India records 27,254 new Covid cases

TB Team
-
0
India records 27,254 new Covid cases

India witnessed a slight dip in new Covid cases yet again as in the last 24 hours 27,254 fresh cases were registered, the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs said on Monday.

The country has been reporting a dip in new Covid cases for the past few days. A total of 28,591 new Covid cases were recorded on Sunday.

At the same time, the country reported 219 Covid related deaths in the last 24 hours, a sharp decline in comparison to Sunday’s 338 fatalities.

With the number of deaths reported on Monday included, the country’s overall Covid related deaths have risen to 4,42,874. The fatality rate was reported at 1.33 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry’s report on Monday.

The number of active cases also reported to have declined by 10,652 and the current active cases are 3,74,269, which is 1.13 per cent of the total Covid infection reported in the country since early 2020.

In the last 24 hours, a total of 37,687 Covid-infected patients recovered, pushing the country’s total recovery numbers to 3,24,47,032. As per the data, the Covid recovery rate rose to 97.55 per cent.

The weekly positivity rate was reported at 2.11 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 80 days, while there has been a slight increase in daily positivity rate, which reported at 2.26 per cent against Sunday’s 1.87. However, the daily positivity rate has been below 3 per cent for the last 14 days.

India has so far, a total of 54.30 crore (54,18,05,829) Covid samples tested, out of which 12,08,247 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.

India has so far administered over 74.38 crore (74,38,37,643) doses of Covid vaccines, out of which 53,38,945 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

Man from US found Covid positive in UP, contacts being tested

TB Team
-
0
Man from US found Covid positive in UP, contacts being tested

Samples of 12 contacts of a man who has tested positive for Covid after returning from the US, have been sent for testing.

The Sringar Nagar resident had landed in Delhi on August 31 and came to Lucknow by road. He got himself tested on Monday and the report came positive on Wednesday.

Dr Milind Vardhan, additional chief medical officer, said, “Health teams on Thursday collected samples of 12 contacts of the Sringar Nagar resident who tested positive for Covid after returning from the US. The samples of his four family members and eight neighbours have been sent to the lab for testing.”

The health department is also tracing the driver of the taxi in which the man travelled from Delhi to Lucknow.

Meanwhile, the number of persons with active Covid infection dropped to 17 in the city on Thursday as two more patients recovered in the past 24 hours and only one new case was reported.

Six suspected dengue cases were reported in the city on Thursday. Of these, three were admitted to various hospitals whereas others are recovering at home. All these patients have been tested through the card test method and confirmatory ELISA test is pending.

“These cases cannot be considered te be that of dengue till the ELISA test confirms,” said chief medical officer Dr Manoj Agrawal.

S. Korea reports 1,892 more Covid-19 cases

TB Team
-
0
S. Korea reports 1,892 more Covid-19 cases

South Korea reported 1,892 fresh cases of Covid-19 as of Thursday midnight compared to the previous tally, raising the total number of infections to 269,362.

The daily caseload was down from 2,049 in the prior day, but it hovered above 1,000 for 66 straight days, Xinhua news agency reported.

The daily average tally for the past week was 1,751.

The recent resurgence was attributable to cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Of the new cases, 666 were Seoul residents. The number of the newly infected people residing in Gyeonggi province and the western port city of Incheon was 603 and 117, respectively.

The virus spread also raged in the non-metropolitan region.

The number of new infections in the non-capital areas was 471, or 25.4 per cent of the total local transmission.

Thirty-five cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 13,866.

Five more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 2,348. The total fatality rate stood at 0.87 per cent.

A total of 1,813 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 240,733. The total recovery rate was 89.37 per cent.

Since the mass vaccination was launched on February 26, the country has administered Covid-19 vaccines to a total of 32,149,176 people, or 62.6 per cent of the total population.

The number of the fully vaccinated people was 19,406,809, or 37.8 per cent of the population.

Covid infections plus vax may arm some with ‘superhuman immunity’

TB Team
-
0
Covid infections plus vax may arm some with ‘superhuman immunity’

Once infected with Covid and later fully vaccinated likely boosts immune systems of some people, providing them with a lasting defence against all future variants, according to a study.

Researchers call this “superhuman immunity” or “hybrid immunity”.

The team at Rockefeller University in the US found that post Covid infection and two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, some people’s immune systems ramp up to produce a vast number of “flexible” antibodies that respond well to many forms of coronaviruses.

The study, published on the pre-print server BioRxiv, meaning it is not yet peer-reviewed, showed that antibodies in these individuals could strongly neutralise the six variants of concern tested, including Delta and Beta, as well as several other viruses related to SARS-CoV-2, The Telegraph reported.

“Those people have amazing responses to the vaccine,” Theodora Hatziioannou, a virologist at Rockefeller, who studied such patients, was quoted as saying.

“I think they are in the best position to fight the virus,” Hatziioannou said.

The team were also able to defeat a virus specially engineered to contain 20 mutations that are known to prevent SARS-CoV-2 antibodies from binding to it.

When tested, antibodies from people who were only vaccinated or who had only experienced prior infection were powerless against the lab-grown virus. But antibodies in people with the “hybrid immunity” overcame it, the report said.

“This is being a bit more speculative, but I would also suspect that they would have some degree of protection against the SARS-like viruses that have yet to infect humans,” Paul Bieniasz, another virologist at Rockefeller was quoted as saying by NPR.com.

The researchers stated that the findings show how powerful the mRNA vaccines can be in people with prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

“There’s a lot of research now focused on finding a pan-coronavirus vaccine that would protect against all future variants. Our findings tell you that we already have it,” Hatziioannou said.

However, since the team conducted the research on a small group of 14 patients, they do not know if everyone who has had Covid and then an mRNA vaccine will have such a remarkable immune response.

Several other recent studies have also found that there are antibodies that can neutralise a whole range of variants and SARS-like viruses, after infection and vaccinations.

Covid cases cross 30,000 mark again in Kerala

TB Team
-
0
Covid cases cross 30,000 mark again in Kerala

After a few days, Kerala on Wednesday again recorded over 30,000 cases, with 30,196 new Covid cases after 1,71,295 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, and the test positivity rate rising to 17.63 per cent.

A statement issued here by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 27,579 people turned negative, taking the total active cases in the state to 2,39,480.

It has been a few weeks since Kerala has been leading the rest of the country in the daily new cases, total active cases, and also daily deaths.

The day saw 181 Covid deaths taking the death toll to 22,001.

Thrissur district recorded the highest number cases, at 3,832, followed by Ernakulam with 3,611, and Kozhikode with 3,058.

With regards to vaccination, 77.16 per cent of the Kerala population, or 2.21 crore, have been given one dose of vaccine, while 29.47 per cent, or 84 lakh, have been given both the doses.

How important is nutrition for eyes during Covid

TB Team
-
0
How important is nutrition for eyes during Covid

As Covid wreaked havoc throughout the world, working professionals and students moved to remote work and learning which resulted in increased dependence on various screens, leading to several eye problems. Proper nutrition for the eye is, thus, imperative, said health experts on Tuesday.

The most common eye problems reported by children and working people during the pandemic include eye fatigue, dry and irritated eyes, fuzzy vision, and nearsightedness. This is further exacerbated by low physical activity, irregular eating habits, frequent snacking, and poor food quality during the pandemic.

“Every day, we encounter twenty to thirty patients who come to us complaining of eye discomfort. However, correct nutrition can offer the necessary support for ocular function, protect the eye from damaging light, and prevent age-related degenerative illnesses,” Dr Vineet Sehgal, Senior Consultant at Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals, said.

Further, Covid-19, which is majorly a respiratory disease and is known to affect lungs, also causes modest to severe eye problems.

Some patients may develop conjunctivitis, irritated eyes, light sensitivity, and eye discomfort, which may last longer than two weeks.

“People who have a severe Covid-19 infection are at a high risk of having ocular abnormalities like vascular occlusion,” Sehgal said.

Long-term use of steroids also increases the risk of mucormycosis — a severe consequence occurring in Covid patients, particularly those who are diabetic or immune-compromised. Infection of the nose and sinuses that spread to the orbit can cause vision loss or even death, if not treated promptly.

Long Covid also affects the eyes with people reporting the most frequent symptom — conjunctivitis.

“Conjunctivitis can be treated with medicine, but, in certain cases, the retina and retinal vessels are damaged, resulting in long-term visual loss. This blockage of retinal veins not only causes substantial vision loss, but also takes a long time to heal,” Sehgal said.

Including a diet rich in seasonal fruits and vegetables which give vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can improve eye health.

“Consuming minerals, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as vitamins C, E, and zinc, have been associated with a decreased risk of serious eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration,” Nabanita Saha, Chief Clinical Dietician, Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru, said.

“The nutritional needs for eye health are complicated, but some nutrients, such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, and nuts are very crucial. Physical exercise, in conjunction with a healthy diet, has been found to help prevent eye diseases,” she added.

In addition, if any patient, recovering from Covid, experiences symptoms like stuffiness in the nose, swelling around the eyes or nose, blurry vision, double vision, or pain around eyes/nose, they should immediately see an eye doctor, experts suggested.

Covishield-like vax may help fight Nipah virus

TB Team
-
0
Covishield-like vax may help fight Nipah virus

A Covishield-like vaccine has been found successful in monkey trials against Nipah virus, according to an international team of researchers.

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic and re-emerging virus which causes sporadic but severe infections in humans.

Last week, it claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy in Kerala amid the Covid surge. While all high-risk contacts of the deceased have tested negative, nearby states have been put on high alert for the disease. An outbreak of the virus in the state in 2018 killed 17 of the 18 confirmed with the virus.

Currently, no vaccines against NiV have been approved.

Researchers from the University of Oxford, and the US National Institutes of Health investigated the efficacy of ChAdOx1 NiV in the eight African green monkeys. They published the results on the pre-print server bioRxiv, meaning it is yet to be peer-reviewed.

ChAdOx1 NiV is based on the same vector as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, which has been approved for emergency use in over 60 countries worldwide and administered to 100 million people.

While one group of four monkeys were administered either two shots or a single shot of the ChadOx1NiV, the other group were injected with dummy protein (ChAdOx1 GFP), again vectored by ChAdOx1.

All the eight were then or artificially infected with real Nipah virus, some given via the nose and others through the throat.

A robust humoral and cellular response was detected starting 14 days post initial vaccination.

When artificially infected with real Nipah virus, the control animals displayed a variety of signs and had to be euthanised between five- and seven-days post inoculation.

“In contrast, vaccinated animals showed no signs of disease, and we were unable to detect infectious virus in all but one swab and all tissues,” the researchers said.

“No to limited antibodies against fusion protein or nucleoprotein IgG could be detected 42 days post infection with eal NiV, suggesting that vaccination induced a very robust protective immune response preventing extensive virus replication,” said Sarah C Gilbert, from the Jenner Institute Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford.

The researchers had previously shown that a single dose of ChAdOx1 NiV provides full protection in hamsters. The team also found very limited evidence of virus replication in vaccinated animals, all but one swab was negative for infectious virus and no virus was found in tissues obtained from vaccinated animals.

These data suggest the vaccine may provide close to complete protective immunity in the monkeys, the researchers explained.

“In both hamster and monkey NiV models, vaccination with ChAdOx1 NiV resulted in induction of high antibody titers coupled with complete protection against lethal NiV disease,” said Vincent J Munster, Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH.

Safety profiles obtained in ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 clinical studies combined with efficacy studies in animal models may provide sufficient information for approval of ChAdOx1 NiV, the team noted.

New Covid regulations imposed in Turkey

TB Team
-
0
New Covid regulations imposed in Turkey

Turkey has imposed a series of new Covid-19 regulations, including a mandatory negative Covid-19 test result or proof of vaccination for domestic travel, as well as for entering crowded events and activities.

According to a circular issued by the Interior Ministry, people who are not fully vaccinated must provide a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result while travelling by plane, bus, train, or other public transportation, reports Xinhua news agency.

The new arrangements, which went into force on Monday, will also be mandatory for those who want to attend activities, such as concerts and movie theatres.

Unvaccinated citizens will be asked to show negative PCR test results issued within 48 hours at most.

The Turkish government has also imposed obligatory PCR tests on teachers, school staff and university students who are not vaccinated.

Turkish authorities aim to increase the vaccination rate and curb the number of daily Covid-19 cases, which is fluctuating around 20,000.

Turkey on Monday confirmed 20,962 new Covid-19 cases, raising the overall infection tally to 6,519,016, according to its Health Ministry.

The death toll from the virus rose by 271 to 58,377, while 29,327 more people recovered in the last 24 hours.

A total of 301,164 tests were conducted over the past day, it said.

Turkey started mass Covid-19 vaccination on January 14.

More than 49.94 million people have received their first doses of vaccines, while over 38.62 million are fully vaccinated.

Turkey has so far administered over 97.98 million doses including third booster jabs.

Covid watch: Total 316 cases reported at Paralympics; six in last 24 hours

TB Team
-
0
Covid watch: Total 316 cases reported at Paralympics; six in last 24 hours

Six persons related to the Paralympic Games tested positive for Covid-19 as the sportspersons, officials, administrators, and volunteers that have gathered here for the Tokyo 2020 Games left for home on Monday.

The Paralympic Games concluded with the closing ceremony on Sunday.

The six persons whose tests came positive in the last 24 hours were tested by the Organising Committee for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020).

In all, 316 persons have tested Covid positive since testing for the Paralympic Games was started by Tokyo 2020 on August 12, four days after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ended. The Olympics had reported 168 positive persons during its testing period from July 1.

Of the six persons who tested positive for Covid in the last 24 hours, five were from among the Tokyo 2020 contractors while one was Games-related personnel, meaning someone related to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) or the international federations.

In the last 48 hours, 10 persons have tested positive, which hints at a higher infection rate as many of the 4,400 para-athletes and officials had left for their respective countries as their events had got over.

Of the 316 cases reported, 13 were of athletes inside the Games Village. Though the authorities continued to isolate all those that tested positive — and also those that could have come in contact with a positive person, the fact that cases continued to be reported means that the source of infection may not be someone that had come from abroad.

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will continue to monitor, with help from the respective local authorities, for the next 16 days health of all those who were in Japan in connection with the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Use local traditions to help vaccination drive: Modi

TB Team
-
0
Use local traditions to help vaccination drive: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the local traditions should be used to help the vaccination drive. He was interacting with the healthcare workers and beneficiaries of the Covid vaccination programme in Himachal Pradesh via video conferencing.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said that Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a champion in the fight against the largest epidemic in 100 years.

“Himachal has become the first state in India to have administered at least one dose of corona vaccine to each one of its entire eligible population which underlines the importance of ‘Aatmvishwas’ and ‘Aatmnirbharta’,” said Modi.

While talking to Dr Rahul of Civil Hospital at Shimla, the prime Minister lauded the team effort for minimising the vaccine wastage. Talking to a vaccination beneficiary, Modi inquired about the facilities of vaccination and how they dealt with the rumours regarding vaccination.

The Prime Minister spoke to ASHA worker Nirma Devi from Kullu, and enquired about her experience with the vaccination drive.

The Prime Minister emphasised to use the local traditions in helping the vaccination drive in his virtual address. He praised the model of dialogue and collaboration developed by the team and asked about how the team travelled long distances to administer vaccines.

The PM said that the world’s biggest vaccination programme is continuing due to the efforts of people like Karmo Devi.

Karmo Devi of Una has the distinction of vaccinating 22,500 people. He praised her spirit as she kept on working despite a fracture in her leg.

Lauding the efforts of doctors, ASHA workers, Aanganwadi workers, medical personnel, teachers, and other staff in the vaccination drive against Covid, PM Modi said that the success of vaccination in India is the result of the spirit and hard work of its citizens.

India is vaccinating at the record speed of 1.25 crore vaccines per day. This means that the number of vaccinations in India in one day is more than the population of many countries.

Recalling the mantra ‘Sabka Prayas’ which Modi mentioned during his Independence Day speech, he said that this success is a manifestation of that. He praised the dialogue and collaboration model and expressed happiness that even in a remote district like Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal has been a leader in giving 100 per cent first dose.

“This is the area which used to be cut off from the rest of the country for months before the Atal Tunnel was built,” said PM Modi, while admiring the state’s efforts to not allow any rumour or disinformation to hamper the vaccination efforts.

“Himachal is a proof of how the country’s rural society is empowering the world’s largest and fastest vaccination campaign,” said PM Modi.

Referring to recently notified Drones rules, PM Modi said that these rules will help in the spheres of many sectors like health and agriculture and will open doors for new possibilities.

He inspired the farmers and gardeners of the state to make farming in Himachal complete organic within the next 25 years.

1...535455...222Page 54 of 222