BY HARPREET KAUR
The World Health Organization’s comprehensive factsheet stresses that alcohol weakens the immune system and heavy drinking increases the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, which leads to widespread inflammation in the lungs.
This link between heavy alcohol consumption and respiratory disease is not well known, despite a systematic review, published in 2018, which concluded there is comprehensive evidence for it. It is missing from the burgeoning research effort to quantify other COVID-19 risk factors such as smoking.
This global health blind spot is reminiscent of the lack of awareness of alcohol as a cause of cancer, even though the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer stated in 2011 that alcohol is a class one carcinogen – meaning it’s a known cause of cancer. A flood of people after a long dry spell. Queues, chaos and lathicharges marked Monday even as some states reported a high in excise earnings as liquor shops reopened. The Supreme Court has observed that states should consider home delivery of liquor as a better alternative to opening liquor vends to ensure social distancing during lockdown.
The coronavirus is now a fact of life. While talk of battling and fighting it is uplifting, we also know that it’s not going anywhere for a long time. A vaccine is still at least eighteen months away, and even that is being optimistic. That vaccine, when ready, will take a long time to trickle down to every corner of the world. What we are looking at is not three weeks, six weeks or two months of sitting tight. Think three years at least. There will be surges and further lockdowns as time goes on. A drink will make all of this more tolerable. Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Tuesday said that students can use the online portal of government to study during the lockdown, which has been extended till May 3 in the view of coronavirus spread.
“We have started online study programme through Diksha, Swayam Prabha, E-Pathshala in which all the study material is available for higher education. The material is also provided for parents, students and teachers who can use it anytime,” Pokhriyal said. With schools being locked down due to COVID-19, educators across the country are moving to virtual classes on Microsoft Teams to ensure learning never stops. Teams not only enables teachers and students to connect over video-enabled remote classrooms but also provides a host of interactive and collaborative tools on a single platform. Here are examples of Indian education institutions that are using Teams for remote learning.
Schools around the world have closed their doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, leaving more than 1.5 billion children stuck at home. While it's a great inconvenience for many, it has created a spike in demand for online learning. Educational institutions are introducing online courses and some education technology startups are temporarily offering free classes to help offset the impact of school closures.
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller, Author
So, while many universities and colleges are conducting online learning sessions, students from disadvantaged families or living in remote areas may not have access to Telegram, iCloud or, indeed, the internet even in the best of times. To ensure learning continues even for the batch that is staying at home on a given day, the school can give them some activity to do at home. Currently, teachers try to teach every part of the chapter in class. But given the changed circumstances, students can be asked to cover some parts on their own and clear their doubts once they are in class on their designated day.
"Keep calm and carry on." "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." "Don't worry, be happy."