Due to the massive outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, Changlang district authorities in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday had temporarily shut down the Pangsau Pass Market situated along the Indo-Myanmar border.
As per reports, trading operations have been suspended in the border market till March 21, 2020.
During a district-level meeting in Nampong, the decision to suspend operations in the border haat at Pangsau Pass had been taken in order to prevent the possible spread of the illness whose symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, pneumonia and breathing difficulties.
Moreover, the district authorities have also asked gaon burahs and panchayat interim committee members of Nampong and nearby Tikhak Rima Putok to create awareness about coronavirus among the local people.
They have also been asked to restrict local people from venturing to the border side of Myanmar.
The administration has also asked its counterpart in the neighbouring country to take similar measures.
It may be mentioned that the Pangsau Pass market functions only on the 10th, 20th and 30th of every month.
Traders from both India and Myanmar sell their wares at the border market that comes up at Pangsau Pass which is located on the crest of the Patkai Hills.
Imphal/Aizawl, Feb 4 (PTI) Two samples among six sent for screening for novel coronavirus in Manipur tested positive for swine flu, a senior health official said on Tuesday.
The six samples collected from people entering the state were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for testing for coronavirus, Director of Manipur Health Services K Rajo told reporters.
“We have received three reports so far. Though none of them tested positive for coronavirus, swine flu has been detected in two of them,” he said.
Of the two affected persons, one had recently visited China, while the other came in contact with that person, Rajo said.
Being “mild” cases of swine flu, the affected persons will be monitored through “home isolation” and their family members will be provided medicines, he added.
According to Rajo, five centres have been opened in different border towns of the state and at the Imphal International Airport to screen people for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Mizoram has started screening people entering the state through the India-Myanmar border, officials said.
A screening centre has been set up at Zokhawthar in the border district of Champhai, besides one at Lengpui Airport, they said.
The health department said no coronavirus case has been detected in the state so far and urged people not to believe rumours doing rounds on social media.
It said two medical students who returned from China on January 15 have tested negative for coronavirus. PTI CORR ACD DIV DIV
Swine flu (also known as the H1N1) is a respiratory condition which is highly infectious and can spread very quickly from one person to another. While it was earlier only detected in people with regular exposure to pigs (hence the name), it now primarily spreads from person to person.
Like many other strains of flu, swine flu is extremely contagious and can spread through air droplets produced by sneezing, coughing and even by touching infected areas where droplets have recently landed, including desks, utensils and tabletops. This is why the best means to prevent this deadly flu is to get vaccinated.
Infact, people with a compromised immune system, pregnant women, elderlies and those suffering from chronic health conditions are more susceptible to falling prey to swine flu. Even though the symptoms of H1N1 closely mimic the usual influenza infections (including cold, cough, high fever, body ache, running nose, sore throat etc.), some people may require hospitalization. Who should get vaccinated?Although the symptoms of swine flu are usually mild, pregnant women, very young children, elderlies and those with a weak immune system are more likely to be seriously ill with swine flu. Hence, even though everyone should make it a point to get swine flu vaccinations, the priority groups which are more at risk of catching this infection should get vaccinated without fail.
Vaccinations for swine flu
Vaccines have been developed to protect against the virus that causes swine flu. According to Dr Sushant Chhabra, HOD Emergency Medicine, Manipal Hospital, one should get the seasonal flu vaccine as it keeps getting updated every year to protect against new strains of viruses. The flu vaccination available in the market has four inactive strains and is known as the quadrivalent flu vaccine. The dosage Kids – 0.25 millilitres
Adults – 0.5 millilitres
The swine flu vaccination is ideally taken once in a year and its immunity period is usually between 6 months to one year.
Side-effects of the vaccine
Some of the most common side-effects of a swine flu vaccine include allergic reaction, fever and redness and pain at the site of injection. Some people may also experience tiredness, headaches and muscle ache after getting the flu shot.
Keep in mind that if you had a severe allergic reaction to the previous dose of vaccine, it is important that you inform your medical care provider about the same.
It fills me with sadness that Wuhan is currently becoming synonymous with the coronavirus that is causing a national emergency and concern around the world. I see the news coming out of Wuhan daily, the city I’ve come to love and call my home. Stories of infections increasing, stories of exhaustion, worry, isolation but also stories of self-sacrifice, support and hope. Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have surfaced, remains on lockdown and outbreak has killed more than 420 people around the world.
For several years, I’ve been talking about Wuhan to whomever would listen. When mentioning the name, people would often just stare and say, “Wu… what?” “Wuhan”! “Where’s that?” “Hubei Province, Central China, a city of more than 11 million people …” “Mhhh, never heard of it.” End of conversation.
I’ve talked about the beauty of Wuhan, how the city keeps changing, becoming more interesting day by the day. It has a growing art and creative scene, new green and recreative spaces springing up everywhere.
I’ve talked about Wuhan University, which boasts China’s most beautiful campus. As a foreign expert on secondment from Dublin City University (DCU) to Wuhan University from 2017 to 2019, I’d the privilege to work alongside a team of professionals and share in the personal growth of some of China’s brightest students. I’ve lived in Ireland for almost 25 years and returned to Dublin last summer, but I recently chose to move back to Wuhan because I’d missed my life in this city.
I consider myself very lucky to be able to call this place my home. I was once asked what stories could be told to the world about Wuhan. I said that I’d write about its natural beauty in all its variation, the campus, the lakes, the mountains and rivers. I would write about long walks along the East Lake and bike rides criss-crossing the mighty Yangtze river. I would write about the city’s culture and art and music. I would try and capture the sounds of frogs and birds singing outside my window at 3.30 in the morning.
I would describe the intoxicating scent of osmanthus in autumn and the amazing sunsets all across the city. I would bring the reader on a culinary tour of Wuhan’s local foods, on a visual tour of the city’s arts and culture, and on a sound tour of its music. I would introduce them to the strength and the kindness of its people … and much, much more. I said that I hoped, one day, to find the time to sit down and start writing. I never did but I’ve been trying to get friends, family and colleagues to visit this city that recently appeared high up on a list of the most attractive cities in China. It’s attraction is also for its status as the Chinese city that hosts more institutions of higher learning than any other in the country, a place of phenomenal economic growth, a city also that has witnessed growing engagement with Irish business and education, including the long-standing partnership between DCU and Wuhan University that brought me there in the first place.
After returning to Wuhan in early December of last year to take up a position as lecturer in intercultural communication at Wuhan University, everything seemed to have fallen into place for me – I was already familiar with the city and the campus, I was given the warmest of welcomes and I was looking forward to starting my teaching load after the spring festival. I was also looking forward to family and friends visiting so that they could see the place none of them had ever heard of and which I was incessantly talking about.
At the end of December, a few cases of “novel pneumonia” were detected in the city of Wuhan. We all took notice but assumed that this was nothing to worry about. We started wearing masks and decided to be more vigilant, and avoid crowded places. Other than that, it was life as normal and I continued exploring the city for new music venues, exhibitions and the likes. With the impending Chinese Spring Festival and associated holidays everyone was excitedly talking about their holidays – some within China and others abroad. I myself had made plans to travel to Beijing, Shenyang and Dalian to visit friends. There were end of year gatherings and then we all said our goodbyes. I took a small bag and headed to Beijing with the intention of returning to Wuhan on January 30th.
Sylvia Schroeder: ‘I consider myself very lucky to be able to call this place my home’
Between the time I left Wuhan and the moment I arrived in Beijing – a short four and a half hour high-speed train ride – it was becoming clear that something was beginning to change. The news about the number of infected people increasing, and the coronavirus (now often dubbed the “Wuhan virus”) spreading to other parts of China and abroad was becoming more urgent, more serious. I was also starting to receive messages from family and friends, from former colleagues back in Ireland, from other people I had worked with in China and abroad. Many of these people had only known Wuhan from my stories and most would never have got in touch with me, except that they suddenly made a connection – Wuhan had finally entered people’s consciousness, they were able to place it on a map, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.
As I spent these last few days in Beijing but the situation changed from one where I had planned to return home to Wuhan a few days ago to one where I cannot return to my home as the city is now under lock down, and it is difficult to know when it will be okay to return. I headed, instead, to Europe with my small bag holding only the most essential items. I also carry with me all my memories and my love for Wuhan and its people. I’m determined to return as soon as I can though, in the meantime, I worry for the people I’ve left behind, the friends I am in daily contact with.
The city of Wuhan
What I’ve seen over the last few weeks is a city that has come together with an unrivalled resolve to overcome a major crisis through combined strength of solidarity in the face of adversity, a people working together in self-sacrifice, an unbelievable determination to get the situation under control, and a hope for normality to return as soon as possible. People are going out of their way to help and support each other. They choose to believe that they can beat the crisis to return life to normal as quickly as possible. But, people are also worried about how the world might now view them and their beloved city.
Japan quarantined a cruise ship and is screening all 3,711 people onboard after a passenger was tested positive for the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.
An 80-year-old man who had been on The Diamond Princess’ first leg tested positive in Hong Kong on January 31, and is deemed to have the virus.
He had disembarked from the ship earlier, but hundreds of other passengers remained.
The ship arrived back in Yokohama, Japan, on Monday. All 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members are now being held in quarantine to be screened for the virus.
A passenger has been sharing photos of the quarantine from inside the ship. Scroll down to see some of them.
Japan has quarantined a cruise ship carrying more than 3,700 people after one tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus last week.
An unnamed 80-year-old man boarded The Diamond Princess in Yokohama on January 20, disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25, and admitted himself to the hospital on January 31. He was deemed to have contracted the virus.
The cruise ship, operated by Carnival Japan, arrived back to Yokohama on Monday. It was placed under quarantine upon arrival, Reuters reported.
Upon arrival in Japan passengers were told to remain in their cabins, and were on Tuesday visited by medical crews, who took their temperatures and gave them a questionnaire to fill out.
Those displaying any signs of the virus, including high temperatures and fevers, would undergo further tests from medical staff, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, according to The Japan Times.
Guests were allowed to resume their onboard activity after being screened, but the casino, shops, and photo studio have been shut, Reuters reported. It’s not entirely clear what the other activities available are.
A passenger on board has been tweeting images of the ship amid the quarantine. They show heavily-protected medical workers in blue walking up and down the deserted hallways, and once-populated attractions – like the rooftop pool – totally empty.
Chandan Kumar Duarah : Wetlands in Assam have been carrying out a great role minimising intensity of flood in Brahmaputra valley. Better conservation of wetlands in the state may be the most effective way to control flood and erosion problems. Because wetlands store a large amount of excess water during flood.
Most of wetlands in the state have become shallow due to turbidity, silt and sediment deposition. As they are becoming shallow the capacity of flood water storage also decreasing. So if these wetlands can be dredged and make deeper these will have more capacity to store more amount of flood water. Continue Reading
The US plan would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank, while allowing Israel to annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives for an emergency meeting with the Arab League’s foreign ministers after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his Middle East peace plan, in Cairo. (REUTERS)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to cut security ties with both Israel and the U.S. on Saturday, in a lengthy speech delivered at an Arab League meeting in Egypt’s capital that denounced a White House plan for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The US plan would grant the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank, while allowing Israel to annex all its settlements there and keep nearly all of east Jerusalem.
The summit of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo was requested by the Palestinians, who responded angrily to the American proposal.
Abbas said that he told Israel and the US that “there will be no relations with them, including the security ties” following the deal that Palestinians say heavily favors Israel.
There was no immediate comment from US or Israeli officials.
The Palestinian leader said that he’d refused to take US President Donald Trump’s phone calls and messages “because I know that he would use that to say he consulted us.”
“I will never accept this solution,” Abbas said. “I will not have it recorded in my history that I have sold Jerusalem.”
He said the Palestinians remain committed to ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a state with its capital in east Jerusalem.
Abbas said that the Palestinians wouldn’t accept the US as a sole mediator in any negotiations with Israel. He said they would go to the United Nations Security Council and other world and regional organizations to “explain our position.”
The Arab League’s head, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, said the proposal revealed a “sharp turn” in the long-standing US foreign policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“This turn does not help achieve peace and a just solution,” he declared.
Aboul-Gheit said that the Palestinians reject the proposal. He called for the two sides, the Israelis and the Palestinians, to negotiate to reach a “satisfactory solution for both of them.”
President Trump unveiled the long-awaited proposal Tuesday in Washington. It would allow Israel to annex all its West Bank settlements — which the Palestinians and most of the international community view as illegal — as well as the Jordan Valley, which accounts for roughly a fourth of the West Bank.
In return, the Palestinians would be granted statehood in Gaza, scattered chunks of the West Bank and some neighborhoods on the outskirts of Jerusalem, all linked together by a new network of roads, bridges and tunnels. Israel would control the state’s borders and airspace and maintain overall security authority. Critics of the plan say this would rob Palestinian statehood of any meaning.
The plan would abolish the right of return for Palestinian refugees displaced by the 1948 war and their descendants, a key Palestinian demand. The entire agreement would be contingent on Gaza’s Hamas rulers and other armed groups disarming, something they have always adamantly rejected.
Ambassadors from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman attended the Tuesday unveiling in Washington, in a tacit sign of support for the US initiative.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Arab states that are close US allies, said they appreciated President Trump’s efforts and called for renewed negotiations without commenting on the plan’s content.
Egypt urged in a statement Israelis and Palestinians to “carefully study” the plan. It said it favors a solution that restores all the “legitimate rights” of the Palestinian people through establishing an “independent and sovereign state on the occupied Palestinian territories.”
The Egyptian statement did not mention the long-held Arab demand of east Jerusalem as a capital to the future Palestinian state, as Cairo usually has its statements related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Jordan, meanwhile, warned against any Israeli “annexation of Palestinian lands” and reaffirmed its commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, which would include all the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab countries that have peace treaties with Israel.
