Coronavirus Live Updates: India reports 1,249 new Covid cases in last 24 hours, active numbers increase to 7,927 Times of India
Covid News Live Updates: India logged 1,249 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have increased to 7,927, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. Stay with TOI for all updates:READ LESS
Key Events
Any new booster dose should work against current, future Covid strains: Randeep Guleria
The Covid vaccines in use in India are providing cover for the original Wuhan strain but if the need for another booster dose is felt as new variants emerge, it should be able to provide protection against all circulating as well as future strains, according to former Aiims director Randeep Guleria.During an interview to PTI, he stressed on the need for two data sets – first to ascertain whether the degree of immunity is waning and secondly if the vaccines need to be tweaked when asked if it is time for another precaution dose almost a year after the first one amid the recent uptick in Covid cases.
50% of respiratory infection cases admitted to hospitals in 2 months are of H3N2: Government
An ICMR survey has shown that 50 per cent of the respiratory infection cases admitted to hospitals in over two month are of H3N2 influenza, the government told the Lok Sabha on Friday. A total of 1,161 cases of H3N2, which is a subtype of seasonal influenza virus, have been reported between January 1 and March 20, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK found that co-morbidities such as asthma, COPD, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, immunosuppression, anxiety and depression are also associated with increased risk of long Covid.
The study, which includes more than 860,000 patients also found that overweight people, women, smokers and those over the age of 40 are more likely to suffer from long Covid.
Being vaccinated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus halves people’s risk of developing long Covid, according to the largest study of its kind. The research, published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, reveals the risk factors associated with developing the long-term symptoms of Covid-19.
SC directs all convicts, undertrial prisoners released during COVID-19 pandemic to surrender within 15 days
India’s Covid graph
Daily Covid cases
220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,61,922, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
As many as 92.07 crore tests for detection of Covid have been conducted so far with 1,05,316 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours.
The active cases now comprise 0.02 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent
The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,00,667).
The daily positivity was recorded at 1.19 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 1.14 per cent.
India logged 1,249 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have increased to 7,927, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll has increased to 5,30,818 with one death each reported by Karnataka and Gujarat, the data updated at 8 am stated.
World Bank president nominee Ajay Banga tests positive for Covid
The United States nominee for World Bank President, Indian-American Ajay Banga, who arrived in Delhi on a two-day visit on Thursday, tested positive for Covid-19 during a routine testing, according to a spokesperson of the embassy.
US nominee for World Bank president Ajay Banga tests Covid positive; meeting with Union finance minister cancelled: Statement
The researchers who unexpectedly stumbled over the genetic data say that it supports — but cannot definitively prove — the theory that the virus originated in animals, possibly first jumping over to humans at the market in the city of Wuhan.
Raccoon dog data sparks new debate about Covid origins
New evidence that raccoon dogs were at the Chinese market where Covid is suspected to have first infected humans has reignited debate over the origin of the pandemic.
Ajay Banga tests positive for Covid-19 during routine testing in Delhi
World Bank presidential nominee Ajay Banga has tested positive for Covid-19 during routine testing in New Delhi where he was travelling on the last leg of his world tour, and is currently quarantining in isolation, the Department of Treasury said Thursday.
Amid rising cases, health ministry says no increase in rate of hospitalisation or death due to Covid
Amid a gradual rise in daily Covid-19 cases, the Union health ministry said on Thursday that the XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron might be the dominant virus strain in the country but there has been no reported increase in the rate of hospitalisation or death so far. Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 344 samples have tested positive in the last three months — January, February and March — for XBB.1.16 after whole genome sequencing. The subvariant has been found in states such as Maharashtra (105), Telangana (93), Karnataka (57), Gujarat (54) and Delhi (19).
A study led by Mark M. Davis, Professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford’s School of Medicine, the researchers designed a very sensitive tool to analyse how immune cells called CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells respond to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
People who recover from SARS-CoV-2 infection and then get vaccinated are more protected than people who are unvaccinated.
The level of this key immune cell that targets the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was substantially lower in unvaccinated people with Covid-19 than in vaccinated people who had never been infected.
Researchers at the Stanford University in the US found that the magnitude and quality of a key immune cell’s response to vaccination with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine were considerably lower in people with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to people without prior infection.
According to a study, if you had Covid infection before you took vaccination, chances are that you might have less immunity
In March, 207 XBB 1.16 variant samples have been found till now, according to INSACOG data.
Amid Covid-19 rise, 349 samples of infectious new variant XBB1.16 found in India
A total of 349 samples of COVID-19’s XBB.1.16 variant, which might have been behind the recent rise of coronavirus cases in the country, have been detected, according to INSACOG data. These 349 samples of the variant have been found in nine states and Union Territories. The highest number of cases due to this variant has been found in Maharashtra at 105, followed by Telangana 93, Karnataka 61 and Gujarat 54, according to INSACOG data accessed by PTI. XBB 1.16 was first found in January when two samples tested positive for the variant. In February, 140 samples of the XBB 1.16 variant were found. In March, 207 XBB 1.16 variant samples have been found till now, according to INSACOG data. India has been witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country recently. On Thursday, India logged 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 140 days, while the active cases have increased to 7,605. The death toll has increased to 5,30,816 with three deaths. One death each has been reported by Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the data updated at 8 am stated. Former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Wednesday that the new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the recent rise. However, he emphasised there was no need for panic as long it does not cause severe illness and death.
‘Ensure the availability of required drugs and logistics’
The ministry has also asked the states to ensure the availability of required drugs and logistics for influenza and Covid 19 across health facilities. Apart from this, states have been asked to ensure the availability of sufficient designated beds and health workers.
Daily Covid cases since January 2023
India’s Covid graph
Health ministry advises states to follow 5-fold strategy to fight Covid-19
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday advised all the states to continue focusing on the 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour to fight Covid-19. The notification stated, “We will do another mock drill.”
According to the ministry’s website, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,60,997, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
A total 92.06 crore tests for detection of Covid has been conducted so far with 89,078 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours.
The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore
One death each has been reported by Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The daily positivity was recorded at 1.46 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 1.08 per cent.
India logged 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 140 days, while the active cases have increased to 7,605, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The death toll has increased to 5,30,816 with three deaths.
Daily Covid cases in India highest in 140 days
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-reports-1300-new-covid-cases-in-last-24-hours-highest-in-140-days/articleshow/98932634.cms
Health minister asks hospitals to be ready as Covid cases surge in Kerala
High level meeting on Covid and influenza to be held today
Kerala health minister Veena George on Wednesday flagged concerns regarding Covid-19 infections and said that there has been a slight increase in Covid cases in the state. The health minister’s concerns came a day after the state reported a total of 172 coronavirus cases on Tuesday.
The PMO said he also emphasised on the the need to ensure availability of required drugs and logistics for influenza and Covid across health facilities along with availability of sufficient beds and health human resources.
PM directed effective monitoring of IRI/SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness) cases, and that testing for Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and adenovirus be followed up with states.
Modi chaired the meeting to assess the COVID-19 and influenza situation in the country in terms of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of the vaccination campaign, emergence of new COVID-19 variants and influenza types and their public health implications for the country.
The death toll climbed to 5,30,813 with five deaths. One death each has been reported in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra while one fatality was reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.