Coronavirus live updates: Pandemic renewed focus on nutrition, health, immunity, says Vardhan

US testing 3 drugs to tamp down coronavirus

The US National Institutes of Health says the study will enroll 2,100 hospitalised adults with moderate to severe COVID-19 in the United States and Latin America. All will get the antiviral drug remdesivir plus one of the three “immune-modulating drugs” or a placebo. The drugs are Bristol Myers Squibb's Orencia and Johnson & Johnson's Remicade, which are sold now for rheumatoid arthritis and an experimental drug from AbbVie called cenicriviroc. The drugs work in different ways to inhibit “cytokine storm,” an overproduction of chemicals the body makes to fight infections that can damage lungs, kidneys, the heart and other organs.

3,428 new cases, 22 deaths and 3,197 recoveries/discharges/migrations reported in Delhi today; total cases rise to 324,459

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 697 new cases and 8 deaths today

The total positive cases in the UT rises to 86,754 including 8,909 active cases, 76,479 recoveries and 1,366 deaths

Andhra reports 3,967 new Covid-19 cases on Friday taking the tally to 7,75,470

Toll rises to 6,382 with 25 more deaths

Gujarat in 24 hours added 1,191 Covid-19 positive cases, taking the total to 1.57 lakh

The state also recorded 11 deaths, taking the toll to 3,620

549 cases of Covid-19 reported in Uttarakhand today; tally now 57,042

EU medicine agency could approve Covid-19 vaccines early next year

The European Medicines Agency could approve three Covid-19 vaccines early next year, its Executive Director Guido Rasi said on Friday, according to a report by Italian news agency ANSA. "If everything goes well, in the first months of 2021, there could be three vaccines approved by EMA. But everything has to go well. There's a little hitch behind every corner," the agency quoted Rasi as telling Sky TG24 news in an interview.

Kerala: State count touches 3.23 lakh with 7,283 cases; 250 health workers affected

Covid-19 pandemic renewed focus on nutrition, health, immunity: Vardhan

"FSSAI's Eat Right India movement targets to promote safe and healthy food for everyone in an environmentally sustainable way. It is a part of its mandate to provide safe and wholesome food for all citizens. This will improve the food safety ecosystems and lift the hygiene and health of our citizens," Vardhan stressed, while presiding over an event organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

Britain changes vaccine rollout measures for Covid and flu

Britain said on Friday it had changed its rules around administering and distributing vaccines to make the speedy rollout of any Covid-19 vaccine easier and increase the number of people able to give jabs. The change comes into force after a consultation on the plans, which include giving Britain's medical regulator the ability to grant temporary authorisation for any coronavirus vaccine that meets safety and quality standards but before it has received a full licence. The new rules also allow more healthcare workers to give Covid-19 and flu vaccines.

Tamil Nadu adds 4,389 cases taking tally to 679,191

57 deaths took toll to 10,529; 89,497 underwent tests. Active cases touch 40,959

Nearly 8,000 new Dutch coronavirus cases on Friday

Tripura reports 162 new cases, four more fatalities

Infection tally rises to 29,193, death toll reaches 320. The state currently has 3,108 active cases

Remdesivir does not help hospitalised Covid-19 patients: WHO study

Anti-viral drug remdesivir has little or no effect in the recovery and mortality of hospitalised Covid-19 patients, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) study, giving a big blow to the hope that the drug from US-based Gilead Sciences raised in combating the pandemic. The study, which spans more than 30 countries, looked at the effects of these treatments on overall mortality, initiation of ventilation, and duration of hospital stay in hospitalised patients.

Pollution could worsen Covid-19 impact in winter: Experts

Environment and health experts have asked people, especially those vulnerable to COVID-19 attack, to be more careful as the chronic exposure to air pollutants is associated with severe infections and higher mortality. They feel that lungs compromised due to pollution could lead to complications like pneumonia during COVID-19.

Puja grant to be used on Covid equipment, public-police bonding: Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court directed the community Durga Puja organisers in West Bengal on Friday to spend 75 per cent of the Rs 50,000 grant given by the state government on the procurement of COVID protection equipment and the rest on strengthening public-police bonding. A division bench comprising justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee directed that the money given by the state to the Durga Puja committees cannot be used for any other purpose, and purchase bills have to be submitted to the authorities for audit. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced on September 24 the Rs 50,000 grant for each of the 36,946 Durga Puja committees in the state.

China rapidly expands use of experimental Covid-19 vaccines

The city of Jiaxing, south of Shanghai, is offering a vaccine under development by Sinovac, it said in an announcement Thursday. It said high-risk groups, including people who are “responsible for the basic operations of the city” will receive priority, but that residents who have emergency needs can also sign up. The vaccine is in the final stage of clinical testing, but has not yet been approved. The city government said it is being provided under an emergency authorization.

India's Covid-19 fatality rate 1.52%, lowest since March 22: Health ministry

India has one of the lowest Covid-19 deaths per million population in the world with less than 1,000 fatalities registered daily since October 4, while the fatality rate of 1.52 per cent on Friday was the lowest since March 22, the Union Health Ministry said. These results have been boosted by 22 states and Union Territories which have demonstrated better performance and are reporting even lower deaths per million population compared to the national average, it said.