Binayak reports on information security, privacy and scientific research in health and environment with explanatory pieces. He also edits the news sections of the newspaper.
Articles by Binayak Dasgupta
Variant watch: What Omicron means for future immunity
Three recent studies now come to similar conclusions on post-Omicron immunity: the protection is different in people who were infected for the first time, had a repeat infection, or had a repeat infection after vaccination.
Updated on Jan 21, 2022 03:18 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Why symptom link is key to Omicron
The researchers found that during the Omicron wave, close to 30% of the people who turned up had an asymptomatic infection.
Updated on Jan 20, 2022 07:22 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Even mild cases may leave a mark on brain
The finding holds implications for rehabilitation of people with even mild cases and those suffering from so-called long Covid symptoms, which are still not properly understood.
Updated on Jan 19, 2022 03:19 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
No-vax? What the sceptics get wrong
In Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s 2010 book, Serve to Win, he writes about how he improved his performance by removing gluten from his diet
Updated on Jan 18, 2022 03:14 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Updated UK data shows efficacy drop after 6 months
The UK Health Security Agency, in its Technical Briefing 34, said that it found vaccine efficacy against hospitalisation remained at around 64% till 24 weeks, but the protection dropped if the second doses were taken more than 24 weeks ago.
Updated on Jan 15, 2022 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi:
240mn Covid-19 vaccine doses in rich nations to expire by March
The report, released by science analytics company Airfinity, came on a day when Unicef officials told Reuters that 100 million doses were rejected last month by poorer countries because they were nearing their expiry date.
Updated on Jan 14, 2022 12:39 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
New study shows how coronavirus loses infectivity once exhaled
It also suggests that most infection happens when transmission is at a shorter range. This is why outdoor spaces have consistently proven to be safer.
Updated on Jan 13, 2022 04:52 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi:
Variant watch: Omicron likely evolved in mice, say Chinese researchers
The Omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus may have evolved within mice and jumped back into humans, according to new research by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Published on Jan 12, 2022 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: Ending isolation after Omicron
Now, a study from Japan, albeit with a small sample size involving 21 people, suggests people can in some cases remain infectious up to 9 days after their symptoms begin.
Updated on Jan 11, 2022 12:03 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
India’s true Covid toll could be over 3 million: Study
The new report, published by the journal Science early on Friday, estimates the true toll in this period was between 3.1 million and 3.4 million, with roughly 2.7 million of these happening in the April-July period, when the second wave tore through the country.
Published on Jan 07, 2022 11:52 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Omicron variant watch: Scientists detect key antibodies to neutralise mutations
In a study published almost exactly a year ago, scientists at the Rockefeller University found that memory B cells, which churn out antibodies, mature over time.
Updated on Jan 07, 2022 12:36 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: Evolutionary pathways wide open for Omicron
Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser to the US President, said it is technically possible that Omicron could hasten the end of the pandemic, if it proves true that the variant, with its high degree of transmissibility, replaces other strains of the virus that cause more severe infections.
Updated on Jan 06, 2022 05:03 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Omicron variant watch: Fast, even if not as furious, needs disciplined response
Lab studies in the recent month have shown the virus multiplies more intensely in the bronchus – the passage leading to the lungs – but less efficiently in the lungs.
Updated on Jan 05, 2022 12:54 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Omicron variant watch: More hospital risk insight in South African data
South African experts have submitted a new study analysing the early days of the Omicron outbreak in the province, including the first age-wise break-up of hospitalisation rates.
Updated on Jan 04, 2022 07:33 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
The year ahead: A year of hope and caution
A less virulent variant and a host of new drugs and doses bring optimism, but the virus might still pack surprises
Published on Jan 01, 2022 05:02 PM IST
Variant watch: Scotland study finds Omicron made a major shift
The researchers corroborate two findings that have been reported by several scientists in the last month – the variant is very resistant to antibodies from vaccinated people, and it is bad at infecting lung cells.
Updated on Dec 31, 2021 10:55 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Reading a virus: From Alpha to Omicron
A sense of hope dominated the last few months of 2020 after the first coronavirus vaccines were approved and administered in some parts of the world
Updated on Dec 31, 2021 06:08 PM IST
Dec 31: What we know about the Omicron variant so far
Two studies, both released this week, confirmed the T Cell connection to the theory that Omicron is likely to lead to milder disease than Delta did.
Published on Dec 31, 2021 12:10 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Dec 29: What we know about the Omicron variant so far
On Wednesday, Delhi logged 923 new Covid-19 cases, its highest in a single-day in several months.
Published on Dec 30, 2021 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Dec 28: What more we know about Omicron
As the second week of December began, the number of new Covid-19 cases began to inch up in Delhi.
Published on Dec 28, 2021 11:24 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Time to rethink Covid metrics, open up India data
To look at it differently, if Delta variant caused 100 infections in, say, a week and led to four hospitalisations, Omicron would likely cause 300 infections with six hospitalisations in the same period.
Updated on Dec 28, 2021 06:03 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: UK govt study backs lower Omicron severity risk
In its latest technical briefing on Sars-CoV-2 variants, released late on Thursday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there was a 50-70% reduced risk of hospital admission for Omicron infections compared to the Delta variant.
Updated on Dec 25, 2021 02:18 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
‘AstraZeneca shots, booster effective against Omicron’
The findings hold significant implication for India, where close to 90% of the 1.4 billion doses are of Covishield
Published on Dec 24, 2021 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta and Rhythma Kaul, New Delhi
Variant watch: Hospital risk for Omicron 40-45% lower, says UK study
The findings are the first encouraging scientific evidence linked to the variant of concern (VOC) discovered last month when it started tearing through parts of South Africa at a rate not seen with any other Sars-Cov-2 variant.
Updated on Dec 24, 2021 12:24 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: First SA study says Omicron may be less severe but with riders
- The study offers the first insights after standardising data based on age and gender, the two factors that dictate severity and hospitalisation risks.
Updated on Dec 23, 2021 04:42 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Dec 21: What we know about Omicron so far
- The trend, and whether it reflects the actual outbreak dynamics, could hold some lessons for regions preparing to face an Omicron wave.
Updated on Dec 22, 2021 03:22 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Dec 20: What more we know about Omicron today
At present, the South African experts stress, this is not enough to make a sound conclusion of Omicron being milder.
Updated on Dec 21, 2021 12:15 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: What more we know of Omicron today
The researchers studied the mechanism of infection of the latest variant of concern by looking at how it infected lab-grown lung cells.
Updated on Dec 20, 2021 04:55 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
What we know about Omicron variant so far
Two new outbreak analyses in UK said on Friday that early data provides no evidence of Omicron being milder.
Updated on Dec 18, 2021 04:50 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
What we know about Omicron variant so far
It is not too far-fetched to think that this Sars-CoV-2 is now only a mutation or two away from being pan-resistant to current antibodies, the authors of a study wrote
Updated on Dec 17, 2021 04:08 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi