Highlights of Covid-19 related work at IIPH -Delhi

IIPH-Delhi faculty members and students were actively engaged in various activities related to the containment of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response.

Work with National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC)

 New Delhi A team of faculty members along with students worked during initial phase of COVID-19 in Delhi NCR. They collected socio-demographic data and travel history for COVID-19 positive patients across Delhi NCR and filled out their Case Investigation Form (CIFs). They also tried to collect as much information as possible about the close contacts of these patients.

The students were also given the task of collecting travel information related to foreigners staying in NCR during the period of surveillance. Subsequently, they worked with the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) team at NCDC and assisted the NCDC officials in planning State-wise strategies for contact tracing and cluster containment measures; data entry, sorting, and preliminary analyses, including analyses of COVID-19 mortality data and report writing. They also spent time on collating data and updating the portal with relevant information regarding patients from various States.This team of IIPH-Delhi also provided actionable information for identification and contact tracing of the Tablighi Jamaat network in Delhi and Mumbai.

Technical assistance for COVID-19

• A faculty member provided technical support to an independent initiative for development of technology platform for real time monitoring of COVID-19 cases and logistics support (COVID19India.org).Currently serving as a member of Immunization and Vaccine Implementation Research – Advisory Committee at WHO-HQ, which has recently published its pink book on immunization and vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccine development.

Member of various technical committees

 IIPH-Delhi Director is an active member of various technical committees related to COVID containment and response which are as follows:

• Member of the Epidemiology and Surveillance research group within the National Task Force for COVID-19 at ICMR.
• Technical Advisor for COVID-19 related activities for Nagpur Division.
• Member of the group working on execution of specific tasks related to population based studies and prophylaxis studies to generate evidences of AYUSH interventions in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.
• Member of the expert group that is providing technical advice to MoHFW, Govt. of India for intensifying the COVID-19 pandemic containment and management in peri-urban, rural and tribal areas.

Publications related to COVID-19

Faculty members at IIPH-Delhi have contributed to a number of publications related to COVID-19 in various national and international journals as well as in newspapers. The publications covered a wide range of topics including opinion on lockdown, COVID-19 testing, sero-surveillance, epidemiology of COVID-19, systematic reviews on convalescent plasmatherapy, etc. (Details of the publications are given in the list of publications section later in the report). They have also been part of background papers on “Investment requirements for scaling up COVID-19 response”, and “National Health Systems support and Advisory Strategy” developed by PHFI. Some of the published newspaper articles are:

• Zodpey SP, Hasan H. Making Sense of Lockdown in Context of Coronavirus. 5 May 2020; News18. com. URL: https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/opinion-making-sense-of-lockdown-in-context-ofcoronavirus-2606679.html.
• Zodpey SP. Interpretation of lab testing for COVID-19 is important. 21 Aug 2020; The Hitavada. URL: https:// www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2020/8/21/-Interpretation-of-lab-testing-for-COVID-19-is-important-.html
• Zodpey SP. Confusion over COVID-19 testing needs to be removed. 22 Aug 2020; The Hitavada. URL: https:// thehitavada.com/Encyc/2020/8/22/Confusion-over-COVID-19-testing-needs-to-be-removed.html

Projects related to COVID-19

New projects and proposals have been developed by IIPH-Delhi faculty members related to COVID-19 including field level studies as well as providing technical support to other organizations engaged in field studies like All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), etc. The projects are in various stages of development – some have been completed while others are ongoing(details of the projects are given in the list of projects section later in the report). In addition to this, following proposal was also developed and submitted for the funding:

• Modelling vaccination and social distancing using game theory simulation. Joint initiative of IIPH-DelhiPHFI, NIE, Chennai ICMR and IIT Mumbai in collaboration with the University of Sydney.

Participation in Webinars as Resource Faculty:

Director, IIPH-Delhi has been invited as a speaker in webinars related to COVID-19 at various national and international organizations and universities. The details of the webinars are as follows:

• Public Health Emergency and Management in response to COVID-19 Pandemic. National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi. 10th September 2020 (Invited Speaker: Deciphering the mortality associated with COVID-19).
• Panel discussion on country response to COVID-19 pandemic – interaction with students of University of Toronto. 2nd October 2020 (Invited Speaker: India Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic).
• Grant Opportunities – Disruptive Innovations – in COVID World. Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University), Sawangi Meghe, Wardha. 10th October 2020 (Invited Speaker: Seeking research grants: Improving your odds).
• Acute management of COVID-19. Organised by Covid Rx Exchange. 11th October 2020 (Invited Guest Speaker: Introductory Remarks).
• Deciphering the mortality associated with COVID-19. Govt. of NCT of Delhi – Meera Bai Institute of Technology. 9th November 2020 (Invited Speaker).
• Infection Prevention and Control Measures in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic. Organised by COMHAD (Commonwealth Association of Health and Disability). 28th November 2020 (Invited Speaker: Deciphering mortality associated with COVID-19).
• Leveraging Learnings from COVID-19 Pandemic for Strengthening Health Systems in India. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. 11th January 2021 (Invited Speaker).
• Virtual CME on Emergence of Resilient Health Care System in India – Time to Unlearn. ESIC Medical College, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. 13th March 2021 (Invited Speaker: Health Care System Response to Covid-19 Pandemic).
• Health Systems Response to COVID-19 in Rural India. Michigan State University: Asian Studies Center. 15th April 2021 (Invited Speaker).

Engagement of IIPH-Delhi research staff in various States

 Some of the project staff of IIPH-Delhi were involved in different COVID-19 related activities across various states including Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Haryana and Gujarat. The activities were mainly related to data compilation and analysis, IEC and contact tracing of COVID-19 positive cases.

Creating awareness at various platforms

Various social media platforms were used to actively create awareness about the need for physical activity during the lockdown period. IEC messages were prepared and shared with Government of India.

Highlights of Covid-19 Related Work

IIPH-Delhi faculty members and MPH students have been actively engaged in various activities related to the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic response during 2020-22.

Work with National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi

A team of faculty members along with students assisted the NCDC in responding to the COVID pandemic. The team was stationed at NCDC and provided round the clock support. The support included complimenting the surveillance effort in Delhi through contact tracing and securing complete patient information. This was done telephonically as well as on-site at treating hospitals. The team also provided support in developing strategic plans for containment in key states across India.

The students were also given the task of collecting travel information related to foreigners staying in NCR during the period of surveillance. Subsequently, they worked with the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) team at NCDC and assisted the NCDC officials in planning State-wise strategies for contact tracing and cluster containment measures; data entry, sorting, and preliminary analyses, including analyses of COVID-19 mortality data and report writing. They also spent time collating data and updating the portal with relevant information regarding patients from various States. This team of IIPH-Delhi also provided actionable information for identification and contact tracing of key super-spreader events in states. 

Member of various technical committees

IIPH-Delhi Director is an active member of various technical committees related to COVID containment and response which are as follows:

• Member of the Epidemiology and Surveillance research group within the National Task Force for COVID-19 at ICMR, to identify the research priorities related to Epidemiology and Surveillance, and initiate research studies.
• Technical Advisor for COVID-19 related activities for Nagpur Division. He provided suggestions for appropriate measures to be taken to contain the pandemic in the Division.
• Member of the group working on execution of specific tasks related to population based studies and prophylaxis studies to generate evidences of AYUSH interventions in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, initiated by Ministry of AYUSH and implemented by research councils, academic institutes and other partners in different parts of the country.
• Member of the expert group that was providing technical advice to MoHFW, Govt. of India for intensifying the COVID-19 pandemic containment and management in peri-urban, rural and tribal areas.

 Besides, 2 faculty members have been part of a team to provide need-based expert epidemiology inputs to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI. Another faculty member provided technical support to an independent initiative for development of a technology platform for real time monitoring of COVID 19 cases and logistics support (COVID19India.org). He also served as a member of Immunization and Vaccine Implementation Research – Advisory Committee at WHO-HQ, which has published its pink book on immunization and vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccine development.

Publications related to COVID-19

IIPH-Delhi faculty members have contributed to publications related to COVID-19 in various national and international journals as well as in newspapers. The details of the list of Journal Articles is mentioned in the Publication section of this report. Publications have also been part of background papers on “Investment requirements for scaling up COVID 19 response”, and “National Health Systems support and Advisory Strategy” developed by PHFI. Some articles related to COVID 19 have also been published. Details of the publications are as follows:

Media articles –

• Zodpey SP. (2021, January 17). Expecting pandemic to end with vaccine roll out is too optimistic an assumption. The Times of India. URL: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/expecting-pandemic-to-end-withvaccine-roll-out-is-too-optimistic-an-assumption/articleshow/80306772.cms
• Zodpey SP. (2021, May 30). ‘Covid-appropriate behaviour, enhanced vaccine drive will delay or diminish impact of 3rd wave’. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/covid-appropriate-behaviourenhanced-vaccine-drive-will-delay-or-diminish-impact-of-3rd-wave/articleshow/83073891.cms

Projects related to COVID-19

During and following the period of the lockdown, some new projects and proposals have been developed by IIPHDelhi faculty members:

1. Technical Support to All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in implementing research studies related to Covid-19 – providing technical assistance and training AYUSH doctors on the conduct of clinical trials for management of COVID-19. This work was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH.
2. Evaluation of integration of AYUSH into the public health system for combating COVID-19 – the study was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH and WHO SEARO. This recently completed study sought to understand the level of integration of AYUSH into the current health system through assessing the responsiveness and acceptance of the health system to the introduction of traditional medicine for large scale prophylaxis during an epidemic.
3. Extending technical support and facilitating the implementation of population based prophylactic studies related to COVID-19 – this activity was carried out in collaboration with CCRUM (Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine).
4. A study is being conducted at IIPH-Delhi in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH to synthesize and document prophylactic and therapeutic interventions utilized against COVID-19 as laid down in the National Clinical Management Protocol (NCMP) on Ayurveda and Yoga, in terms of specific output and outcome indicators recorded at various Ayurveda institutions across the country. This study would enable in improving and implementing equal reciprocity across different systems of medicine globally, which would aid further research in the prophylaxis and management of COVID 19.
5. A study titled “Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Systems and Determinants of Resilience in Indigenous Communities of Jharkhand State, India: A Serial Cross-Sectional Study” has recently been completed by one faculty member as part of her current DBT/Wellcome trust fellowship. Telephonic surveys of households using the study tool were conducted to capture information related to food environments, diets, and farming practices in the tribal communities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings have been compiled into a manuscript, which has been accepted for publication in Frontiers in Sustainable Food System.
6. Predictors of COVID-19 disease severity in India: a case-control study – supported by ICMR – the objectives of this hospital-based study were to determine the factors associated with severe and critical COVID-19 disease in India, and to develop and validate a prediction model (risk-scoring system) for severe and critical COVID-19 disease. This project is a joint initiative of IAPSM, IIPH-Delhi and NIE Chennai submitted to ICMR.
7. A team of IIPH-Delhi faculty members completed an activity with Deloitte on specific activities to support the establishment of the District model for prevention and management of COVID-19. These activities include support in developing IEC materials for community outreach and demand generation, training of various groups of stakeholders across multiple levels of the health system, and developing a write-up of the model for dissemination and scale-up.

Award for exemplary work

 Certificate to Prof. Sanjay Zodpey for making an outstanding contribution to protecting the public’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty of Public Health, UK. Dt. 22nd July 2021.

 In appreciation of outstanding commitment, dedication and selfless service with sacrifice for the suffering mankind and for fight against Novel Corona (COVID-19) during the challenging time as FRONT-LINE WARRIOR. Presented by Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Honourable Governor of Maharashtra at Raj Bhavan, Nagpur on 16th January 2021.

IIPH-Delhi Alumni as COVID warriors

 Past students of IIPH-Delhi, who have been working with the health departments in their respective States/ districts, towards the management of the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Dr. Spriha Bhaskar, MPH 2016-18 alumnus of IIPH-Delhi, was honoured by Bihar Health Minister, Shri Mangal Pandey for successful rollout of COVID vaccination in Bihar state. Dr Spriha is currently working as State Public Health Immunization Consultant, UNICEF (Patna).
2. Dr. Kartavya Tiwari and Dr. Gaurav Ojha, alumni of MPH 2016-18 batch, currently working as District Epidemiologists have been awarded by the District Collector for their phenomenal work during the COVID pandemic.

Participation in and Conduct of Webinars on COVID-19

IIPH-Delhi Director has been an active speaker at several webinars related to COVID-19 since 2020. The most recent ones are highlighted below:

1. Webinar: Leveraging Learnings from COVID-19 Pandemic for Strengthening Health Systems in India. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Dt. 11th January 2021 (Invited Speaker).
2. Virtual CME on Emergence of Resilient Health Care System in India – Time to Unlearn. ESIC Medical College, Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. Dt. 13th March 2021 (Invited Speaker: Health Care System Response to Covid-19 Pandemic).
3. Webinar: Health Systems Response to Covid-19 in Rural India. Michigan State University: Asian Studies Center. Dt. 15th April 2021 (Invited Speaker).

The following webinars were organized by IIPH-Delhi for its students:

1. Learning experiences from Dharavi, Mumbai on prevention and control of COVID-19 disease: A success story. December 10, 2020. Speaker: Dr. Sunil Khaparde, Advisor, Public Health SPL, PHO, Mumbai, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dte. GHS / MOHFW, Govt. Of India; Former Deputy Director General, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, a National Program Manager of Tuberculosis, Heading Central TB Division, Project Director, RNTCP.
2. Inequalities in health: Dealing with COVID vaccination and disease. April 1, 2021. Speaker: Prof. Sushma Acquilla, Interim Consultant in Public Health leading the Health and Justice (H&J) Agenda for The Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP); Honorary Vice Chair of the Global Health Committee and previously International Faculty Advisor, from 2006- 2016, to the UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) of Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

Engagement of IIPH-Delhi research staff working in various States

Some of the project staff of IIPH-Delhi were involved in different COVID-19 related activities across various states including Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Haryana and Gujarat. The activities were mainly related to data compilation and analysis, IEC and contact tracing of COVID-19 positive cases.

Highlights of COVID -19 related work at IIPH –Delhi

 IIPH-Delhi Progress Report 2022-2023 | 23 IIPH Delhi faculty members and MPH students were actively engaged in various activities related to the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic response during 2022-23.

Publications related to COVID-19:

1. Mehta K, Dhaliwal BK, Zodpey SP, Loisate S, Banerjee P, Sengupta P, et al. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers in India: Results from a cross-sectional survey. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2022; 2:e0000661.
2. Ghosh-Jerath S, Kapoor R, Dhasmana A, Singh A, Downs S, Ahmed S. Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Systems and Determinants of Resilience in Indigenous Communities of Jharkhand State, India: A Serial CrossSectional Study. Front Sustain Food Syst. 2022; 6:724321.
3. Mistry SK, Ali ARMM, Yadav UN, Das Gupta R, Anwar A, Basu S, Huda MN, Mitra DK. A tale of osteoarthritis among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A repeated cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2022; 17(9):e0274838.
4. Sharma N, Basu S, Manna S, Rao S, Sharma P, Kaur H, Duggal K, Kumar P, Malik ST. Perceptions of Good Health and Impact of COVID-19 Among Adolescents in a Low-Income Urban Agglomerate in Delhi, India: A Qualitative Study. Cureus. 2022; 14(4):e24425.
5. Sharma P, Basu S, Mishra S, Gupta E, Agarwal R, Kale P, Mundeja N, Charan BS, Singh G, Singh M. SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Delhi, India, During September-October 2021: A Population-Based Seroepidemiological Study. Cureus. 2022; 14(7):e27428.
6. Sharma P, Basu S, Mishra S, Mundeja N, Charan BS, Singh G, Singh MM. COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Its Determinants in the General Population of Delhi, India: A State Level Cross-Sectional Survey. Cureus. 2022; 14(7):e26936.
7. Sharma P, Basu S, Mishra S, Singh MM. Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents in Delhi, India, from January to October 2021: a repeated cross-sectional analysis. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2022; 13(3):184-90.
8. Sharma P, Gupta E, Basu S, Agarwal R, Mishra S, Kale P, Mundeja N, Charan BS, Singh GK, Singh MM. Neutralizing antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2: A population based seroepidemiological analysis. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2022; 40(4):585-87.
9. Sodhi B, Basu S. Antibiotic Prescription Audits Among Pediatric Outpatients With Acute Ailments in a Secondary Care Hospital During the COVID-19 Omicron Wave in Northern India. Cureus. 2022; 14(11):e32017.
10. Basu S, Sharma H. Media Reporting Relating to COVID-19 Vaccination as a Driver of Vaccine Hesitancy Prior to the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: A Content Analysis of Newspaper and Digital Media Reports. Cureus. 2023; 15(3):e36750.
11. Manna S, Basu S. It Cost Us All of Our Savings to Deliver Our Baby: A Qualitative Study to Explore Barriers and Facilitators of Maternal and Child Health Service Access and Utilization in a Remote Rural Region in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cureus. 2023; 15(2):e35192.
12. Mishra R, Kumar P, Selvaraj S. Augmenting Community Response to COVID-19 Challenges: Lessons from Andhra Pradesh, India. In Y Erolova, E Tzaneva, V Ivanova, J Popcheva editors. Between the Worlds: Narratives and Notions of Pandemics: Sofia, Bulgaria: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. – in print.

Projects related to COVID-19

New research projects on COVID 19 initiated by IIPH Delhi Faculty:

1. A Retrospective Review of COVID-19 Related Clinical Outcomes Following the Introduction of the National Clinical Management Protocol (NCMP) on Ayurveda, Yoga and Other Ayurveda Interventions for COVID-19 funded by Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India
2. Assessment of Relative Efficiency of COVID-19 Vaccines Granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) in India and their Respective Modes of Delivery – An Economic Evaluation funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
3. POSHAN COVID-19 Data Reviews funded by The United Nations Children’S Fund (UNICEF)
4. Assessment of the Community Village Program (CVP) for COVID-19 Risk Reduction funded by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS), Pune