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| As India Struggles With Coronavirus, Bollywood’s Biggest Star Tests Positive | As India Struggles With Coronavirus, Bollywood’s Biggest Star Tests Positive |
| (3 days later) | |
| NEW DELHI — When this country’s biggest film star, Amitabh Bachchan, announced Saturday night that he had contracted the coronavirus, a loud alarm bell rang across India. | NEW DELHI — When this country’s biggest film star, Amitabh Bachchan, announced Saturday night that he had contracted the coronavirus, a loud alarm bell rang across India. |
| Mr. Bachchan, known as Big B, is not simply an enormously successful actor. He is one of India’s most revered figures. His face and rich, avuncular voice, dripping with gravitas, are everywhere, deployed in ads for household products, voice-overs at museums and countless public service campaigns. He was recently roped into doing a campaign on — what else? — the coronavirus. | Mr. Bachchan, known as Big B, is not simply an enormously successful actor. He is one of India’s most revered figures. His face and rich, avuncular voice, dripping with gravitas, are everywhere, deployed in ads for household products, voice-overs at museums and countless public service campaigns. He was recently roped into doing a campaign on — what else? — the coronavirus. |
| The worry was that if Big B could catch the virus, anybody could, and with India getting walloped by Covid-19, Mr. Bachchan, 77, said on Twitter on Saturday: “All that have been in close proximity to me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested!” | The worry was that if Big B could catch the virus, anybody could, and with India getting walloped by Covid-19, Mr. Bachchan, 77, said on Twitter on Saturday: “All that have been in close proximity to me in the last 10 days are requested to please get themselves tested!” |
| India is now racking up more new reported infections each day — about 30,000 — than any other country except the United States and Brazil — and it is rapidly catching up to Brazil. India now has the third-highest total cases after the United States and Brazil. | India is now racking up more new reported infections each day — about 30,000 — than any other country except the United States and Brazil — and it is rapidly catching up to Brazil. India now has the third-highest total cases after the United States and Brazil. |
| The authorities in several big Indian cities and states are reinstating quarantines after attempting to loosen things up to stimulate a critically wounded economy. The borders between states are again being rigorously patrolled, with visitors shunted off to isolation centers. | The authorities in several big Indian cities and states are reinstating quarantines after attempting to loosen things up to stimulate a critically wounded economy. The borders between states are again being rigorously patrolled, with visitors shunted off to isolation centers. |
| International travel is still blocked. Hospitals are overflowing with the sick. Even emergencies are being turned away. One pregnant woman was left to die in the back of an ambulance a few weeks ago after being rejected from eight hospitals in 15 hours. | International travel is still blocked. Hospitals are overflowing with the sick. Even emergencies are being turned away. One pregnant woman was left to die in the back of an ambulance a few weeks ago after being rejected from eight hospitals in 15 hours. |
| Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to lift spirits by saying in televised speeches that India is still doing better than richer countries, especially when it comes to the death rate. India has reported about 16 coronavirus-related deaths per million people, while the United States, Brazil, Spain and Italy have all lost hundreds per million. | Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to lift spirits by saying in televised speeches that India is still doing better than richer countries, especially when it comes to the death rate. India has reported about 16 coronavirus-related deaths per million people, while the United States, Brazil, Spain and Italy have all lost hundreds per million. |
| Experts think this might be for a few reasons. India’s average age, around 28, is younger than that of other countries. Obesity is less prevalent, too, and many doctors believe that obesity creates a greater vulnerability to the coronavirus. Some medical professionals also believe that Indians have strong immune systems because of their constant exposure to microbes, living in cities that are not as clean as cities in the West. | Experts think this might be for a few reasons. India’s average age, around 28, is younger than that of other countries. Obesity is less prevalent, too, and many doctors believe that obesity creates a greater vulnerability to the coronavirus. Some medical professionals also believe that Indians have strong immune systems because of their constant exposure to microbes, living in cities that are not as clean as cities in the West. |
| Another explanation, though, might simply be testing — or the lack of it. India has performed far fewer coronavirus tests per capita than many other countries have. | Another explanation, though, might simply be testing — or the lack of it. India has performed far fewer coronavirus tests per capita than many other countries have. |
| Either way, the Indian authorities keep coming up with innovative ways to fight the virus. At airports, for instance, video cameras have been installed that enable security officers to check passengers’ boarding passes remotely to minimize face-to-face contact. The officers who use electromagnetic wands to screen passengers now use wands attached to four-foot rubber poles to maintain distance. And many Indians, even the poorest, have been wearing face masks for months. | Either way, the Indian authorities keep coming up with innovative ways to fight the virus. At airports, for instance, video cameras have been installed that enable security officers to check passengers’ boarding passes remotely to minimize face-to-face contact. The officers who use electromagnetic wands to screen passengers now use wands attached to four-foot rubber poles to maintain distance. And many Indians, even the poorest, have been wearing face masks for months. |
| India’s biggest enemy is the density of its population. This country has dozens of cities with more than a million people. Even in smaller towns and villages, many families live in cramped quarters, eight or even 10 people to a room, which makes a highly contagious illness like the coronavirus very hard to stop. | India’s biggest enemy is the density of its population. This country has dozens of cities with more than a million people. Even in smaller towns and villages, many families live in cramped quarters, eight or even 10 people to a room, which makes a highly contagious illness like the coronavirus very hard to stop. |
| In many of these areas, it is impossible to maintain social distancing. In recent weeks, Mumbai, one of India’s most-packed cities and home to Mr. Bachchan, the movie star, has especially struggled. | In many of these areas, it is impossible to maintain social distancing. In recent weeks, Mumbai, one of India’s most-packed cities and home to Mr. Bachchan, the movie star, has especially struggled. |
| The virus started out in Mumbai’s wealthier neighborhoods among the jet-setter crowd. Then it swept through the slums. Now it is gnawing through the entire city, home to 20 million. | The virus started out in Mumbai’s wealthier neighborhoods among the jet-setter crowd. Then it swept through the slums. Now it is gnawing through the entire city, home to 20 million. |
| On Saturday night, Mr. Bachchan announced via Twitter — where he has 43.2 million followers — that he had tested positive. He was soon admitted to Nanavati Hospital, near the exclusive Juhu neighborhood in Mumbai where he lives, overlooking the Arabian Sea. | On Saturday night, Mr. Bachchan announced via Twitter — where he has 43.2 million followers — that he had tested positive. He was soon admitted to Nanavati Hospital, near the exclusive Juhu neighborhood in Mumbai where he lives, overlooking the Arabian Sea. |
| It appears that several of his family members have fallen sick as well. | It appears that several of his family members have fallen sick as well. |
| His son, Abhishek Bachchan, also an actor, disclosed that he had contracted the coronavirus. Abhishek’s wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, an actress and model, tested positive, as did their 8-year-old daughter, Aaradhya. | His son, Abhishek Bachchan, also an actor, disclosed that he had contracted the coronavirus. Abhishek’s wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, an actress and model, tested positive, as did their 8-year-old daughter, Aaradhya. |
| All seemed to have mild symptoms, officials said. | All seemed to have mild symptoms, officials said. |
| The illness in the illustrious Bachchan clan was such big news that the health minister of Maharashtra State issued a Twitter post about it at 4:30 a.m. Sunday. | The illness in the illustrious Bachchan clan was such big news that the health minister of Maharashtra State issued a Twitter post about it at 4:30 a.m. Sunday. |
| Updated July 7, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| “I pray to god that Amitabh Bachchan Ji recovers from this soon,” the minister, Rajesh Tope, said, adding the respectful “Ji” to Mr. Bachchan’s name. | “I pray to god that Amitabh Bachchan Ji recovers from this soon,” the minister, Rajesh Tope, said, adding the respectful “Ji” to Mr. Bachchan’s name. |
| It is hard to overstate how big Big B really is. Walk through just about any city in India, and there is his handsome, gray-bearded face staring down from a billboard or a railway bridge, advertising a new phone app or chocolate bar or public health campaign. | It is hard to overstate how big Big B really is. Walk through just about any city in India, and there is his handsome, gray-bearded face staring down from a billboard or a railway bridge, advertising a new phone app or chocolate bar or public health campaign. |
| The son of a renowned poet, Mr. Bachchan is celebrated for his mastery of language and diction. He has acted in more than 200 films over the past 50 years — and he is still working and drawing admirers. Until the coronavirus lockdown brought life to a screeching halt this spring, thousands of fans would camp out in front of his Mumbai mansion nearly every Sunday, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Mr. Bachchan would step out from his gates for a few minutes and stand on a stool and graciously wave. | The son of a renowned poet, Mr. Bachchan is celebrated for his mastery of language and diction. He has acted in more than 200 films over the past 50 years — and he is still working and drawing admirers. Until the coronavirus lockdown brought life to a screeching halt this spring, thousands of fans would camp out in front of his Mumbai mansion nearly every Sunday, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Mr. Bachchan would step out from his gates for a few minutes and stand on a stool and graciously wave. |
| “He’s like god,” said Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, a filmmaker who has worked with Mr. Bachchan. “I’ve never seen a star having such power, such credibility. He’s the biggest superstar this country has ever, ever seen.” | “He’s like god,” said Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, a filmmaker who has worked with Mr. Bachchan. “I’ve never seen a star having such power, such credibility. He’s the biggest superstar this country has ever, ever seen.” |
| Part of Mr. Bachchan’s appeal, Mr. Dungarpur said, was that, for half a century, Mr. Bachchan has carefully chosen roles where he is fighting against all odds, taking on the system, getting justice for the common man. He is also very civically minded and has helped out with many real-life causes. | Part of Mr. Bachchan’s appeal, Mr. Dungarpur said, was that, for half a century, Mr. Bachchan has carefully chosen roles where he is fighting against all odds, taking on the system, getting justice for the common man. He is also very civically minded and has helped out with many real-life causes. |
| Mr. Dungarpur, who runs a film preservation foundation to save heritage films across South Asia, said Mr. Bachchan had helped him immensely, serving as the foundation’s brand ambassador. | Mr. Dungarpur, who runs a film preservation foundation to save heritage films across South Asia, said Mr. Bachchan had helped him immensely, serving as the foundation’s brand ambassador. |
| His contracting of the coronavirus might create more fear across India. But it could also help take away some of the stigma that infected Indians have endured, evidenced by people kicked out of their neighborhoods and a few even driven to suicide. | His contracting of the coronavirus might create more fear across India. But it could also help take away some of the stigma that infected Indians have endured, evidenced by people kicked out of their neighborhoods and a few even driven to suicide. |
| Mr. Dungarpur predicted that a lot of Indians would find his struggle inspiring and say to themselves, “If Amitabh Bachchan can fight this, so can we.” | Mr. Dungarpur predicted that a lot of Indians would find his struggle inspiring and say to themselves, “If Amitabh Bachchan can fight this, so can we.” |
| Suhasini Raj contributed reporting from Jaipur, India, and Hari Kumar from New Delhi. | Suhasini Raj contributed reporting from Jaipur, India, and Hari Kumar from New Delhi. |