PRmoment's weekly 'The Healthcare News Review' column will look at the biggest healthcare news trends every week and analyse the communications implications of that.

Omicron rages on globally. India clocked 1,94,720 new infections midweek. This is the highest tally in 211 days according to The Economic Times .

With variants emerging on a regular basis, is it time to understand how one can live with Covid-19 as a manageable disease.

Covid as a manageable disease?

United States' top scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci believes that United States could be approaching the threshold where Covid-19 will be a treatable disease. He pointed out that Covid-19 has a 'propensity to mutate' and there is still a pool of unvaccinated people.

What does this mean for communicators?

1) Dr Fauci listed 2 conditions for reaching the threshold for Covid-19 to be a manageable disease. Communicators could look at them as cues for communication approaches:

a) Better medicines to handle high risk groups.
b) Better protection through vaccines in the community.

2) The above means there is scope for behavior change campaigns as well as focus on new medical developments.

3) Scope for credible vaccine advocates.

4) Scope for credible scientific voices who can connect easily with the public. There is an acute shortage of such voices in India and also globally because of the very nature of science communication.

Jab or Jab Nots 

Hmm, the Novak Djokovic Australian Open saga has become a rallying point for the jab or jab not debate.

His lack of vaccination landed him detention at an isolation hotel with a revoked Visa. While that decision has been since overturned. and then restored It now turns out he met a French journalist when he was positive with Covid-19 in December 2021.

The world'sNo 1 tennis player hopes to still play in the upcoming Australian Open for his 21st Grand Slam title were dashed.

It has become a national issue with people dressed in Serbian colours gathered outside Djokovic's Melbourne law offices in support.

The other stories that made health news this week are:

1) Bollywood and the TV industry is reeling with Covid. The latest to test positive with both Covid and pneumonia is the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.

2) 'Psychiatry at Doorstep' will offer mental health service to low income groups in and around Hyderabad. It was formally launched by southern star, Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

See you next week, if you want to share your views on the stories here, drop us a comment at @PRmomentIndia


News Curated for PRmoment India by:

Impact Research and Measurement