News Analysis India

Tag: Coronavirus

  • DNA Exclusive: Analysing Global Impact Of Singapore’s Covid-19 Wave | India News

    New Delhi: The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Singapore again, causing hospital beds to fill up quickly. Authorities have reintroduced mask mandates, reminiscent of the panic seen during the initial outbreaks in 2020 and subsequent waves in 2021-22. In Today’s DNA, Zee News anchor Sourabh Raaj Jain analysed the alarming situation of coronavirus infection in Singapore and its significance globally.

    The resurgence of COVID-19 in Singapore is alarming, with health officials predicting a peak in the next two to four weeks. Two strains of the FLiRT variant, KP.1 and KP.2, have spread rapidly. The Ministry of Health reported 25,900 new cases between May 5 and May 11, a significant increase from the 13,700 cases reported the previous week. Hospital admissions have risen from 181 to 250 daily, and ICU admissions have increased from two to three patients per day.

    DNA: Corona returns to Singapore, will there be a new wave of corona in the world? #DNA #DNAWithSourabh #COVID19 #Singapore #Coronavirus @saurabhraajjain pic.twitter.com/MmDR8WNjIl — Zee News (@ZeeNews) May 21, 2024

    In response, Singapore’s Health Ministry is ramping up preparations for the new wave. Hospitals have been instructed to increase the number of available beds and reduce elective surgeries. People are being advised to stay home and seek treatment there when possible. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has urged individuals, especially those with serious illnesses or those aged 60 and above, to get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

    The rise in cases of the KP.1 and KP.2 variants is not limited to Singapore; the United States has also seen increases, with the KP.2 variant accounting for 28 percent and the KP.1 variant for 7.1 percent of cases. Approximately 200 cases of these variants have been reported in India. While no new restrictions have been imposed in Singapore, the rapid resurgence of the virus is a cause for concern globally.

  • Rise in Covid cases: Government planning nationwide drill to take stock of hospital preparedness

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Amid rising cases of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, the government is planning a nationwide mock drill on April 10 and 11 to take stock of hospital preparedness.

    According to a joint advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday, both public and private health facilities in all districts are expected to participate in the exercise aimed at taking stock of the availability of medicines, hospital beds, medical equipment and medical oxygen.

    The exact details of the mock drill shall be communicated to the states in the virtual meeting scheduled on March 27, the advisory stated.

    The joint advisory highlighted that in the past several weeks, COVID-19 testing has declined in some states and the current testing levels are insufficient as compared to the standards prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO), i.e 140 tests per million.

    ALSO READ | India reports 1,590 new COVID cases in last 24 hours

    Testing at the levels of districts and blocks also varies, with some states heavily relying on the less sensitive rapid antigen tests.

    “Hence it is critical to maintain optimum testing for COVID-19, equitably distributed (with suitable modifications to address emergence of a new cluster of Covid cases) across the states.

    This is especially important to identify any emerging hotspots and take pre-emptive steps to curb virus transmission,” it stated.

    The joint advisory is in continuation of the Union Health Ministry’s earlier communications dated March 10 and 16 on the issue of seasonal circulation of pan-respiratory pathogens in the country as well as public health response to COVID-19 in states and Union territories.

    The advisory signed by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Director General of ICMR Dr Rajiv Bahl stated that a gradual but sustained increase in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the country is being witnessed since mid-February.

    As on date, most of the active COVID-19 cases in the country are largely being reported by a few states like Kerala (26.4 per cent), Maharashtra (21.7 per cent), Gujarat (13.9 per cent), Karnataka (8.6 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (6.3 per cent).

    “While the rates of hospitalization and death due to the disease remain low, largely because of the significant coverage achieved in terms of COVID-19 vaccination rates by all states and UTS, this gradual rise in cases needs reinvigorated public health actions to contain the surge,” the advisory said.

    The states and UTs have been asked too keep a close watch on the evolving etiologies (causes of diseases) of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, adding India usually sees a seasonal rise in Influenza cases from January to March and again from August to October.

    Currently, the most prominent subtypes of Influenza in circulation in the country seem to be Influenza A (H1N1) and Influenza A (H3N2).

    ALSO READ | No increase in hospitalisation rate or death amid spike in Covid cases: Health Ministry

    “As you may be aware, COVID-19 and Influenza share a number of similarities in terms of mode of transmission, high risk population, clinical signs and symptoms.”

    “While this may present a clinical dilemma for the attending doctors in terms of diagnosis, this also renders both these diseases easily preventable by following simple public health measures like avoiding overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings, using handkerchief/tissue while sneezing or coughing, wearing a mask in crowded and closed settings, maintaining hand hygiene, avoiding spitting in public places, etc,” the advisory mentioned.

    The Union Ministry of Health has already issued detailed guidelines for the management of co-infection of COVID-19 with other seasonal epidemic-prone diseases.

    All states and UTs have been advised to disseminate these guidelines to all health facilities and healthcare workers within the state to help in clinical case management.

    “Under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), states and District IDSP units need to closely follow the trend of ILI/SARI, monitor the proportion of SARI cases among all ILI and SARI cases, and refer a sufficient number of samples for testing for Influenza and SARS-CoV-2,” the joint advisory stated.

    It would also be helpful for all states and UTS to undertake a re-orientation of frontline health workers on epidemiological case definitions to help with early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

    The advisory stated in order to limit transmission of these diseases, it is important to raise community awareness regarding adherence to respiratory and hand hygiene particularly, avoiding overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings, particularly by co-morbid, wearing of masks by doctors, paramedics and other healthcare works as well as patients and their attendants within health care facilities.

    “It would also be useful to take stock of hospital preparedness including drugs, beds including ICU beds, medical equipment, medical oxygen, capacity building of human resources on existing guidelines as well as vaccination coverage.

    To this effect, a nationwide mock drill is being planned on 10th and 11th April 2023, wherein health facilities (both public and private) from all districts are expected to participate,” the joint advisory read.

    NEW DELHI: Amid rising cases of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, the government is planning a nationwide mock drill on April 10 and 11 to take stock of hospital preparedness.

    According to a joint advisory issued by the Union Health Ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday, both public and private health facilities in all districts are expected to participate in the exercise aimed at taking stock of the availability of medicines, hospital beds, medical equipment and medical oxygen.

    The exact details of the mock drill shall be communicated to the states in the virtual meeting scheduled on March 27, the advisory stated.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The joint advisory highlighted that in the past several weeks, COVID-19 testing has declined in some states and the current testing levels are insufficient as compared to the standards prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO), i.e 140 tests per million.

    ALSO READ | India reports 1,590 new COVID cases in last 24 hours

    Testing at the levels of districts and blocks also varies, with some states heavily relying on the less sensitive rapid antigen tests.

    “Hence it is critical to maintain optimum testing for COVID-19, equitably distributed (with suitable modifications to address emergence of a new cluster of Covid cases) across the states.

    This is especially important to identify any emerging hotspots and take pre-emptive steps to curb virus transmission,” it stated.

    The joint advisory is in continuation of the Union Health Ministry’s earlier communications dated March 10 and 16 on the issue of seasonal circulation of pan-respiratory pathogens in the country as well as public health response to COVID-19 in states and Union territories.

    The advisory signed by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Director General of ICMR Dr Rajiv Bahl stated that a gradual but sustained increase in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the country is being witnessed since mid-February.

    As on date, most of the active COVID-19 cases in the country are largely being reported by a few states like Kerala (26.4 per cent), Maharashtra (21.7 per cent), Gujarat (13.9 per cent), Karnataka (8.6 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (6.3 per cent).

    “While the rates of hospitalization and death due to the disease remain low, largely because of the significant coverage achieved in terms of COVID-19 vaccination rates by all states and UTS, this gradual rise in cases needs reinvigorated public health actions to contain the surge,” the advisory said.

    The states and UTs have been asked too keep a close watch on the evolving etiologies (causes of diseases) of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, adding India usually sees a seasonal rise in Influenza cases from January to March and again from August to October.

    Currently, the most prominent subtypes of Influenza in circulation in the country seem to be Influenza A (H1N1) and Influenza A (H3N2).

    ALSO READ | No increase in hospitalisation rate or death amid spike in Covid cases: Health Ministry

    “As you may be aware, COVID-19 and Influenza share a number of similarities in terms of mode of transmission, high risk population, clinical signs and symptoms.”

    “While this may present a clinical dilemma for the attending doctors in terms of diagnosis, this also renders both these diseases easily preventable by following simple public health measures like avoiding overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings, using handkerchief/tissue while sneezing or coughing, wearing a mask in crowded and closed settings, maintaining hand hygiene, avoiding spitting in public places, etc,” the advisory mentioned.

    The Union Ministry of Health has already issued detailed guidelines for the management of co-infection of COVID-19 with other seasonal epidemic-prone diseases.

    All states and UTs have been advised to disseminate these guidelines to all health facilities and healthcare workers within the state to help in clinical case management.

    “Under Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), states and District IDSP units need to closely follow the trend of ILI/SARI, monitor the proportion of SARI cases among all ILI and SARI cases, and refer a sufficient number of samples for testing for Influenza and SARS-CoV-2,” the joint advisory stated.

    It would also be helpful for all states and UTS to undertake a re-orientation of frontline health workers on epidemiological case definitions to help with early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

    The advisory stated in order to limit transmission of these diseases, it is important to raise community awareness regarding adherence to respiratory and hand hygiene particularly, avoiding overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings, particularly by co-morbid, wearing of masks by doctors, paramedics and other healthcare works as well as patients and their attendants within health care facilities.

    “It would also be useful to take stock of hospital preparedness including drugs, beds including ICU beds, medical equipment, medical oxygen, capacity building of human resources on existing guidelines as well as vaccination coverage.

    To this effect, a nationwide mock drill is being planned on 10th and 11th April 2023, wherein health facilities (both public and private) from all districts are expected to participate,” the joint advisory read.

  • Govt panel recommends market authorisation for Covovax jab as heterologous booster dose

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: An expert panel of the central drug regulatory authority has recommended market authorisation for Serum Institute of India’s Covid vaccine Covovax as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin, official sources said on Thursday.

    Prakash Kumar Singh, director (government and regulatory affairs) at Serum Institute of India (SII) had recently written a letter to Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for approval of Covovax heterologous booster dose for those aged 18 years and above in view of escalating covid-19 pandemic situation in some countries, the sources said.

    “The subject expert committee (SEC) of the CDSCO on Wednesday deliberated on the issue and recommended for market authorisation of Covid jab Covovax as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin,” an official source said.

    The DCGI had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, in the 12-17 age group on March 9, 2022 and also in children aged 7-11 years on June 28, 2022 subject to certain conditions.

    Covovax is manufactured through technology transfer from Novavax. It has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorization.

    It was granted emergency-use listing by the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 17, 2021. In August 2020, US-based vaccine maker Novavax Inc. had announced a licence agreement with SII for development and commercialization of NVX-CoV2373, its ocvid-19 vaccine candidate in India and low-and-middle-income countries.

    NEW DELHI: An expert panel of the central drug regulatory authority has recommended market authorisation for Serum Institute of India’s Covid vaccine Covovax as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin, official sources said on Thursday.

    Prakash Kumar Singh, director (government and regulatory affairs) at Serum Institute of India (SII) had recently written a letter to Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for approval of Covovax heterologous booster dose for those aged 18 years and above in view of escalating covid-19 pandemic situation in some countries, the sources said.

    “The subject expert committee (SEC) of the CDSCO on Wednesday deliberated on the issue and recommended for market authorisation of Covid jab Covovax as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been administered two doses of Covishield or Covaxin,” an official source said.

    The DCGI had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, in the 12-17 age group on March 9, 2022 and also in children aged 7-11 years on June 28, 2022 subject to certain conditions.

    Covovax is manufactured through technology transfer from Novavax. It has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorization.

    It was granted emergency-use listing by the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 17, 2021. In August 2020, US-based vaccine maker Novavax Inc. had announced a licence agreement with SII for development and commercialization of NVX-CoV2373, its ocvid-19 vaccine candidate in India and low-and-middle-income countries.

  • Covid cases rising in many countries, be vigilant: PM Modi to people

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked people to be vigilant and take precautions against covid-19, as he noted that the virus is spreading in many countries.

    In his last ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast of the year, Modi said many people are on a vacation or will go on one during Christmas and New Year and urged them to follow protocols like wearing masks and washing hands to ensure that their enjoyment is not affected adversely by the virus.

    The central government has stepped up measures against the virus, with the cases on a rise, especially in China where the lifting of zero-Covid policy has caused a spread of the pandemic.

    Modi has also chaired meetings and his government has written to the states to put in place adequate measures to deal with any spurt.

    The prime minister said the outgoing year, 2022, has been inspirational to India in many ways.

    India carved out a special place for itself in the world with its incredible vaccination doses of over 220 crore and the country becoming the fifth largest global economy, he said.

    The country also achieved the “magical” export figure of USD 400 billion (one billion=100 crore) and made new strides in space, defence and drone sectors, he added and also highlighted its achievements in sports.

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked people to be vigilant and take precautions against covid-19, as he noted that the virus is spreading in many countries.

    In his last ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast of the year, Modi said many people are on a vacation or will go on one during Christmas and New Year and urged them to follow protocols like wearing masks and washing hands to ensure that their enjoyment is not affected adversely by the virus.

    The central government has stepped up measures against the virus, with the cases on a rise, especially in China where the lifting of zero-Covid policy has caused a spread of the pandemic.

    Modi has also chaired meetings and his government has written to the states to put in place adequate measures to deal with any spurt.

    The prime minister said the outgoing year, 2022, has been inspirational to India in many ways.

    India carved out a special place for itself in the world with its incredible vaccination doses of over 220 crore and the country becoming the fifth largest global economy, he said.

    The country also achieved the “magical” export figure of USD 400 billion (one billion=100 crore) and made new strides in space, defence and drone sectors, he added and also highlighted its achievements in sports.

  • Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu tests positive for coronavirus

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has tested positive for coronavirus, a spokesperson of the state government said here on Monday.

    He said the chief minister was scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, but the meeting has now been postponed.

    Sukhu was found positive in the national capital during the routine test mandatory before meeting the prime minister, the spokesperson said.

    The CM is asymptomatic and as a precautionary measure has quarantined himself and all his engagements have been postponed, he added.

    Sukhu along with deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, state Congress Chief Pratibha Singh and 38 newly elected MLAs joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan on December 16.

    Sukhu has been in New Delhi and met several Congress leaders, including AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajiv Shukla and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, over the last few days.

    SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has tested positive for coronavirus, a spokesperson of the state government said here on Monday.

    He said the chief minister was scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, but the meeting has now been postponed.

    Sukhu was found positive in the national capital during the routine test mandatory before meeting the prime minister, the spokesperson said.

    The CM is asymptomatic and as a precautionary measure has quarantined himself and all his engagements have been postponed, he added.

    Sukhu along with deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, state Congress Chief Pratibha Singh and 38 newly elected MLAs joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan on December 16.

    Sukhu has been in New Delhi and met several Congress leaders, including AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajiv Shukla and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, over the last few days.

  • Omicron BF.7 threat: Experts urge people to follow Covid protocol

    By IANS

    BENGALURU: In the wake of the detection of BF.7 Omicron sub-variant in different parts of India, experts have called for diligent following of Covid-19 protocols in Karnataka, said Navodaya Gilla, Consultant — Internal medicine, CARE Hospitals Group.

    Also, called the Omicron Spawn, the BF.7 sub-variant is the newest form that has high transmissibility.

    “This is because the new variant quickly bypasses the immunity that a person has developed through a natural infection with an earlier variant or even if the complete course of the vaccines are taken,” he added.

    “There is an expectation that the world might see a fourth wave of the pandemic. The new Omicron variant was first detected in China and India has seen its first case of this variant in Gujarat. Initially in the pandemic, the virus mutated several times and the WHO declared the delta variant as the most severe one,” Gilla said.

    “The symptoms of the new BF.7 sub-variant are similar to the common flu and include cold, cough, fever, body pain, etc. As it is highly transmittable, it spreads to a larger group of people within a short duration,” he added.

    “There was also a new variant, named BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 detected recently in Pune. We are not yet fully aware of its severity as it is a relatively new mutant and we have not seen many cases till now,” Gilla said.

    “We will wait for the government to share any modified guidelines but until then, we need to diligently follow the protocols — maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, frequent handwashing and completing the course of vaccination. Furthermore, elderly people, pregnant women, children, infants and those with chronic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and immunosuppressive disorders should stringently follow the protocols as they are at very high risk,” he added.

    Aditya Chowti, Senior Consultant — Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, Bengaluru, said that based on certain cases that we have seen in the recent past, there seems to be a newer sub-variant of the Omicron virus.

    “However, we are seeing that the sub-variant does not seem to be causing any deadly conditions. Nevertheless, it is more contagious than before, which means it can spread among the infected people faster. So, it is imperative that we follow certain basic Covid norms,” he says.

    “It is important to be careful in public places since we do see that people have become a little careless as many of the norms and the rules that are put forth during Covid-19 have been lifted. So, it is now important that we at least follow the basic measures,” Chowti says.

    Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD and Consultant — Pulmonology, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, says, “The BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are sub-lineage of BA.5 and they don’t pose a huge amount of risk at this point in time. We expect the XBB variant isolated largely in Singapore has shown in the lab test, a degree of antibody resistance. The concern is about some parts of the viral genome being linked to the Delta variant.”

    “Currently, a surge of BQ.1 and BA 2.2.3.20 is expected. There is absolutely no panic. There may be reports of drug resistance and antibody resistance but none of them are going to be as bad as Delta. The Covid situation has been tackled adequately well in our country and we are optimistic that this will not give rise to a wave, but maybe a surge! Therefore, appropriate use of masks and Covid-appropriate behaviour will be the key to containing these viral lineages,” he says.

    “RNA viruses, by their nature itself, are known to mutate multiple times and that is the law of nature. Unless and until a concerning clinical behaviour is seen, I do not think that we should not be reacting to mutation,” Satyanarayana added.

    BENGALURU: In the wake of the detection of BF.7 Omicron sub-variant in different parts of India, experts have called for diligent following of Covid-19 protocols in Karnataka, said Navodaya Gilla, Consultant — Internal medicine, CARE Hospitals Group.

    Also, called the Omicron Spawn, the BF.7 sub-variant is the newest form that has high transmissibility.

    “This is because the new variant quickly bypasses the immunity that a person has developed through a natural infection with an earlier variant or even if the complete course of the vaccines are taken,” he added.

    “There is an expectation that the world might see a fourth wave of the pandemic. The new Omicron variant was first detected in China and India has seen its first case of this variant in Gujarat. Initially in the pandemic, the virus mutated several times and the WHO declared the delta variant as the most severe one,” Gilla said.

    “The symptoms of the new BF.7 sub-variant are similar to the common flu and include cold, cough, fever, body pain, etc. As it is highly transmittable, it spreads to a larger group of people within a short duration,” he added.

    “There was also a new variant, named BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 detected recently in Pune. We are not yet fully aware of its severity as it is a relatively new mutant and we have not seen many cases till now,” Gilla said.

    “We will wait for the government to share any modified guidelines but until then, we need to diligently follow the protocols — maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, frequent handwashing and completing the course of vaccination. Furthermore, elderly people, pregnant women, children, infants and those with chronic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and immunosuppressive disorders should stringently follow the protocols as they are at very high risk,” he added.

    Aditya Chowti, Senior Consultant — Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Cunningham Road, Bengaluru, said that based on certain cases that we have seen in the recent past, there seems to be a newer sub-variant of the Omicron virus.

    “However, we are seeing that the sub-variant does not seem to be causing any deadly conditions. Nevertheless, it is more contagious than before, which means it can spread among the infected people faster. So, it is imperative that we follow certain basic Covid norms,” he says.

    “It is important to be careful in public places since we do see that people have become a little careless as many of the norms and the rules that are put forth during Covid-19 have been lifted. So, it is now important that we at least follow the basic measures,” Chowti says.

    Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD and Consultant — Pulmonology, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, says, “The BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are sub-lineage of BA.5 and they don’t pose a huge amount of risk at this point in time. We expect the XBB variant isolated largely in Singapore has shown in the lab test, a degree of antibody resistance. The concern is about some parts of the viral genome being linked to the Delta variant.”

    “Currently, a surge of BQ.1 and BA 2.2.3.20 is expected. There is absolutely no panic. There may be reports of drug resistance and antibody resistance but none of them are going to be as bad as Delta. The Covid situation has been tackled adequately well in our country and we are optimistic that this will not give rise to a wave, but maybe a surge! Therefore, appropriate use of masks and Covid-appropriate behaviour will be the key to containing these viral lineages,” he says.

    “RNA viruses, by their nature itself, are known to mutate multiple times and that is the law of nature. Unless and until a concerning clinical behaviour is seen, I do not think that we should not be reacting to mutation,” Satyanarayana added.

  • India logs 862 new Covid-19 infections in last 24 hours

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: India reported 862 fresh Covid cases and 1,503 recoveries in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Tuesday.

    India’s active caseload currently stands at 22,549 which accounts for 0.05 per cent of the total cases.

    A total of 1,503 patients recovered in the last 24 hours which increased the total recoveries to 4,40,93,409 on Tuesday.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.35 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was 1.02 per cent.

    India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 219.56 Cr (2,19,56,65,598) as per provisional reports till 7am today.

    “COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on March 16, 2022. So far, more than 4.12 Cr (4,12,35,971) adolescents have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, the COVID-19 precaution dose administration for the age group 18-59 years also started from 10th April 2022 onwards,” the official statement read.

    It is pertinent to note that health concerns have risen in the country as World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Friday said that there were over 300 sub-variants and XBB being a recombinant virus is a matter of concern as it is immune evasive.

    XBB, a recombinant lineage between two Omicron sublineages BJ.1 and BA.2.75, is a fast-spreading variant, which was seen to have caused a spike across Singapore recently.

    Last week, a high-level meeting of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya with the senior health officials regarding the emergence of Omicron’s new sub-variants concluded with the decision to continue masks and COVID-appropriate behaviour across the country.

    NEW DELHI: India reported 862 fresh Covid cases and 1,503 recoveries in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Tuesday.

    India’s active caseload currently stands at 22,549 which accounts for 0.05 per cent of the total cases.

    A total of 1,503 patients recovered in the last 24 hours which increased the total recoveries to 4,40,93,409 on Tuesday.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.35 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was 1.02 per cent.

    India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 219.56 Cr (2,19,56,65,598) as per provisional reports till 7am today.

    “COVID-19 vaccination for the age group 12-14 years was started on March 16, 2022. So far, more than 4.12 Cr (4,12,35,971) adolescents have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, the COVID-19 precaution dose administration for the age group 18-59 years also started from 10th April 2022 onwards,” the official statement read.

    It is pertinent to note that health concerns have risen in the country as World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Friday said that there were over 300 sub-variants and XBB being a recombinant virus is a matter of concern as it is immune evasive.

    XBB, a recombinant lineage between two Omicron sublineages BJ.1 and BA.2.75, is a fast-spreading variant, which was seen to have caused a spike across Singapore recently.

    Last week, a high-level meeting of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya with the senior health officials regarding the emergence of Omicron’s new sub-variants concluded with the decision to continue masks and COVID-appropriate behaviour across the country.

  • Fear of winter wave, India keeps strict surveillance on new Omicron sub-variants

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: As India detected four new sub-lineages, which are slowly spreading to different parts of the country, especially Maharashtra, triggering fear of a winter wave riding on festival season, authorities said they are keeping a close watch on clinical and epidemiological behaviour of the new Omicron sub-variants.

    “We got to know about the new Omicron sub-lineages two weeks back. We are watching their clinical and epidemiological behaviour,” Dr N K Arora, head of the Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) told The New Indian Express.

    He said close watch is also being kept on these new sub-variants to ensure that there is no increase in hospitalisation, sudden localised outbreak or increase in cases or any particular susceptibility in people like the elderly, children or those with comorbidity. 

    He said the emergence of the new sub-variants – BF.7, BQ.1, XBB and BA.2.3.20 – clearly shows that Covid is with us. 

    ALSO READ | India reports three new Omicron sub-variants; Centre stresses on monitoring points of entries

    Dr Arora said in India, BA.2.75 is still dominant but is seeing the emergence of new sub-variants, causing a surge in Covid cases in China, Singapore and European countries. “They have been picked up in India also. There is no virus at the moment in India which is not present elsewhere in the world,” said Dr Arora, co-chair of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

    “We know it will spread, but will not create a huge impact as most people have hybrid immunity,” he said on whether there could be a winter Covid wave.

    A recent article in Nature, said new immune-evading strains of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, behaviour changes and waning immunity mean many countries could soon see large numbers of Covid-19 infections – and potentially of hospitalisations.

    Dr Pragya Yadav, a senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, said the onset of winters had witnessed the emergence of Variants of Concern (VOC) globally, and India is no exception.

    “There is fear as all the VOCs have emerged after September. Whether it was Alpha, Beta, Delta, or Omicron,” she told TNIE. “Now, we are amid the festival season, and winters are setting in, so it would be wise for people to take some precautionary measures and avoid crowds.”

    That was the worry which drove Maharashtra to sound an alarm. Dr Pradip Awate, State Surveillance Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, Maharashtra, “We had to sound an alarm in this background as we wanted to be cautious about the new sub-variants. Some areas in Maharashtra like Raigad, Thane and Mumbai are showing some rise in Covid cases,” he told TNIE. 

    ALSO READ | As new Omicron variants emerge, Centre ramps up surveillance

    Not only Maharashtra but Kerala and Delhi are showing a slight rise in Covid cases, said NC Krishnaprasad, a Covid data analyst from Kerala. “A week after Diwali will give us a clear picture of the intensity of this upward trend, and the second week will cement it (if it is going upward),” he added.

    During festivals and significant holidays, there will not only be a spike in cases but also more significant chances of newer variants appearing, added Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid-19 task force. “There is no guarantee that the next variant will cause the same relatively mild disease that Omicron caused.”

    However, Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University, said what is relevant is whether the new sub-lineages have a transmission advantage over the existing virus strains and whether they will lead to more severe disease.

    NEW DELHI: As India detected four new sub-lineages, which are slowly spreading to different parts of the country, especially Maharashtra, triggering fear of a winter wave riding on festival season, authorities said they are keeping a close watch on clinical and epidemiological behaviour of the new Omicron sub-variants.

    “We got to know about the new Omicron sub-lineages two weeks back. We are watching their clinical and epidemiological behaviour,” Dr N K Arora, head of the Covid-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) told The New Indian Express.

    He said close watch is also being kept on these new sub-variants to ensure that there is no increase in hospitalisation, sudden localised outbreak or increase in cases or any particular susceptibility in people like the elderly, children or those with comorbidity. 

    He said the emergence of the new sub-variants – BF.7, BQ.1, XBB and BA.2.3.20 – clearly shows that Covid is with us. 

    ALSO READ | India reports three new Omicron sub-variants; Centre stresses on monitoring points of entries

    Dr Arora said in India, BA.2.75 is still dominant but is seeing the emergence of new sub-variants, causing a surge in Covid cases in China, Singapore and European countries. “They have been picked up in India also. There is no virus at the moment in India which is not present elsewhere in the world,” said Dr Arora, co-chair of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

    “We know it will spread, but will not create a huge impact as most people have hybrid immunity,” he said on whether there could be a winter Covid wave.

    A recent article in Nature, said new immune-evading strains of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, behaviour changes and waning immunity mean many countries could soon see large numbers of Covid-19 infections – and potentially of hospitalisations.

    Dr Pragya Yadav, a senior scientist at the Indian Institute of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, said the onset of winters had witnessed the emergence of Variants of Concern (VOC) globally, and India is no exception.

    “There is fear as all the VOCs have emerged after September. Whether it was Alpha, Beta, Delta, or Omicron,” she told TNIE. “Now, we are amid the festival season, and winters are setting in, so it would be wise for people to take some precautionary measures and avoid crowds.”

    That was the worry which drove Maharashtra to sound an alarm. Dr Pradip Awate, State Surveillance Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, Maharashtra, “We had to sound an alarm in this background as we wanted to be cautious about the new sub-variants. Some areas in Maharashtra like Raigad, Thane and Mumbai are showing some rise in Covid cases,” he told TNIE. 

    ALSO READ | As new Omicron variants emerge, Centre ramps up surveillance

    Not only Maharashtra but Kerala and Delhi are showing a slight rise in Covid cases, said NC Krishnaprasad, a Covid data analyst from Kerala. “A week after Diwali will give us a clear picture of the intensity of this upward trend, and the second week will cement it (if it is going upward),” he added.

    During festivals and significant holidays, there will not only be a spike in cases but also more significant chances of newer variants appearing, added Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid-19 task force. “There is no guarantee that the next variant will cause the same relatively mild disease that Omicron caused.”

    However, Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University, said what is relevant is whether the new sub-lineages have a transmission advantage over the existing virus strains and whether they will lead to more severe disease.

  • India reports three new Omicron sub-variants; Centre stresses on monitoring points of entries

    New Delhi, Oct 18: After new Omicron sub-variants were detected in India, triggering off alarm bells ahead of the festival, the Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation and directed officials to focus on the practical implementation of surveillance strategy and strengthening genome sequencing for early detection of new variants. 

    Maharashtra, which had earlier detected Omicron sub-variant BQ.1, on Tuesday confirmed 71 cases of XBB – a combination of two omicron sub-lineages BJ.1 and BA.2.75 and has led to a surge in Covid cases in Singapore – has been detected in India. Gujarat also reported BF.7 Omicron sub-variant, which had caused a rise in Covid-19 cases in the US, UK, and many European countries. 

    Mandaviya discussed the emergence of new Omicron variants, due to which many countries are witnessing a steep rise in cases, and stressed the need for monitoring the points of entries.

    ALSO READ | India detects highly infectious new Omicron sub-variant BF.7 

    Chairing the meeting with public health experts and officials, he also discussed the global scenario, including in the US, UK and many European countries, which are witnessing a surge in Covid cases due to the new emerging Omicron sub-variants, which are said to be immune escape variants and have higher transmissibility.

    Since the new variants have been detected in Maharashtra, Covid-19 cases in the state rose by 17.17 per cent on October 10-16 compared to October 3 and 9. The rise in Covid cases were being noticed particularly in densely-populated Thane, Raigad and Mumbai, triggering concern that the virus could spread fast during the festival time.

    Mandaviya stressed the need to undertake adequate testing (with a higher proportion of RT PCR and effective Covid-19 surveillance to assess and control the spread of infection promptly.

    He directed officials to continue to focus on surveillance across the country, mainly through sentinel sites and on Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to scan for any possible mutation in the wake of the identification of Omicron variants in other countries.

    He also urged officials to monitor hospitalisations due to Covid-19 closely and urged them to increase the pace of vaccination, including precautionary doses to the eligible beneficiaries.

    The minister also highlighted the need for community awareness for continued implementation of the Covid appropriate behaviour (CAB), especially given the upcoming festival season. 

    New Delhi, Oct 18: After new Omicron sub-variants were detected in India, triggering off alarm bells ahead of the festival, the Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation and directed officials to focus on the practical implementation of surveillance strategy and strengthening genome sequencing for early detection of new variants. 

    Maharashtra, which had earlier detected Omicron sub-variant BQ.1, on Tuesday confirmed 71 cases of XBB – a combination of two omicron sub-lineages BJ.1 and BA.2.75 and has led to a surge in Covid cases in Singapore – has been detected in India. Gujarat also reported BF.7 Omicron sub-variant, which had caused a rise in Covid-19 cases in the US, UK, and many European countries. 

    Mandaviya discussed the emergence of new Omicron variants, due to which many countries are witnessing a steep rise in cases, and stressed the need for monitoring the points of entries.

    ALSO READ | India detects highly infectious new Omicron sub-variant BF.7 

    Chairing the meeting with public health experts and officials, he also discussed the global scenario, including in the US, UK and many European countries, which are witnessing a surge in Covid cases due to the new emerging Omicron sub-variants, which are said to be immune escape variants and have higher transmissibility.

    Since the new variants have been detected in Maharashtra, Covid-19 cases in the state rose by 17.17 per cent on October 10-16 compared to October 3 and 9. The rise in Covid cases were being noticed particularly in densely-populated Thane, Raigad and Mumbai, triggering concern that the virus could spread fast during the festival time.

    Mandaviya stressed the need to undertake adequate testing (with a higher proportion of RT PCR and effective Covid-19 surveillance to assess and control the spread of infection promptly.

    He directed officials to continue to focus on surveillance across the country, mainly through sentinel sites and on Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to scan for any possible mutation in the wake of the identification of Omicron variants in other countries.

    He also urged officials to monitor hospitalisations due to Covid-19 closely and urged them to increase the pace of vaccination, including precautionary doses to the eligible beneficiaries.

    The minister also highlighted the need for community awareness for continued implementation of the Covid appropriate behaviour (CAB), especially given the upcoming festival season. 

  • 5,664 new COVID cases in India, active infections in country rise to 47,922

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With 5,664 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,45,34,188, while the active cases increased to 47,922, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,28,337 with 35 fatalities which includes 21 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.11 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.71 per cent, the ministry said.

    An increase of 1,074 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.96 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 1.79 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,39,57,929, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

    According to the ministry, 216.56 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

    It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.

    The 14 new deaths recorded in the last 24 hours include three from Maharashtra and two from Chhattisgarh.

    NEW DELHI: With 5,664 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,45,34,188, while the active cases increased to 47,922, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,28,337 with 35 fatalities which includes 21 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.11 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.71 per cent, the ministry said.

    An increase of 1,074 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.96 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 1.79 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,39,57,929, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

    According to the ministry, 216.56 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

    The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

    It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.

    The 14 new deaths recorded in the last 24 hours include three from Maharashtra and two from Chhattisgarh.