The battle against COVID-19 was still far from over, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said in Parliament on Monday.
“We are in the stage of unlock to revive the economy and it’s important that sustained community support is ensured consistently to control the spread of COVID-19 infection and break its chain of transmission,’’ he stated on the first day of the 18-day Monsoon Session.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Gujarat minister, BJP MLA test positive for coronavirus
A minister in the Gujarat government and a BJP MLA on Tuesday said they have tested positive for coronavirus.
In a tweet, Gujarat Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister Jayesh Radadiya said he has contracted the infection and is home quarantined.
“My coronavirus report is positive. I am currently home quarantined and my condition is stable. Those who have come in contact with me in the last one week should also get themselves tested,” Mr. Radadiya said in a tweet.
Similarly, BJP MLA from Jamnagar Raghavji Patel also took to Twitter to say that he had tested positive for the disease. - PTI
Over 38.5 lakh COVID patients have recovered; one of the highest number of recoveries globally: Govt.
Amid a spurt in COVID-19 cases, the government on Tuesday said India learnt from the experience of nations that suffered high mortalities and was able to “distribute the curve” of coronavirus infection due to a “very effective” lockdown and avoid the “huge peak” those countries had in terms of deaths.
Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bhargava, hailed a very effective lockdown for India not experiencing a “huge peak” as some of the European countries.
At a press conference, Bhargava also said reinfection was “very, very rare” with COVID-19, but it can happen as had been seen in a case in Hong Kong
He, however, said it is not a matter of serious concern.
Talking about India’s COVID-19 fight, he said, “If you look at the countries of Europe and the United States, they had a peak and then they came down and during that peak whether it was Spain, the UK or Sweden or Italy, there were huge number of mortalities. Then there was a peak which came down and then they had a second wave which is recently occurring in those countries.” - PTI
U’khand govt asks Centre for 10,000 oxygen cylinders
With COVID-19 cases steadily on the rise, the Uttarakhand government on Tuesday asked the Centre to provide 10,000 oxygen cylinders to help the state be ready to deal with any emergency situation.
Though there is no shortage of oxygen at present, the request for 10,000 oxygen cylinders has been made to keep ourselves prepared to deal with any situation in future, Health Secretary Amit Negi said.
The oxygen cylinders will be installed at the COVID care centres in the state, he said.
Of late, Uttarakhand has seen a sudden rise in coronavirus cases with 7,580 people testing positive for the infection in just a week to take the state’s pandemic tally from 25,436 on September 7 to 33,016 on September 14. - PTI
Top doctors urge people to strictly follow COVID-19 safety protocol
In a video conference streamed live to panchayats across Rajasthan, top doctors on Tuesday said the coronavirus pandemic was here to stay for a while and asked people to adhere to health protocols like masks and social distancing.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Health Minister Raghu Sharma and senior officials of the state government, among others, participated in the virtual discussion.
Devi Shetty, chairman, Narayana Health, said the pandemic is going to last a year and there is a need to induct more doctors to handle the situation in future.
He said shops should open, travelling be started and other activities be run, but unnecessary gatherings and meetings should be stopped.
Several MPs, MLAs, district collectors, superintendents of police (SPs), sarpanch and ward panch in more than 8,000 panchayats across the state attended the video conference streamed live on social media platforms like Facebook and Youtube, Chief Secretary Rajeeva Swarup said. - PTI
’Excellent safety’ of 2 indigenous COVID candidate vaccines revealed during Phase-I trials: Minister
Phase-I clinical trials have revealed “excellent safety” of the two candidate vaccines indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and Cadila Healthcare Ltd and their immunogenicity testing is now in progress, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Their phase II clinical trials are going on, Choubey said in response to a question on the present status of the vaccine programme/clinical trials for COVID-19 undertaken by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other private research centres in the country.
Choubey further informed that discussions on collaborations on the recombinant vaccine developed by Russia are ongoing. However, no formal studies have been initiated.
Serum Institute of India (SII) and ICMR have partnered for clinical development of two global vaccine candidates. - PTI
Some immunosuppressants do not increase COVID-19 risk: Scientists
Therapeutics which suppress the immune system in those with inflammatory diseases like psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis “are not associated with a significantly greater risk” for contracting COVID-19, according to a study which says these patients should continue taking their medicine as prescribed. Dermatology researchers from the Henry Ford Health System in the US, which treats a large number of patients with inflammatory diseases like psoriasis, eczema and lupus, said most of these patients are not at any greater risk for COVID-19 than the general population, despite their weakened immune system.
While patients who are immunosuppressed are predisposed to upper respiratory infections like the common cold, which may cause coughing, a runny nose and a sore throat, the scientists said this patient population has not been reported to be at higher risk for COVID-19 to date.
According to the researchers, the study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, is one of the first to analyse the association between immunosuppressive medications for skin diseases and the risk of COVID-19 infection and outcomes. - PTI
UP records highest 113 fresh coronavirus deaths
Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday recorded the highest single-day spike in COVID-19 deaths with 113 people succumbing to the infection in the last 24 hours, raising the total fatalities due to it to 4,604, said officials.
The number of people testing positive for the infection on Tuesday stood at 6,895, taking the overall figure 3,24,036, they said.
“The count of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 67,335 while 2,52,097 people have recovered till date. The death figure in the state has reached 4,604,” Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here.
The death toll till Monday was 4491. In the past 24 hours, the state witnessed the highest single-day spike of 113 deaths. Earlier on Aug 20, maximum of 95 deaths were reported in the state. - PTI
England hospitals warn of virus test shortages
The group that represents hospitals in England says a shortage of COVID-19 testing is jeopardising efforts to restore medical services and prepare for a potential surge in coronavirus cases this winter.
NHS Providers said Tuesday that inadequate testing is leading to increased absences in the National Health Service as staff members are forced to self-isolate while they and their family members wait for test results after possible exposure to the virus.
CEO Chris Hopson said that last weekend hospital leaders in Bristol, London and Leeds all raised concerns about the lack of testing.
He said hospitals are working in the dark — they don’t know why these shortages are occurring, how long they are likely to last, how geographically widespread they are likely to be and what priority will be given to healthcare workers and their families in accessing scarce tests.” - PTI
Delhi, Karnataka, Bihar, AP, Maha and TN asked to ramp up testing: Health Secretary
About 14 states still have less than 5,000 active COVID-19 cases, 18 states have between 5,000 to 50,000 cases and only 4 states have more than 50,000 cases in India, said Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a press conference here on Tuesday.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu contribute 60.35% of the total active cases, he said.
Of the new deaths, nearly 69% are concentrated in five State/UTs of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, he added.
India is still registering fewer cases per million population, among the lowest in world. The same can be said of the deaths per million, he said, adding that the recovery rate has touched 78.28% today.
We want Delhi to ramp up its testing, since the positivity rate is at 8.9% despite the high testing numbers, Mr. Bhushan said, Karnataka, Bihar and AP have also been asked to ramp up testing. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have also been advised the same.
The country’s positivity rate is now 8.4%, he said.
- Bindu Shajan Perappadan
Prasanthi Nilayam to reopen on September 27
The Prasanthi Nilayam at Puttaparti, in Anantapur district, housing the Samadhi of Sri Satya Sai Baba, will reopen on September 27 for the devotees.
A release from Prasanthi Nilayam said all devotees were welcome to take part in the morning and evening Arati from that day conforming to all COVID19 protocols.
However, for some more time, the Accommodation Office inside the Ashram will remain closed, it said. - Ramesh Susarla
Sex workers in Karnataka adopt community networking strategy to meet needs during COVID times
Thousands of sex workers, especially those living with HIV, in parts of Karnataka adopted an inspiring community-led response to meet their basic and emergency needs during COVID-19-induced lockdown.
The sudden loss of livelihood and lack of access to health care and social protection intensified their vulnerabilities, according to a group of 12 authors whose perspective paper was published in the September issue of WHO (World Health Organisation) South-East Asia Journal of Public Health.
For people living with HIV, the lockdown of Mysuru city immediately disrupted antiretroviral therapy (ART) access, as the majority of ART dispensation takes place through the government-run district hospital, although there are two private hospitals being part of the government ART programme, they said.
Between 200 and 250 people per day collect their medication from the district hospital. - PTI
Tiny antibody completely neutralises novel coronavirus: Study
Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have isolated the smallest biological molecule to date that they say completely and specifically neutralises the SARS-CoV-2 virus which cause COVID-19.
Ten times smaller than a full-sized antibody, the molecule has been used to construct a drug -- known as Ab8 -- for potential use as a therapeutic and prophylactic against SARS-CoV-2, according to the study published in the journal Cell.
The researchers, including Sriram Subramaniam from the University of British Columbia in Canada, found that Ab8 is highly effective in preventing and treating SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice and hamsters.
Its tiny size not only increases its potential for diffusion in tissues to better neutralise the virus, but also makes it possible to administer the drug by alternative routes, including inhalation, the researchers said.
The drug does not bind to human cells, which is a good sign that it won’t have negative side-effects in people, they said. - PTI
40 lakh people kept under surveillance as part of COVID contact-tracing: Centre
Around 40 lakh people have been kept under surveillance as a part of the contact-tracing efforts in the country and 5.4 crore samples were tested for coronavirus till September 10, Union minister Ashwini Choubey told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
The minister of state for health said there were 15,290 COVID-treatment facilities with 13,14,171 dedicated isolation beds till September 10. There are also 2,31,269 oxygen-supported isolation beds and 62,694 ICU beds (including 32,241 ventilator beds).
Guidelines on clinical management of COVID-19 have been issued and are being updated regularly. States are being supported in terms of supply of logistics, Mr. Choubey said.
So far, 1.39-crore PPE kits, 3.42-crore N-95 masks, 10.84-crore hydroxychloroquine tablets, 29,779 ventilators and 1,02,400 oxygen cylinders have been supplied to state and central government hospitals till September 10, according to the minister.
More than 30 vaccine candidates have been supported and they are in different stages of development. Three candidates are in advanced stage of Phase I, II and III trials, and more than four are in advanced pre-clinical development stage, Mr. Choubey said. - PTI
Health secretary, 10-year-old girl among 40 new COVID-19 cases in Mizoram
Mizoram’s COVID-19 tally increased to 1,468 as 40 more people, including state health secretary and a 10-year-old girl, have tested positive for the disease, an official said on Tuesday.
Of the fresh cases, 35 were reported from Aizawl, two from Hnahthial and one each from Lunglei, Khawzawl and Lawngtlai districts, he said.
“State Health Secretary H Lalengmawia, a 10-year-old girl from Aizawl and an employee of the Border Security Force from Lunglei are among new patients. Twenty-three fresh cases were detected during contact tracing,” the official said.
The COVID-19 patient from Lawngtlai district has been referred to the Zoram Medical College (ZMC) as he is also suffering from diabetes, he said.
The number of active cases now stands at 549 in Mizoram, while 919 people have recovered from the disease.
According to the health department official, 51,316 samples have been tested for COVID-19, including 1,306 on Monday. - PTI
Odisha reports 3,645 new COVID-19 cases, 8 more deaths
Odisha’s COVID-19 tally on Tuesday mounted to 1,58,650 with 3,645 people, including a ruling BJD MLA, testing positive for the infection, a health department official said.
The death toll rose to 645 with eight more people succumbing to the infection - three in Cuttack and one each in Boudh, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Subarnapur, he said.
Of the 3,645 new cases, 2,151 were reported from various quarantine centres, and 1,494 were detected during contact tracing.
Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 517, followed by Cuttack at 357 and Puri at 246, the health department official said. - PTI
Ten more deaths, 2,058 fresh COVID-19 cases in Telangana
Telangana recorded 2,058 new COVID-19 cases and ten related fatalities, pushing the tally of infections to 1.60 lakh in the state.
Out of the fresh cases, 277 were reported from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), followed by Rangareddy 143, Karimnagar 135, Warangal Urban 108, Siddipet 106, and Khammam 103 districts, a state government bulletin said on Tuesday, providing data as of 8 PM on September 14.
As 10 more people succumbed to the disease, the toll rose to 984.
The cumulative recovered cases stood at 1.29 lakh, while 30,400 were under treatment.
The bulletin said 51,247 samples were tested on September 14.
Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 22.20 lakh. - PTI
COVID-19 will likely become seasonal, but not yet, say scientists
Once herd immunity is attained, the novel coronavirus may follow suit and become a seasonal virus in countries with temperate climates, but until that time, COVID-19 will continue to spread across the seasons, a new study says.
According to the review research, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, when a significant section of the population becomes immune to the novel coronavirus and achieves herd immunity, the effective transmission of the virus may drop substantially making it more prone to seasonal fluctuations.
“COVID-19 is here to stay and it will continue to cause outbreaks year-round until herd immunity is achieved,” warned study senior author Hassan Zaraket from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.
“Therefore, the public will need to learn to live with it, and continue practising the best prevention measures, including wearing of masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and avoidance of gatherings,” Mr. Zaraket added.
According to the scientists, there could be multiple waves of COVID-19 before herd immunity is achieved.
Citing earlier research, they said other respiratory viruses similar to the novel coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2 - follow seasonal patterns, especially in temperate regions.
They said influenza and several types of coronaviruses that cause common cold are known to peak in winter in temperate regions but circulate year-round in tropical regions. - PTI
India's tally nears grim 50-lakh mark
India’s novel coronavirus tally crossed 49 lakh on Tuesday with 83,809 new cases, while 38.59 lakh people have recuperated so far, taking the recovery rate to 78.28 per cent, the Health Ministry said.
The death toll rose to 80,776 with 1,054 more people succumbing to the infection. The case fatality rate stands at 1.64 per cent, according to the ministry data.
There are 9,90,061 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), comprising 20.08 per cent of the total 49,30,236 cases, it said.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 5.83 crore tests have been conducted so far and 10.73 lakh samples were tested on Monday.
30% recovered COVID-19 patients have no antibodies: govt. survey
Seventy-nine of 257 people who had COVID-19, recovered, and later tested for antibodies against the virus, did not have the antibodies, according to a report of the second serological survey done in August by the Delhi government.
Experts, however, said that there was no need to “panic”, as the neutralising antibodies (IgG) tend to vanish after three months, but in most cases the memory cells will remember the virus and trigger an immune response if the person who recovered from COVID-19 is again attacked by the virus.
Why deny insurance to private doctors?: Raj
Raj Thackeray
As complaints by families of private doctors, who lost their lives while treating COVID-19 patients, being denied ₹50 lakh insurance cover rise, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday questioned the sensitivity of the State government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
At least 50 employees test positive,rail Nilayam shut for sanitisation
South Central Railway (SCR) has decided to shut the Rail Nilayam headquarters for two days (Monday and Tuesday) to take up intensive sanitisation after at least 50 employees tested positive for COVID-19 during a mass RT-PCR testing drive last week.
All office blocks, staircases, toilets, lifts, concourses, etc., are being sanitised thoroughly and all the employees have been asked to disclose their test results so that proper medical treatment can be given to them.
‘IICT is now working on a new antiviral drug for COVID-19’
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) has been one of the first indigenous labs to gear up to combat COVID-19 by scouring existing anti-virals to treat the infection and has been successful in providing the vital Active Pharma Ingredient (API) to Indian companies for making affordable drugs. The institute is working on a few more APIs to tackle the novel coronavirus and other diseases. In this interview, IICT Director S. Chandrashekar explains what goes into drug discovery and other related issues.