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apps, and platforms including conversational AI, and (iv) diagnostic and prognostic solutions using computational and biotechnological solutions. The key projects being implemented under this theme include: (i) artificial intelligence models to enable genomic surveillance for pandemics, (ii) a platform for clinical data exchange, and collaboration, (iii) DNA sequencing for genomic surveillance for COVID-19, and (iv) development of large scale and rapid diagnostics for COVID-19. The activities of this theme are being carried out in two phases. Over a period of one year, phase I operationalises the cluster with thematic solutions for the ongoing COVID-19 challenge. Phase II will target the deployment of a suite of COVID-19 solutions in partnership with industry and development solutions for health challenges beyond the pandemic. These would include AI/ML based solutions for tackling tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and rare neurological diseases. The theme is embedded into the health ecosystem with key partnerships with health institutions, industry, and think tank organisations including AIIMS New Delhi, Maulana Azad Medical College, Max Hospitals, Google Research India, and the World Economic Forum.
Contact info:
tavpriteshsethi@iiitd.ac.in, saksham.saxena@investindia.org.in
Studies on immunological, nutritional and comorbidity factors
impacting response to infection and vaccination
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pune has been one of the worst hit cities in the world. The total number of coronavirus positive patients to date (as on 9 May 2021) has reached 4,46,564 of which 4,05,474 have been cured while 7358 have died. There are still 33,732 active patients undergoing treatment in various hospitals. Pune has, thus, been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic. During the beginning of the pandemic, Pune city, managed by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), successfully initiated and maintained a Government mandated data compilation from clinic and hospital-level data at the city level. The PMC and Pune Knowledge Cluster (PKC) entered into a collaborative agreement in April 2020 to develop and implement local policies based on the analysis of COVID-19 patient level data. The major activities of this collaboration included curation of the data, analysis of the data at sub-region level called Prabhags, modelling of the data to project the pandemic curve, constitution of a project to assess the prevalence of positive serology among the population and coordination for resource procurements and allocation.
The PKC (www.pkc.org.in) is funded by the cluster initiative of the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. The studies outlined here, however, can easily be scaled up across various regions of the country, which will generate public health data of enormous value for immediate policy decisions to address the current pandemic and also for the future.
Differences in the scale of the infection spread and severity of the clinical outcomes of infection highlight the importance of framing policies and strategies to fight the pandemic, both in the short-term and the long-term, based on ground level data and scientific investigations of the infectivity of the virus and immune response of infected people. Detailed studies on both the viral pathogen and host factors are key to understand and control the pandemic, prevent loss of lives, and reduce long-term health impact. Viral genome sequencing (as the infection spreads across diverse human populations and as they are vaccinated) and immunotyping of populations based on immune response to infection and vaccination need to be taken up immediately on a war footing. In addition, factors such as nutritional diversity among the populations and other co-morbidities that impact the risks of severe disease need to be studied in more detail. Such
VOL. IV ISSUE 6
VIGYAN PRASAR 15
NATION’S S&T EFFORTS AGAINST COVID-19