Monday, September 30, 2019

Wildlife Week India 2019: India's tiger census points to an urgent need for peaceful ecosystems where humans, tigers coexist

The most current nation-wide estimation of the tiger population in India was released by PM Narendra Modi on International Tiger Day (29 July) this year. The Status of Tigers in India Report, 2018 reveals that there are an estimated 2,967 tigers in the wild in India — 33 percent higher than the number of tigers counted in 2014, and double that of the 2006 population. While that's undoubtedly good news, there are many important things the numbers belie, and nuances that tell a story that's complex and far less rosy.

The tiger census required 44,000 field staff, 6,00,000 human-days, 5,23,000 kilometres in walking rotas, 3,18,000 habitat surveys, 26,800 camera trap locations spanning across 3,81,000 km of forest in India. The result? Only 35 million photographs of wildlife, of which 76,523 captured tigers in the wild.

India is home to 75 percent of the 3,500 tigers scattered across 13 tiger-range countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand, and Vietnam. In 2010, an agreement was signed by these countries, with a shared goal to double the global tiger count by 2022. India appears to be close to accomplishing this doubling of its tiger population. For the most sizeable tiger population in the world, that's fantastic news — isn't it?

A Bengal tiger in Gujarat. Image credit: Ajay Suri

A Bengal tiger practises his growl. Image credit: Ajay Suri

Do the numbers matter?

"Doubling" of tiger numbers isn't a scientific or ecologically useful measure of anything, says Anish Andheria, President of Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), a not-for-profit organization that works in and around 160 protected areas and many critical wildlife corridors in 23 states, one in five "Protected Areas" and most key tiger reserves in the country. "If you start out with a small population of, say, four tigers, it would be relatively easy to "double" their population size, wouldn't it?"  So, a global resolve to double tiger numbers will mean different things for different countries based on the starting population size. In fact, countries who have a mediocre track record of conserving tigers and have smaller tiger numbers will be able to double their tiger populations much faster than the ones who are doing a lot, he added.

Still, according to Andheria the new report does validate something we already know: that India's tiger population has recovered phenomenally over the past few decades.

Mounting on old successes

States that have worked towards conserving tigers have also shown the best outcomes: Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have the leading tiger number counts as per the 2018 estimation. In the context of conservation, these were the States in which tigers were given more consideration and care. There weren't unexpected increases in tiger counts in other States. Some, like Chattisgarh and Odisha, even saw their tiger numbers decline since 2014.

States in the Northeast have dense forests and intact corridors — the perfect playground for tigers. However, barring Assam this shift isn't something the government has acted on or prepared for.

Not out of the woods just yet

Conservation efforts have paid off despite numerous hurdles to the safety of wildlife, tigers in particular, in India. When large chunks of forests get denotified for development projects, it is also important to study the forest's fringes. If you were a farmer or resident in a forested also home to tigers, you're likely to respond to a tiger sighting by calling the Forest Department, protecting your family and belongings under any cost, or taking matters into your own hands.

Tiger numbers in India over the past few years. Image: NW18 Creative

Tiger numbers in India over the past few years. Image: NW18 Creative

Unfortunately, there isn't a rapid response system to attend to these human-tiger interactions in remote areas, giving locals enough time to panic or consider taking matters into their own hands, says Andheria. Securing their property and family and avoid repeated confrontations with a tiger in the area is the best-case scenario in a confrontation — and there's little risk in poisoning sacrificial cattle to douse the situation. In recent years, forest officials and researchers have seen a surge in electrocution incidents along the fringes of forests and tiger reserves. Farmers and residents living in the forest outskirts fence their fields with live wires by tapping into 11 kV power lines. Wandering hyenas, elephants, leopards and tigers are known to fall victim to these traps, and die on the spot, he added.

If human-tiger encounters/incidents are already higher than they ought to be today, they are bound to get worse as the tiger population further increases. Assessments reveal that some 25 percent of tigers are now living outside the protected areas. Conflict between tigers and humans from different parts of the country lends credence to the idea that India is already coping with a limited (societal) capacity to host tigers in the wild.

However, that can change. Capacity can grow if the funding and management of tiger habitats by the Forest Department are put under a scanner, with a renewed focus to manage and protect large landscapes rather than just the protected areas, to support a tiger population that is less likely to get into conflict .

A Royal Bengal Tiger taking a beat.

A Royal Bengal Tiger taking a beat.

Running out of tiger 'capacity' isn't that simple

Capacity simply refers to the maximum amount of something that an area can contain. For wildlife, this limit is based on the ecological needs of a particular species, says Andheria. For tigers, it is limited by a few things in particular:

  1. The quality of the habitat and space each tiger has to move about,
  2. The availability of water and adequate prey
  3. The threats and pressures put on a tiger population, including societal threats like electrocution or poisoning
  4. The ability of a cub to survive until its reproductive age
  5. The dispersal of new tigers into new forests

Biologically and scientifically speaking, well-maintained forests in India can potentially support 10,000+ tigers, Andheria says. Funding has been pumped into areas that are tiger-saturated, which has benefited other wildlife too. Kaziranga's success as a tiger reserve has a lot to do with the support and attention it received from its main celebrity: the one-horned rhino. Of the 50 tiger reserves in the country, 18-20 reserves have the "optimal" number of tigers. Other potential areas are starved of funds.

"India (has) 300,000 sq km of potential tiger habitat which can support 10,000 to 15,000 tigers. From about 2,000 tigers 50 years go, India now has about 3,000-3,500…doubling to 6,000 tigers say by 2022 does not seem realistic," Ullas Karanth, director for Science-Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society, told Mongabay.

But there's something equally important to factor in — societal capacity, the tolerance people have towards chance encounters with a tiger. This, for the time being, is one of the biggest factors limiting the capacity of India to house any more tigers, says Andheria.

Camera Trap Images. Image: STI Report 2018

Camera Trap Images. Image: Status of Tigers in India Report 2018

Flawed methodology?

Independent researchers have questioned the numbers stated in the report, calling it out as unreliable and unscientific.

"...the claims of a 58 percent tiger population rise in India over the past 8 years [from 2006-2014] based on estimates from the three National Tiger Estimate surveys lack reliable scientific support," a study by K Ulhas Karanth from the Centre for Wildlife Studies, Arjun Gopalaswamy and Mohan Delampady from the Indian Statistical Institute and Professor Nils Stenseth from the University of Oslo, reads, currently under review. A flawed research methodology is being used by the WII, knowing that the tiger numbers that result from it are exaggerated, in the view of the researchers.

The "2,967 tigers" figure, for one, is an estimate — the upper limit in a range. The unique tiger individuals tallied in the census was 2,600. A fairly large margin of error accompanies the current counting methodology. Moreover, the overall numbers could be inflated from a change in the age of tiger cubs counted in 2018 vs 2014. Till the previous tiger estimation exercise in 2014, cubs younger than 18 months were left out of the count. The 2018 estimation exercise counted cubs 12 months and older.

Top predator, good indicator

We've known tigers are the king of the jungle — an apex predator. True to storybooks, tigers are important animals — crucial to the health and diversity of an ecosystem. Their place at the top of the food chain keeps the population of wild large mammals in check, maintaining the balance between herbivores like deer and the vegetation they feed on, like forests. Tigers, therefore, are an excellent indicator of how healthy an ecosystem is. Declining tiger numbers or the threat of its extinction indicated that the ecosystem isn't protected enough, and probably won't survive for much longer, says Andheria.

Conclusion

The forest department has played a significant role in pulling the tiger out of the brink of extinction. The species, despite being endangered, seems to be in a far better situation than it was in the late 1990s, according to Andheria. Something has definitely worked right in India's tiger conservation efforts, however, "going forward, the government will have to focus its attention on resurrecting the tiger reserves of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Mizoram," he adds. "In states where tigers are doing well currently, emphasis will have to be laid on strengthening corridors and forests outside the tiger reserves".

sam-power-7jz5grPdco0-unsplash-1

A tiger stalks his prey.

"When large carnivores and humans share the same habitat, there are bound to be some interactions between the two, especially because forests have shrunk progressively over the last century, while human and livestock densities have gone up. Uncontrolled cattle grazing has had a huge impact on tiger prey, such as deer and gaur across forests outside India’s protected areas. As a result, dispersing tigers and tigers that reside outside tiger reserves are forced to prey upon cattle, which in turn angers people. Repeated incidence of cattle lifting has soured the relationship between local communities and the forest department. Thus, tourism should be used to fuel the economy of communities who share their backyards with tigers. If people’s incomes are directly linked with tigers and forests, there is no doubt that both forests and tigers will be safe in India for long," Andheria further emphasises.

Today, land holdings are very small, and farming in forested areas is not profitable any longer. By tweaking existing policy slightly, farmers can be incentivised to form farmer groups and move from traditional crops to agroforestry. Not only will forests come back (and stronger), but the overall biodiversity will also be enriched, automatically improving soil quality, and eventually, the water cycles in these expansive landscapes.

Another change Andheria recommends to help tigers and people coexist with less friction is agroforestry woven into nature- and cultural-tourism. This system can build a positive loop that can resurrect the economy and ecology of large rural landscapes without tigers or humans losing their lives.



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Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale: Best Deals on Redmi K20, Samsung Galaxy S9 and More

Here are some really good deals if you are looking to buy a new smartphone this festive season.

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Xiaomi, iFFALCON, Sanyo and others offering the best deals on Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart (October 2019)

This is the start of the shopping season in India, and also the start of the mega online sales. The Amazon Great Indian Festival and Flipkart Big Billion Days sale have been wooing customers with insane offers. Understandably, a lot of TV manufacturers and some new entrants into this space have announced their new models in the past couple of weeks. While some brands like OnePlus went overboard with their promotions, others quietly released their new Smart TV lineups. 

With hundreds of Smart TV models out in the market, it is difficult to choose the right one. Worry not, that’s where we come in and clear the confusion. Let’s look at the best options available for you across various TV sizes and budgets in the ongoing online sales.

Best deals on 32-inch Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart

A 32-inch TV is ideally suited for one with a budget under Rs 15,000 and a viewing distance (distance between the viewer and the TV) of 7 to 8 feet. You get a bunch of official Android TVs in this budget and hence, most of the TVs barring one in this section will be based on that platform. All TVs here have a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and are Netflix-compliant, hence you won’t find one from Xiaomi here.

iFFALCON (TCL) 32F2A

Let’s start with the most inexpensive TV of the lot from the TCL sub-brand. Despite the low price, this TV(Review) packs a punch with loud sound output, built-in Chromecast, wireless remote that supports voice commands and a sleek design.

iFFALCON-32-TV1024

The iFFALCON 32F2A sports a simple yet elegant all-black design with narrow bezels running along the four sides of the 32-inch screen.

The TV runs Android 8.0 and comes bundled with 1.5GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. You get 2 HDMI ports, 1 USB port and a bunch of other connectivity options.

iFFALCON (TCL) 32F2A Price: Rs 10,499

Sanyo Kaizen XT-32A170H

Next up is a new launch from the old Japanese brand, Sanyo (now owned by Panasonic) that boasts of an IPS panel and the latest Android 9 OS.

tvv1280

Sanyo Kaizen XT-32A170H runs on the latest Android 9 OS.

You also get 20 Watts (RMS) of sound output, one additional USB port and Amazon Prime Video app. This too has a voice-enabled remote and Chromecast built-in.

Sanyo Kaizen XT-32A170H Price: Rs 11,499

Motorola 32SAFHDM

Motorola just entered the Smart TV space in India and this is their base variant. The sound output, though rated at 20 Watts RMS, is expected to be better courtesy of an integrated soundbar.

Just like the Sanyo, this too boasts of an IPS panel, Android 9, a voice-enabled remote along with 2x HDMI and 2x USB ports.

Just like the Sanyo, this too boasts of an IPS panel, Android 9, a voice-enabled remote along with 2x HDMI and 2x USB ports.

The company also bundles a wireless game pad that looks like an Xbox controller.

Motorola 32SAFHDM Price: Rs 13,999

LG 32LM560BPTC

A smart TV from the big three (Samsung, Sony, LG) wasn’t something I was expecting to see in this budget yet. But here’s a pleasant surprise from LG. This 32-inch TV also comes with an IPS panel and a couple of HDMI ports.

lgtv1280

LG 32LM560BPTC is a 32 inch TV that comes with an IPS panel and a couple of HDMI ports.

It runs webOS, that has apps for most of the major online streaming services including Netflix, Prime Video and now, Hotstar too. Unlike the above three TVs, this doesn’t have Chromecast but supports screen mirroring. To sweeten the deal, the company is offering a 3-year warranty on this model on Amazon India till the end of October.

LG 32LM560BPTC Price: Rs 14,999

Best deals on 40 to 43-inch Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart

Now we move on to the living room TVs, well, small living rooms with a viewing distance of 9 to 10 feet. 40 to 43-inch screens are just right for that distance. While most 40-inch TVs have a Full HD panel, 43-inch TVs are available in Full HD and 4K resolution both. Here I would have suggested a Xiaomi TV from their new 4X series but unfortunately there are no stocks available at the time of writing. So let’s look at what’s present.

VU Ultra Android 40GA

This is a 40-inch certified Android TV from VU’s new Ultra Android series. Though the series is called Ultra Android, this TV doesn’t have an Ultra HD panel. You get a Full HD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. There is support for all major streaming apps like Netflix, Hotstar, Prime Video, etc and also has Chromecast built-in. All certified/official Android TVs have Chromecast built-in. I won’t repeat myself again going ahead.

Vutv1280

Though the series is called Ultra Android, this TV doesn’t have an Ultra HD panel. You get a Full HD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

This has a couple of HDMI and USB ports each and produces 24 Watts RMS sound output. This is a good all-round option under Rs 20,000 if there is a space crunch.

VU Ultra Android 40GA Price: Rs 18,999

iFFALCON (TCL) 43K31

This 43-inch certified Android TV from iFFALCON’s K31 series boasts of a 4K panel with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels and support for 1.07 billion colours for just over twenty thousand Rupees. You also get a voice-enabled remote control, 3x HDMI, 2x USB ports along with other popular audio/video ports and support for all major streaming services. It also supports AI picture adjustment and micro dimming. At its heart is an Amlogic quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage. It runs Android Pie OS.

iFFALCON (TCL) 43K31 Price: Rs 20,999

Sanyo Kaizen XT-43A082U

This 43-inch variant from Sanyo is similar to the iFFALCON in many ways. This too is a certified Android TV that runs Android Pie, comes with a voice-enabled remote, has the same number of HDMI and USB ports and supports all major streaming services.

Sanyot1280

This TV has 1.75 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage. What’s different here is the presence of a 4K IPS panel with support for over a billion colours and an impressive design with extremely slim side bezels. You also get Bluetooth 5.0.

Sanyo Kaizen XT-43A082U Price: Rs 24,999

Best deals on 49 to 55-inch Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart

Now let's shift to larger living rooms where you can have a viewing distance of up to 14 feet. Only in Mumbai can that be considered a large living room, I know. If the distance is around 10 to 12 feet, a 49 or 50-inch TV will be a good fit. Anything in excess of 12 feet and you can opt for a 55-inch variant. It is advisable to go for a 4K variant in this screen size. 

Spoiler alert: If you have been waiting for the new OnePlus Q1 TV, it hasn’t made the cut here. We won’t advise you to spend 70K on it just yet. And another 3K for the stand if you plan to put it on a desk, I may add. We will let the company iron out its flaws, sort the pricing out and then we will revisit it in the future. For now, hold on to your Rs 70,000 or choose one of the options below.

iFFALCON (TCL) 50K31; 55K31

The TCL sub-brand has gone totally nuts in this Flipkart sale and is offering huge discounts on their K31 series. So much so that you can buy a 50-inch 4K variant for the price of a 43-inch TV from competing brands, and a 55-inch variant for just 3K more. The rest of the features and specifications are similar to the 43K31 model listed above.

iFFALCON (TCL) 50K31 Price: Rs 24,999

iFFALCON (TCL) 55K31 Price: Rs 27,999

Mi TV 4X Pro

While the Mi TV 4X Pro belongs to Xiaomi’s earlier series that doesn’t support Netflix or Prime Video yet, and you have to put up with an overly minimalistic remote without inputs, settings or mute buttons, it still has arguably the best 55-inch 4K panel you can get in TVs under Rs 40,000. It is powered by an Amlogic quad-core processor with 2 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage and offers 3x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports among others.

mitvpro1280

Mi TV 4x Pro is powered by an Amlogic quad-core processor with 2 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage and offers 3x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports among others.

Though it has Chromecast built-in, it is advisable to couple it with an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K to get the best out of it. A soundbar would also be advisable for a better all-round experience. 

Mi TV 4X Pro Price: Rs 37,999

55-inch QLED TV for Rs 49,999, anyone?

If you are looking to take a leap of faith, Blaupunkt has just launched their BLA55QL680 model, a 55-inch QLED TV for a Rupee under 50K on Flipkart. That should make it the cheapest QLED TV in the country currently.

Since we haven’t tested it yet, we cannot vouch for it with conviction but the specs look decent. Again, pairing it with an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K would be a smart choice rather than finding your way around its dated Android 7.0 based OS.

Blaupunkt BLA55QL680 Price: Rs 49,999

LG NanoCell 55SM8100PTA

OnePlus may not have launched a perfect TV but it has certainly shaken up the pricing strategy of the big 3. Thanks to which, you have the 2019 edition of LG’s Ultra HD NanoCell TV now selling for a price similar to that of the OnePlus Q1. NanoCell technology is LG’s answer to QLED.

lg1280

With this TV, you get 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and other host of connectivity options.

Though the performance is nowhere close to their OLED variants, neither is the price and the picture quality is certainly a cut above regular LCD/LED TVs. Now that’s where you can consider investing your 70K in if you are looking for a premium experience, right from its design to HDR performance. You get 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and other host of connectivity options. The TV interface is based on Web OS.

LG NanoCell 55SM8100PTA Price: Rs 69,999



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Facebook to Launch New 'News Tab' Feature; Will Pay Only a Fraction of Publishers

Facebook will have seasoned journalists curate breaking and top news stories for its upcoming 'News Tab' feature, separate from its trademark News Feed.

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Kamala Harris Asks Twitter to Suspend Donald Trump's Account

Twitter has not responded to Senator Kamala Harris yet, although its policy doesn't favour blocking a world leader or removing their controversial tweets.

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Best deals on Smart TVs in Amazon and Flipkart Sales (October 2019)

This is the start of the shopping season in India, and also the start of the mega online sales. The Amazon Great Indian Festival and Flipkart Big Billion Days sale have been wooing customers with insane offers. Understandably, a lot of TV manufacturers and some new entrants into this space have announced their new models in the past couple of weeks. While some brands like OnePlus went overboard with their promotions, others quietly released their new Smart TV lineups. 

With hundreds of Smart TV models out in the market, it is difficult to choose the right one. Worry not, that’s where we come in and clear the confusion. Let’s look at the best options available for you across various TV sizes and budgets in the ongoing online sales.

Best deals on 32-inch Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart

A 32-inch TV is ideally suited for one with a budget under Rs 15,000 and a viewing distance (distance between the viewer and the TV) of 7 to 8 feet. You get a bunch of official Android TVs in this budget and hence, most of the TVs barring one in this section will be based on that platform. All TVs here have a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and are Netflix-compliant, hence you won’t find one from Xiaomi here.

iFFALCON (TCL) 32F2A

Let’s start with the most inexpensive TV of the lot from the TCL sub-brand. Despite the low price, this TV(Review) packs a punch with loud sound output, built-in Chromecast, wireless remote that supports voice commands and a sleek design.

iFFALCON-32-TV1024

The iFFALCON 32F2A sports a simple yet elegant all-black design with narrow bezels running along the four sides of the 32-inch screen.

The TV runs Android 8.0 and comes bundled with 1.5GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. You get 2 HDMI ports, 1 USB port and a bunch of other connectivity options.

iFFALCON (TCL) 32F2A Price: Rs 10,499

Sanyo Kaizen XT-32A170H

Next up is a new launch from the old Japanese brand, Sanyo (now owned by Panasonic) that boasts of an IPS panel and the latest Android 9 OS.

tvv1280

Sanyo Kaizen XT-32A170H runs on the latest Android 9 OS.

You also get 20 Watts (RMS) of sound output, one additional USB port and Amazon Prime Video app. This too has a voice-enabled remote and Chromecast built-in.

Sanyo Kaizen XT-32A170H Price: Rs 11,499

Motorola 32SAFHDM

Motorola just entered the Smart TV space in India and this is their base variant. The sound output, though rated at 20 Watts RMS, is expected to be better courtesy of an integrated soundbar.

Just like the Sanyo, this too boasts of an IPS panel, Android 9, a voice-enabled remote along with 2x HDMI and 2x USB ports.

Just like the Sanyo, this too boasts of an IPS panel, Android 9, a voice-enabled remote along with 2x HDMI and 2x USB ports.

The company also bundles a wireless game pad that looks like an Xbox controller.

Motorola 32SAFHDM Price: Rs 13,999

 

LG 32LM560BPTC

A smart TV from the big three (Samsung, Sony, LG) wasn’t something I was expecting to see in this budget yet. But here’s a pleasant surprise from LG. This 32-inch TV also comes with an IPS panel and a couple of HDMI ports.

lgtv1280

LG 32LM560BPTC is a 32 inch TV that comes with an IPS panel and a couple of HDMI ports.

It runs webOS, that has apps for most of the major online streaming services including Netflix, Prime Video and now, Hotstar too. Unlike the above three TVs, this doesn’t have Chromecast but supports screen mirroring. To sweeten the deal, the company is offering a 3-year warranty on this model on Amazon India till the end of October.

LG 32LM560BPTC Price: Rs 14,999

 

Best deals on 40 to 43-inch Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart

Now we move on to the living room TVs, well, small living rooms with a viewing distance of 9 to 10 feet. 40 to 43-inch screens are just right for that distance. While most 40-inch TVs have a Full HD panel, 43-inch TVs are available in Full HD and 4K resolution both. Here I would have suggested a Xiaomi TV from their new 4X series but unfortunately there are no stocks available at the time of writing. So let’s look at what’s present.

 

VU Ultra Android 40GA

This is a 40-inch certified Android TV from VU’s new Ultra Android series. Though the series is called Ultra Android, this TV doesn’t have an Ultra HD panel. You get a Full HD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. There is support for all major streaming apps like Netflix, Hotstar, Prime Video, etc and also has Chromecast built-in. All certified/official Android TVs have Chromecast built-in. I won’t repeat myself again going ahead.

Vutv1280

Though the series is called Ultra Android, this TV doesn’t have an Ultra HD panel. You get a Full HD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

This has a couple of HDMI and USB ports each and produces 24 Watts RMS sound output. This is a good all-round option under Rs 20,000 if there is a space crunch.

VU Ultra Android 40GA Price: Rs 18,999

 

iFFALCON (TCL) 43K31

This 43-inch certified Android TV from iFFALCON’s K31 series boasts of a 4K panel with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels and support for 1.07 billion colours for just over twenty thousand Rupees. You also get a voice-enabled remote control, 3x HDMI, 2x USB ports along with other popular audio/video ports and support for all major streaming services. It also supports AI picture adjustment and micro dimming. At its heart is an Amlogic quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage. It runs Android Pie OS.

iFFALCON (TCL) 43K31 Price: Rs 20,999

 

Sanyo Kaizen XT-43A082U

This 43-inch variant from Sanyo is similar to the iFFALCON in many ways. This too is a certified Android TV that runs Android Pie, comes with a voice-enabled remote, has the same number of HDMI and USB ports and supports all major streaming services.

Sanyot1280

This TV has 1.75 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage. What’s different here is the presence of a 4K IPS panel with support for over a billion colours and an impressive design with extremely slim side bezels. You also get Bluetooth 5.0.

Sanyo Kaizen XT-43A082U Price: Rs 24,999

 

Best deals on 49 to 55-inch Smart TVs on Amazon and Flipkart

Now let's shift to larger living rooms where you can have a viewing distance of up to 14 feet. Only in Mumbai can that be considered a large living room, I know. If the distance is around 10 to 12 feet, a 49 or 50-inch TV will be a good fit. Anything in excess of 12 feet and you can opt for a 55-inch variant. It is advisable to go for a 4K variant in this screen size. 

Spoiler alert: If you have been waiting for the new OnePlus Q1 TV, it hasn’t made the cut here. We won’t advise you to spend 70K on it just yet. And another 3K for the stand if you plan to put it on a desk, I may add. We will let the company iron out its flaws, sort the pricing out and then we will revisit it in the future. For now, hold on to your Rs 70,000 or choose one of the options below.

iFFALCON (TCL) 50K31; 55K31

The TCL sub-brand has gone totally nuts in this Flipkart sale and is offering huge discounts on their K31 series. So much so that you can buy a 50-inch 4K variant for the price of a 43-inch TV from competing brands, and a 55-inch variant for just 3K more. The rest of the features and specifications are similar to the 43K31 model listed above.

iFFALCON (TCL) 50K31 Price: Rs 24,999

iFFALCON (TCL) 55K31 Price: Rs 27,999

 

Mi TV 4X Pro

While the Mi TV 4X Pro belongs to Xiaomi’s earlier series that doesn’t support Netflix or Prime Video yet, and you have to put up with an overly minimalistic remote without inputs, settings or mute buttons, it still has arguably the best 55-inch 4K panel you can get in TVs under Rs 40,000. It is powered by an Amlogic quad-core processor with 2 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage and offers 3x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports among others.

mitvpro1280

Mi TV 4x Pro is powered by an Amlogic quad-core processor with 2 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage and offers 3x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports among others.

Though it has Chromecast built-in, it is advisable to couple it with an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K to get the best out of it. A soundbar would also be advisable for a better all-round experience. 

Mi TV 4X Pro Price: Rs 37,999

 

55-inch QLED TV for Rs 49,999, anyone?

If you are looking to take a leap of faith, Blaupunkt has just launched their BLA55QL680 model, a 55-inch QLED TV for a Rupee under 50K on Flipkart. That should make it the cheapest QLED TV in the country currently.

 

Since we haven’t tested it yet, we cannot vouch for it with conviction but the specs look decent. Again, pairing it with an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K would be a smart choice rather than finding your way around its dated Android 7.0 based OS.

Blaupunkt BLA55QL680 Price: Rs 49,999

 

LG NanoCell 55SM8100PTA

OnePlus may not have launched a perfect TV but it has certainly shaken up the pricing strategy of the big 3. Thanks to which, you have the 2019 edition of LG’s Ultra HD NanoCell TV now selling for a price similar to that of the OnePlus Q1. NanoCell technology is LG’s answer to QLED.

lg1280

With this TV, you get 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and other host of connectivity options.

Though the performance is nowhere close to their OLED variants, neither is the price and the picture quality is certainly a cut above regular LCD/LED TVs. Now that’s where you can consider investing your 70K in if you are looking for a premium experience, right from its design to HDR performance. You get 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports and other host of connectivity options. The TV interface is based on Web OS.

LG NanoCell 55SM8100PTA Price: Rs 69,999



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WhatsApp was extensively exploited during 2019 elections in India: Report

A study has revealed that WhatsApp was extensively abused to spread unfounded rumours and misinformation during recent elections in India and Brazil. The research found that WhatsApp particularly failed in blocking the propagation of misinformation campaigns through public groups.

Representational Image.

Representational Image.

This study was conducted by researchers at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.

The researchers wanted to find out how effective are the measures taken by WhatsApp to curb the spread of misinformation, like limiting forward messages. This study was conducted around the election day, 60 days before and 15 days after, in three countries: India, Brazil, and Indonesia.

(Also read: WhatsApp's forward limiting update slowed down spread of misinformation: Report)

"Our results suggest that the current efforts deployed by WhatsApp can offer significant delays on the information spread, but they are ineffective in blocking the propagation of misinformation campaigns through public groups when the content has a high viral nature," the authors wrote in a paper.

WhatsApp allows group chats to be private or public. The private chats require the group admin to add new member, so they are tougher be a part of. But public groups can be joined by invitation links that could be shared to anyone or be available on the Web. The researchers, hence, joined various public groups on WhatsApp to see the kind of content that is shared on the platform.

(Also Read: Aftermath of Pulwama attack shows WhatsApp's India strategy to contain fake news is flawed)

Reportedly, while in Indonesia, 80 percent of the images shared on public group chats appeared for no more than two days, in India and Brazil, images continued to appear even after two months. This means, users have a longer time to view and share those messages with others. And that's precisely how the chain of viral messages begin.

"Our results show that content can spread quite fast through the network structure of public groups in WhatsApp, reaching the private groups and individual users later," the study said.



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Twitter to roll out a filter to hide unwanted Direct Messages to contain abuse on platform

Twitter on Monday said it is rolling out a filter that will hide away unwanted direct messages, providing a new tool to stymie abuse.

Twitter users who receive direct messages from people they don't follow on the platform will be able to have such missives automatically routed to a secondary folder.

"Unwanted messages aren't fun," Twitter tweeted in August when it began testing the filter that let users keep them "out of sight, out of mind."

FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture. Image: Reuters.

FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture. Image: Reuters.

The filter is intended to also catch messages with spam or offensive content, tagging them accordingly so users can decide whether they want to open them.

"We tested, and turns out filters help you cut through the noise to find gems," Twitter said Monday in a tweet.

"Who knew. So we're rolling out this filter to everyone on iOS, Android, and Web."

Twitter has been under pressure to battle abuse and vitriol on the platform known for letting anyone express themselves to the world in real-time.

The San Francisco-based company earlier this year introduced the option to hide replies to tweets in some countries, an option that promised to help foster more reasonable online conversations.

"We know that distracting, irrelevant, and offensive replies can derail the discussions that people want to have," Twitter senior product manager Michelle Yasmeen Haq and product designer Brittany Forks said when tweet reply-filter testing was announced.

"We believe people should have some control over the conversations they start."



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Amazon Great Indian Festival 2019 sale: Offers on iPhone XR, OnePlus 7, Galaxy Note 9 and more

The Great Indian Festival Sale on Amazon will go on till 4 October. There are a many deals that are being offered on smartphones and Amazon has said that it will be offering the 'lowest prices for smartphones' during the sale. Customers are said to avail up to 40 percent on some smartphones apart from getting cashback, deals and more. Here are the major deals you should know about.

Apple iPhone XR. Image: tech2/Omkar Patne

Apple iPhone XR. Image: tech2/Omkar Patne

OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro

With the launch of the OnePlus 7T, Amazon is offering a Rs 3,000 discount on the OnePlus 7 (Review) giving it a starting price of Rs 29,999. The phone comes with Snapdragon 855 SoC along with a dual-camera setup having a 48 MP primary sensor. The higher 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage variant's price remains unchanged from what we can see on the Amazon website, although that could change. The OnePlus 7 Pro (Review), with a 9 Hz refresh rate screen and QHD+ display is also being offered at a discounted price starting at Rs 44,999.

The OnePlus 6T (left) looks identical to the OnePlus 7 on the right. Image: Tech2/Omkar P

The OnePlus 6T (left) looks identical to the OnePlus 7 on the right. Image: Tech2/Omkar P

Samsung Galaxy M10s

The budget smartphone from Samsung Galaxy M10s which has launched recently will be put up on a flash sale today at 12.00 pm, 4.00 pm, and 8.00 pm starting at Rs 8,999. The phone comes with a dual-camera which includes an ultra-wide sensor along with a 4,000 mAh battery with fast charging.

Samsung Galaxy M10

Samsung Galaxy M10

iPhone XR

Another major deal is the iPhone XR (Review) which is being offered at a starting price of Rs 44,999, down from Rs 49,990 that it was offered at earlier. The iPhone XR has an HD display and is powered by the A12 Bionic chipset.

The Apple iPhone XR. Image: tech2/Omkar Patne

The Apple iPhone XR. Image: tech2/Omkar Patne

Galaxy Note 9

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Review) is also up for sale starting at Rs 42,999 down from its original price of which Amazon says is Rs 73,600 although Samsung's official Estore puts the price at Rs 67,900.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 during a product launch event. Reuters

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 during a product launch event. Reuters

Redmi 7

With the launch of the Redmi 8A, Amazon has slashed the price of the budget Redmi 7 by Rs 4,000 so that now you can purchase the device at Rs 5,999.

The plastic back looks like glass. Image: Omkar Patne

The plastic back looks like glass. Image: Omkar Patne

Apart from this, there are great offers on the Galaxy M30 which is priced at Rs 11,999, while the Oppo K3 is available for Rs 15,990 and the Poco F1 can be purchased for Rs 14,999 alongside the Vivo V15 which is priced at Rs 15,990. The recently launched Xiaomi Mi A3 has been given a price tag of Rs 12,999.

Redmi 7A

Xiaomi Redmi 7A's 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage model is on a great deal online. As opposed to its usual price of Rs 6,499, the smartphone is selling at the Great Indian Festival at Rs 4,999. The 32 GB variant's price is also down to Rs 5,799.

You can also get up to Rs 5,500 off on exchange at the time of purchase.

 

 



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Apple iOS 13.1.2, iPadOS 13.1.2 is now out: Brings fixes for camera, flashlight bug, more

After releasing the official build of the iOS 13 last month, Apple has been rolling out a few smaller updates, that primarily look at bug fixes and minor improvements in the operating system. Last week, iOS 13.1.1 was released which fixed issues like third party keyboard support, and now, the iOS 13.1.2 and the iPadOS 13.1.2 is rolling out for all users.

As per Apple's changelog, the iOS 13.1.2 update introduces bug fixes for several issues, including problems with the camera, iCloud backup, flashlight, and more. It also adds a shortcut to run the HomePod.

iOS 13.

iOS 13.

Below are the detailed changelog as per Apple's website:

- Fixes a bug where the progress bar for iCloud Backup could continue to show after a successful backup
- Fixes an issue where Camera may not work
- Addresses an issue where the flashlight may not activate
- Fixes a bug that could result in a loss of display calibration data
- Fixes an issue where shortcuts could not be run from HomePod
- Addresses an issue where Bluetooth may disconnect on certain vehicles

Besides the iOS 13.1.2, Apple has also released iPadOS 13.1.2, which comes with a bug fix where the progress bar for iCloud Backup could continue to show after a successful backup. The update also fixes the problem in the iPads .where shortcuts could not be run from HomePod.



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OnePlus India Specific OxygenOS Goodies: Manage Your SMS, Smart Gallery and more

These updates will be part of the OxygenOS which will be rolled out for all OnePlus devices.

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Google Doodle Honours Dr Herbert Kleber Who Pioneered Modern Addiction Psychiatry

Besides co-founding the National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Dr Kleber and his then-wife Dr Marian W Fischman established the Division on Substance Abuse at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

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Google Doodle celebrates psychologist Herbert Kleber for his pioneering work in unravelling drug addiction

In a heart-warming doodle on 1 September, Google has tipped its cap to the incredible work of a pioneering addiction psychologist Dr Herbert David Kleber on what would have been the 23rd anniversary of his election to the National Academy of Medicine.

Dr Kleber, who passed away in 2018, was born in Pennsylvania on 19 June 1934. With persuasion from his father, who aspired to be a doctor himself, Dr Kleber attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, United States. He studied pre-med on his road to medicine, but discovered a passion he had for psychology instead.

It was only after completing his psychiatric residency at Yale University, when Kebler was assigned to the Public Health Service Prison Hospital in Kentucky, that his life's mission really came to the fore.

Google Doodle celebrating Dr Herbert Kleber.

Google Doodle celebrating Dr Herbert Kleber. Image: Google

Dr Kleber had a vastly different view of addiction that many doctors of his time. He saw addiction not as a moral failure, but as a condition that could only be treated with a combination of research, medication and therapy. Over his time treating inmates at the Kentucky prison for addiction, Dr Kleber founded a scientific approach called "evidence-based treatment" to successfully treat addiction.

Dr Kleber eventually became famous in his field, even catching the eye of President Bush, who appointed Kebler the deputy director for demand reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. In his time serving as deputy director, he implemented new policies and policy changes that led to a lower "demand for illegal drugs through programs in prevention, education, and treatment," a Columbia University statement reads.

He and his wife at the time, Dr Marian Fischman, went on to set up the Division on Substance Abuse at Columbia University, which would one day be the largest and most successful research programs in the US on substance abuse. At age 46, Dr Kleber was an elected member of the prestigious National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine. Towards the end of his incredible five-decade-long career in addiction treatment, Dr Kleber is said to have remarked, "Of course I'm an optimist. How else do I work with addicts for 40 years?"

 



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Samsung Galaxy Fold to launch in India today at 12 pm: All you need to know

Samsung's first foldable smartphone — Galaxy Fold— will be launched in India today. The company has confirmed the news in a tweet. The launch of the smartphone was delayed due to various hardware issues that were pointed out by some reviewers soon after the phone's announcement at Mobile World Congress 2019. These issues included screen damage as it was reported to be damaged and was unusable in just two days.

Now, finally, after taking some much needed time to fix the issues, we can now purchase the phone.

The smartphone first landed in the Korean markets, followed by a launch in the US market last week.

Samsung Galaxy Fold is priced at $1,980 in the US.

Samsung Galaxy Fold is priced at $1,980 in the US.

Here are the changes that Samsung made to the design of the device.

  • The top protective layer of the Infinity Flex Display has been extended beyond the bezel which means that users will not be able to remove it.
  • Additional reinforcements have been provided, most likely to the hinge, to better protect the device from external particles.
  • The top and bottom part of the hinge has been strengthened with newly added protection caps.
  • Metal layers underneath the Infinity Flex Display have been included for protecting the screen.
  • The space between the hinge and body of Galaxy Fold has been reduced.

Even before the sale of the first foldable smartphone from the brand, though, rumour has it that the company is already working on another foldable smartphone that is likely to be launched alongside the Galaxy S11 smartphone series in February 2020.

Galaxy Fold specifications

When folded, you’re presented with a very narrow 4.6-inch display that appears very pocketable and easy to hold in small hands. Open it up, however, and you’re presented with a more spacious 7.3-inch display and a massive notch. Oh, and Samsung is calling this an Infinity Flex Display.

Specs? We’re looking at a screen resolution of 840x1960 (4.6-inches) or 1536x2152 (7.3-inches), a “7 nm” chipset, a whopping 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of uberfast UFS 3.0 storage. Samsung isn’t saying which 7 nm chipset it’s using so we can assume that there will be two variants, one running a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and one with a Samsung Exynos one.

You get not 2, not 3, but 6 cameras on the device. Three of these are on the back, two on the front of the 7.3-inch display and one on the front of the 4.6-inch display.

The smartphone is likely to be available in four colour variants — Cosmos Black, Space Silver, Martian Green and Astro Blue.



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Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale: All The Great Deals on Amazon Echo Speakers

There are deals on the Echo Dot, the Echo, Echo Plus as well as the Echo Show smart display.

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Uber Planning to Combine Food-Delivery, Ride-Hailing Into a Single App

Apart from merging Uber Eats and Uber Rides, the company will also upgrade its verification and emergency alert features.

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WhatsApp Extensively Abused During Indian Elections: Report

Private group chats on Whatsapp are harder to monitor than Facebook or Twitter discussions, making it more difficult to control the spread of misinformation.

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Sunday, September 29, 2019

Which One Would You Buy Under Rs 30,000? Google Pixel 3a or the OnePlus 7

The OnePlus 7 is selling for Rs 29,999 on Amazon India while the Pixel 3a is selling at the same price on Flipkart.

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Astronomers discover oldest galaxy cluster that is formed out of 12 galaxies

Astronomers have discovered a 13-billion-year-old galaxy cluster that is the earliest ever observed, according to a paper released Friday, a finding that may hold clues about how the universe developed.

Such an early-stage cluster — called a protocluster — is "not easy to find", Yuichi Harikane, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan who led the international team, said in a press release.

"A protocluster is a rare and special system with an extremely high density," Harikane said, adding that the researchers used the wide viewing field of the Subaru telescope in Hawaii to "map a large area of the sky" in their search.

The calculated extent of the protocluster. See the bottom of the article for image details. image credit: NAOJ/HARIKANE ET AL.

The calculated extent of the protocluster. See the bottom of the article for image details. image credit: NAOJ/HARIKANE ET AL.

The discovery of the protocluster, a collection of 12 galaxies, suggests that large cosmic structures were present in the very early stages of the universe, which scientists believe was born 13.8 billion years ago.

One of the 12 galaxies is known as Himiko, a giant gas cloud found in 2009 by using the same telescope.

"It is reasonable to find a protocluster near a massive object, such as Himiko. However, we're surprised to see that Himiko was located... on the edge 500 million light-years away from the centre," the paper's co-author Masami Ouchi said.

"It is still not understood why Himiko is not located in the centre," he said. "These results will be key for understanding the relationship between clusters and massive galaxies."

The team included scientists from Imperial College London and the study is published in Friday's Astrophysical Journal.



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Parents reluctant to vaccinate their kids need to hear of the horrors of measles, other forgotten diseases

There's been a surge in measles cases across Europe, putting people’s lives at risk according to new findings from the World Health Organization. The official figures show that approximately 90,000 cases have been reported for the first half of 2019. This is already more than the number of cases recorded for the whole of 2018 (84,462).

This has in part been put down to misinformation about the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine on social media putting parents off vaccinating their children.

Vaccination that is injected. image credit: Billion Photos/ Shutterstock

Vaccination that is injected. image credit: Billion Photos/ Shutterstock

Recent outbreaks of measles, which is much more infectious than mumps and rubella, have been widely reported. But what is less well known is that there have been a few babies born with congenital rubella syndrome in the UK in the past few years. This is an illness resulting from an infection of the rubella virus during pregnancy.

Rubella babies

People under the age of 50 are unlikely to have heard about “Rubella babies”, but in the 1940s, the Australian paediatric ophthalmologist, Norman Gregg, made the connection between women being infected with German measles (rubella) during pregnancy and their children being born deaf and blind and sometimes with other disabilities.

Many babies infected with the virus while in the womb do not survive, but in the 1960s in the UK about 300 children each year were born with “congenital rubella syndrome” and needed care. By 1970, a safe effective Rubella vaccine was available and the UK began vaccinating school girls. A screening programme, which involved testing blood samples from women of childbearing age to see whether they had previous immunity to the virus, also began. Those who did not have protection were offered the vaccine.

Although women starting in particular jobs – such as health care and teaching – were screened, most of the tests were done on pregnant women as part of their 12-week check. In 1988, the Rubella vaccine become the R in the MMR and the strategy changed to vaccinating all pre-school children.

‘Vaccinating the poor of New York City against smallpox in 1872’. In 1863, mass production of smallpox vaccine was developed, allowing for broad immunisation of North American and European populations. image credit: Everett Historical/Shutterstock

‘Vaccinating the poor of New York City against smallpox in 1872’. In 1863, mass production of smallpox vaccine was developed, allowing for broad immunisation of North American and European populations. image credit: Everett Historical/Shutterstock

The idea was that if all young children were protected, then these infections would eventually not be circulating at all. During 2016 and 2017, routine screening for Rubella antibodies during pregnancy was phased out across the UK. It was considered not cost-effective since Rubella infection during pregnancy was extremely rare and most people in the UK of childbearing age should have received MMR as children. But the recent outbreaks of measles across the world have illustrated the problems with MMR uptake.

Misinformation and memory

Why are people reluctant to have screening tests and vaccinations to prevent diseases? While some of the reasons may include loss of trust in “experts” and people in authority, I wonder if it is also partly because the stories of such diseases have been long forgotten.

When Eva Peron, the First Lady of Argentina, died from cervical cancer at the age of 33 in 1952, for example, the early diagnosis was not possible – and chemotherapy treatment was in its infancy. So for women who developed this disease, a distressing illness and painful death were more or less inevitable.

The design of a laboratory method for detecting early changes in the appearance of cells in the cervical region – the “Pap smear” – eventually made regular mass screening possible. Since the introduction of the scheme into the UK in 1988, it has prevented thousands of premature deaths in women each year.

The discovery that most but, crucially, not all cases of cervical cancer are attributable to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection led to the development of the HPV vaccine which is now given routinely to teenage girls – and in some countries boys as well. Evidence from the UK programme, which began in 2009, suggests the vaccine is very effective and this should help to further reduce the number of women with cervical cancer among the under 30s.

Rubella is a viral illness that causes a mild fever and a skin rash. image credit: OneSideProFoto/Shutterstock

Rubella is a viral illness that causes a mild fever and a skin rash. image credit: OneSideProFoto/Shutterstock

Yet despite all that’s known about cervical cancer and the importance of going for a regular smear test, many women still appear to be reluctant to go. It’s estimated that about three million women across England have not had a smear test for at least three-and-a-half years.

In the 20th-century, there were major advances in disease prevention, which improved both life expectancy and quality of life. But it seems these health and societal developments are now being overlooked. Indeed, giving people information and instructions is no longer working. So perhaps it’s time to appeal to people’s hearts by telling the stories of these diseases – and how they have affected real people.

Gruesome photos on cigarette packages, for example, massively help to reduce tobacco use, so maybe something similar now needs to happen in terms of vaccinations to tackle the latest epidemic and anti-vaxxer campaigns around the world.The Conversation

Sarah Pitt, Principal Lecturer, Microbiology and Biomedical Science Practice, University of Brighton

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.



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Measles epidemic: parents reluctant to vaccinate their children need to hear of the horrors of forgotten diseases

There’s been a surge in measles cases across Europe, putting people’s lives at risk according to new findings from the World Health Organization.

The official figures show that approximately 90,000 cases have been reported for the first half of 2019. This is already more than the number of cases recorded for the whole of 2018 (84,462).

This has in part been put down to misinformation about the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine on social media putting parents off vaccinating their children.

Vaccination that is injected. image credit: Billion Photos/ Shutterstock

Vaccination that is injected. image credit: Billion Photos/ Shutterstock

Recent outbreaks of measles, which is much more infectious than mumps and rubella, have been widely reported. But what is less well known is that there have been a few babies born with congenital rubella syndrome in the UK in the past few years. This is an illness resulting from an infection of the rubella virus during pregnancy.

Rubella babies

People under the age of 50 are unlikely to have heard about “Rubella babies”, but in the 1940s, the Australian paediatric ophthalmologist, Norman Gregg, made the connection between women being infected with German measles (rubella) during pregnancy and their children being born deaf and blind and sometimes with other disabilities.

Many babies infected with the virus while in the womb do not survive, but in the 1960s in the UK about 300 children each year were born with “congenital rubella syndrome” and needed care. By 1970, a safe effective Rubella vaccine was available and the UK began vaccinating school girls. A screening programme, which involved testing blood samples from women of childbearing age to see whether they had previous immunity to the virus, also began. Those who did not have protection were offered the vaccine.

Although women starting in particular jobs – such as health care and teaching – were screened, most of the tests were done on pregnant women as part of their 12-week check. In 1988, the Rubella vaccine become the R in the MMR and the strategy changed to vaccinating all pre-school children.

‘Vaccinating the poor of New York City against smallpox in 1872’. In 1863, mass production of smallpox vaccine was developed, allowing for broad immunisation of North American and European populations. image credit: Everett Historical/Shutterstock

‘Vaccinating the poor of New York City against smallpox in 1872’. In 1863, mass production of smallpox vaccine was developed, allowing for broad immunisation of North American and European populations. image credit: Everett Historical/Shutterstock

The idea was that if all young children were protected, then these infections would eventually not be circulating at all. During 2016 and 2017, routine screening for Rubella antibodies during pregnancy was phased out across the UK. It was considered not cost-effective since Rubella infection during pregnancy was extremely rare and most people in the UK of childbearing age should have received MMR as children. But the recent outbreaks of measles across the world have illustrated the problems with MMR uptake.

Misinformation and memory

Why are people reluctant to have screening tests and vaccinations to prevent diseases? While some of the reasons may include loss of trust in “experts” and people in authority, I wonder if it is also partly because the stories of such diseases have been long forgotten.

When Eva Peron, the First Lady of Argentina, died from cervical cancer at the age of 33 in 1952, for example, the early diagnosis was not possible – and chemotherapy treatment was in its infancy. So for women who developed this disease, a distressing illness and painful death were more or less inevitable.

The design of a laboratory method for detecting early changes in the appearance of cells in the cervical region – the “Pap smear” – eventually made regular mass screening possible. Since the introduction of the scheme into the UK in 1988, it has prevented thousands of premature deaths in women each year.

The discovery that most but, crucially, not all cases of cervical cancer are attributable to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection led to the development of the HPV vaccine which is now given routinely to teenage girls – and in some countries boys as well. Evidence from the UK programme, which began in 2009, suggests the vaccine is very effective and this should help to further reduce the number of women with cervical cancer among the under 30s.

Rubella is a viral illness that causes a mild fever and a skin rash. image credit: OneSideProFoto/Shutterstock

Rubella is a viral illness that causes a mild fever and a skin rash. image credit: OneSideProFoto/Shutterstock

Yet despite all that’s known about cervical cancer and the importance of going for a regular smear test, many women still appear to be reluctant to go. It’s estimated that about three million women across England have not had a smear test for at least three-and-a-half years.

In the 20th-century, there were major advances in disease prevention, which improved both life expectancy and quality of life. But it seems these health and societal developments are now being overlooked. Indeed, giving people information and instructions is no longer working. So perhaps it’s time to appeal to people’s hearts by telling the stories of these diseases – and how they have affected real people.

Gruesome photos on cigarette packages, for example, massively help to reduce tobacco use, so maybe something similar now needs to happen in terms of vaccinations to tackle the latest epidemic and anti-vaxxer campaigns around the world.The Conversation

Sarah Pitt, Principal Lecturer, Microbiology and Biomedical Science Practice, University of Brighton

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.



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