The Evening Wrap: Nipah resurfaces in Kerala's Malappuram, 15-year-old boy in critical condition

Nipah virus scare resurfaced in Kerala’s Malappuram on July 20 following the confirmation of a case currently under treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. A 15-year-old boy from Chembrassery, near Pandikkad, in Malappuram district developed Nipah symptoms and was shifted to Kozhikode from a hospital at Perinthalmanna. The child is reported to be in a critical condition and is on ventilator support at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. The pay ward at the hospital has been converted into an isolation block for treating Nipah patients. Ten beds have been arranged. Doctors and nurses have been posted there. They have been asked to use personal protection equipment. Fourteen committees have been reported for surveillance, treatment, and other works. Minister for Health Veena George rushed to Malappuram to oversee the measures to counter the spread of the deadly Nipah virus. At a press briefing held at the Collectorate conference hall here on July 20 evening, she said the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and the State labs had confirmed the Nipah virus. Health department authorities have swung into action by putting in place the Nipah protocol. As many as 25 committees were formed as per the government-specified standard operating procedure (SOP) to parry the spread of the deadly virus. Three persons who had close contact with the child, including his father, were quarantined. As many as 214 persons were under surveillance, of whom 60 were in high risk category. Health officials said that the serum samples of all in health risk category would be tested. Monitoring is being strengthened in 3km around Pandikkad. Restrictions will be clamped in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats in Malappuram district. The boy started showing feverish symptoms on July 10 and he sought treatment at a private clinic on July 12. He reached a hospital at Pandikkad on July 13 and was admitted there on July 15. But he was shifted to a private hospital at Perinthalmanna and then to Kozhikode. The Health Department opened a 24x7 control room in the wake of the Nipah scare. The control room can be reached on 0483 2732010. George said the Health department was well equipped to take on the Nipah challenge. Monoclonal antibody needed for Nipah treatment is being brought from Pune lab. She said it was expected to reach Kozhikode on Sunday. Masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) were being rushed to medical college hospitals in Kozhikode and Malappuram. The health officials advised that people wear masks in view of the Nipah scare. The Minister kicked off a renewed safety drive by giving sanitiser to District Collector V.R. Vinod here. George said there was nothing to panic and the situation was under control. But she warned the people to exercise utmost caution. There will be restrictions within 3 km around Pandikkad. An emergency meeting convened by George on July 20 morning put the health and other government departments on increased alert. Top officials of the State Health department, including the Additional Chief Secretary, National Health Mission State Director, Kozhikode and Malappuram District Collectors, Health Director, Medical Education Director, Nipah Health Centre nodal officer, State Medical Board members, Kozhikode and Malappuram District Medical Officers, district surveillance officers, medical college Principals and superintendents, attended the meeting. It was in May 2018 that Kerala reported the first Nipah case, spreading fear among the people of Kozhikode. Since then, Nipah cases were confirmed four times in the State. And the last case was reported in September 2023. NEET-UG paper leak case: CBI arrests NIT graduate, 2 MBBS students who acted as ‘solvers’ The CBI on July 20 arrested one of the masterminds, a B.Tech graduate from NIT-Jamshedpur, in the NEET-UG paper leak case and two MBBS students who allegedly acted as “solvers”, officials said. With the fresh arrests, the total number of people held so far by the agency in six cases related to the alleged irregularities has now reached 21, they said. The two MBBS students arrested on July 20 are from a medical school in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Second-year MBBS student Kumar Mangalam Bishnoi and first-year student Deepender Sharma were present in Hazaribagh on May 5, the date of NEET UG examination, and were allegedly acting as “solvers” for the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, an engineer, who was arrested earlier, they said. They said Sashikant Paswan alias Sashi alias Pasu, a B.Tech (Electrical) passout from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur was acting in tandem with Kumar and Rockey, who was also arrested earlier. Centre rejects study claiming 11.9 lakh excess deaths in India during 2020 COVID-19 The Union Health Ministry has rubbished reports highlighting a higher number of deaths in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The Ministry claims that the study, published in the Science Advances, was based on untenable and unacceptable estimates. “It is strongly asserted that an excess mortality of about 11.9 lakh deaths reported in the Science Advances paper in 2020 over the previous year is a gross and misleading overestimate. It is noteworthy that excess mortality during the pandemic means an increase in deaths due to all causes, and cannot be equated with deaths that were directly caused by COVID-19,’‘ the Ministry said. According to the Ministry, the paper reports results on age and sex, which are contrary to research and program data on COVID-19 in India. The paper claims that excess mortality was greater in females and in younger age groups (particularly 0-19 year old children). Data on about 5.3 lakh recorded deaths due to COVID-19 virus, as well as research data from cohorts and registries consistently shows higher mortality due to the virus in males than females (2:1) and in older age groups (several fold higher in > 60 years olds than in 0-15 year old children). In a statement issued on July 20, the Ministry said that “the excess mortality reported in the Science Advances paper in 2020 over the previous year is a gross and misleading overestimate. The study is erroneous and methodology followed by the authors has critical flaws; the claims are inconsistent and unexplainable. The all-cause excess mortality in 2020 compared with the previous year in India is markedly less than the 11.9 lakh deaths reported in the Science Advances paper.’’ It added that discrepancies between the study’s findings and established COVID-19 mortality patterns further undermine its credibility. “Study fails to acknowledge India’s robust Civil Registration System (CRS), which recorded a substantial increase in death registrations (over 99%) in 2020, not solely attributable to the pandemic,” the Ministry maintained. While the authors claim to follow standard methodology of analysing the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), there are critical flaws in methodology. It noted that the most important flaw is that the authors have taken a subset of households included in the NFHS-5 survey between January and April 2021, compared mortality in these households in 2020 with 2019, and extrapolated the results to the entire country. “The NFHS sample is representative of the country only when it is considered as a whole. The 23% of households included in this analysis from part of 14 States cannot be considered representative of the country. The other critical flaw is related to possible selection and reporting biases in the included sample due to the time in which these data were collected, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic,’‘ the Ministry said, adding that the paper is methodologically flawed and shows results that are untenable and unacceptable. It elaborates that the paper erroneously argues for the need for such analyses claiming that the vital registration system in low and middle income countries including India is weak. This is far from being correct. The CRS in India is highly robust and captures over 99% of deaths. This reporting has constantly increased from 75% in 2015 to over 99% in 2020. Data from this system shows death registration has increased by 4.74 lakh in the year 2020 compared to 2019. There was a similar increase of 4.86 lakh and 6.90 lakh in death registration in the year 2018 and 2019 over the respective previous years. Notably, all excess deaths in a year in the CRS are not attributable to the pandemic. Excess number is also due to an increasing trend of death registration in CRS (it was 92% in 2019) and a larger population base in the succeeding year. Bangladesh protests: 978 Indian students returned The India High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna are taking efforts for the safer return of Indian nationals, following the recent violent protests in Bangladesh. As of now, a total of 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports. “The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh,” the latest update from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, with regard to the evacuation of Indians from Bangladesh. Indian High Commission and relevant departments in the MEA are tracking the development and said, “We are aware of the measures taken by the local authorities in view of the protests. Our High Commission remains in touch with local authorities for the safety of our nationals.” On July 19, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that at least 15,000 Indian nationals were currently in Bangladesh and urged family members to track updates from Indian officials. “We remain committed to providing all possible assistance to our nationals in Bangladesh,” said Jaiswal. Amid name display row in U.P., BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh asks CM Mohan Yadav to issue similar order Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola on July 20 wrote to CM Mohan Yadav urging him to issue an order to make it mandatory for business establishments and shops in the State to display the owner’s name, joining the ongoing controversy over a similar order by the Uttar Pradesh government for eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route. Mendola, MLA from Indore-2 constituency, said displaying their names will make them “feel proud” and encourage a “healthy competition” in business. “By doing so, the identity of the shopkeeper will be established in the society and all the shopkeepers will try to provide better service to the customers to enhance their name and goodwill. This will lead to healthy competition in the business world and the state will develop at a faster pace,” wrote Mendola, who is also the president of the Madhya Pradesh Olympic Association. Speaking to The Hindu, Mendola, however, denied that his request had anything to do with religion and politics. “I have not specified Muslims or any other community in my letter. It has nothing to do with religion or politics. This practice already exists at most places, just like having a name plate outside someone’s house,” he said, responding to a question about criticism of the U.P. government order. Mendola added that he will also raise the matter with the M.P. Chief Minister in person. Trump says spoke with Zelensky, pledges to ‘end the war’ U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky and pledged to end the European country’s war with Russia. “I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” he added. The United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – though a Trump victory in the November election would put Washington’s continued support into question. Zelensky confirmed the call, during which he congratulated Trump on formally becoming the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, as well as wishing the 78-year-old well after an attempt on his life a week ago. Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance leads the isolationist wing of congressional Republicans, who argue the United States should drop aid to Ukraine. In Brief: National Testing Agency announces centre and city-wise results of NEET-UG The National Testing Agency (NTA) on July 20 announced the centre- and city-wise results for medical entrance exam NEET-UG, which is under the scanner over alleged irregularities. The results, which were initially announced on June 5, have been published in this format following an order of the Supreme Court, which is hearing several petitions about the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam, including paper leak. The Supreme Court will resume hearing the arguments on July 22 on a batch of pleas seeking cancellation, re-test and a court-monitored probe into the allegations of malpractice in the prestigious exam. Manolo Marquez succeeds Igor Stimac as head coach of Indian men’s football team The All India Football Federation named Manolo Marquez, the FC Goa gaffer, as the senior men’s National side’s head coach for the next three years. The decision was made in the federation’s executive committee meeting to find the next coach after the departure of Igor Stimac, whose contract was terminated after the Indian team failed to make it to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Marquez’s name was selected from a panel of 20 shortlisted candidates who had initially applied for the job. The seasoned Spanish coach was preferred for his knowledge of the Indian ecosystem. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 20 July 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Nipah resurfaces in Malappuram, 15-year-old boy in critical condition [Nipah virus scare resurfaced in Kerala’s Malappuram]( on July 20 following the confirmation of a case currently under treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode. A 15-year-old boy from Chembrassery, near Pandikkad, in Malappuram district developed Nipah symptoms and was shifted to Kozhikode from a hospital at Perinthalmanna. The child is reported to be in a critical condition and is on ventilator support at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital. The pay ward at the hospital has been converted into an isolation block for treating Nipah patients. Ten beds have been arranged. Doctors and nurses have been posted there. They have been asked to use personal protection equipment. Fourteen committees have been reported for surveillance, treatment, and other works. Minister for Health Veena George rushed to Malappuram to oversee the measures to counter the spread of the deadly Nipah virus. At a press briefing held at the Collectorate conference hall here on July 20 evening, she said the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and the State labs had confirmed the Nipah virus. Health department authorities have swung into action by putting in place the Nipah protocol. As many as 25 committees were formed as per the government-specified standard operating procedure (SOP) to parry the spread of the deadly virus. Three persons who had close contact with the child, including his father, were quarantined. As many as 214 persons were under surveillance, of whom 60 were in high risk category. Health officials said that the serum samples of all in health risk category would be tested. Monitoring is being strengthened in 3km around Pandikkad. Restrictions will be clamped in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats in Malappuram district. The boy started showing feverish symptoms on July 10 and he sought treatment at a private clinic on July 12. He reached a hospital at Pandikkad on July 13 and was admitted there on July 15. But he was shifted to a private hospital at Perinthalmanna and then to Kozhikode. The Health Department opened a 24x7 control room in the wake of the Nipah scare. The control room can be reached on 0483 2732010. George said the Health department was well equipped to take on the Nipah challenge. Monoclonal antibody needed for Nipah treatment is being brought from Pune lab. She said it was expected to reach Kozhikode on Sunday. Masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) were being rushed to medical college hospitals in Kozhikode and Malappuram. The health officials advised that people wear masks in view of the Nipah scare. The Minister kicked off a renewed safety drive by giving sanitiser to District Collector V.R. Vinod here. George said there was nothing to panic and the situation was under control. But she warned the people to exercise utmost caution. There will be restrictions within 3 km around Pandikkad. An emergency meeting convened by George on July 20 morning put the health and other government departments on increased alert. Top officials of the State Health department, including the Additional Chief Secretary, National Health Mission State Director, Kozhikode and Malappuram District Collectors, Health Director, Medical Education Director, Nipah Health Centre nodal officer, State Medical Board members, Kozhikode and Malappuram District Medical Officers, district surveillance officers, medical college Principals and superintendents, attended the meeting. It was in May 2018 that Kerala reported the first Nipah case, spreading fear among the people of Kozhikode. Since then, Nipah cases were confirmed four times in the State. And the last case was reported in September 2023. NEET-UG paper leak case: CBI arrests NIT graduate, 2 MBBS students who acted as ‘solvers’ The [CBI on July 20 arrested one of the masterminds]( a B.Tech graduate from NIT-Jamshedpur, in the NEET-UG paper leak case and two MBBS students who allegedly acted as “solvers”, officials said. With the fresh arrests, the total number of people held so far by the agency in six cases related to the alleged irregularities has now reached 21, they said. The two MBBS students arrested on July 20 are from a medical school in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Second-year MBBS student Kumar Mangalam Bishnoi and first-year student Deepender Sharma were present in Hazaribagh on May 5, the date of NEET UG examination, and were allegedly acting as “solvers” for the paper stolen by Pankaj Kumar, an engineer, who was arrested earlier, they said. They said Sashikant Paswan alias Sashi alias Pasu, a B.Tech (Electrical) passout from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur was acting in tandem with Kumar and Rockey, who was also arrested earlier. Centre rejects study claiming 11.9 lakh excess deaths in India during 2020 COVID-19 The [Union Health Ministry has rubbished reports highlighting a higher number of deaths in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic]( in India. The Ministry claims that the study, published in the Science Advances, was based on untenable and unacceptable estimates. “It is strongly asserted that an excess mortality of about 11.9 lakh deaths reported in the Science Advances paper in 2020 over the previous year is a gross and misleading overestimate. It is noteworthy that excess mortality during the pandemic means an increase in deaths due to all causes, and cannot be equated with deaths that were directly caused by COVID-19,’‘ the Ministry said. According to the Ministry, the paper reports results on age and sex, which are contrary to research and program data on COVID-19 in India. The paper claims that excess mortality was greater in females and in younger age groups (particularly 0-19 year old children). Data on about 5.3 lakh recorded deaths due to COVID-19 virus, as well as research data from cohorts and registries consistently shows higher mortality due to the virus in males than females (2:1) and in older age groups (several fold higher in > 60 years olds than in 0-15 year old children). In a statement issued on July 20, the Ministry said that “the excess mortality reported in the Science Advances paper in 2020 over the previous year is a gross and misleading overestimate. The study is erroneous and methodology followed by the authors has critical flaws; the claims are inconsistent and unexplainable. The all-cause excess mortality in 2020 compared with the previous year in India is markedly less than the 11.9 lakh deaths reported in the Science Advances paper.’’ It added that discrepancies between the study’s findings and established COVID-19 mortality patterns further undermine its credibility. “Study fails to acknowledge India’s robust Civil Registration System (CRS), which recorded a substantial increase in death registrations (over 99%) in 2020, not solely attributable to the pandemic,” the Ministry maintained. While the authors claim to follow standard methodology of analysing the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), there are critical flaws in methodology. It noted that the most important flaw is that the authors have taken a subset of households included in the NFHS-5 survey between January and April 2021, compared mortality in these households in 2020 with 2019, and extrapolated the results to the entire country. “The NFHS sample is representative of the country only when it is considered as a whole. The 23% of households included in this analysis from part of 14 States cannot be considered representative of the country. The other critical flaw is related to possible selection and reporting biases in the included sample due to the time in which these data were collected, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic,’‘ the Ministry said, adding that the paper is methodologically flawed and shows results that are untenable and unacceptable. It elaborates that the paper erroneously argues for the need for such analyses claiming that the vital registration system in low and middle income countries including India is weak. This is far from being correct. The CRS in India is highly robust and captures over 99% of deaths. This reporting has constantly increased from 75% in 2015 to over 99% in 2020. Data from this system shows death registration has increased by 4.74 lakh in the year 2020 compared to 2019. There was a similar increase of 4.86 lakh and 6.90 lakh in death registration in the year 2018 and 2019 over the respective previous years. Notably, all excess deaths in a year in the CRS are not attributable to the pandemic. Excess number is also due to an increasing trend of death registration in CRS (it was 92% in 2019) and a larger population base in the succeeding year. Bangladesh protests: 978 Indian students returned The India High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna are taking efforts for the [safer return of Indian nationals]( following the recent violent protests in Bangladesh. As of now, a total of 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports. “The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh,” the latest update from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, with regard to the evacuation of Indians from Bangladesh. Indian High Commission and relevant departments in the MEA are tracking the development and said, “We are aware of the measures taken by the local authorities in view of the protests. Our High Commission remains in touch with local authorities for the safety of our nationals.” On July 19, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that at least 15,000 Indian nationals were currently in Bangladesh and urged family members to track updates from Indian officials. “We remain committed to providing all possible assistance to our nationals in Bangladesh,” said Jaiswal. Amid name display row in U.P., BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh asks CM Mohan Yadav to issue similar order Madhya Pradesh [BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola on July 20 wrote to CM Mohan Yadav]( urging him to issue an order to make it mandatory for business establishments and shops in the State to display the owner’s name, joining the ongoing controversy over a similar order by the Uttar Pradesh government for eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route. Mendola, MLA from Indore-2 constituency, said displaying their names will make them “feel proud” and encourage a “healthy competition” in business. “By doing so, the identity of the shopkeeper will be established in the society and all the shopkeepers will try to provide better service to the customers to enhance their name and goodwill. This will lead to healthy competition in the business world and the state will develop at a faster pace,” wrote Mendola, who is also the president of the Madhya Pradesh Olympic Association. Speaking to The Hindu, Mendola, however, denied that his request had anything to do with religion and politics. “I have not specified Muslims or any other community in my letter. It has nothing to do with religion or politics. This practice already exists at most places, just like having a name plate outside someone’s house,” he said, responding to a question about criticism of the U.P. government order. Mendola added that he will also raise the matter with the M.P. Chief Minister in person. Trump says spoke with Zelensky, pledges to ‘end the war’ U.S. Republican presidential candidate [Donald Trump said he had spoken by telephone with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky]( and pledged to end the European country’s war with Russia. “I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” he added. The United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – though a Trump victory in the November election would put Washington’s continued support into question. Zelensky confirmed the call, during which he congratulated Trump on formally becoming the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, as well as wishing the 78-year-old well after an attempt on his life a week ago. Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance leads the isolationist wing of congressional Republicans, who argue the United States should drop aid to Ukraine. In Brief: National Testing Agency announces centre and city-wise results of NEET-UG The National Testing Agency ([NTA) on July 20 announced the centre- and city-wise results for medical entrance exam NEET-UG]( which is under the scanner over alleged irregularities. The results, which were initially announced on June 5, have been published in this format following an order of the Supreme Court, which is hearing several petitions about the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam, including paper leak. The Supreme Court will resume hearing the arguments on July 22 on a batch of pleas seeking cancellation, re-test and a court-monitored probe into the allegations of malpractice in the prestigious exam. Manolo Marquez succeeds Igor Stimac as head coach of Indian men’s football team The All India Football Federation named [Manolo Marquez, the FC Goa gaffer, as the senior men’s National side’s head coach]( for the next three years. The decision was made in the federation’s executive committee meeting to find the next coach after the departure of Igor Stimac, whose contract was terminated after the Indian team failed to make it to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Marquez’s name was selected from a panel of 20 shortlisted candidates who had initially applied for the job. The seasoned Spanish coach was preferred for his knowledge of the Indian ecosystem. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today’s Top Picks [[Watch: Union Budget 2024 | Railway budget projection] Watch: Union Budget 2024 | Railway budget projection]( [[Paris Olympics 2024: Full list of Olympics sports disciplines] Paris Olympics 2024: Full list of Olympics sports disciplines]( [[Review of Charan Ranganath’s Why We Remember: Memory as imagination] Review of Charan Ranganath’s Why We Remember: Memory as imagination]( [[PARIS OLYMPICS | I want to compete freely and win the best tournament of my life: veteran archer Tarundeep Rai] PARIS OLYMPICS | I want to compete freely and win the best tournament of my life: veteran archer Tarundeep Rai]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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