Minister: Post summer vacation, schools to follow Covid norms
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Bhubaneswar: In view of the rising Covid-19 cases, school and mass education minister Nityananda Gond said the state govt will enforce safety protocols in schools when they reopen later this month after the summer vacation.
As many as 23 Covid cases have been recorded in Odisha in the last month (as of Wednesday).
Gond said students and teachers need to remain cautious and alert. "All students and teachers will be asked to adhere to Covid-19 safety protocols when schools resume. The health and safety of the children is our top priority," Gond told media persons on Thursday.
The school and mass education department will strictly follow the guidelines of the health department to ensure the safety of children. "Students and teachers will be asked to wear masks and those suffering from cold and cough or feeling unwell will be asked not to come to school. Teachers will be sensitised on Covid-19 protocols and safety guidelines," Gond said.
The department will issue guidelines to all district education officers in the state soon to ensure strict adherence to hygiene protocols.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Did the pandemic age our brains? New study reveals ‘shocking' truth
We've all been there. Tired, drained from our daily routines, which hardly ever left a dent in our energy levels before. What do we mean by 'before'? It's BC, but with rather a modern twist – Before COVID. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Many of us have casually attributed this exhaustion and lethargy to the aftereffects of 'Long Covid', but this time we have solid proof. A new study from the UK suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have aged our brains faster, even for people who never got sick from the virus. Researchers found signs of premature brain aging in people's brain scans during the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022. Interestingly, this change may be linked more to the overall stress and lifestyle disruptions of the pandemic than to the virus itself. The findings raise important questions about how events like global crises can affect our mental and neurological health. What does the study say A new study published in suggests that during the height of the pandemic in 2021 and 2022, people's brains showed signs of premature aging, such as shrinkage in gray matter, regardless of whether they were infected with the virus. The findings come from a large-scale analysis of brain scans in the UK, offering some of the clearest evidence yet that the pandemic's psychological and social toll affected neurological health. The research, led by Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, a neuroimaging expert at the University of Nottingham, used data from the UK Biobank, a health resource that has been tracking brain scans and health outcomes from over 500,000 volunteers since 2006. Signs of aging without any illness Analyzing brain scans from nearly 1,000 individuals, researchers found that the average person showed signs of accelerated brain aging, equivalent to about 5.5 months of extra aging. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The changes were more pronounced in men and individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. 'These findings highlight that brain health is not shaped solely by illness, but also by broader life experiences,' Mohammadi-Nejad said to NBC News in an email interview. 'The cumulative stress of the pandemic period itself appears to have left a mark on our brains, even in the absence of COVID-19 infection.' Brain shrinkage is a normal part of aging, particularly in the gray matter, which plays a critical role in memory, decision-making, and emotional regulation. However, accelerated loss in this area can raise the risk of future cognitive issues, including memory problems or impaired judgment. How the study was conducted To understand whether the pandemic had any measurable impact on brain structure, researchers compared two groups: 564 participants who received both of their brain scans before the pandemic. 432 participants who had one scan before and another after the pandemic began. By developing a model of what normal aging looks like using pre-pandemic data from more than 15,000 people, researchers were able to measure how much additional aging had occurred during the pandemic years. The second group, whose follow-up scans took place mostly in 2021 and 2022, showed significantly more aging in brain structure compared to the control group. The aftereffects of infection For individuals who had tested positive for COVID-19, researchers observed additional deficits in cognitive abilities, including slower processing speeds and reduced mental flexibility. These findings align with earlier research pointing to neurological effects of the virus itself. 'The most intriguing finding in this study is that only those who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 showed any cognitive deficits, despite structural aging,' said Dr. Jacqueline Becker (to NBC News), a clinical neuropsychologist and assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 'This speaks to the effects of the virus itself, which may help explain lingering syndromes such as long COVID.' However, it remains unclear whether those who experienced brain structure changes without infection will eventually show similar cognitive symptoms. Brain aging in teens and young adults The findings echo earlier research from the University of Washington, which reported in 2024 that teenagers' brains also appeared to age faster during the pandemic. That study found that boys' brains aged 1.4 years, while girls' brains aged 4.2 years, likely due to increased stress and isolation. Other studies have also found that environmental stressors, such as isolation in remote areas like Antarctica, can lead to brain shrinkage, suggesting a broader connection between lifestyle factors and brain health. Experts' take While the study offers compelling evidence, experts caution that it remains unclear whether these changes will have long-term effects. 'This is still a hypothesis,' said Dr. Adam Brickman, professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University, who was not involved in the study. 'We don't know yet whether these effects are reversible or if they will persist over time.' Still, Brickman and others agree that people can take proactive steps to support their brain health. Habits like regular physical activity, adequate sleep, social engagement, and managing stress have been shown to support healthy brain aging. 'We know exercise is good for the brain,' Brickman added. 'So is keeping blood pressure in check and maintaining strong social connections.' Optimal blood pressure helps our brains age slower: Study
The Print
3 hours ago
- The Print
Legal battle behind her, 8-yr-old with autism can now return to school. HC upheld her ‘right to belong'
In a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court Tuesday directed GD Goenka Public School in New Delhi's Model Town to re-admit the child into an age-appropriate class, reinforcing the legal mandate of inclusive education under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. 'Expelling any child from school can be traumatic, and I was in a situation of uncertainty,' her mother told ThePrint Thursday, adding that the child did not get the attention she needed at school. After two years of legal proceedings and emotional turmoil, this week the child won the right to return to her former school where her sibling is also a student. New Delhi: For more than two long years, the eight-year-old diagnosed with autism remained out of school, confused and isolated as her developmental progress stalled. Her parents first took her out of school temporarily, and later the school refused to take her back. 'Winning the case has brought a big sense of relief. However, there's still apprehension in my mind about whether the school will genuinely treat my child equally and provide the support she deserves,' the mother said. Diagnosed with mild autism in infancy, the child was admitted to the school during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021 under the 'sibling category' and studied online just like other children of her age for the next few months, according to her mother. 'Her milestones had been late. She started walking when she was 17 months old and she began sitting when she was nine months old. The doctors had then only told us that she was at the risk of autism,' the mother said. Problems began when the lockdown came to an end and offline classes were resumed in schools. According to the parents' petition in court, shared with ThePrint, the child began exhibiting behaviours associated with her condition, running around, screaming, and being unable to sit still, behaviours the school did not accommodate or address supportively. Despite repeated requests from her mother to allow a shadow teacher or provide a special educator, the school declined, says the petition. The mother emphasised that autistic children are not 'mentally retarded' but have a 'different way of thinking'. With the right support, she said, autistic children can accomplish things and grow into exceptional leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, and more. 'Giving them a nurturing environment is not a privilege, it's their right. Look at the lives of people like Einstein, Mozart, Greta Thunberg, or even Ramanujan, many of them displayed traits of neurodivergence,' she told ThePrint. Speaking to ThePrint, Kamal Gupta, the advocate representing GD Goenka Public School in court, termed the institute as 'inclusive' and said all such schools have limitations. 'The child in question had 86 percent progressive autism, which is certified by AIIMS as a multiple disability disorder,' he said. Gupta added that the school is currently catering to the maximum number of children from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and disability categories and does not have any more seats to accommodate more children. 'The provisions of the Persons with Disabilities Act have been interpreted by a division bench… (and) the right to be educated in a school of choice has to be interpreted meaningfully, depending upon the number of seats available (demand & supply),' he said, adding that it was in the 'best interest' of the child to study in a special school. ThePrint reached GD Goenka Public School too with queries through email but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: Dress code for dropping kids at Delhi school: no nightwear, no chappals. Parents call it 'unreasonable' 'Embrace inclusivity' According to the mother, her child was being neglected at school. 'So, we decided to take her out of school temporarily without formally withdrawing her admission,' she said. 'The school had advised us to focus on therapy to help improve her condition. But when we returned after a year-long break to resume her studies at school, they refused to take her back.' Instead, the administration allegedly pushed the family to withdraw the girl from school, claiming she was better suited for a school for children with special needs. In October 2022, the school authorities, according to the petition, suggested that the child attend classes for only two hours a day or just two days a week. In December 2022, the mother said, she wrote to the school complaining about an injury to the child. A meeting was subsequently scheduled between the school principal and the mother, during which she was shown letters of complaints from other parents but wasn't allowed to examine them closely, the petition states. This was followed by an ultimatum given to the parents by the school, asking them to withdraw the child, said the mother. Adding, 'From January 2023, she didn't go to school.' Faced with continuous denials from the school, the family moved the Delhi High Court, challenging what they described as 'illegal, arbitrary, and discriminatory' action by the school. During the 2024-25 session, the child was allotted a seat at the school under the children with special needs category but later denied admission again, her mother said. After this, the parents approached the court seeking enforcement of their child's right to education. 'Parents should never give up fighting for their child's rights. The journey is hard, especially for children with special needs, but justice can prevail. Schools should work with parents, not against them, and truly embrace inclusivity, not just on paper but in practice,' the mother told ThePrint. 'It is about belongingness' Justice Vikas Mahajan, delivering the verdict this week, underscored the constitutional and statutory guarantee of inclusive education. 'It needs no emphasis that 'inclusive education' is not merely about access to education; it is about belongingness,' the court stated. 'Every child has a place in the classroom not because they are the same, but because they are different, and that difference enriches the learning environment for all.' In a significant move, the court directed the Directorate of Education to constitute a board to assess what would be in the child's best interest. The committee's report concluded that the child should continue in the same school with age-appropriate class placement and the support of a shadow teacher. 'The school must ensure that the child avails all the accommodations/adaptations a child with special needs is entitled for,' the committee advised. Accepting the findings, the Delhi High Court has directed GD Goenka to re-admit the child with immediate effect. It also mandated that the Directorate of Education monitor the implementation of suggestions and ensure she is not harassed again. 'It is her constitutional right to study in an inclusive school system. And they (GD Goenka) have done wrong by denying it. And that's why we got directions to re-admit her,' her counsel Ashok Agarwal told ThePrint, adding that the school can put her in any appropriate class and the parents are willing to provide a shadow teacher. 'The court has recognised that she has the right to study in a mainstream school, and that denying her that right amounts to discrimination.' (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Infra & safety gaps to poor digital learning record, what Centre's index says about Bengal schools
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Neuro scans of adults in UK reveal faster ageing of brain post-pandemic
Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated brain ageing by five and a half months, regardless of one's infection status, according to a new study, which researchers said point to the indirect effects of aspects such as isolation and uncertainty. The researchers, led by those from the University of Nottingham, analysed brain scans of adults in the UK taken before and after the pandemic. They found that changes were most noticeable among the brains of older individuals, men, and people from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as those unemployed and having lower incomes or education. However, brain ageing was found to impact cognitive function, with 'brain fog' and difficulty in focussing being common symptoms, only in those who were infected with COVID-19, suggesting that brain ageing alone may not necessarily produce symptoms. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, highlight 'how much the experience of the pandemic itself, everything from isolation to uncertainty, may have affected our brain health," said lead researcher Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, research fellow at the university's faculty of medicine and health sciences. 'What surprised me most was that even people who hadn't had Covid showed significant increases in brain ageing rates," Mohammadi-Nejad added. AI-powered models which were used for predicting brain age were first trained on magnetic resonance image (MRI) brain scans of over 15,000 healthy people from the UK Biobank. The models thus learnt to measure the 'brain age gap' i.e. how much one's brain age differed from their actual age. The models were then employed to analyse two scans of the brains of 996 healthy participants, in 564 people (controls) both the scans were taken before the pandemic, while in the 'Pandemic' group consisting of 432 individuals, one scan was taken before and one after. 'The 'Pandemic' group shows on average (a) 5.5-month higher deviation of brain age gap at the second time point, compared with controls," the authors wrote. They also found that 'accelerated brain ageing is more pronounced in males and those from deprived socio-demographic backgrounds and these deviations exist regardless of SARS-CoV-2 (virus that causes COVID-19) infection." Further, cognitive tests taken at the time of both scans revealed that an 'accelerated brain ageing correlates with reduced cognitive performance only in COVID-infected participants." Senior author Dorothee Auer, professor of neuroimaging at the University of Nottingham, said 'This study reminds us that brain health is shaped not only by illness, but by our everyday environment." 'The pandemic put a strain on people's lives, especially those already facing disadvantage. We can't yet test whether the changes we saw will reverse, but it's certainly possible, and that's an encouraging thought," Auer said. PTI KRS SHS NB view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 16:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
