ISRC held the second event in the series of online symposia, with a discussion on the kind of epidemiological data available, what we could learn from the analysis and what else is needed in the Indian context.
This symposium took place on Saturday June 6, 2020, at 4.30pm.
The event can be accessed on YouTube live stream: https://youtu.be/o6TUc0STEGs
Program
1630 to 1640: Opening remarks on ISRC and the Symposium
1640 to 1830: Presentations
Rakhal Gaitonde (SCTIMST, Tiruvananthapuram)
Information needs in an evolving epidemic – reflections on the Kerala Experience
T Sundararaman (JIPMER, NHSRC, TISS — retd)
Disease surveillance programmes in India
Bhramar Mukherjee (University of Michigan)
Predictions, Role of Interventions and Evaluating Lockdowns in the Crisis of Virus in India: A Data Science Call to Arms
Giridhar Babu (Public Health Foundation India)
Data in the time of Covid19 pandemic; what we have and what we need?
1830 to 1930: Open discussion
Initiated by Dr Girija Vaidyanathan (former Chief Secretary, Govt of Tamil Nadu)
Abstracts
Information needs in an evolving epidemic – reflections on the Kerala Experience.
Rakhal Gaitonde
In the context of the information needs in the case of an evolving epidemic, the interplay between the way the problem is framed and an epidemiological understanding of the epidemic will be focussed upon, reflecting from the vantage point of a member of a committee advising a government. The challenges of these negotiations between these different ways of framing of the problem will also be discussed.
Predictions, Role of Interventions and Evaluating Lockdowns in the Crisis of Virus in India: A Data Science Call to Arms
Bhramar Mukherjee
In this talk I will discuss the role of epidemiologic and statistical models in tracking the pulse of the COVID-19 outbreak in India. I will posit a framework of creating a dynamic dashboard for policymakers to evaluate state-wide and national data in terms of multiple public health and policy relevant metrics. We will discuss despite the large uncertainties associated with the forecasting models what takeaway lessons they can offer. For prior reading I refer the readers to the following two papers and encourage exploring our app covind19.org.
Lockdown Effect on COVID-19 Spread in India: National Data Masking State-Level Trends
Data in the time of Covid19 pandemic; what we have and what we need?
Giridhar Babu
The current COVID 19 pandemic raises important concern about the various analysis that are presented in media and journals. While some analyses are exemplary, many are questionable and lack merit. The presentation will provide a brief on the various data indicators that are available like Case fatality rate, infection fatality, crude mortality rate, Reproductive number, doubling time, dispersion index. For each of the indicator it’s uses and limitation will be discussed in the presentation. A brief on various possible analysis required for improving the public health response will be discussed.
