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  • Gap between second dose of COVID jab, precaution dose to be reduced to six months soon

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government is likely to soon reduce the gap between the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the precaution dose from the current nine months to six months, official sources said on Wednesday.

    A recommendation on lessening the gap is expected to be made by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) which is set to hold a meeting on April 29, they told PTI.

    Studies at ICMR and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody level wanes after about six months from the primary vaccination with both doses and giving a booster increases the immune response.

    All those above the age of 18 who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose are eligible for the precaution dose.

    “Taking into account the scientific evidence and findings of the studies done here and internationally, the gap between the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the precaution dose will most likely be reduced from the current nine months to six months soon.

    A final decision will be taken based on the recommendations by the NTAGI which is set to meet on Friday,” a source in the know of the developments told PTI.

    India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.

    The government removed the comorbidity clause making all people aged above 60 eligible for the precaution dose in March.

    According to health ministry data, 5,17,547 precaution doses have been administered in age group 18-59 years so far.

    Besides, 4736567 healthcare workers, 7447184 frontline workers and 14545595 individuals aged 60 and above have taken the precaution shot.

    India on April 10 began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres.

  • Breakthrough infection with Delta, reinfection with Omicron in individual vaccinated with Covishield

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune, has reported a case of three-time Covid infection in an individual who was vaccinated with the Covishield jab against the virus.

    The healthcare professional from Delhi had primary SARS-CoV2 infection, breakthrough infection with Delta and reinfection with Omicron over a period of around 16 months, researchers of Pune NIV said in a study.

    The findings of the study prove the immune evasion potential of the Omicron variant, even after infection and vaccination, said the researchers.

    The researchers in the report have said that the 38-year-old had tested positive with primary Covid infection during the first wave of the pandemic with symptoms like body ache, fever and a dry cough on October 9, 2020.

    ALSO READ: Serum Institute to give free Covishield vials to private vaccination centres to compensate for price difference

    However, there were no complaints of breathlessness, and post recovery, he experienced symptoms of long Covid, including generalised weakness for two to three weeks and insomnia for two to three months.

    The healthcare professional experienced body ache and headache again in November 2021. Subsequently, he tested positive for SARS-COV-2 and the body ache persisted for two to three days.

    However, during the third wave of the pandemic, the individual again developed a headache on January 24, 2022, after being asymptomatic for a period of two months.

    The researchers in the report said that the case represented a breakthrough infection post primary SARS-CoV-2 infection and two doses of Covishield vaccination.

    ALSO READ: Covishield & Covaxin prices cut, hospitals to pay Rs 225 per dose

    The patient received the first dose of Covishield vaccine on January 31, 2021, and the second dose on March 3.

    While vaccination reportedly reduces severity of disease and mortality in Covid-19, it cannot protect individuals from getting a breakthrough infection, said the researchers.

    The NIV scientists concluded the report saying that the fight against Covid-19 is far from over. Although vaccine boosters or third doses have shown an augmentation in the immune response against the Omicron variant, it has been found to wane over time.

    In such a situation, non-pharmacological interventions in the form of mask, hand hygiene and infection control remain the most reliable weapons to curb the direct transmission of SARS-CoV-2, researchers said in the report. The report was published in the Journal of Infection.

  • Centre writes to Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Mizoram on spiking COVID cases

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The center has written to five states, including Kerala and Delhi, on the rise in Covid cases and has advised them to continue monitoring the spread of the infection and undertake required steps for prompt and effective management of Covid-19.

    In the letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that “a sustained and significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases had been observed in India over the past two months, with the country reporting less than 1000 daily new cases for the past few days. Weekly positivity rate has remained below 1 percent.”

    However, he said a few states are reporting a higher contribution to India’s daily new cases.

    He said that as the states are taking various measures to reopen economic and social activities, there is a need for continuous follow-up of a risk assessment-based approach for Covid-19.

    In separate letters to these five states, Bhushan told them to continue the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination, and adherence to Covid appropriate behavior needs to be followed.

    The ministry also listed steps to follow, including monitoring new clusters, adequate testing, monitoring influenza-like illness, conducting genomic sequencing for prescribed samples of international passengers, and vaccinating all eligible people.

    “It is essential that the state maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control any emerging spread of infection. Testing and surveillance remain important to treat the virus, its spread and evolution.” 

    The ministry said laxity would nullify the gains in pandemic management so far.

    The ministry said Kerala is reporting 31.8 percent of India’s new cases, and the state also has seen an increase in positivity in the last week from 13.45 percent to 15.53 percent. Mizoram accounted for 11.16 percent of all new cases, and the state also saw an increase in positivity in the last week from 14.38 percent to 16.48 percent.

    Maharashtra also saw a spike in new cases as it accounted for 10.9 percent of India’s recent issues. The State has also seen an increase in positivity in the last week from 0.39 percent to 0.43 percent. Delhi accounted for 11.33 percent of India’s new cases, with the state seeing an increase in positivity in the last week from 0.51 percent to 1.25 percent.

    Haryana also accounted for 5.70 percent of all new cases in the country, with the positivity rate increasing in the last week from 0.51 percent to 1.060 percent.

  • WHO’s supply suspension of Covaxin not to impact travel of people: MEA

    Arindam Bagchi said the issue was something to do with certain processes and manufacturer of Covaxin and the WHO are looking into the matter.

  • Link children orphaned due to COVID, their family members to various schemes: SC to states

    Supreme Court directed state governments and UTs to take steps to complete the process of preparation of social investigation reports in respect of such children.

  • Doctors, cancer victims urge Centre to remove designated smoking rooms from hotels, restaurants, airports

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: On No Smoking Day, doctors, cancer victims and hotel associations urged the Centre to remove the designated smoking rooms from hotels, restaurants and airports to protect people from second-hand smoke.

    The second Wednesday of March is observed as No Smoking Day.

    Lauding the Centre for initiating the process to amend the COTPA 2003, the doctors, cancer victims and hotel associations appealed for an immediate removal of a current provision that permits smoking areas to make India 100 per cent smoke-free and check the spread of COVID-19.

    Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head-and-neck cancer surgeon, Tata Memorial Hospital, said there is growing evidence that smoking increases the risk of attracting Covid.

    It worsens lung function and reduces immunity.

    Smokers who contract Covid develop more complications and have a greater risk of fatality.

    “All designated smoking areas in hotels and restaurants and even at airports should be abolished to ensure a 100 per cent smoke-free environment. Most of these smoking areas are rarely compliant of the COTPA requirements and are actually putting our public at great health risk from exposure to second-hand smoke,” Chaturvedi said.

    In India, smoking is banned in public places according to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act (COTPA), 2003.

    Section 4 of the Act prohibits smoking in any place to which the public has access.

    However, the Act allows smoking at designated areas in certain public places such as restaurants, hotels and airports.

    “Exposure to passive smoking happens in eateries, hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs, risking the lives of thousands of non-smokers by exposing them to the smoke of cigarettes. As cigarette smoke seeps from the smoking areas to the common areas, the COTPA needs to be amended to not permit smoking on any premises.

    “All places should be completely smoke-free in the best interest of public health,” said Nalini Satyanarayan, a victim of passive smoking and a health activist.

    Second-hand smoking is as harmful as smoking.

    Exposure to second-hand smoke causes many diseases, including lung cancer and heart diseases in adults and lung function impairment and respiratory infections in children.

    People with compromised respiratory and cardiovascular systems are at a higher risk of COVID-19 severity and death.

    Designated smoking areas facilitate the spread of Covid as the smokers find it difficult to follow social distancing and cannot wear masks and are trapped in close proximity in a smoke-filled environment, Chaturvedi said.

    “We are finding that families prefer to stay in hotels that do not allow smoking. We are happy that the government is strengthening the COTPA provisions to make the hospitality sector completely smoke-free. We support the government in its initiative for safeguarding people’s health,” said GP Sharma, president, Hospitality Association of Uttar Pradesh.

    The Centre has introduced the COTPA (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in Parliament.

    In a recent survey conducted in India, 72 per cent of the respondents said they believe that second-hand smoke is a serious health hazard and 88 per cent strongly supported the strengthening of the current tobacco-control law to address the menace.

    India has the second largest number of tobacco users (26.8 crore or 28.6 per cent of all adults in the country) in the world.

    Of them, at least 12 lakh die every year from tobacco-related diseases.

    As many as 10 lakh deaths are reported due to smoking, more than two lakh due to second-hand smoke exposure and over 35,000 due to smokeless tobacco use.

    Nearly 27 per cent of all cancer cases in India are due to tobacco usage.

    The total direct and indirect cost of the diseases attributable to tobacco use is a staggering Rs 1.82 lakh crore, which is nearly 1.8 per cent of the country’s GDP.

    Tobacco use in all forms, whether smoking or chewing, is associated with severe COVID-19 casualties, according to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

  • Government panel recommends permission for phase 3 trial of Sputnik Light vaccine as booster dose

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: An expert panel of India’s central drug authority has recommended the permission for conducting phase-3 clinical trial of single-dose COVID-19 vaccine ‘Sputnik Light’ as a booster dose, official sources said on Saturday.

    The recommendations have been sent to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval.

    The DCGI had on February 4 granted emergency use permission to Sputnik Light vaccine in India, subject to certain regulatory provisions.

    Hyderabad-based Dr.Reddy’s Laboratories had presented its proposal to DCGI for conducting the phase-3 trial of Sputnik Light vaccine as booster dose.

    Sputnik Light is the same as component-1 of Sputnik V.

    “The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the CDSCO, which reviewed the application on Friday after detailed deliberation, recommended granting permission for the phase-3 clinical trial with condition to initiate the trial with Sputnik Light vaccine for which the firm is holding emergency use authorisation permission in the country subject to certain regulatory provisions,” an official source said.

    Sputnik Light vaccine is approved in 29 countries, including Argentina and Russia.

  • Active COVID-19 cases in country dip to 69,897

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With 6,396 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,29,51,556, while the active cases dipped to 69,897, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,14,589 with 201 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The daily COVID-19 cases have remained less than one lakh for 26 consecutive days.

    The active cases comprise 0.16 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.64 per cent, the ministry said.

    Active #Covid19 cases stand at 69,897. pic.twitter.com/KSgkh7ox3q
    — The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) March 4, 2022
    A reduction of 7,255 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.69 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.90 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,23,67,070 while the case fatality rate was recorded as 1.20 per cent.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 178.29 crore.

    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.

    The 201 new fatalities include 161 from Kerala and 12 from Maharashtra.

    A total of 5,14,589 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,43,718 from Maharashtra, 65,758 from Kerala, 39,979 from Karnataka, 38,010 from Tamil Nadu, 26,130 from Delhi, 23,470 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,178 from West Bengal.

    The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

    “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

  • Maharashtra: Cinema halls, restaurants allowed to function at full capacity in 14 districts including Mumbai

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Easing pandemic-related restrictions, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday allowed shopping complexes, restaurants, cinema halls and theaters to operate at 100 per cent capacity in 14 out of 36 districts in the state, including Mumbai.

    These 14 districts are: Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban district, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Nagpur, Raigad, Wardha, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Kolhapur.

    A government notification said that in these districts 90 per cent of the eligible population has taken at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines, and over 70 per cent people are fully vaccinated.

    The positivity rate in these areas is less than 10 per cent and occupancy of oxygen-supported or ICU beds is less than 40 per cent.

    Social, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, political and festival-linked events including those related to marriages and funerals and other gatherings and congregations are now permitted in these districts with attendance at 50 per cent of the capacity of the venue, the notification said.

    But if a gathering is expected to be of more than 1,000 persons, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will have to be informed and it may impose reasonable restrictions.

    For other districts, attendance at such events will be capped at 50 per cent of capacity or 200, whichever is less.

    “All shopping complexes, cinema halls, restaurants and bars, sports complexes, gyms, spas, swimming pools, religious places, drama theatres (`natyagrihas’), tourist places, entertainment parks etc are allowed to operate with 100 per cent capacity in these (14) districts,” the notification said.

    “For other administrative units (remaining 22 districts of the state) excluded from this list, these shall operate at 50 per cent of the capacity,” the notification added.

    Based on inputs of the state health department as well as the government’s COVID Task Force and considering the present pandemic sitution, the State Executive Committee (SEC) has decided to ease the norms, it added.

    There has been steady decline in new daily coronavirus cases in Maharashtra.

    On January 31, the state government had eased some restrictions.

    The January 31 guidelines had said that swimming pools, water-parks, theatres and restaurants can operate with 50 per cent capacity, subject to permission of the competent authority, in the districts of Mumbai, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Kolhapur and Chandrapur.

  • Madhya Pradesh government orders opening of schools, hostels with full attendance

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday ordered the opening of schools and hostels across the state with full capacity with immediate effect, in view of the decline in COVID-19 cases, an official said.

    The school education department’s order was issued in compliance of the directives issued by the state home department, the official said.

    All schools, residential schools and hostels will be started for Classes 1 to 12 with full attendance with immediate effect, he said.

    As per the order, COVID-19 appropriate behaviour such as wearing of masks and social distancing should be ensured during classes.

    Earlier on Friday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced the lifting of all COVID-19 curbs, barring the night curfew, considering the drop in infections.

    “Keeping in view the continuous decline in the positivity rate and active cases of COVID-19, all curbs have been eased. All social, commercial, cultural, political, religious, entertainment, sports activities and fairs in the state will be held with full capacity,” Chouhan said in a tweet.

    Madhya Pradesh had on Friday reported 2,612 new COVID-19 cases and three casualties that raised the tally of infections to 10,21,361 and toll to 10,682.