Did a 2 min slot on @CNNnews18 on #COVID19.
Didn't get the last word so here goes.

- All Rx hypothesis welcome!
- But cannot give experimental Rx without informed consent
- Use the crisis to educate on ethics & evidence
- Indians do not have 'better' immunity.
(Thread 1/n)

On the "Indians have higher immunity" hypothesis
- Indians have high malnutrition rates, possibly worsened by lock down ---> lower immunity
- South Asians have a higher predisposition to cardio-metabolic disorders ---> more co-morbidity --> greater risk for #covid19 mortality

On #BCG for #COVID
- Any hypothesis is welcome
- Correlation is not causation
- Should not be used as an excuse to say - this is why India has 'low cases' or that India will not see a peak. This is misleading. To see cases or to see a peak India needs to scale up testing.

- Felt I was swimming against a tide of over-optimism!
- Hope is important at this time, but it is also a responsibility of the health care community to educate the public & promote critical thinking & caution.

- Instead of the same people/demographic -TV channels should invite- @avstmd @AnantBhan @RajaniSurendarB @spkalantri @AnkurSooden -please tag others
- Appreciate effort by @CNNnews18 to avoid a #manel !
- Shout out to @ghanshyamtiwari for being an ally for women in leadership

- Other health experts on #covid18
@Dr_Aqsa_Shaikh @AhmadMatin @dranupagarwal @scepticemia @dr_somyagupta @_youhavemyword_ please tag others.

We do need to stop #tokenism towards women in panels.
Waiting for panels where women #outnumber men. Waiting for panels where women are given more #airtime than the men.
Wonder if @CNNnews18 & other channels are willing to up the stakes for #women's #voices in #leadership.

Also given by the calls / messages I got after a 2 min TV appearance (with terrible video quality) from friends & aunties - just TOO MANY people watch TV!

Please turn off the 'idiot box' (my Dads preferred term for a TV)

Other health experts on #covid19 who are way better than the ones TV is currently featuring @DrJoyeeta (general practice & covid) @drsitu (disabilities, public health & covid) @sonalirawal (doc with extensive public health & planning exp) . Please tag others!

More better options for panels - @BhanNandita (public health researcher) @nandita_venky (TB survivor & activist! If we are not talking TB in times of #covid19 we are missing much of the story) @kikumbhar (Doc & history of medicine expert) @inayat_s_kakar (lawyer/health activist)

Here is what the real TB expert has to say on BCG - TV needs to start inviting the right people instead of misleading the public and cutting of women speakers at the mention of the word 'ethics' (read previous posts on this thread for the backstory!) - https://twitter.com/paimadhu/status/1248382335625486339?s=21