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The Journey of Corona from Wildlife to Humans

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The increase in the spread of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 is giving a major threat to the entire world. Being declared as a pandemic it has already killed around 11,888 people across the globe. But, from where did this deadly virus emerge out suddenly? What was its origin? What led to its development as a pandemic?

When the entire world was celebrating New Year’s Eve the health officials at China confirmed the spread of pneumonia resembling mysterious disease. The first case appeared in December 2019 and very soon it got transmitted, grasping the entire county in its deadly claws. In December 2019, 27 of the first 41 people hospitalised (66%) passed through a market located in the heart of Wuhan city in Hubei province. But, What’s so special about Wuhan?

Scientist while searching for its origin got intrigued by the Hunan food market in Wuhan it wasn’t conclusive proof, but the Chinese government immediately ordered to shut down the entire market. An epidemic like this wasn’t something new to the Chinese government a similar outbreak known as SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome got introduced in the Chinese Mainland in 2002. Evidence pointed out of its birth in another wet market located in southern China, just like Hunan.

Majority of the fatal viruses which affect humans arise from animals. For instance, some of the viruses that cause Influenza come from pigs, Ebola most likely from bats and HIV from Chimpanzees. Continuing with this trend scientists demonstrate some proofs which point Coronavirus of being originated from either Bats or Pangolins. The exceptional ability of viruses to move between species was responsible for letting Corona reach humans. But, even for that, an encounter between all the intermediate and the final specie is a must and that’s exactly where the Hunan market comes in.

“It was not a surprise at all, and I think it was not a surprise to many scientists. The cages are stacked one over another. Animals at the bottom are often soaked with all kinds of liquid. Animal excrement, blood, pus or whatever the liquid they are receiving from the living animals above,” said Peter Li, Associate Professor, the University of Houston-Downtown in an interview with Vox. However, Pengalins or Bats being the final culprit has not been confirmed yet and is still being researched on. A wet market is a market where live animals are slaughtered and are sold for human consumption. Often, the lack of proper hygiene standards at a site where animals are killed and sold simultaneously leads to the origin of such horror causing diseases. But what makes only the Chinese wet markets as the most dangerous in the world?

Wet markets in China, unlike all the others, sell a wide variety of wild animals. Ranging from mice and snakes to peacocks and ostriches they sell everything. And why do they sell it? The answer lies back in the 1970s. China during that time was facing a serious food crisis. The communist regime ruling the country was unable to feed its people, millions died the famine became almost impossible to cope with. Owing to the severity of the condition the government uplifted the ban on private farming, while the rich companies producing pork and meet dominated the trade some of the poor farmers switched to raising wild animals for sustenance.

“At the very beginning, it was mostly peasant household, backyard operations of Turtles, for example. That’s how wildlife farming started to lay the ground. The government needed to encourage people to make living through whatever productive activities they can find them in,” informed Li, further in the interview. Then, in 1988 the Chinese government did one of the biggest errors of all time. It passed the wildlife protection act under which it called all the wild species as the resources of the state and provided protection to the individuals or units engaged in the development or the utilisation of wildlife in accordance with the law and with that, a new industry was born.

With the implementation of this devastating law, not only the number of wild animals but also the variety of species available for consumption increased. A bear farm which started with three started breeding and domesticating thousands of bears. With all this the possibility of selling an infection causing diseased animals increased along. After the 2003 outbreak, the government banned the trade in wildlife but only after a few months it legalized 54 animal species to sell and consume. Though the wildlife trade contributes very tiny in China’s gigantic GDP it’s the industry’s enormous lobbying capability which makes it unable for the government to declare it as illegal. Soon, after the 2019 tragedy, the country has again temporarily shut all similar markets and is facing pressure from the other countries to make the ban permanent.

 

Feature Image Credits: Bangkok Post 

Kriti Gupta 

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Virtual Classrooms: Teaching Online during the Coronavirus Pandemic

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The viability and details of online classes in Delhi University (DU) after a massive worldwide educational disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic, with insights into the pedagogues employed by professors in India and abroad.

As colleges across the world pivot online on very short notice, there are a host of complications — from laptops and Internet access to mental health and financial needs. According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) monitoring, over 130 countries have implemented nationwide closures, impacting over 80% of the world’s student population. Several other countries have implemented localized school closures and, should these closures become nationwide, millions of additional learners will experience education disruption.

A combination of methods is being used by teachers of Delhi University to ensure that syllabus completion is done on time. Satviki, a student at Miranda House said that the professors are conducting classes using Zoom, as well as sending voice notes and PDFs on WhatsApp to students. Various readings and test syllabi are being continuously uploaded for the students to access. At Kamala Nehru College, an official notice has been released by the administration instructing teachers to mail e-content to the official college email id, from where it will be retrieved by the College’s computer staff and uploaded to www.knc.edu.in for students every day. Meanwhile, Priya, a History student at Miranda House raised the issue of the internet connection being a hindrance for students to access online classes. Students residing in places devoid of high-speed internet have trouble using apps like Zoom and Skype, an issue especially faced by students of Kashmir. Attendance, however, is accounted for in every online lecture- further raising the question of access.

While the practices described are commonplace for most universities in India and abroad; they do differ in terms of consistency of output, quality of learning and pedagogues being employed. Aarnav Gupta, a student of the City University of Hong Kong talks about the importance and technical achievement of the university in implementing the transition to online classes so well, “Few professors were impressed by the resultant learning outcomes of online classes and felt it was better than offline ones since students paid more attention in the former one. Also, universities across Hong Kong have subscribed to their students and teachers to the Zoom app, which serves as a great unifier when it comes to learning.”

Even though the focus can sometimes be on technology, tools, and logistics, Sean Michael Morris, from the University of Colorado, Denver, says that what is required from professors at this time is compassion. “The real skill required right now is sort of critical compassion, if you will the ability to look at the situation as it is. Figure out what’s going on, how you can operate within that, and how you can be compassionate in that as well.”

 

Featured Image Credits: LA Johnson for NPR

Paridhi Puri

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North-Eastern DU Student Spat On, Called Coronavirus

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On 22nd March, an MPhil student from Manipur, studying in Delhi University, was spat on near North Campus, and was called Caronavirus. Following her, other students from North-East India shared their racial harassment stories.

In a shocking incident, on 22nd March, a 25-year-old woman from Manipur was spat on by a man and called ‘Coronavirus’ in North Campus, around 9 p.m., as she was walking back after getting some groceries.

This incident was then reported to the police and a First Information Report (FIR) was filed in this regard at Mukherjee Nagar Police Station. Speaking to Mojo, the victim said “The man approached me on a white scooty as I was walking, and I could feel that something was about to happen. He then proceeded to stop and spit on me and the paan from his mouth entered my eye and came on my face. For a moment, I was stunned, but as he sped away, I tried running after him but couldn’t catch him as my eyes were burning. My first concern was getting infected, with someone spitting at me at the time when Coronavirus is spreading. I immediately rushed back home, changed my clothes and bathed before lodging a complaint with the Delhi Police. I’m still trying to process what happened, it has been a really traumatising experience for me.”

After the story of the victim was shared on social media, two more victims, who faced the same incident in January came forward with their story.

The victims spoke to DU Beat about the incidents that took place with them. In conditions of anonymity, they said, “It was on the night of 22nd January 2020 at around 7:30 to 8 pm and I was coming back from my friend’s place. It was quite dark at that time and I was all alone. And then suddenly a middle-aged man came on his scooty and spat on me. At first, I thought something had fallen down from the tree but then the smell suddenly hit me and by the time I looked back to see him or his vehicle number, he had already vanished. The feeling was so disgusting and horrible. When I heard about this incident that happened last night I shared the same in a Whatsapp group wherein I came to know that the same thing happened with another girl on the same place later that night.”

The other victim said also described the incident that took place with her. She told DU Beat that, “As I was walking back to my PG,  I was walking past the park located near my PG. The streets were empty then and dimly lit. All of a sudden, I saw a man in a scooty driving towards me. I thought he was going to hit me with his scooty and just froze for one sec. Next thing I know, he spat paan all over my face, neck, hair and clothes. I was shellshocked and didn’t move for 10 seconds. When I came back to my senses, I shouted but he had already driven off. Traumatised, I ran into my PG and cried to my friends. They thought that I had fallen in some mud or something since the colour was brownish-red. The smell was utterly strong and disgusting. They cleaned me up and I bathed four times. They informed my PG owner. He came and we all went to the scene where the incident had happened. We planned on reporting it to the police, but the next day, I decided to let it go as I was traumatised by the incident and no longer wanted to ponder upon it.”

“I’m coming forward with my story now so that I could help the person who was attacked on 22nd March, since our descriptions of the attacker match. I just hope that Delhi University’s North Campus is a safe place for us North-Easterners to roam even past 8 at night and I hope that the same incident doesn’t happen to anyone else in the future. No human deserves to be treated this way.” she added.

Initially, both people didn’t think this attack was racially motivated, but after noticing the increasing number of incidents that have taken place in the same manner, it can hardly be a coincidence, since all three times the target were people who were from the North-East.

DU Beat also spoke to Mr Varun Pradhan, a member of the Delhi University’s North Eastern Student Society (NESSDU),  “Once I heard of how there were more students were also attacked in a similar manner earlier, I tried contacting the North East Helpline, but couldn’t get through to them.  So I called the Mukherjee Nagar Police Station, but they said that it’s too late for an FIR, however, the victims could still file a written complaint and the police will support them thoroughly in this regard.”

Of late, such racially motivated incidents are on the rise across India. It is indeed a shameful situation and such actions should be condemned by all members of the society.

In connection to this incident, the Delhi Police arrested a 40 year old man on Wednesday, 25th March 2020.

 Feature Image Credits: Anonymous

Khush Vardhan Dembla

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Arts & Culture

Are We Back to the 1920s?

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With the world undergoing drastic socio-political events, how far have we come from the Roaring Twenties? 

“History shall witness the rise of glory,

The roaring twenties have arrived.”

Little did they know, what they had in store;

Death, gloom and misery. 

The advent of the 1920s can be barely called a period of happiness. The deadly aftermath of the First World War to the rise of fascism, paving the way to the heinous murder of humanity; the 20th Century has been historically glorious and well-recorded. However, the 21st century and especially the beginning of the 2020s has been anything, but, glorious.

January 2020 was characterised by an impending World War 3, courtesy USA and Iran. February 2020 was rather gruesome in the National Capital as a pogrom was carried against the very nerve of Indian Muslims. As the doom of humanity befell us due to a man-made epidemic, we did not know what was in store for us. The futility of man comes forth when something as big and threatening as a natural pandemic visits us. Eerily enough, the 1920’s and 2020’s draw several similarities, right from a life-threatening virus to political turmoil:

 

  • The Pandemic

 

The 1918 Spanish flu which lasted for over two years infecting over 500 million people is eerily similar to the recent pandemic of COVID-19. Both originating from China, the Spanish Flu and Coronavirus caused/ing large scale hysteria and havoc. The beginning of 2020 surely did not expect the recreation of something so ghastly. Till date over 100,000 cases have been reported of coronavirus and the number is predicted only to accelerate. 

 

  • The Economy 

 

Angel Gurría, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Secretary-General, says, “Even if you don’t get a worldwide recession, you’re going to get either no growth or negative growth in many of the economies of the world, including some of the larger ones, and therefore you’re going to get not only low growth this year, but also it’s going to take longer to pick up in the future.” Similarly, the end of the 1920s was characterised by the infamous Great Depression of 1929. Widespread economic depression gradually enveloped the entire world economically and socially. 

 

  • Rise of Right-Wing Populism 

 

The 1920’s served as a bedrock foundation to the Weimar Republic, paving the way to the rise of Adolf Hitler, ultimately the epicentre of right-wing. The 20th Century was largely dictated and influenced by the aftermath of Holocaust and World War II economically, structurally, socially and politically. The 2020s haven’t been too politically different, either. With a majority of world leaders belonging to the right side of politics such as Bolsonaro in Brazil; Trump in USA; Modi in India; and most of Europe. The comeback and domination of their side of politics are similar to the rise of right-wing populism back in the day. 

 

  • Anticipating World War III

 

Iran and the US have been at a war-like situation by retaliating with constant airstrikes back in January. Recent news suggests Iran has refused help to the US in lieu of the Coronavirus outbreak, both of the Nations reporting accelerating numbers of casualties after Italy. The pandemic is also being considered a distraction from the impending crisis. 20th Century has been largely motivated and dealt with wars, World War I and World War II have shaped the consequences of several nations, acted as a catalyst in projecting newer policies and international treaties. 

 

  • Racism and Casteism

 

The Ku Klux Klan or the American White supremacist hate group systematically targetted African Americans. Racism and subjugation of individuals on the basis of their colour and race was dominant. Caste was a major factor in paving the way towards concrete legislative measures in the newly formed Indian Constitution. However, just as legal changes do not equate to social changes, till date, racism, casteism, rampant classism and xenophobia have still thrived. 

Sharanya Vajjha, a student of history and politics says, “Some problematic notions never cease to exist. Even when concrete developments are made, certain regressive beliefs continue to haunt mankind.”

 

  • Feminism

 

The discourse surrounding women’s rights and feminism gained momentum right about in the 1900s. The first wave of feminism laid down the focus on women’s legal rights and Right to Vote. Gradually, it incorporated the idea of reproductive rights, sexuality, domestic violence, rape and the social domain of feminism. Yet again, it would be wrong to equivalent legal milestones as social milestones. Till date, harassment, rape culture, incessant casual sexism, workplace harassment, unequal pay, abortion rights, intersectionality and marital rape amongst others remain certain issues which are yet to garner social and legal attention and escalate into concepts of the bygone era.

A century later, individuals still scramble for basic human rights, war and hysteria are rampant. The real question here is, are we supposed to go back to the 1920s or travel our way into the future? 

Feature Image Credits: Brand Culture

Anandi Sen 

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Fake News Shall Only Worsen the Crisis

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With the danger of an outbreak looming upon us, the news we share on social media becomes even more important. 

A study by Microsoft found that over 64 percent of Indians have encountered fake news online, the highest among the 22 countries surveyed. A public health crisis can shoot up the dissemination of irrelevant and fake news, which may include hoaxes to prevent or cure the virus. Famous Chinese messaging app, TikTok and WhatsApp have frequently been victims of videos and messages that claim to provide solutions to stop the virus.

The problem is not limited to facts. A large proportion of messages shared by people have little to do with verifiable facts and peddle prejudiced opinions. This includes influential people as well. Union Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Choubey, claimed that sunlight can improve immunity and kill coronavirus. There have been instances of people claiming that cow urine can cure people of the disease, which has been denied by scientists and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This vividly reflects that people choose to ignore facts owing to a repetition of certain messages within their circles.

Most of such messages reach the least informed people. They are prone to believe the things that they come across. Research published in 2018 has shown that during the Zika Virus outbreak, most popular messages contained fake headlines and content. Rumours obtained three times more shared than verified stories. Interestingly, rumours (20% of them) also portrayed Zika as a conspiracy against the public. This largely captures the behaviour of people when faced with a disease outbreak.

However, stories like these only worsen the situation. People fail to understand government policies and credible news, which do not reach people owing to an overwhelming number of irrelevant news in their inboxes. In a huge pile of messages and articles, the relevant ones are either ignored or are discredited.

By curbing down on such stories, right and requisite information can reach the people. With a dense population, India can get fatally affected by an outbreak, if it ever happens. One form of prevention lies in our hands, by selectively sharing information from verified sources. This boosts our self-interest as well

This obligates media houses as well. As the world of news has become faster due to the internet, media houses rush to get their hands on anything that can pacify their readers. They are notorious for capitalising on unverified stories using captivating headlines and vocabulary. As a need for legitimate news grows, media houses should act as India’s first line of defence to counter fake and irrelevant news.

The Press Information Bureau, along with other fact-checking organisation should work towards curbing the circulation of news and messages that claim unverified prevention measures. People should share correct preventive measures which are verified by organisations like the WHO or the Indian Council of Medical Research.

A truly reliable source of information these days is the WhatsApp contact of the WHO. It is a chat-bot that answers all queries pertaining to the novel coronavirus. Government websites are also equally effective.

The need to change our behaviour is immediate and intense.

 

Featured Image Credits: The Guardian

 

Kuber Bathla

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DUTA Releases Set of Demands Regarding COVID-19

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In a press release dated 19th March 2020, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) released a set of demands for the Vice-Chancellor regarding COVID-19.

In the midst of the global pandemic, DUTA has released a set of demands for the working conditions of the DU faculty regarding COVID-19. The statement contained five sets of demands brought forth by DUTA, pertaining to the management of the faculty and teaching done by the university regarding the pandemic.

DUTA has requested the administration of a few colleges that are still insisting that teachers working on ad-hoc and guest basis should necessarily be present in the College to desist from doing so and not request the physical presence of the teachers, and instead adhere to e-learning and online resources to continue with the teaching in the university, and to not discriminate ad-Hocs and guest teachers in relation to the preventative measures put forth by the university to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They have also asked for financial compensation for guest teachers who are making themselves available through e-resources during their assigned teaching hours, and to use the online resources and assistance that they’re providing to students as a record for the payment. DUTA also insists that the semester exams and activities be pushed back and rescheduled accordingly, as e-resources and online classes can not compensate for in-class lectures and that various students of the university residing in other parts of the country do not have access to a stable internet connection. The organisation has, therefore, urged the administration to make an example of the other universities who have pushed back and/or rescheduled their exams and semester schedule for the same purpose. They have also urged the administration to think of the students and teaching faculty of SOL and NCWEB, and ensure that the stipulated contact hours are met, and also to keep in mind the financial need of the guest-teachers of these organisations. Lastly, DUTA has urged that the University implements similar preventative measures to reduce the contact points of non-teaching staff as it has for its teaching faculty and to decrease in theworking days and staggered working hours for those on duty, to prevent the spread of the disease for this section of the workers of the university as well.

“We hope that the University responds by providing necessary institutional help to all sections of the University in this hour of crisis,” the press release stated.

The university has suspended classes till 31st March to provide relief and prevent the spread of COVID-19 amongst students and faculty and urges students to practice social distancing to stay healthy.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Shreya Juyal

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Global Response to Coronavirus

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Different countries have adopted an array of preventive measures to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak that had surfaced in December 2019 in China, which later spread to different parts of the world.

Many countries that have been severely affected by the coronavirus crisis have taken steps such as drastic lockdowns and strict travel restrictions. Citizens were ordered to stay inside and popular tourist spots such as Rome now seem deserted. Berlin and New York have set a limit for public gatherings, which is 50 people, to fend off the virus. A similar limit of 20 people has been imposed in New Delhi.

Italy’s government has ordered shutdowns across the country after the confirmed cases surpass 41,000. The UK government has been reluctant in adopting such strict measures, and schools, restaurants, and pubs are still open in London. Sports events such as Bundesliga have been shut down until further notice. 

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has travelled to more than 165 countries including India. The efforts of the Indian government in curbing the pandemic from spreading have been applauded worldwide. Schools, colleges, and movie theatres have been shut down across the country. Citizens have been advised to self-quarantine at home. All passengers returning to India from international flights were screened to check for possible symptoms of the virus. Everyone has been advised to follow social distancing, which drastically reduces the chances of the virus spreading further. 

All universities across India have been closed due to the coronavirus crisis. Teachers of Delhi University are permitted to work from home alongside which online classes for students are also being conducted. Study material is provided to students on a weekly basis, and the varsity has been shut till 31st March 2020. Students were also asked to vacate the campus, and many PGs adopted the same measure and asked students to leave at the earliest. Tejasvi, a student of Lady Shri Ram College opined: “The pandemic will be more widespread if necessary measures are not taken now, and at a personal level, all w can do is practice social distancing and washing our hands after returning home.” 

Feature image credits- NBC News

Suhani Malhotra

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DU Teachers Demand Permission to Work from Home

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With the advent of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, Delhi University (DU) teachers demand permission to work from home, DU administration releases press release to accept their demands. 

On 15th March, Delhi University sought permission for teachers from the Varsity administration to work from home as the classes were suspended for all students till 31st March,2020 due to COVID-19.

Four Academic Council members sent a letter to Yogesh K Tyagi, Vice Chancellor, DU, wherein they requested extending the semester session to make use of the time lost due to regular classroom teaching coming to a halt and make necessary changes to the examination schedule.

The members said in a joint letter, “The University must seriously consider extending the semester session by a fortnight to make up for the teaching time lost due to this temporary cessation of regular classroom teaching.”

In addition to this, they also added, “Teachers should be permitted to work from home to avoid unnecessary travelling of around 10,000 citizens.”

Assistant professors Deo Kumar, Kanchan and, Saikat Ghosh, and Associate Professor Rajesh Kumar, requested work from home permission in a letter they wrote to the Vice-Chancellor as some Principals of colleges affiliated to Delhi University had asked the faculty members to report to college despite the suspension of classes. Many faculty members from various colleges extended their support to the members of Academic Council.

In response to the letter, Delhi University issued a press release that said, “Teaching-learning process shall continue through e-resources. The teachers have the option to work from home.”

The study material will be provided to students on a weekly basis on the website of every college till the suspension of classes. However, the teachers are unclear about how successful this arrangement will be.

The members also said, “Online teaching cannot be a substitute for practical learning and laboratory work where regular teaching-learning is essential.”

Feature image credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

Suhani Malhotra

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Coronavirus Pandemic: Impact on the Global Economy

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This piece provides a detailed analysis of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamic global economy. 

A hub of all humans across the world performing various operations forms a global economy. Trade all overseas ignoring boundaries has given rise to world trade and commercial connections which collectively builds the world economy or global economy. A widely used saying of the past, a famous phrase, “When America sneezes the whole world catches a cold” it signifies the dominant role of America in global economics since the beginning of the twentieth century. On the other hand, China being a large country with the highest population is the manufacturing house for rest of the world, therefore, the same phrase, (“When China sneezes the whole world catches a cold”) is popularly used to reflect China’s power and authority in global matters. And hence both countries being developed has a prominent role to play in the global race to maintain and flourish the system of global economics. Any fluctuations to their stock market indices and import-export structures send a chill wind across many economies and have a significant impact on global economic activity. In 2018, the United States gauged for 15.2 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) after adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP). Also considering another tycoon of global economics, China is the world’s second-largest economy and produces 18.69 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity for 2018. China’s exports tremendously grew by 16 per cent per year from 1979 to 2009 which was a good sign of growth for the country and the world.

The global economy is already in its state of synchronised slowdown which particularly means the growth rate is falling to its lowest i.e. 3 per cent in 2019 and downgrading growth as stated by the International Monetary fund. The sparge effects of global crisis 2008 can still be traced out and since then the global economy is at its slowest pace. Around the globe almost 90 per cent of countries to experience the slowest growth in this decade thus this reflects a complex situation for all the nations. Since it is being observed over the past decade that global trade growth is in a halt situation. This horrified fall was rooted in various inter-related macroeconomic factors chiefly inflation, rising interest rates, trade relations, geo-political issues and availability of natural resources. Peeping back to China, a tremendous fall in birth rates, ageing population at hotfoot, screwing Federal Reserve, put brakes on China’s economy. To this, there is an addition of fuel to fire in china, and affecting the world and economy as a  whole. As we already know that a health epidemic is one of the most dangerous threats that a nation could ever face. And this time China is burning with a menacing virus and this is the real threat of COVID-19 epidemic that has originated itself in China. The dark mystery behind its cure is hasn’t solved yet. When we heard a term called viruses we became preventive and protective automatically and even when we have proper medication for the same. But the fear of viruses takes all our research and trusts. Now this time  China is bearing the pain. COVID-19 is the inclusion of one more fatal virus to the family of health toll. Viruses being untreatable are deathly, so it is of great concern if a person is suffering from the common cold because it is not also 100 per cent curable.

How people react to normal viruses causing the common cold, Influenza ?  We all generally describe them as disease-causing pathogenic particles of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (Ribonucleic acid). We are not afraid of other diseases because they have medicinal cures and gives us psychological and biological support. Recently a dangerous outbreak of COVID-19 in China has added to the books of medical sciences and research to diagnose and set another side to human life. At this hour the world has to deal with something non-curable.

 

COVID-19 being a large family of viruses causing common cold to more severe diseases as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The dark mystery behind its cure is still covered by curtains of the nonidentifiable source. Scientists are rushing to crack but too much devastation has already raised the toll of human life. Till now ant-eating Pangolins are considered to be the prime suspect according to the basis of genetic analyses. Being originated in the Wuhan city of china it can only be traced there. Being zoonotic they are transmitted between animals and people easily. The only way is to take preventive steps. Common signs involve respiratory symptoms, fever load, cold, breathing problems. Influenza an already curable disease which is generally known to us but still we are not afraid of it and also it is not affecting the global economy so drastically unlike coronavirus. Hundreds of thousands of people die of the flu every year, a rate lower than coronavirus. Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died as on March 3′ 2020. On the other hand, in comparison to seasonal flu which generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected as stated by WHO (World Health Organisation). A mortality rate in China as of Feb 4 is 2.1% nationwide, and 5.8% in Wuhan as reported by NPA, China.  But still their lies some important distinctions between coronavirus and influenza because of which economy is suffering so hard. Because there is no vaccine for COVID-19 and it could take many months or years to get one to market. The only thing is that Influenza has likely been around for more than 2,000 years with us thus not drastically affecting economy and humanity contrary Coronavirus a 3 months old virus, yet there is no vaccine. Typically people develop more natural defences to fight against an already existing virus for more than a thousand years. Therefore not that destructive now but seasonal flu also caused variations to economy long way time back.

China death toll is although rising day by day. It has taken a different picture in china and harming their most important resource that is humans. This virus outbreak is not only affecting people but also has a ruinous impact on the whole world since everything is connected to China. Economies are interlinked and thus deeply impacting other nations in terms of the death toll and industrial businesses as well. Though America is taking mist of the hardships in research and finding the cure for this destructive virus. Nations across the world have bound into action to contain the impact of this epidemic. China is the epicentre is barricading its major cities and public places. This vicious circle of the instant spread of the virus is ruing other nations as well and it has already taken a toll of 100,300 infected people. Mainland China has seen more than 3000 deaths. The novel coronavirus is spreading faster, various warnings are given by The World Health Organisation to countries like Iran and Italy. India has also reported with 31 COVID-19 positive cases in this period. Italy is shutting down schools and taking proper preventive measures. America is boarding hard and hasten research efforts to find a cure.  Various measures have been announced by different nations to address this issue.  Despite everything related to this virus will enter our shore on a large scale or not but it is impacting global as well as national economies. As stated by international bodies, World Bank and organization for economic cooperation and development has already marked a sharp slowdown in global economic growth. China’s economy can even contract, which, if happens would be the first time since the revolution of the 1970s. This will surely impact India’s economic situation too. The global supply chain has also been disturbed due to export and import sprung from china affecting millions of small and medium businesses in developing countries. COVID-19 crisis can further slowdown world growth also drastically affects India’s GDP growth by half to one per cent, other things being constant.  This health shock will make the world situation worse. China being the main house of imports and exports crashes the world trade. Financial markets were in improvement condition before novel coronavirus spread to the world but now financial markets and economic forecasters are stating warnings for risks in the US and across the world. China’s economic growth is expected to slow to 4.5 per cent in the first quarter of the 2020 year as reported by the world economic forum. Global oil demand has also hit hard by novel coronavirus says international energy agency. Also, the Islamic countries such as Iran, Israel which has closed its land borders with Egypt and Syria, Kuwait have banned their flights and ordered the airline industry to eliminate every flight for a certain period.  Not surprisingly, Air India is to shut down its flights. And all this has accounted to a total loss of $113 billion of revenue. Massive factory shutdown, offices and workplaces closure has a slowing flow of products from and to China. This is largely affecting companies across the world including Apple and Nissan. As the world struggles with the novel coronavirus, impact on the economy is increasing its peak as the virus presents the biggest danger to the global economy since after a financial crisis. As mentioned earlier there are now more than 95000 confirmed cases globally. In China millions of people are locked down in dozens of cities, disruptive supply chains and travel restrictions have to lead to a great slowdown.

After so much of technologies china is not able to find a cure for this virus, it was transferred from animals to humans. There are a lot of antibiotics injected to animals to slaughter them all this has given rise to novel coronavirus. Not being able to crack the antidote the world is suffering financially, economically and most important rising deaths. There are many countries and companies dependent on the health of china’s economy and thus they are also suffering the same pain. China is the world’s largest oil importer observed a descending global oil demand in a decade. It is expected to fall by 435,000 barrels a year to year in the first quarter of 2020 said by IEA. Second affected industry due to the novel coronavirus is the air travel industry. To restrict the spread of the virus among nations cross nationals flights are cancelled since it is respirational infection. As reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) the outbreak could cost airlines $113 billion in lost revenue (predicted figure). Due to this outbreak, lots of airlines got trapped in a very bad situation and taken a toll on their revenue, since earlier also some were only earning marginal profits and due to this health hazard that is also being ruined. The third and the most affected portion of the world economy is disruptive commerce due to divisive virus which had landed world trade to an upsetting situation. The pharmaceutical industry is also bracing for disruption to global production. Largely America is the main place of suffering as pharmaceutical industries got major losses due to this harmful outbreak and have resulted in a  dampening effect over the graph of profits and revenues. Being Americans increasingly dependent on drugs catches a high amount of imports from China. Most drugs are either sourced directly from China or are made from intermediate chemical progenitors, manufactured in China. 80 per cent of medicated drugs of the U.S. are sourced overseas particularly china. And in the past few years, the pharmaceutical industry has immensely geared up on a large scale concluding China as the biggest producer of API’s (Active pharmaceutical ingredients). Not the only U.S many other countries are also dependent on China, including India. India is the largest producer of generic drugs also relies on China for 80 per cent of its API’s supply that is to be used further in drug production. Almost all antibiotics are imported from China to the US even surgical gowns, gloves, masks and products used to stop the spread of coronavirus are also manufactured in China. Since there is massive destruction of the manufacturing sector in China has set back its supply of drugs which is substantially effecting the pharmaceutical industry globally. As reported by FDA (Food Drug Administration) there will be a shortage of API’s globally which is required in the production of various other drugs and can cause higher prices for the medicines people(particularly in the US) need to treat their illnesses due to dismantled manufacturing in China. Indian pharmaceutical sector is drastically impacted and according to the data stated by Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council, the trading cost of paracetamol has increased from Rs 250-300 kg to 400-450 kg. Along with this, another shock which is nondigested by the industries is a shot up of 40-50 per cent increase in prices of vitamins and penicillin. Pharmaceutical industries will face this prospect of disruptions due to the extended shutdown of factories in china. Major drugmakers including Dr Reddy’s, Lupin, Glenmark, Mylan, Zydus healthcare are mostly affected even the stock market Sensex is affected.

In China, this virus will remain for a longer time particularly until an antidote is discovered. All this is due to seasonal changes there which support a rigorous spread of coronavirus being respirational. China is presently experiencing a raining season which has worsened the existing situation more badly. The worst slap to the economy is when there is a shallow single-day fall for Sensex globally. This landed economists back to great concern over the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Sensex lost gigantic 1,941.67 points or 5.17% to close at 35,634.95 ending a day with huge losses. Global stock markets dived deeply as a blow of investors were recorded who were pressured due to the recent spread of coronavirus.    

Besides the impact on commerce, the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasts that Japan could lose $1.29 billion of tourism revenue as there is a huge fall in Chinese travellers, while Thailand could lose $1.15 billion. There is a serious downtrodden effect in oil sector globally, and sinking oil prices have been traced and had a reverse in all the improvements and positive momentum in oil prices over a small period. Continued losses would be suffered by oil industries in two ways firstly due to travel restrictions which ended up in limiting the use of jet fuel and supply chains slowdown. Secondly, passive industrial activities due to fewer workers and stock market reaction to the effect of the coronavirus on the global economy build a forecast of global oil demand over a long period. Since the sentiment of health has affected the global economy in a negative sphere. So estimations about the global oil demand curve can be graphed as oil prices slump. Also, Russia denied OPEC’s proposal for a production cut and subsequent oil price war which has already pushed Brent blend crude down to more than 9 per cent.

Due to the mammoth shutdown of factories in China has caused a steep fall in car sales by 92 per cent within 15 days of an outbreak, as stated by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). Various other large companies have suffered a lot because a major amount of automobile parts are produced in China only and its reduced production has badly toll on automobile sector globally. China is the world’s biggest car market, and Wuhan being the epicentre for the same is also known as “motor city” for the world as it serves as a house to auto plants including General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot Group and Renault. Wuhan solely deems for about 50% of the total production of auto-parts and main factories, assembling for Honda alone. This landed the sector to a very dreadful state. Tesla a Hubei brand which has a new factory set up in Shanghai was also forced to shut down, and Volkswagen too postponed production at all of its Chinese plants. Reducing the overall supply and disturbing the global market for automobiles as the impacts on the auto industry are being felt beyond China’s borders. It badly touched India’s shore. Hyundai, Honda, and various other companies in India are dependent on China for minor to major auto-parts and imports them on a large scale, this shutdown will collapse the market and ruin the increasing path of growth. Also, Hyundai and Kia recently ceased their several assembly lines in Korea and a suspension of auto production by Nissan in Japan. To prevent the spread of the virus which has sharply ruined the automobiles all over the world these decisions were to amended. And due to low production and almost zero supply resulted in the shutdown of operations in other nations as well.

However, the economists were optimistic China’s economy would recover quickly if the virus could be contained.

Feature Image Credits: Akshat Arora for DU Beat.

Rushali Yadav

[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

The Kebabs, tikkas and India

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Amidst Coronavirus pandemic, let’s take a look at India’s unconditional love for meat.  


‘Meat is not a part of the Indian culture!’ you must have heard this statement over and over again during recent times. Be it the so-called ‘Gau rakshaks’ or be it the various ‘religious’ organisations that have time and again reiterated that meat is not a part of the Indian culture. It instead is a western idea thatpromotes bad thoughts and makes a person barbaric. But is this true? Read on to find out.

It turns out that you have to look no further. The very religion these people claim to be defending provides the answer and the counter to their arguments itself.

 Vedas, the scriptures that have guided the values of Hinduism for more than 3000 years now (The reason many love the Vedas 3000), divide the food that we eat into three different categories. These categories are called Rajasic, Sattvik and Tamasik. The food that fall in these categories have different effects on the mind and the body. Hence are suitable for different types of people and professions.

 Vedas prescribe Sattvik food to anybody who is involved in activities like yoga and meditation. And is a part of a psychological or a philosophical activity. It is believed that Sattvik food helps the mind to be clear and more peaceful, it helps the body to be energetic and it makes the person more harmonious. Examples of Sattvic foods are seasonalvegetables and fruits, water, ‘humane’ dairy products, natural sweeteners, grains, legumes, etc. That is why people eat Sattvic food during fasts and during religious periods like Navratras.

 The second classification of food is the Rajasik food which is associated with ambitiousness and competitiveness. This type of food is prescribed to anyone who is doing heavy physicalactivity which requires a lot of energy and spontaneous thinking. The Rajasik diet suits professionals like athletes, soldiers, entrepreneurs, etc. Foods in this category includes food from onion, garlic, radish to pepper, wine, caffeine drinks and eggs, chicken, lamb, etc. Apart from this the Vedas say that if a person isn’t a part of any heavy physical activity then they should avoid Rajasik food as it will cause unwanted energy in the body which may result in destructive thoughts. This idea is what many leaders misuse to flag non-vegetarian as unholy altogether.

 The last category is Tamasik food. According to the Vedas,this food category is suitable for the men of inertia and induces laziness. Procrastination and sleepiness also are characterstics. However, the Vedas also mention that Tamasikfood is allowed in small amounts to a sick person as these foods appeal to one’s appetite. These include leftover and stale food, preserved meats like pork, ham, beef, bacon, etc. Apart from this fermented dishes, mushrooms, alcohol, drugs, deep fried and canned foods also are a part of this category. So the time ate the good old Chhole Bhature or Dosas and felt sleepy you were under the influence of Tamasik diet’s after-effects.

 The Vedas though advise these diets but at the end leaves it onto the wisdom of the person who is consuming the food. Also at no point do the Vedas forbid eating meat, however, it is also worth mentioning that many Hindu scriptures including the Vedas ‘discourage’ and not ‘prohibit’ the eating of beef.The reason being that cows are holy animals to the Hindus and eating them may cause discontent among them. Similarly in Islam pore is considered to be unhealthy for humans and is considered to be ‘haram’ or forbidden. Similarly if someone eats pork, a Muslim may find it offending as it is connected to his or her faith and culture.

 Coming to the data, one can find an even more surprising picture about meat and Indians. We are the second largest exporter of beef, more than 95% of goat meat produced in India is consumed locally and we are the inventors of world famous meat based dishes like biryani, chicken tikka and butter chicken. Chicken is the most popular type of meat owing to its less price and absence of religious inhibitions against it. However we also are a vegan’s paradise (India being the best, again)

Geographically South India has more non-vegetarians than the North of India. North India likes non-veg food, owing to two main reasons. The first is a cooler climate which prevails in most of the northern India (and is complemented by heat providing meat dishes) and the second is the extensive Islamic influence over the northern part of India which led to the birth of various cuisines such as the Awadhi and the Nawabicuisines.  While in southern india continued Hindu Brahminical ascendancy and tropical climate led to many vegetarian food choices, however, due to coastal proximity non-vegetarian food is still very popular in southern India. Onto the Eastern part of India, due to continued dominance of tribal culture the cuisine itself is unique and embraces both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes. The west of India is largely vegetarian. A surprising fact is that Punjab, despite being home to the most lip-smacking meat dishes, is majorly vegetarian. Actually in total only 20% of all Hindus and 28.85% Indians are vegetarians. Apart from this only five Indian states, i.e. Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are the ones where vegetarians outnumber non-vegetarians. On the other hand 98% of Telangana loves animal based diets.

 This leads me too you say that in reality the Indian culture in particular does not discourage or prohibits anyone from eating the food of their choice. The ideology that non-vegetarian food is a western philosophy is just a political agenda. Such groups use these ideas to get on the rightist ideology bandwagon just because right wing politics is on the rise and popular right now. This also leads me to say that the Indian culture since ancient times was a culture where everybody was free to do things and activities according to their wisdom.Therefore we should not be fooled by any of the so-called ‘protectors of religion’ who start owning and treating a religion or a culture as their personal property. And when we start associating a whole religion or a culture with just a single political identity, we are letting these sanctimonious people triumph. Just like in present we are letting Hinduism to be attributed to just one party and the same goes for Islam, Christianity, other ethnic communities, etc. this is where we are as citizens are being vanquished. Food is very simple yet it is very complex and it is the food which has connected Indiato the world and the world to India for ages. We are home to Hindustani cuisine which includes dishes from places like Afghanistan, Iran, China, South East Asia, Arabia, etc. This diversity is what makes Indian cuisine so unique and this diversity is what makes India so unique. If we lose this our diverse soul we also lose the spirit of India.

 Feature Image Credits: India Bazaar

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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