# Back to School: As States take different approaches to reopening their educational institutions, the decision should be backed by plans to offset 2 years of de-learning.

# Dipping cases, not so with deaths: With 2,09,918 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of cases increased to over 4.13 crore, according to Union health ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll has climbed to 4,95,050 with 959 fatalities reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed.

# Learnings from a pandemic: From realising the importance of critical care to determining the correct course of treatment were some of the biggest learnings and challenges faced by healthcare professionals in the last two years after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the country.

# Vaccine deployment: Government data, on January 31 (7 am) showed that 1,66,03,96,227 total doses of the vaccine have been administered.

# Understanding NeoCoV: It has become the most searched term on Google by Friday last (January 28) in India after Chinese researchers called world’s attention to a coronavirus strain that they said was detected in a population of bats in South Africa that could likely pass on to humans as part of zoonosis (disease transmitted to humans from animals).

# Stealth version of Omicron: Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the Omicron variant that has been found in more than 50 countries, including the United States.

# Three years: It’s the third anniversary of the PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern) declaration – a look at the World Health Organization’s role, as pandemics are scripted into the world’s future.

Published on January 31, 2022