- 6 weeks ago
The Prime Minister has issued an urgent austerity appeal, advising citizens to reduce fuel consumption, avoid gold purchases, and limit foreign travel due to rising crude oil prices and global economic pressures. This announcement triggered a sharp domestic stock market sell-off and drew criticism from opposition parties. Tensions escalated after a Samajwadi Party Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh used objectionable language against the Prime Minister, leading to demands for accountability. Simultaneously, a global health alert was issued following a deadly Hantavirus outbreak on a luxury cruise ship off the coast of Spain. The vessel reported multiple fatalities linked to the Andes strain, with two Indian crew members currently under quarantine. While health agencies have activated emergency containment protocols, medical experts clarify that the virus primarily spreads through rodents and human-to-human transmission remains limited. Meanwhile, diplomatic friction persists as Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed mistrust regarding international negotiation proposals aimed at resolving the ongoing West Asia crisis and threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out a very clear austerity playbook.
00:05Urging behavioural changes at the household level as global economic pressures mount.
00:11The direct call is to citizens.
00:14Tighten your spending, cut your consumption and prepare for tougher times ahead.
00:20But how tough are these times going to be?
00:23What exactly is Prime Minister's austerity mantra leading to?
00:28We'll get to all of that, but first let's break it down.
00:31What exactly is he saying?
00:33He's saying work from home, wherever possible, cut daily commuting, reduce petrol and diesel demand, also ease pressure on fuel
00:40imports.
00:41He's also saying avoid buying gold and foreign goods, curb dollar outflow basically, reduce the import burden and support domestic
00:50consumption.
00:51He's also, and this is the important point there, saying cut fuel use, switch to public transport.
00:57That means basically lower the individual fuel burn and also push mass transit usage.
01:04Approve also go into bringing in an overall energy efficiency.
01:10He's also saying that reduce cooking oil consumption, trim the edible oil imports, a major but often overlooked forex drain.
01:19He's also saying avoid foreign travel and this will be a tough one, especially with summer vacations almost here.
01:27Right, he's saying avoid foreign travel and limit non-essential spending, keep the sort of discretionary spending within the country,
01:35conserve foreign exchange and also stabilize the current account.
01:39Now the message that goes beyond the advice is this.
01:43These austerity measures are a signal and the economic strain at this point on the country is real.
01:52It's also widening because at the core of the push is India's heavy dependence on imports, especially fuel.
02:00With global crude prices volatile, the supply chains under pressure, the government is now clearly looking to manage demand from
02:09within.
02:10But could this be just the first step?
02:15Here's a report.
02:22As the Iran conflict rattles global markets and all routes through the Strait of Hormuz remain under threat,
02:33Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made an extraordinary appeal to the nation.
02:39Calling it nation-first duty above comfort, the Prime Minister urged citizens to switch to public transport, carpool, choose electric
02:48vehicles, avoid unnecessary gold purchases and even prefer Indian holidays over overseas vacations.
03:25Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more of the nation.
03:53The warning signs are
03:55flashing red.
03:57Government-owned oil firms are facing losses of nearly 1 lakh crore rupees in just 10
04:02weeks, with daily losses pegged at 1,600 to 1,700 crore rupees.
04:07Despite soaring global crude prices, petrol and diesel rates in India have remained unchanged
04:13for two years, while LPG prices saw only a modest 60 rupees hike in March.
04:19The centre has also sharply cut excise duty on fuels, leading to an estimated revenue
04:25loss of 14,000 crore rupees every month, raising one big question, is a fuel price hike inevitable?
04:34While Brent crude has swung wildly from $80 to nearly $120 a barrel amid fears over disruption
04:42in the Strait of Hormuz.
04:46The rupee too has weakened sharply, reportedly touching 95 against the US dollar, making
04:53imports even costlier.
04:57But the opposition made an all-out attack.
04:59Congress has accused the centre of pushing the burden of the crisis onto ordinary citizens.
05:05Rahul Gandhi questioned why people should pay for what he called the government's failure
05:09in energy planning.
05:13If the Prime Minister is making this appeal, what is the true situation which India is
05:18facing?
05:19I think it's important that the government takes the people of this country into confidence.
05:23To do that, they must call for a session of Parliament and uprise us of what is happening.
05:31Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav took a sharp swipe at the BJP, calling it the country's
05:36biggest crisis, and saying that the Prime Minister's appeal spreads fear instead of confidence.
05:52The Prime Minister is a huge deal of the people of the country.
06:01The country will do it.
06:02The country will do it.
06:03It has also done it.
06:05But the jobs that you have been killed by the country.
06:11Even DMK has questioned the government.
06:44With oil prices soaring, forex reserves under pressure and global uncertainty deepening,
06:50the big question now, will daily life soon become far more expensive?
06:56Bureau Report, India Today.
07:04So one thing is clear, India's austerity movement isn't coming.
07:08It has already arrived.
07:10And on Sunday, Prime Minister dressed it up, sometimes in patriotism, also delivered it
07:16from a BJP stage in Hyderabad and aimed squarely at your next tank of petrol, your mother's
07:23wedding gold and also your family holiday to Singapore.
07:26The Prime Minister asked 1.4 billion people to stop buying gold, cancel foreign trips
07:32and carpool to work.
07:33Now, that's not a developing nation in crisis.
07:37That's the world's largest democracy running out of runway.
07:43And let's tell you why that's happening.
07:45How did we get here?
07:47Now, the war India didn't fight is the one that is sending us its bills.
07:52In March, the US-Israel strikes on Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz.
07:57Brent crude went from just about 80 to 120 a barrel in just a week.
08:02India had nowhere to hide.
08:04It imports 85% of its fuel.
08:06Half of that crude comes through the Strait of Hormuz.
08:09No domestic alternative.
08:11No quick fix.
08:12Just a bill.
08:13Arriving daily.
08:15Three leaks.
08:16One sinking boat.
08:18Prime Minister named all three on Sunday.
08:21Fuel.
08:21India spent about $174.9 billion on crude last year alone.
08:27That's about 22% of everything that is imported.
08:30Crude is now $40 more expensive.
08:36The gap comes straight out of India's foreign reserve.
08:40Understand that math.
08:41The second one is gold.
08:43India is the world's second largest gold buyer.
08:47$72 billion a year.
08:50Pure cultural spending.
08:51Pure dollar drain as well.
08:55And then number three is travel.
08:5614 million Indians took leisure trips abroad last year.
09:01Every Dubai weekend.
09:02Every Singapore holiday.
09:03Every.
09:04All of those spends were hard currency going one way.
09:09The combined damage.
09:12Every $10 rise in crude widens India's sort of current account deficit by up to 50 basis points.
09:19The crude is up $40.
09:20So you do the math over there to understand what is happening.
09:24The other big chapter over here is rupee.
09:29Rupee already known.
09:31We already know markets don't wait for speeches.
09:34The rupee has hit 95 to the dollar.
09:37Foreign investors have pulled $21 billion out of Indian markets since the Iran war began.
09:42The RBI tried to defend the currency because you cannot fight a structural oil shock with the sort of intervention
09:50alone.
09:51The rupee is down 10% since January of 2025.
09:55Investors are reading that clearly.
09:58And then let me come to what does this mean?
10:01Let's be clear.
10:03However, all indications at the moment are that a price hike is coming.
10:09It's not at the pumps just yet.
10:13The government has held petrol prices steady because, you know, there were several reasons.
10:18Many said we had reserves.
10:20Others said it was state elections.
10:22But that cannot last.
10:25LPG prices are already up.
10:27Export duties on diesel and jet fuel have been imposed.
10:31Airlines are already saying some of them won't be flying international this summer break.
10:36So the Sunday speech was the soft version of what comes next.
10:42When the election calendar has cleared up, the pump price delivers and the hard version will also come out.
10:50India's own chief economic advisor said it plainly in March that managing the deficit will require burden sharing between the
10:58government and households.
11:01And Prime Minister's speech was the households getting their share of the burden.
11:06The government's share, higher fuel price, perhaps the next chapter.
11:18All right.
11:19A call for austerity there and the markets have reacted instantly.
11:24Urging citizens.
11:25Prime Minister Modi asked them to cut spending, avoid gold, like we said.
11:29And within hours, the LAL streets slipped into a sharp sell-off.
11:33The Sensex crashing over 1,300 points, down from 76,015.
11:39The nifty tumbling 356 points, ending at 23,820.
11:45Red across sectors, within consumption-driven stocks as well, taking a big hit.
11:51Now, because for markets, this message is more than advice.
11:54It's a signal.
11:55They read the sentiment much earlier.
11:57The signal that demand could slow, that households may tighten spending, that growth could come under pressure.
12:03And that only one part of the story, the second trigger, of course, is crude oil, like we said.
12:09From 80 barrels in early March to sharp spike nearly 120.
12:13A brief dip in April, if you'll remember.
12:15Now, back above 100 over there, as you can see on the graph there.
12:19So, there is volatility, there is uncertainty, there is sustained high prices as well.
12:23And for India, that means a rising import bill, inflation risk and also pressure on margins.
12:31So, when you combine all of these, what do you see?
12:34You see the markets crash, as simple as that.
12:37Sakshi Batra, my colleague, now joins us for more on this story.
12:41Sakshi, we saw a bloodbath at the LAL Street today.
12:45What I'm trying to understand here is, was it purely the Prime Minister's speech that caused it?
12:52The call for austerity or was there something more?
12:57Well, it's been a painful start for the stock market investors this new week
13:02because the Censex tanked 1,300 points in the session today.
13:05The Nifty fell by over 350 points.
13:08In fact, investors in all lost about 6 lakh crore rupees that were wiped out
13:12from the stock market investors' portfolios today.
13:15Three to four key reasons why the markets fell today.
13:18One, we started off weak because the global markets also were indicating weak use.
13:23There has been no progress on the West Asia war ending front
13:26from either of the parties, US or Iran.
13:29And that has led to a weak sentiment across the world.
13:31But we have fallen more than the world markets today.
13:35And the key reasons include the crude oil prices
13:37that continue to stay above $100, $105 a barrel.
13:40India being an oil importing nation, this continues to put a lot of our pressure
13:44on our current account deficit and on our import bill.
13:47The other key reason was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech yesterday
13:51where he has urged the citizens to save fuel and foreign exchange
13:55amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
13:57Now, this has raised fresh concerns over whether India's import bill is rising beyond it should
14:03and the rising current account deficit concerns as well.
14:07We have seen a direct impact of the statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
14:10on several sectors today.
14:12The jewellery stocks have fallen by almost 10 to 12 percent intraday.
14:16A sharp selling pressure after Prime Minister has called for the reduced gold purchases
14:20or every Indian not to buy any gold for the next one year.
14:24So, we have seen Titan fall by 7 percent, Sky Gold fall by about 12 percent,
14:28Senko Gold by 11 percent, Kalyan Jewelers, PC Jewelers.
14:31All these stocks were down and out today.
14:33We also saw an impact on the travel and the tourism stocks
14:36because again, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked us
14:38to curtail our unnecessary international travel.
14:41That has led to a sharp fall on aviation stocks like Indigo.
14:45That stock fell by about 5 percent.
14:47We have seen others also like Indian hotels from the hospitality space,
14:51Lemon Tree Hotels, Chalet Hotels, Thomas Cook and Yatra from the tourism basket
14:55also fall in trade.
14:56And the crude oil prices that have been continuously surging
14:59are further adding on the pressure on the oil marketing companies.
15:02Our pump companies like Indian Oil, BPCL, HPCL,
15:05they have fallen in the session today as well amid the rise in crude oil prices.
15:09We have also seen another key fact where the markets fell.
15:12The rupee came under pressure.
15:13We have seen a sharp plunge of 139 paise today
15:16and the rupee has ended about 94.9 against the US dollar.
15:20We saw that in early trade as well.
15:23In fact, products traders do say that rising crude oil prices,
15:26strong dollar and continued foreign fund outflows
15:29are weighing on the domestic currency.
15:31So these are all the factors that have dented
15:33the stock market investor sentiments today.
15:37All right, Sakshi, thanks so much for joining us.
15:40With a very latest one, Sakshi actually breaking down
15:42how the impact on the market really has been and what caused it.
15:46But let's take it a step further to really understand the core issue.
15:49We're all looking at the Strait of Hormuz as the reason why we are in this situation
15:53and the war, of course.
15:54So let's bring you an interview that sort of brings and throws more light on it.
15:58Even as the key trade and supply chains remain choked,
16:02there's no sign of thaw in the West Asia tension.
16:05Geeta Mohan, my colleague who is in Tehran,
16:08spoke to Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson,
16:11Ismail Bagai, on the ongoing negotiation.
16:19Let's begin with the proposal.
16:22What was different?
16:24What were the problem areas when it comes to America's proposal?
16:28What was your counteroffer?
16:30And why has Trump said that it is totally unacceptable?
16:36Well, I think you have to put it in the context.
16:41We have been in diplomatic process with the United States
16:45for more than 10 years now.
16:50So we have started negotiations on a nuclear issue
16:56as of 2012 and earlier.
17:01But 2012 was the beginning of a process
17:04that led to the formation of JCPOA in 2015.
17:07Then in 2018, the United States decided
17:11to unilaterally withdraw from the JCPOA.
17:14Iran waited for one long year,
17:17hoping that the European partners
17:20would somehow compensate for the U.S. withdrawal.
17:24They didn't.
17:25So as of May 2019, Iran decided
17:30to scale back its commitment.
17:34Every two months, we decreased the level of our commitments.
17:41Again, giving the time, giving the opportunity
17:44to other parties to make it up.
17:48But they didn't.
17:51And if you remember, under the JCPOA,
17:54we agreed to the most robust verification
17:59and inspection regime by the IAEA.
18:01Iran was enriching less than 4%.
18:08But then the United States withdrew.
18:11During the first Trump administration,
18:15we did everything to avoid a conflict.
18:18But still, they assassinated our great commander,
18:24Haj Qasem Soleimani.
18:25And then, during Biden administration,
18:30we tried hard to forge another agreement
18:36to take care of their concern about our nuclear program.
18:41We believed from day one
18:43that these consents were not authentic,
18:47were not genuine.
18:47But still, we said,
18:49okay, if that's your concerns,
18:50we can take certain measures to build confidence,
18:54to be more transparent about our activities.
18:57And if you go through to the history
18:59of our nuclear activities,
19:01you will find out
19:02that during the implementation of the JCPOA,
19:06the IAEA issued 15 consecutive reports
19:11and affirming Iran's impeccable performance.
19:15And then, during second term administration,
19:19Trump administration,
19:21even though we didn't have any trust
19:25to the United States,
19:27out of our responsible approach
19:29and after many leaders across the region
19:33demanded that, please, give it another try.
19:36So we agreed to engage diplomatically
19:39with the United States
19:40through Oman,
19:42a friendly country,
19:44a professional mediator
19:45between Iran and the United States.
19:47But you remember what happened.
19:49In June 2000,
19:51I mean, last year,
19:53just in the midst of negotiations,
19:57they torpedoed the negotiating table.
19:59We had a war.
20:00And then they repeated again
20:02on 28 February.
20:05So this is the story
20:07of Iran-U.S. engagement
20:09on nuclear issue.
20:14After the war,
20:15after we managed
20:16to have this ceasefire,
20:18again, we started
20:20this diplomatic process.
20:22And we exchanged some texts.
20:27We said that let's focus
20:30on priority number one,
20:33which is important
20:34for the whole region,
20:36important for the whole world economy.
20:40So let's focus on ending the war.
20:43Let's focus on reopening
20:46the Strait of Hormuz.
20:48And you,
20:49the United States,
20:50stop maritime piracy
20:53against freedom of navigation.
20:55So basically,
20:57this attempt
20:58was aimed at
21:03resolving
21:04the most immediate issue,
21:06which is affecting
21:08international maritime,
21:10which is affecting
21:11the world economy.
21:12But unfortunately,
21:14the United States,
21:15I think,
21:16it seems that
21:17they do not understand
21:18the importance
21:19of this opportunity.
21:20Look,
21:21we are talking about negotiations.
21:23Negotiations means
21:24give and take.
21:26Negotiations means
21:28being ready
21:29to recognize
21:30your interlocutors'
21:33demands
21:34and consents.
21:36But if you think
21:37that negotiations
21:38is 100% satisfaction
21:42one-sidedly,
21:44that's not negotiations.
21:45That's imposition
21:46of your will.
21:47And it will not happen
21:49in any case.
21:49At least,
21:50as far as Iran is concerned,
21:51you're not going
21:53to yield
21:54to their maximalist demands
21:56because we think
21:59it is basically unjust.
22:08All right,
22:09the news is coming in.
22:10Samajwadi Party MP
22:11Ajendra Singh Lodhi
22:12has seen to use
22:14expletives
22:15against Prime Minister Modi.
22:17A video clip
22:18of the MP
22:19hurling abuses
22:20that the Prime Minister
22:21is now going viral
22:22rapidly across
22:23social media platforms.
22:24He labelled
22:25the Prime Minister
22:26as anti-national
22:27Prime Minister
22:28and he also
22:29raised questions
22:30regarding his
22:30foreign tours.
22:32Now,
22:32delivering a
22:33controversial statement,
22:34he asserted
22:35that the Prime Minister
22:35like him
22:36has never existed before
22:37nor will one
22:38ever exist again.
22:53the Prime Minister
22:56and the Prime Minister
23:07is going to be
23:09very good.
23:10Samarth, take us through what was this event that the Samajwadi Party MP actually spoke?
23:15Has he issued an apology ever since?
23:21Well, exactly. He was in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh
23:24where he was speaking to the media persons about PM Modi's yesterday speech
23:28where he clearly asked the countrymen, what we say, urged or requested the countrymen
23:32to avoid much use of petrol and diesel, avoid buying gold for at least an year,
23:37avoid making the foreign travel. He used the controversial remark against PM Modi
23:42over that particular speech and blamed PM Modi behind all of this scarcity in the nation.
23:48That's what he clearly referred. Though he used such words against PM Modi,
23:53which is obviously not acceptable at all because he is at the position of leading the country.
23:58Now the BJP is coming down heavily on the Samajwadi Party for using such abusive
24:02and in a way objectionable language against the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi,
24:07U.P. Cabinet Minister Manoj Pandey has slammed the SP MP from Mahubha, Hamirpur
24:13and clearly said that what they are doing, Mamata Benerji used to do in Bengal
24:18and what we saw in the results of Bengal elections is going to repeat in Uttar Pradesh elections.
24:22That's what he clearly referred to BJP.
24:25State Chief Pankaj Chaudhary is also holding a press conference in some time
24:28and will be attacking the Samajwadi Party government for these particular remarks.
24:32So it's going to be, it has become a political thing in the state of Uttar Pradesh
24:35because such language against the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi,
24:38is not tolerable. That's what the U.P. BJP unit has to say.
24:41Back to you.
24:42Samarth, we've only heard like a small bit of the reaction that the MP, the SP MP, Ajendra Singh had.
24:50Could you talk to us a little bit about the context?
24:53What exactly was the point that he was trying to make?
25:01A military to the military class and that's what he, that's what the question was about
25:06and then he was deferring to PM Modi that yes, he's a great man, he has done this, he has
25:10done this in a kind of a different position of Modi.
25:14And in that particular sentence, he used two or three of those three controversial remarks against PM Modi.
25:20So he was, he was, he looked quite irritated with yesterday's speech,
25:26especially on the, on the less usage of petrol and diesel
25:29or on that particular goal thing or avoiding the foreign trips that he, he, he just wanted to tell
25:34that PM Modi is ensuring others to do this and that, but he himself is not following all of that.
25:40He just wanted to refer that in his, what we can clearly get from the media bite
25:44and in that particular, in the meantime, he used such controversial remarks against the Prime Minister of India.
25:49Back to you.
25:49Alright, let's listen in to those sound bites one more time.
26:20Listening.
27:01The total number of antivirus cases have gone up to 10 now.
27:05Two more reported in the past 24 hours.
27:08Three confirmed deaths so far.
27:11The news for you and me at the moment is that there are two Indian nationals
27:15who were crew members of that cruise who have now been quarantined as well.
27:21The government tells us that they are asymptomatic
27:26and that they have been taken to the Spain embassy over there
27:30and that they are being taken care of.
27:31Remember, India today broke that news first on Thursday night
27:35that there were two Indians on board.
27:37The government sort of responded right after.
27:40Early investigations at the moment tell us very little about the virus,
27:44but there is a history that can be decoded.
27:48But before we go into all those details
27:51and we tell you the difference between antivirus and coronavirus,
27:55take a quick look at where all the spread is as of now.
28:16Our recommendations for the passengers and the crew who are on board
28:20is that they have active monitoring and follow-up,
28:23which means daily health checks.
28:25This is really a cautionary approach
28:27to make sure that we don't have any opportunities
28:30for this virus to pass from others.
28:32A luxury voyage has turned into a global health alert
28:36from remote expedition to global emergency response.
28:40The MB Hondias with 150 on board
28:43now anchored off Tenerife in Spain
28:46after a deadly outbreak of the antistrain of Hunter virus.
28:51A coordinated global evacuation kicks in.
28:54Passengers flown out to the UK, US, Germany, Australia, Netherlands
29:00with biocontainment ports activated midair.
29:04Countries are focused on zero-risk transfer protocols in place.
29:08Every passenger now a high-risk contact.
29:12Health agencies racing to trace, test and isolate.
29:16With quarantine windows stretching up to 42 days.
29:21Like we said, the risk to the general public,
29:24the risk to the people in the Canary Island is low.
29:26But we are actively following them
29:28because that incubation period is so long, up to six weeks.
29:32There was today also British medics
29:35who actually parachuted in
29:37to one of the British overseas territory
29:39to care for a gentleman who is unwell.
29:43It's a very, very remote island in the Pacific.
29:45It takes two weeks to get there by boat.
29:47There's no runway.
29:49So it's actually the only way that they can get people in.
29:51So it's a pretty massive operation.
29:54The World Health Organization says
29:56this is not another COVID moment.
29:59It is a contained outbreak with limited spread,
30:02but under sharp global surveillance.
30:06From rodents to humans,
30:07here is how Hunter virus spreads.
30:09Carried silently by rats, mice and wolves,
30:13the droppings and urine dry into dust.
30:16That infected dust turns airborne
30:19and once inhaled, it enters human airways.
30:22Just breathing it in is enough.
30:26Two internationals on board, the MB Hondias,
30:29have safely arrived in Spain
30:31after the ship anchored off the Canary Islands.
30:34The Embassy of India in Madrid
30:36is in constant touch with Spanish authorities
30:39and ship operators,
30:41tracking their status in real time
30:43as part of a wider international monitoring grid.
30:46Back home, health agencies are on alert,
30:48but no cause for concern so far.
30:51From Nebraska biocontainment units
30:54to UK quarantine centres
30:56to German isolation wards,
30:58the world's health system now
31:00stress-tested in real time.
31:04A rare virus, limited spread,
31:07but a full-scale global drill and motion.
31:09Authorities say,
31:11stay alert, not alarmed,
31:13as the world tracks every case,
31:15every contact, every risk
31:17in this Hunter virus care.
31:20With Ankita Garg, Bureau Report, India Today.
31:29So that's the current status of the virus.
31:32But a lot of people are constantly
31:34drawing comparison with COVID.
31:36While the WHO continuously emphasises,
31:39underlines and says several times
31:41even in one briefing that this is not COVID,
31:43we thought we'll bring you
31:44a ball-by-wall comparison
31:46of both coronavirus and hantavirus
31:49on various aspects.
31:51Let's start first with how it spreads.
31:54Let me jog your memory a little bit
31:56about coronavirus.
31:57Remember SARS-CoV-2?
31:58It spread very efficiently between people
32:00through respiratory droplets.
32:03The coronavirus had a reproductive rate
32:05between 1 and 4,
32:06meaning one infected person
32:08could typically infect between
32:09one or four others.
32:10What does Hanta do on the other way?
32:12Antavirus usually spreads through
32:14inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings,
32:18urine and saliva.
32:20Now, most strains do not spread
32:21from person to person at all,
32:23but this rare exception has happened
32:25in the Andes strain.
32:27Only this particular strain
32:29has documented person-to-person transmission.
32:33Now, WHO is also investigating
32:35whether this Andes strain
32:36is becoming more efficient
32:38with every passing human being
32:42at spreading between people,
32:43an area that needs more investigation
32:46as of this point.
32:48Humans, remember, typically get it
32:50after being exposed to another infected rodent
32:53or airborne rodent droppings as well,
32:55if you'll remember
32:56how that case started with case zero.
32:58But let's talk about perhaps
33:00the biggest difference between the two,
33:02which is the incubation period
33:03and perhaps the biggest worry also
33:05with Hanta virus.
33:06Now, coronavirus,
33:07the incubation period,
33:09was shorter, if you'll remember,
33:112 to 14 days.
33:12Most people developed symptoms
33:14within 5 days of exposure.
33:16With Hanta,
33:17the incubation period
33:18actually ranges from 7 to 45 days.
33:22A study of 20 patients
33:24found that the median incubation period
33:26was about 18 days,
33:27with a range of about 7 to 39.
33:30Now, this long window
33:31makes early detection
33:33specifically difficult.
33:35Meaning that the first symptom of the virus
33:37can appear even a month and a half
33:39after exposure.
33:41So that's really tricky with Hanta.
33:44But let's look at survival rate as well.
33:46There's also a difference on that front.
33:49Now, COVID, you'll remember,
33:50it varied from country to country.
33:52In Canada, for example,
33:53it hovered around 1.1%.
33:55However, the WHO reported
33:56the mortality rate of COVID-19
33:58in severe cases
33:59could exceed 50% in critical cases.
34:03Vaccines and antivirals
34:04have significantly improved
34:06that outcome, of course,
34:07since 2020.
34:08Cut to Hanta.
34:09The fatality rate for Hanta
34:11is 30 to 40%.
34:14There is no specific treatment
34:16or cure
34:17and care remains supportive only
34:19as is the case in most cases.
34:21Right?
34:22Impact on the body.
34:23Let's look at that.
34:24What happens in extreme cases?
34:26When it was, you know,
34:28SARS-CoV-2,
34:29it sort of binds with the,
34:31if you'll remember,
34:32ACE2 receptors.
34:33It's like a receptor present
34:35in virtually every cell of your body
34:37can adversely thus impact
34:38every organ system.
34:40It causes inflammation,
34:41narrowing of the blood vessels,
34:42clotting of the tissues,
34:44fluid built up.
34:44All of that can be caused
34:46in the heart.
34:46It could cause, you know,
34:49angina.
34:50It could cause heart failure.
34:51It could reduce blood flow,
34:52arrhythmia,
34:53all of those things.
34:54Kidney injury also,
34:55strokes in very young patients as well.
34:57Caesars as well was reported.
34:59In fact, in lesser cases,
35:01there was loss of smell,
35:02taste was reported.
35:03Long-term effects of COVID-19,
35:06we already know it includes
35:07lasting fatigue,
35:08brain fog,
35:08respiratory difficulties
35:09and also loss of taste and smell
35:11persisting for weeks,
35:12if not months,
35:13of initial infection.
35:15What's happening with HANTA?
35:17HANTA can rapidly progress
35:19to respiratory failure,
35:21swelling in the lungs
35:22and shock in about 40% of the cases.
35:27Most deaths result from cardiac arrest
35:29and lab findings typically include
35:31low platelet counts,
35:33elevated white blood cells
35:35and also thickening of the blood.
35:37The disease progression
35:38in respiratory failure
35:39can occur between 1 to 6 days
35:42after symptoms begin.
35:44This is important
35:45because that means
35:46once you get the virus,
35:47it rapidly progresses
35:48in your body.
35:50Let's talk about the source
35:52then of the two viruses.
35:53COVID, you'll remember,
35:54coronavirus,
35:55believed to have originated
35:56from bats
35:57and got into humans
35:58very quickly,
36:00became the primary,
36:01you know,
36:01reservoir over there
36:02in a, you know,
36:04as it was said,
36:05it was also first identified
36:06in 2019 December
36:08in HAN, China.
36:10HANTA, on the other hand,
36:11are RNA viruses
36:13sort of harbored
36:15by specific rodent species
36:17and transmitted to humans
36:19by inhalation,
36:20like I said,
36:20of the contaminated rodent,
36:23of the feces,
36:24urine or even saliva.
36:26Now, these rodents
36:26carry the virus
36:27sort of chronically
36:29without sort of
36:30showing illness
36:30and also continuously
36:32shed it through
36:33droppings, urine
36:34and also saliva.
36:35Let's look at
36:36fatality rates now.
36:37COVID-19 had resulted
36:39in over 6 million deaths
36:41worldwide,
36:41while its per case
36:42fatality rate
36:43is far lower than HANTA.
36:44COVID is deadlier
36:46or was deadlier
36:47at least so far
36:48the case is globally
36:49due to the transmission
36:50efficiency.
36:51In HANTA,
36:52what's happening?
36:52The mortality rate
36:53for HANTA
36:54is about 30% to 40%
36:55because the virus
36:56can severely impact
36:57lung function.
36:58About 200 cases
36:59of HANTA virus
37:00occurred each year.
37:02This is not a new virus,
37:03but it happens
37:04mostly in North
37:06and South America
37:07and despite its high
37:09sort of lethality
37:11per case,
37:12the spread
37:13is somehow still limited,
37:15found only in specific areas.
37:17I'll tell you about that.
37:17But first,
37:18let's look at symptoms.
37:21Okay,
37:22let's move to symptoms
37:23and comparison
37:24between the two.
37:25Now,
37:25coronavirus,
37:26most cases are mild
37:27and cause fever,
37:30coughing,
37:31sore throat,
37:31body aches,
37:32fatigue,
37:33sort of severe,
37:33you know,
37:34cases may experience
37:35shortness of breath,
37:37sort of association
37:38of lung injury,
37:39liver inflammation,
37:40like I said.
37:41Expected to be
37:42worsening
37:43in severe cases
37:44typically occurs
37:45between 7 to 10 days.
37:46loss of smell
37:48and taste
37:48are hallmark symptoms.
37:50When it comes
37:50to Hantavirus,
37:51it is characterized
37:52by fever,
37:54muscle ache,
37:56cough,
37:57shortness of breath,
37:59diarrhea,
37:59and sweating.
38:01the rapid progression
38:03to shock
38:04or sort of
38:04respiratory distress
38:05can also occur
38:06within hours.
38:08It's often
38:08sort of initially,
38:09you know,
38:10presents like,
38:11you know,
38:11presents itself
38:12in like flu-like symptoms
38:13and many also
38:14misdiagnose it
38:15to influenza
38:16before,
38:17you know,
38:17conditions deteriorate.
38:19So what's the bottom line
38:20really over here?
38:21Remember,
38:22Hantavirus,
38:23so far what we know
38:25is a far higher
38:27proportion of those
38:28infected,
38:30you know,
38:32but unlike COVID-19,
38:35it is,
38:35once it's hit you,
38:37it will progress
38:39very quickly.
38:40COVID,
38:41on the other hand,
38:42spread very fast,
38:44but there were ways
38:45in which you could
38:45control it,
38:46right?
38:47Hantavirus,
38:48also remember,
38:48is not new
38:49and not new
38:50in India either.
38:51Cases have been reported
38:52in 2000 in Kochi
38:53and Chenine,
38:55near Villaur.
38:55There were some cases
38:56in 2008 as well.
38:57This Andri strain,
38:58however,
38:59has far been largely
39:01concentrated in countries
39:03like Argentina,
39:04in Uruguay,
39:05in Chile.
39:06Remember,
39:06patient zero
39:07also went to
39:09all these places
39:10bird watching
39:11and that's how
39:11he actually got
39:12the virus.
39:13So,
39:14so far,
39:14that's all we know
39:15about the virus.
39:17WHO continues to say
39:18that the impact
39:21and the scare
39:23is at the moment
39:24low,
39:25but we need to
39:26stay alert
39:27and need to understand
39:28a few more details.
39:29So,
39:30to answer any
39:31further questions,
39:32I have so many,
39:33I'm sure you have as well.
39:34I have two
39:35absolutely brilliant experts
39:37joining us
39:37on the program today.
39:38I have with me
39:40Dr. Gautam Menon.
39:41He's a professor of biology
39:41and physics
39:42at Ashoka University.
39:43Also with me
39:44is Chandrakant Laharia,
39:46India's leading
39:46health policy
39:48and global health expert.
39:49He has worked
39:50with the WHO
39:51and the UNICEF
39:52as well.
39:53Dr. Laharia,
39:53let me come to you first.
39:55We keep talking
39:56about how
39:57the spread
39:58of Hanta virus
40:00is perhaps
40:01its best
40:03symptom,
40:04so to say,
40:05or its best thing
40:05because it happens
40:06only in very
40:07close proximity.
40:09But then
40:09I go back
40:10to how it spread
40:11to the flight attendant,
40:14the flight attendant
40:15who was carrying
40:16the Dutch couple.
40:18If it is only
40:19close proximity,
40:21how is this
40:22being looked at?
40:23Is there more
40:24to it that meets the eye?
40:27Well,
40:27I think this is
40:28a very important question,
40:29but before I start
40:31responding to the question,
40:32I must really
40:33congratulate you
40:34for the presentation
40:35which you did,
40:36which were very balanced
40:37and comprehensive.
40:38So it captures
40:39all the key comparison.
40:41As far as
40:42Hanta virus
40:42is concerned,
40:43what we know
40:44that this is
40:45a group of viruses
40:46and the current virus
40:48which is known
40:49to transmit
40:49from rodents
40:51to humans
40:51is ND strain
40:52or antivirus.
40:53This antivirus
40:54is one of the
40:55Hanta viruses.
40:56Now,
40:56what we know,
40:57this is the only virus
40:58which is spread
40:59from rodents
41:01to humans.
41:02As you already
41:03explained,
41:04there is a variable
41:05incubation period
41:06which can be
41:06from one week
41:07to eight weeks.
41:08So we have to see
41:10that how close contact
41:12at what stage
41:13of the incubation,
41:14what stage of the infection
41:16that person
41:16was exposed
41:17to another person
41:18and all of those
41:19determine.
41:20At the same time,
41:21we know this is
41:21the close contact
41:22in fluids,
41:23but definitely
41:24the quantum
41:25of the fluid exposure
41:26or quantum
41:27of close proximity
41:28will determine
41:29how quickly
41:30a person
41:31can develop
41:31an infection
41:32or disease.
41:33What does that
41:34mean Dr. Lahirya?
41:35Does that mean
41:35spit could be
41:37a way,
41:38say,
41:39somebody who is
41:40infected
41:41through their spit
41:42it could spread?
41:44Well, it depends
41:46upon the immune
41:46status of that
41:47person.
41:48If that person
41:49who is being
41:49exposed
41:50has a pre-existing
41:53immunodeficiency
41:53or under some
41:54medication,
41:55the incubation period
41:56could be quick,
41:57shorter,
41:58and the next
41:58amount of exposure
41:59required could be
42:00less.
42:00So, we have to
42:01go by case
42:02by case
42:03in this scenario.
42:04And, of course,
42:05these viral illnesses,
42:07all the illnesses
42:07have a variable
42:09incubation period
42:10and variable outcome
42:11in the individual
42:12exposure.
42:12So, through the
42:14exposure in the
42:15aircraft and then
42:16the person
42:16developing infection
42:17is something
42:18which needs to be
42:19watched.
42:19And, as we had
42:20heard some of the
42:20people, experts
42:21in WHO
42:22also saying
42:22that this is
42:23the only virus
42:25which is spreading
42:25to the humans,
42:26but we need to
42:27keep a watch
42:29on how it
42:30unfolds and
42:31various epidemiological
42:32factors about
42:33this thing.
42:33And that is
42:34one point
42:35which we need
42:36to remember.
42:36But, other than
42:37that, I don't
42:38see any immediate
42:39reason to be
42:40worried and
42:41concerned.
42:42This is an
42:42age-old virus
42:43which was first
42:44identified or
42:45first taught
42:45in the 1950s
42:46and first isolated
42:48from the
42:48laboratory in
42:491978.
42:50So, every
42:51population, as
42:52your presentation
42:53also highlighted
42:54that within
42:54India, it has
42:55been documented
42:56through
42:56serological
42:57study.
42:58So, nothing
42:59to worry as
43:00of now and
43:01the strain
43:01which is
43:02as I'm
43:02repeating this
43:03point.
43:03That's the
43:04key part.
43:05The strain
43:05is new, so
43:06we still have
43:06to see how
43:07it is
43:08developing.
43:09Dr.
43:09Kautam
43:10Menon, you
43:11know, indulge
43:11me a little
43:11bit to
43:12understand this.
43:13When we, I'm
43:14trying to
43:14understand and
43:16really give
43:18examples if
43:19possible of how
43:21does the spread
43:21possibly of
43:22HANTA from
43:23one individual
43:24to the other
43:24can happen.
43:25When we
43:26say close
43:27proximity and
43:27contact, what
43:28exactly does
43:29that mean?
43:32It usually
43:33means some
43:34transmission of
43:35bodily, some
43:36movement of
43:37bodily fluids
43:37from one to
43:38the other
43:38through a
43:39cough to
43:40direct physical
43:40contact.
43:41That's usually
43:41the sort of
43:42scenarios in
43:43which direct
43:44transmission
43:44from person
43:45to person
43:46actually happens.
43:47In this
43:48particular case,
43:48we don't know
43:49what is the
43:49dominant mode of
43:50such transmission.
43:51If it's
43:52purely respiratory,
43:53then that's a
43:54little more
43:54serious because
43:55like COVID,
43:56it's possible
43:56just by coughing
43:57in a room,
43:58having drop
43:58suspended,
43:59someone can
43:59come along
44:00later and
44:01ingest those
44:01droplets.
44:02If on the
44:02other hand,
44:03it requires
44:03prolonged,
44:04almost intimate
44:05contact and
44:06the exchange
44:06of other
44:07bodily fluids
44:07almost on
44:08a person-to-person
44:08basis or
44:09depositing such
44:10fluids on
44:11surfaces which
44:12can later be
44:12charged, that
44:13may be a
44:13little harder
44:14to transmit.
44:15Currently, we
44:16don't know.
44:17We don't
44:18know, you're
44:19saying.
44:19So then,
44:20Dr.
44:21Menon, when
44:22we look at
44:23the cases as
44:24of now, would
44:25it be fair to
44:26say that
44:27unlike COVID,
44:28at least so
44:29far, things
44:29might change,
44:30this is a
44:30dynamic situation,
44:31at least so
44:32far, HANTA,
44:34the spread is
44:35not that great,
44:36but if you
44:36get it, your
44:37chances of
44:37survival are
44:39low?
44:40Would that be
44:40fair to say?
44:42That's correct.
44:43Although there
44:44have been one
44:44example of
44:45someone who
44:46has tested
44:47positive but
44:47seems to be
44:48asymptomatic,
44:49American in
44:50particular, I
44:53think the
44:53current situation
44:54is that we
44:56believe it is
44:57actually fatal if
44:58you develop
44:59symptoms and
45:00the fatality rate
45:02as you mentioned
45:03is somewhere
45:03between 30%
45:04and 50%.
45:05We don't know
45:06what fraction of
45:07asymptomatic
45:07patients who
45:08may in fact not
45:09show symptoms
45:10at all while
45:11being infected
45:11actually exist at
45:13the moment.
45:13We believe that
45:14that is small,
45:14but it seems to
45:15be one counter
45:16example.
45:18Okay.
45:18Dr. Laharia,
45:19help me understand
45:20this.
45:22At the moment,
45:23it looks like
45:24that WHO is
45:27constantly telling
45:28us that the
45:28spread is not
45:29that great.
45:30They are saying
45:31that we are
45:31constantly tracking,
45:32etc.
45:33But when the
45:33incubation period
45:34is six weeks,
45:36I remember the
45:37first press
45:37conference that
45:38happened at WHO,
45:38they said eight
45:39weeks and they
45:39revised it to six
45:40weeks, right?
45:41That's almost a
45:42month and a half.
45:43That means, say,
45:44in the coming
45:45holiday season,
45:46somebody goes
45:46to Spain.
45:48After a month
45:49and a half,
45:49a symptom could
45:50still show?
45:53And they would
45:53have met so
45:54many people,
45:55had contact with
45:56so many people
45:57in that month
45:57and a half.
45:58How are we
45:59going to control
45:59this?
46:00Well, I am
46:01not that much
46:02concerned about
46:03the travel to
46:04Spain or other
46:05parts because
46:05what we need to
46:06know, this is a
46:07very close contact
46:08transmission and
46:09this was a
46:10cruise ship where
46:11people are in
46:12the close contact.
46:13So what is WHO
46:14is doing,
46:15recommending that
46:16this alerting
46:17entire world
46:18that the people
46:18who were on
46:19that cruise ship
46:20should be followed
46:21for a certain
46:21period of time
46:22and contact
46:23tracing.
46:23It is very
46:24unlikely because
46:25the virus is
46:26old and we
46:27already know
46:27the epidemiology
46:28and pathology
46:29of the disease.
46:29That's very
46:30unlikely that
46:31outside the
46:32incubation period
46:33once those
46:34people are
46:34isolated and
46:35once they are
46:35found healthy
46:36beyond that
46:37incubation period,
46:38it's unlikely
46:38to spread.
46:39That's part one.
46:40though we
46:40need to keep
46:41a watch on
46:42the people
46:42who are on
46:43that cruise
46:43ship, but
46:44there is no
46:44evidence or
46:45very limited
46:46evidence on
46:46the human-to-human
46:47transmission.
46:48So even if
46:48the person,
46:49people can
46:49come out
46:50from the
46:50ship and
46:51they are in
46:51the community,
46:52it's unlikely
46:53to spread.
46:53So what we
46:54need to follow
46:55is just keep
46:56an eye on
46:56those individuals
46:57who are on
46:57the cruise
46:58ship.
46:58At the same
46:59time, we
47:00also be mindful
47:00that keep
47:01watch on how
47:02it unfolds,
47:03keep a track
47:04of other people
47:05if there are
47:06other cases
47:07reported from
47:07different settings.
47:08I want to
47:09repeat the
47:10point, this
47:10is ND strain
47:11which is the
47:13only strain
47:13transmitted from
47:14broadband to
47:15human as of
47:15now, other
47:16antiviruses are
47:17not transmitted.
47:18Community spread
47:18or gems in
47:19the community
47:20is very unlikely
47:21from human to
47:22human does not
47:22transmit as of
47:24now.
47:24Everything as of
47:25now, but the
47:26last 50 years
47:27of existence of
47:28the virus gives
47:29sufficient proof
47:30that we do not
47:31have to worry
47:32that much
47:33worry.
47:34Yeah, but
47:36also what the
47:37last couple
47:38of years at
47:39least tell us,
47:39the last decade
47:40tells us is
47:40this, that
47:41viruses also
47:42adapt very
47:42quickly, they
47:43also change,
47:44they also learn,
47:45it's a battle
47:46out there, so
47:46we've got to
47:47keep our guard
47:48up and we've
47:48got to stay
47:49informed, not
47:50panic, but get
47:51the right
47:51information verified
47:52by experts like
47:53you.
47:54Thank you
47:54gentlemen for
47:54joining us with
47:55the very latest
47:56on that.
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