The human virus: When is the vaccine coming?

"Coronavirus is not new. It has always been there in humans. Everyone knows." I was still trying to understand what 'norovirus' was all about, after two cases were detected in Kerala, when came this profound observation from my domestic help.

I tried to explain to her that while Covid-19 cases were rising again, some norovirus symptoms mirrored those of the former. And monkeypox has joined the party. "Relax, didi. This is how it always has been. Look around. Are the people any less than any less than a virus?" she laughed, perhaps both at my concerns and ignorance.

Her words set me thinking. What if we had indeed misread the virus, fighting pro- and anti-vaxxer battles, crying social distancing, sanitising till skins peeled, all for naught? What if the virus was, indeed, within us all the time? After all, there have been pandemics in the past, but the SARS-CoV-2 virus has strangely shown an ability to adapt and cling on, echoing the human desire for power.

The UDD order sets aside Rs 484.88 crore for primary drains and Rs 1,005.12 crore for secondary drains.

The grant will focus the strengthening work in flood-prone areas like HRBR Layout, Veerannapalya, Nayandahalli Junction Near Rachenahalli Lake, LBS Nagar in Yelahanka, Someshwara Layout in Arekere, Anugraha Layout, BEML 5th Stage, Pai Layout, and Vad...

The BBMP will roughly spend Rs 8.7 crore per km of remodelling work.