JHII In The News

JHII News

Thanks to you, from JHII

JHII, December 13, 2021.

Hear about some of the amazing accomplishments of our partners in India, thanks to generous support from you.

JHII COVID Task Force Impact Report: April-September 2021

JHII, December 13, 2021.

With donor support, JHII provided COVID response and relief to partners in India.

Johns Hopkins Receives Award for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance and Infection Control Partnership in India

JHII, December 13, 2021.

With partners in India, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine will participate both in the Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) and the Global AR Laboratory and Response Network (Global AR Lab & Response Network). Drs. Matthew Robinson and Trish Simner represent Johns Hopkins in this effort.

What the Omicron Variant Means for India

The Hindu, November 29, 2021.

Op Ed by Brian Wahl and Gautam Menon (Subscription required)

COVID-19 Pandemic and the Unprecedented Rise of Data

Business Standard, November 25, 2021

Enormous amounts of data have been generated and analysed during the Covid-19 pandemic around the world. India has been there, too, and how. Amita Gupta, MD, is interviewed.

The Growing Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance

Contagion Live, November 12, 2021

India is the world’s leading consumer of antibiotics, and Amita Gupta, MD, is researching how the country can best mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Strengthening Vaccine Trust

The Hindu, November 8, 2021 (Subscription required)

Dr. Brian Wahl and colleagues discuss COVID vaccination in India and approaches, including the Teeka Lagwaya Na campaign.

Researchers Identify Biomarker that Herald Poor Treatment Outcomes in TB Patients

Johns Hopkins India Institute, November 8, 2021

Dr. Akshay Gupte, Instructor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases, and colleagues discovered that elevated concentrations of IL-6 in tuberculosis patients can predict poor treatment outcomes, showcasing a need for including IL-6 testing in clinical screenings. The study was conducted under under the Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis (RePORT) India Consortium.

Gauri Dhumal and Neetal Nevrekar Receive PEER Grant Award

Johns Hopkins India Institute, November 1, 2021

Drs. Dhumal and Nevrekar received the award from USAID’s Women In Science Mentoring Program for separate pilot projects to address TB patient treatment adherence. Dr. Nishi Suryavanshi is their mentor.

A 100% COVID Vaccination Rate Is Possible — We Did It

Medpage Today, October 22, 2021

With colleagues in India, Drs. Christopher G. Myers, Tinglong Dai, Amit Jain, who are faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School Medicine and Carey School of Business discuss vaccination success in Raigarh: “While full vaccination may seem like a lofty goal, it is not completely out of reach. The Indian district of Raigarh, which has a population of approximately 1.6 million (in the state of Chhattisgarh, where mean per capita income is $1,400 per year), was able to achieve 100% first-dose vaccination of all eligible, adult citizens without financial incentives or a governmental mandate.”

Teeka Lagwaya Na?

Johns Hopkins India Institute, October 12, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl and partners developed this public campaign to address COVID vaccine hesitancy in India. 3 videos pose one simple question: “You’ve been vaccinated, right?”

An Update on COVID-19 and India

Public Health on Call Podcast, September 30, 2021

Drs. Vidya Mave and Brian Wahl discuss the current COVID situation in India with host Dr. Josh Sharfstein.

Worried about sending your kid to school? Science around Covid-19 has evolved, and so should you

Barkha Dutt Live (India), September 4, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl is a panelist in this discussion.

Opinion: The prognosis for school reopenings

The Hindu (India), September 2, 2021 (Subscription required)

A model by Dr. Brian Wahl and colleagues shows that a rise in cases in children could occur, but in-person schooling can proceed with caution.

YRGCARE and Partners Poised to Vaccinate 2,000 in Chennai

YRGCARE, August 13, 2021

Two-thousand people living below the poverty line in Chennai will receive the required 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, thanks to robust local healthcare partnerships and philanthropic support from Johns Hopkins India Institute’s COVID-19 Relief Campaign.

Two-thirds of Indians have Covid antibodies, government study shows

Financial Times (India), July 20, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl is quoted in this report

Scientists say this is when COVID 3rd Wave will come to India | Can we still stop it?

Barkha Dutt Live. Mojo Sotyr (India), July 17, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl participated in this panel discussion

India third wave anxiety mounts as Maharashtra reimposes restrictions

Financial Times, July 5, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl: “To prevent a third wave, we need to reduce opportunities for transmission,” Wahl said. “If we just get back to business as normal, a third wave is probably inevitable.”

Johns Hopkins Students and Faculty Members Confront India’s COVID-19 Crisis

Johns Hopkins Medicine Dome, July 1, 2021

As India recovers from its second wave of COVID-19, Johns Hopkins faculty members, staff members and medical students are helping to secure critical supplies, translate information and solicit donations.

Is Prashant Bhushan Actively Spreading Covid Vaccine Hesitancy? Here’s A Report

India Today, June 28, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl is interviewed about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and encourages viewers to get the vaccine as soon as it is available to protect themselves and others.

Delta Variant on Track to Becoming Dominant Strain Worldwide

NPR, June 21, 2021

Dr. Bhakti Hansoti is interviewed about the COVID-19 Delta variant, vaccines, and more.

From Novelty to Necessity: Online Learning’s Role Around the COVID-19 Response and Recovery

PLOS Blogs, June 21, 2021

Dr. Anita Shet and colleagues outline the value of online courses in global health settings and the impact the pandemic had on advancing the field.

Update from Pune: Responding to Needs on the Ground

Johns Hopkins India Clinical Research Site, Pune, June 16, 2021

Using existing ties to the community, the JHU-India Clinical Research Team in Pune is offering support out in the community, where it’s needed most.

Watch | How to Prevent or Limit a COVID Third Wave: Johns Hopkins Epidemiologist Explains

The Wire, June 15, 2021

Brian Wahl of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says people must meticulously wear masks and maintain social distancing at all times.

Why India’s COVID-19 data is vastly undercounted

Gruntstuff, June 14, 2021

Dr. Amita Gupta: “What occurs in India issues to your entire world,” mentioned Dr. Amita Gupta, chair of the Johns Hopkins India Institute in a Fb dialog Thursday. “We care from a humanitarian perspective, a public well being perspective and a well being safety perspective.”

A vaccinated person’s guide to the most concerning COVID-19 strains

Salon.com, June 12, 2021

Dr. Robert Bollinger: “All RNA viruses mutate over time, some more than others … For instance, flu viruses are particularly prone to mutation, which is why new strains circulate every year.”

7 Lessons We’ve Learned from This Pandemic to Remember for the Next One

SELF, June 11, 2021

Dr. Amita Gupta: “If raw materials are the issue, it’s a global issue, not specific to India. The amount of vaccine that can be made for everybody needs to be carefully thought through.”

What is the new coronavirus Delta variant, and should Americans be worried?

USA Today, June 11, 2021

Dr. Bhakti Hansoti: “We need masking in public areas, limited gathering sizes and increased scrutiny in schools and public spaces … If not, after the Delta variant, another variant will just come and surge again.”

A Blueprint for Preventing Another Pandemic

TIME, June 9, 2021

Dr. Amita Gupta was a survey participant in this TIME project to identify strategic priorities for pandemic prevention.

Connecting the dots to mitigate the third wave

The Hindu, June 8, 2021

Dr. Brian Wahl is featured. (Subscription required)

Ask the Doctor

editorji, May 31, 2021

Dr. Amita Gupta was a panelist on the live Twitter show with Vikram Chandra

COVID-19 had claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide in 2020

News Medical, May 31, 2021

Brian Wahl, an epidemiologist at the Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, US, tells SciDev.Net: “In the last year, we have seen [multiple] ways in which COVID-19 has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations, including essential workers and those with limited access to medical services.”We will never know the exact impact of the pandemic on human health. However, the estimates released by WHO of excess deaths for 2020 are helpful for beginning to wrap our heads around this difficult issue,” he comments.

Will The 3rd Covid Wave Hit Kids & Is India Prepared For It?

India Today, May 26, 2021

Dr. Brain Wahl joins a panel discussion discussing a possibility of a 3rd COVID wave.

The COVID-19 Crisis in India

Johns Hopkins Nursing Magazine, May 24, 2021

Dr. Nancy Reynolds discusses the current situation on the podcast

Lessons from Pune: How coordinated, collaborative data-driven response helped city do better in the second surge

Indian Express, May 21, 2021

Dr. Vidya Mave: Many data scientists, representing PMC, MCCIA, PKC, IT companies, etc were involved in the analysis of available data in May-June of 2020 and used computational modeling to help predict the number of tests and cases that would occur in subsequent months. This, in turn, formed the basis for the Covid-19 response, and Pune city was ready for the September peak of the first wave.

Fact check: No link between India’s falling COVID-19 cases and hydroxychloroquine

USA Today, May 21, 2021

“The (Gateway Pundit) article shows no data, much less any that would demonstrate an effect of any kind of prophylaxis on reducing COVID incidence in India,” Dr. David Peters, chair of the international health department at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email to USA TODAY.

COVID-19 Expert Media Briefing

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, May 20, 2021

Drs. Anita Shet and David Peters provided a media briefing for journalists.

Coronavirus surge in India can threaten pandemic progress in United States, doctors say

Boston Herald, May 20, 2021

“This is a problem not just for those in India, but it’s a problem for everyone,” said Dr. David Peters of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. One of the main concerns about the outbreak in India and its implications for other countries is the B.1.617 coronavirus variant, Peters said in a Thursday briefing. Peters said the new mutant makes up 80% of all COVID-19 cases in India but is also significant in the United Kingdom and Italy.“It’s also arrived in the U.S., although it is currently in low proportions,” Peters said. “The problem is that it seems to be much more transmissible than the earlier virus, and we’re yet to see whether it is also causing more serious illness, or makes it less susceptible to the vaccine.”

COVID-19 surge in India could ‘undo progress’ in U.S., elsewhere, experts say

UPI, May 20, 2021

This is because new waves of infections in India, as well as in Asia, South America, and Africa, could prolong the pandemic by fueling the spread of new variants of the coronavirus through travel and human migration, according to Dr. Anita Shet, of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore… “The current wave of COVID-19 in India is clearly a humanitarian crisis there,” her colleague, Dr. David Peters, added on the call.

A breath of fresh air: Bringing life-saving services to doorsteps

PlOS Blogs, May 17, 2021

Dr. Anita Shet: Providing oxygen therapy at the patients’ doorsteps can reduce inequities in healthcare access. When the entire family is suffering from COVID-19, the caregiving responsibilities of women members get multiplied, even if they themselves are sick. Further, women often end up prioritizing the healthcare needs of other family members over their own. Given the rapid progression of desaturation and decompensation in some individuals, this gender-specific delay can be fatal for many.

Are these India’s ‘forgotten victims’ of COVID?

Al Jazeera, May 17, 2021

Brian Wahl, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of International Health in New Delhi, says that the health infrastructure in rural parts of India is not equipped for such a surge in cases.“We know that in rural parts, access to quality services is challenging and these areas highly depend on frontline health workers only. We know that a mass gathering has the potential to be a super spreader event ..,” he said.

The next danger can be prevented only with genome sequencing and surveillance

Patrika Group, May 17, 2021

Interview with Dr. Amita Gupta

‘Black fungus’ is appearing more frequently among COVID-19 patients in India. What to know about the deadly infection.

USA Today, May 12, 2021

In the past decade, doctors have seen only a handful of cases in India. But in the past month, they’re reporting tens of thousands of cases, said Dr. Bhakti Hansoti, associate professor in the department of emergency medicine and international health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.“We’ve seen this skyrocket in recent weeks,” she said. “It consumes a lot of resources especially during this pandemic right now in India where health care resources are stretched at the limit.”

India’s COVID-19 Disaster May Be Turning Into an Even Bigger Global Crisis

TIME. May 12, 2021

The B.1.617 variant of the virus, first detected in India, has now been found in 44 countries on every continent except Antarctica—including Nepal, the U.S. and much of Europe. Scientists say it could be more infectious and better at avoiding humans’ immune systems. On May 10, the World Health Organization declared it a variant of “global concern.” And because only around 0.1% of positive samples in India are being genetically sequenced, “there may well be others that have emerged,” says Amita Gupta, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Clinical Global Health Education.

Will Modi’s push for economic self-reliance succeed?

East Asia Forum. May 11, 2021.

Pravin Krishna, Chung Ju Yung Distinguished Professor of International Economics and Business at Johns Hopkins University, is mentioned.

John Hopkins expert Dr Amita Gupta on India’s covid-19 challenge & future preparedness options

Financial Express (India). May 11, 2021

In an exclusive interview, Dr Amita Gupta, professor of Infectious Diseases at the John Hopkins School of Medicine and the co-director of the recently launched John Hopkins India Institute talks of the role that targeted lockdowns can play and what India could look at to be better prepared for the third wave.

OPINION: As a US doctor battling COVID, my father in India was worried. Now, it’s my turn to be tormented

Thompson Reuters Foundation News. May 7, 2021

Dr. Anita Shet: The United States has now fully vaccinated almost one third of its people, and is viewing the horizon ahead with hope. But one wonders if the horrors of 2020 can truly be left behind when far away in India, the new coronavirus surge has wrought unprecedented anguish and chaos.

Hialeah pastor helps sister church half way around the world facing crisis from COVID-19

WPLG Local 10 News, Miami/Fort Lauderdale. May 7, 2021

Dr. Amita Gupta is interviewed

Johns Hopkins University Helping India Fight Covid Surge

WJZ, CBS, Baltimore. May 6, 2021

“Within India, there are many, many families – millions of families suffering tremendously – so we’re thinking of the short-term and long-term need. Everything from food support to mental health support and where to go to get these things,” said Dr. Amita Gupta, a professor of medicine and international health at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Listening from an U.S. expert: Careful evaluation of the power of Indian COVID variant

Phoenix TV (Hong Kong). May 4, 2021

Broadcast in Mandarin; Dr. Amita Gupta’s interview is in English

How the US can help the COVID crisis in India: OPINION

The Hill. May 4, 2021

Drs. Amita Gupta, David Peters, Brian Wahl: There is a wretched inequality playing out in the world. As the U.S. and other high-income countries have dramatically reduced the burden of COVID-19, the daily number of confirmed cases and deaths globally is now greater than ever before. This increase is being driven by an alarming wave of cases currently ravaging India. While official sources cite more than 360,000 cases and 3,000 deaths per day, many experts believe these numbers could be substantially underestimated.

India’s official COVID-19 numbers are shocking. The true count is likely far worse

Los Angeles Times. May 3, 2021

“What happens in India matters to the entire world,” Dr. Amita Gupta, chair of the Johns Hopkins India Institute, said in a Facebook conversation Thursday. “We care from a humanitarian perspective, a public health perspective and a health-security perspective.”

Dr. Amita Gupta on COVID-19 Response in India and US

Black News Channel. May 3, 2021

The World Could Be Doing Much More to Help India

Vox. April 29, 2021

“Providing any surplus rapid-antigen tests that could allow people with Covid to test at home would help to alleviate stress on the testing infrastructure here,” Brian Wahl, an India-based epidemiologist with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said.

PODCAST: The Dire COVID-19 Crisis in India

Public Health on Call: Johns Hopkins Podcast Series. April 29, 2021