis such as this.In this update podcast, we give you a quick rundown of the various benefits announced and share some initial impressions about whether the package is adequate, looking at the sections of people who are left out and how India’s spending on economic support for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic compares with that of other countries.Guest: Priscilla Jebaraj, Deputy Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we hear from a specialist in intensive care medicine in the U.K. on how rapidly the COVID-19 disease has spread and the lessons that India can take from the experience there.Guests: Hugh Montgomery, professor of medicine and the director of the Centre for Human Health and Performance at University College London Host: Narayan Lakshman, Associate Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we deal with the crucial question of what this lockdown will mean for our economy and what measures the government can take to deal with it. Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced some measures but a full-scale economic stimulus package is still yet to come. Going briefly over the Finance Minister’s announcements today, The Hindu’s business editor Raghuvir Srinivasan goes into what a stimulus package should look like, what the government can do for individuals and companies.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces an official 21-day lockdown across the country to combat the spread of COVID-19, we talk about the fallout of his address to the nation, and discuss developments on the health and science front.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor; & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu.Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.inAdditional reading: https://www.thehindu.com/news/resources/what-will-be-available-and-what-will-be-closed-during-the-21-day-lockdown/article31156364.ece?homepage=true Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our fifth episode of the daily COVID-19 update, we start with an update from the United States, where New York has emerged as a new epicentre of the virus, now accounting for a staggering 5% of confirmed cases around the world. We look at how have things escalated to that level over there. We also get updates on a new drug that the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended for use with high-risk novel Coronavirus cases and we give you an update on the evacuation and return of Indian citizens who have been stuck in different parts of the world during this crisis.Guests: Sriram Lakshman, U.S. Correspondent, The Hindu; Suhasini Haidar, National Editor; & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as the country was coming together to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of a ‘Janta Curfew’ came the news in the evening that further curbs and restrictions — in the form of a lockdown in 75 affected districts across the country — would come into place from tonight. Life in India is set to change very drastically from Monday. We look ahead to that and also to some major debates now that are likely to play out about India‘s strategy to deal with the virus, especially with regard to testing.Recorded on March 22Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu, & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cases of novel coronavirus are now being reported from almost every State in India and the number of reported cases has crossed 300. We’re going to use this episode to give you a quick update on what we know so far. We are building up to a big day tomorrow, when the ʻjanta curfewʼ announced by Prime minister Narendra Modi will come into force. And we’re also building up to a huge week ahead where we are likely to be in the middle of a huge debate about the estimates for how far this could go in India, the number of cases and deaths that we could ultimately end up with and what are the strategies that we need to be adopting now, especially with regard to testing.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu, & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our second episode covering the spread of COVID-19 in India, we look at the alarming rise in the number of reported cases, the communications between various countries around the world as the virus spreads unchecked, and the strange story of Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor.Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu, & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu, & Jyoti Shelar, who is based in Mumbai and writes on healthcare for The Hindu.Check out the previous episode here:https://www.thehindu.com/podcast/pm-modis-speech-and-where-we-stand-now-on-covid-19-in-india-the-hindu-in-focus-podcast/article31111365.ece Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start a new series today, sometimes as a stand-alone, and sometimes as a bonus episode added to our discussions on other topics, about the spread of COVID-19 in India, chronicling and discussing major developments. Today we discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation. While he struck a serious and sombre tone, did we learn anything new at a policy level about India’s strategy to deals with the spread of the virus?Guests: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, The Hindu & Jacob Koshy, Deputy Science Editor, The Hindu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices