Binayak reports on information security, privacy and scientific research in health and environment with explanatory pieces. He also edits the news sections of the newspaper.
Articles by Binayak Dasgupta
In Perspective | Online child safety and the dangers of false equivalence
The solutions being advocated to combat child pornography have to do with weakening or incentivising the weakening of end-to-end encryption, the bedrock of privacy online
Published on Feb 14, 2022 04:05 PM IST
Entity with spying links behind Indian cyber ops: Report
The experts at California-based Sentinel Labs have named the group ModifiedElephant and found its digital footprints going back to at least 2012 and in the targeting of “hundreds of individuals and groups”, including Rona Wilson, who has been arrested in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case.
Updated on Feb 11, 2022 03:32 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi:
Covid-19 linked with key cardiovascular risks: Study
Covid-19 puts people at a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease up to a year after infection and the chances are higher if the disease was more severe, according to an analysis involving the records of over 150,000 people who were infected by the coronavirus in the United States
Published on Feb 08, 2022 11:36 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
In Brazil state, a sign of Omicron’s key advantage
The earliest theory that sought to explain this originated from lab studies that showed the virus to multiply more readily in parts of the respiratory system known as the bronchus, and thrive more widely in upper air passages.
Published on Feb 08, 2022 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
In Perspective | The only answer to India vs Big Tech on moderation
While India must defend itself from adversaries that will exploit social media for information warfare, it must, at the same time, protect free speech; all while social media companies have to do much more
Updated on Feb 07, 2022 08:39 PM IST
Study with deliberate infections uncovers new Covid clues
A controlled clinical study in the UK, the findings of which were made public on Wednesday, now offers more concrete insights, some of which are new.
Updated on Feb 04, 2022 12:50 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
BA.2 likely drove 3rd wave in some states
The first real-world analysis of infection trends split by BA.2 and the other Omicron lineages offers several insights. These findings are based on the latest variant technical briefing by the UK Health Security Agency released over the weekend.
Updated on Jan 31, 2022 04:32 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
‘Censorship’ in India, 5 other nations pose risk to business: US trade panel
USITC, an independent and non-partisan US federal agency, compiled the report based on a request by the Senate Committee on Finance.
Updated on Jan 30, 2022 04:43 AM IST
Prashant Jha and Binayak Dasgupta, Washington/new Delhi
Why fears of ‘deadly’ NeoCoV may be greatly exaggerated
There are other factors to consider as well. NeoCoV is not a new coronavirus, and it – along with Mers – belongs to a distinctly different genera (a type of subclassification) of coronaviruses known as merbecovirus.
Updated on Jan 29, 2022 04:40 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Omicron likely to make vaccine update inevitable
On January 12, a coalition of medical regulators from 37 countries and regions (including all of EU, UK, US and India) agreed that there was now a need to reconsider the current vaccine design.
Published on Jan 28, 2022 12:01 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Omicron offshoot now under watch
The Omicron variant comprises four sister lineages. The earliest, detected in South Africa, was the B.1.1.529. Then came BA.1, which is now globally the predominant one, followed by BA.2 and BA.3.
Updated on Jan 25, 2022 01:52 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Few admissions during 5th wave question need for ongoing curbs
In Delhi, the peak of recorded cases came on January 12, and that of the test positivity on January 14. Since then, the number of people in the hospital have remained in the 2,600-2,700 range, even in fact dipping slightly in the last three days.
Published on Jan 22, 2022 03:08 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: What Omicron means for future immunity
Three recent studies now come to similar conclusions on post-Omicron immunity: the protection is different in people who were infected for the first time, had a repeat infection, or had a repeat infection after vaccination.
Updated on Jan 21, 2022 03:18 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Why symptom link is key to Omicron
The researchers found that during the Omicron wave, close to 30% of the people who turned up had an asymptomatic infection.
Updated on Jan 20, 2022 07:22 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Even mild cases may leave a mark on brain
The finding holds implications for rehabilitation of people with even mild cases and those suffering from so-called long Covid symptoms, which are still not properly understood.
Updated on Jan 19, 2022 03:19 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
No-vax? What the sceptics get wrong
In Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s 2010 book, Serve to Win, he writes about how he improved his performance by removing gluten from his diet
Updated on Jan 18, 2022 03:14 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Variant watch: Updated UK data shows efficacy drop after 6 months
The UK Health Security Agency, in its Technical Briefing 34, said that it found vaccine efficacy against hospitalisation remained at around 64% till 24 weeks, but the protection dropped if the second doses were taken more than 24 weeks ago.
Updated on Jan 15, 2022 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi:
240mn Covid-19 vaccine doses in rich nations to expire by March
The report, released by science analytics company Airfinity, came on a day when Unicef officials told Reuters that 100 million doses were rejected last month by poorer countries because they were nearing their expiry date.
Updated on Jan 14, 2022 12:39 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
New study shows how coronavirus loses infectivity once exhaled
It also suggests that most infection happens when transmission is at a shorter range. This is why outdoor spaces have consistently proven to be safer.
Updated on Jan 13, 2022 04:52 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi:
Variant watch: Omicron likely evolved in mice, say Chinese researchers
The Omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus may have evolved within mice and jumped back into humans, according to new research by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Published on Jan 12, 2022 12:09 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: Ending isolation after Omicron
Now, a study from Japan, albeit with a small sample size involving 21 people, suggests people can in some cases remain infectious up to 9 days after their symptoms begin.
Updated on Jan 11, 2022 12:03 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
India’s true Covid toll could be over 3 million: Study
The new report, published by the journal Science early on Friday, estimates the true toll in this period was between 3.1 million and 3.4 million, with roughly 2.7 million of these happening in the April-July period, when the second wave tore through the country.
Published on Jan 07, 2022 11:52 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Omicron variant watch: Scientists detect key antibodies to neutralise mutations
In a study published almost exactly a year ago, scientists at the Rockefeller University found that memory B cells, which churn out antibodies, mature over time.
Updated on Jan 07, 2022 12:36 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Variant watch: Evolutionary pathways wide open for Omicron
Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser to the US President, said it is technically possible that Omicron could hasten the end of the pandemic, if it proves true that the variant, with its high degree of transmissibility, replaces other strains of the virus that cause more severe infections.
Updated on Jan 06, 2022 05:03 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Omicron variant watch: Fast, even if not as furious, needs disciplined response
Lab studies in the recent month have shown the virus multiplies more intensely in the bronchus – the passage leading to the lungs – but less efficiently in the lungs.
Updated on Jan 05, 2022 12:54 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Omicron variant watch: More hospital risk insight in South African data
South African experts have submitted a new study analysing the early days of the Omicron outbreak in the province, including the first age-wise break-up of hospitalisation rates.
Updated on Jan 04, 2022 07:33 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
The year ahead: A year of hope and caution
A less virulent variant and a host of new drugs and doses bring optimism, but the virus might still pack surprises
Published on Jan 01, 2022 05:02 PM IST
Variant watch: Scotland study finds Omicron made a major shift
The researchers corroborate two findings that have been reported by several scientists in the last month – the variant is very resistant to antibodies from vaccinated people, and it is bad at infecting lung cells.
Updated on Dec 31, 2021 10:55 PM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi
Reading a virus: From Alpha to Omicron
A sense of hope dominated the last few months of 2020 after the first coronavirus vaccines were approved and administered in some parts of the world
Updated on Dec 31, 2021 06:08 PM IST
Dec 31: What we know about the Omicron variant so far
Two studies, both released this week, confirmed the T Cell connection to the theory that Omicron is likely to lead to milder disease than Delta did.
Published on Dec 31, 2021 12:10 AM IST
Binayak Dasgupta, New Delhi