News Analysis India

Tag: COVID19

  • COVID-19 showed need to create awareness on zonotic diseases: Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need of creating vigilance and awareness on zoonotic diseases, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said.

    He made the remarks while virtually inaugurating the Whole Genome Sequencing National Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and BSL 3 Laboratory on the 112th Annual Day of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

    Congratulating NCDC for its contributions, Mandaviya said that India has performed better than many other countries in fighting the pandemic, a Health ministry statement stated.

    He said that new dimensions have been added today in the legacy of 112 years of achievements of NCDC and encouraged it to strive for further innovations so that not only India but the whole world can benefit from its work.

    Scientists, doctors, officers and staff of NCDC should collectively chart out goals they want to achieve in the coming years, he said.

    “The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need of creating vigilance and awareness on zoonotic diseases,” he said, adding that division of Zoonotic Disease Programme at NCDC under the “National One health Programme for prevention and Control of Zoonoses” has created IEC materials on seven priority zoonotic diseases namely Rabies, Scrub Typhus, Brucellosis, Anthrax, CCHF, Nipah and Kyasanur Forest Disease in India.

    Zonotic diseases pass from animal or insect to humans.

    The minister also launched the National Health Adaptation Plan on Air Pollution and National Health Adaptation Plan on Heat along with infographics and the first newsletter under the “National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health” developed by Centre of Environmental and Occupational Health, Climate Change and Health at NCDC.

    Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said NCDC provides a gamut of services to the people through its laboratories, and strengths in epidemiology, public health capacity building, entomology, etc, the statement said.

    NCDC’s role in steering the AMR containment programme in the country is commendable. “NCDC can act as a focal point with greater authority and resources for disease surveillance, monitoring of health status, educating the public, providing evidence for public health action and enforcing public health regulations,” Pawar said.

    She also stressed the importance of public awareness and people’s participation in keeping lifestyle diseases at bay.

  • Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights extended till August 31

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The coronavirus-induced suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has been extended till August 31, aviation regulator DGCA said on Friday. “However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation added.

    Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July 2020.

    India has formed air bubble pacts with around 24 countries including the US, the UK, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France. Under an air bubble pact between two countries, special international flights can be operated by their airlines between their territories.

    The DGCA circular also said that the suspension does not affect the operation of international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by it.

  • Nepalese citizens entering India through Pithoragarh to be tested for COVID at border

    By PTI
    PITHORAGARH: Nepalese citizens entering India through the three main border bridges in the district will now have to undergo a rapid antigen test on arrival before they are allowed to proceed further, a senior official said on Friday.

    “We took the decision after the corona negative reports carried by some of the Nepalese migrants from their country were found to be fake,” Pithoragarh’s Chief Medical Officer HC Pant said.

    Nepalese citizens were allowed to enter India through the border bridges at Jhoolaghat, Dharchula and Jauljibi last month if they carried along with them a negative corona test report issued by medical authorities in Nepal.

    “However, when some of the corona test reports shown by the Nepalese citizens at the border were found to be fake, we decided to conduct our own rapid antigen tests on every incoming Nepalese migrant, before permitting them on Indian soil,” Pant said.

  • COVID-19: R-value climbing steadily in country, Kerala and northeastern states top list

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The R-factor, which indicates the speed at which COVID-19 infection is spreading in the country, is climbing steadily with Kerala and the northeastern states occupying top spots fuelling worries about the pandemic rearing its head again.

    Among the metro cities, the R-values of Pune and Delhi are close to one, suggests an analysis by researchers at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai.

    When the second wave of the COVID-19 infection was at its peak, the overall R-value in the country was estimated to be 1.37 between March 9 to April 21.

    ALSO READ| Easing of COVID restrictions likely in 25 Maharashtra districts including Mumbai: State minister

    It declined to 1.18 between April 24 and May 1 and then to 1.1 between April 29 and May 7, according to the analysis. Between May 9 and 11, the R-value was estimated to be around 0.98. It dropped to 0.82 between May 14 and May 30 and further to 0.78 from May 15 to June 26.

    The R-value however rose to 0.88 from June 20 to July 7 and then to 0.95 from July 3-22. “India’s overall active cases are fluctuating too much to get a reliable estimate, but data is pointing at a value close to 1. It may tip over either way in the coming few days,” said Sitabhra Sinha of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, who is leading the team.

    An R-value of 0.95 means, every 100 infected people on an average pass on the infection to 95 other individuals. If the R-value is lesser than 1, it means the number of newly infected people is lower than the number of infected people in the preceding period which means the disease incidence is going down.

    The smaller the value of R is, the faster the disease is on the decline. Conversely, if R is greater than 1, the number of infected people is increasing in each round — technically, this is what is called the epidemic phase.

    The bigger the number is than one, the faster the rate of spreading of the disease in the population. Kerala has the highest number of active cases and continues to have an R-value around 1.11. “So looks like it will remain in the top spot for the next couple of weeks. The Northeast continues to have a very bad situation with most states having R-value more than 1,” Sinha said.

    ALSO READ| 51 fresh cases of COVID-19 reported in Delhi, city sees zero deaths

    The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said it will depute a six-member team to Kerala for effective COVID-19 management as the state reports a spike in daily cases. The team headed by National Centre for Disease Control Director SK Singh will reach Kerala on Friday and visit some districts reporting a high case positivity rate.

    The high case positivity has remained a cause of concern at a time when the overall coronavirus numbers are on a decline in the country.

    Kerala on Wednesday recorded 22,056 fresh COVID-19 cases pushing the infection caseload to 33,27,301, with the number of people who succumbed to the virus rising to 16,457 with 131 more deaths.

    In the northeast, only Tripura has an R-value substantially lower than one while Manipur has gone only marginally below one. Among other states in India, Uttarakhand has an R-value very close to one at the moment.

    Among the major cities, Pune appears to have an R-value greater than one while Delhi has a value close to one.

    The R-value of Pune was 0.85 between July 11-13 and 0.89 between July 15-20. For the national capital, the R-value between June 21- 26 was 0.80. It dropped to 0.66 from June 28-July 6, but it rose to 0.84 between July 4-20.

    For Bengaluru, the R-value from July 7-13 was 0.92. It increased marginally to 0.95 from July 13-17. It dropped to 0.72 from July 17-23. In the case of Mumbai, the R-value was 0.96 between July 2-4. It dropped to 0.89 between July 6-9.

    It further dropped to 0.74 between July 22-24. For Chennai, the R-value between June 29 to July 7 was 0.63. It shot up to 1.05 between July 16-19. It was 0.94 between 21-24, showing signs of decline. In the case of Kolkata, the R-value was 0.80 between July 1-13, followed by 0.91 between July 12-17. It dropped to 0.86 between July 17-24.

  • Easing of COVID restrictions likely in 25 Maharashtra districts including Mumbai: State minister

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Mumbai and 24 other districts of Maharashtra which have reported COVID-19 positivity rates lower than the state’s average are likely to get more relaxation from restrictions, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Thursday.

    The government is also considering if those who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus can be allowed to travel by local trains in Mumbai, he said.

    Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the state’s COVID-19 task force chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tope said in the remaining 11 districts, where the infection rate is high, more restrictions may be imposed.

    “We have discussed introducing more relaxation in 25 districts including Mumbai where the positivity rate is much lower than the state’s average. A decision with a detailed set of instructions will be out in a couple of days,” he said.

    But there will be no relaxation in the remaining districts of Pune, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Beed and Ahmednagar where the infection positivity rate is higher than the average, the minister said. “If required, the local authorities may introduce more stringent restrictions (in these areas) to contain the spread of coronavirus,” he said.

    The issue of allowing those who have taken both the doses of coronavirus vaccine to travel by local trains in Mumbai was also discussed extensively in the meeting, he said. “We are still discussing the ways to verify if a passenger has taken both doses. We will also speak to the railway authorities,” the minister said.

    At present only those engaged in essential and emergency services are allowed to travel by local trains in the state capital.

  • Centre writes to States, seeks data on deaths due to oxygen shortage during second wave: Sources

    According to government sources, this data is likely to be presented in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

  • Rajasthan government to reopen schools from August 2

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Schools are all set to reopen in Rajasthan which were closed due to COVID-19. Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara has announced the opening of all schools in the state from August 2 by tweeting after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday evening.

    The government has decided to start classes in schools, colleges and universities. Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara said that a separate SOP for opening school wills be issued by Home Department in a day or two.

    “We had proposed to the Chief Minister that schools are closed for almost two years and education of backward sections of children is being disrupted in rural areas, so all schools should be opened, which has been approved,” said Dotasra.

    आज हुई कैबिनेट की बैठक में प्रदेश के सभी विद्यालयों को 02 अगस्त से खोलने का निर्णय लिया गया है।@rajeduofficial
    — Govind Singh Dotasra (@GovindDotasra) July 22, 2021

    He added that at present there is no risk of COVID-19 in young children and there is also no clarity about the third wave of COVID. “If the third wave comes, then schools can be closed again in view of the circumstances at that time, but for the time being, all the schools will be opened from August 2,” he clarified.

    Dotasra empasised that all COVID-19 guidelines will be followed in schools and not more than 20 children will be accommodated in a class room. “The health and education of the children will be taken care of and the department will issue guidelines in this respect within a couple of days,” he said.

    Schools, colleges have been closed for students since March 2020.  In the meeting of the Council of Ministers, there was a detailed discussion about starting classes in various educational institutions including schools, colleges, universities.  

    The Council of Ministers sought the opinion on opening schools and colleges from experrs who showed a positive attitude on this. It was agreed in the Council of Ministers that educational institutions should be opened by following the COVID-19 protocol and taking all the precautions.

  • 645 children orphaned by Covid-19 second wave from April-May 28, most in UP

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A total of 645 children lost their parents to COVID-19 from April to May 28 this year during the second wave, the Women and Child Development Ministry said on Thursday.

    In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani gave data on the children orphaned during the second wave of COVID-19.

    According to the data, a total of 645 children lost their parents to Covid from April 2021 to May 28.

    The highest number of such children was reported from Uttar Pradesh at 158 followed by Andhra Pradesh at 119, Maharashtra at 83 and Madhya Pradesh at 73.

    The states and UTs have been jointly requested by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education to ensure continuity of education of the children who have lost their parents in the COVID-19 pandemic, while accommodating them under the various schemes being run by Department of School Education and Literacy, Irani said in a written reply.

    She further said that the prime minister has announced a scheme to support the children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to the pandemic.

    “The scheme provides support for education and health and will create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when he or she reaches 18 years of age.

    This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support/ stipend form 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements during the period of higher education and on reaching the age of 23 years, he or she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use,” Irani said.

  • India records more than 45,000 cases of ‘black fungus’ over two months

    By AFP
    NEW DELHI: India recorded more than 45,000 cases of the deadly “black fungus” over the last two months, the health ministry said, as a nationwide outbreak sweeps through COVID-19 patients.

    Minister of State (Health & Family Welfare) Bharati Pawar told parliament on Tuesday that over 4,200 people had died of the fungus — scientific name mucormycosis. The infection was previously considered very rare but cases have ballooned during the pandemic, usually striking patients after recovery from COVID-19.

    It is a highly aggressive disease and surgeons have been forced to remove eyes, the nose and jaw from patients to stop it spreading to the brain. The death rate is over 50 percent. According to government data, the highest number of cases were reported in the western state of Maharashtra at 9,348.

    India dealt with just 20 cases a year on average before the pandemic, with only people with severely compromised immunity at risk, including those with high blood sugar levels, HIV or organ transplant recipients. Experts have attributed the recent rise to the excessive use of steroids to treat COVID-19.

    The Centre declared the fungus an epidemic in May as cases shot up and social media has been flooded with desperate pleas for medicines to treat the illness. Government data tabled on Tuesday suggested infection numbers peaked during May and June and have since substantially decreased.

    But a media report cted on Monday that there had been a rise in cases among children in Rajasthan.

  • Delta variant largely responsible for infections during second Covid wave: ICMR study

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The latest study by the Indian Council of Medical Research has confirmed that the majority of the clinical cases in the breakthrough infections during the second Covid wave in India had been caused by the delta variant. 

    The study, based on samples from 677 people across 17 states who got Covid despite vaccination with either Covishield or Covaxin, also found 9.8% of cases required hospitalization while fatality was observed in 0.4% of cases. 

    “This clearly suggests that the vaccination does provide a reduction in hospital admission and mortality,” noted the authors of the paper titled “Clinical characterization and Genomic analysis of Covid-19 breakthrough infections during the second wave in different states of India”. 

    Tarun Bhatnagar, a scientist with ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology who is not directly associated with the study said that the study corroborated the dominance of delta variants in India during the second wave. 

    “It also shows that the breakthrough infections with the dominance of Delta suggest some level of immune escape by variant that can result in reduced vaccine effectiveness in general,” he said, adding that there is need for accelerated vaccination to reduce the impact of higher transmission property of the variant. 

    ALSO READ | ‘Work from home, staggered opening’: Doctors advise third COVID wave preparations in Delhi

    In the analysis researchers also examined the clinical data for 677 breakthrough cases — 592 of whom had received both doses while 85 had got just one — and found that a total of 482 cases or 71% were symptomatic with one or more symptoms, while 29% had asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

    Fever (69%) was the most consistent presentation followed by body ache including headache and nausea (56%), cough (45%), sore throat (37%), loss of smell and taste (22%), diarrhoea (6%), breathlessness (6%) and 1% had ocular irritation and redness. 

    Comorbidities were observed in 154 out of 677 cases which included diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension as well as chronic cardiac, renal, and pulmonary diseases, and obesity. 

    The comorbid cases were significantly predisposed to develop symptoms such as cough, sore throat, fever, loss of smell and taste, diarrhoea, breathlessness, ocular symptoms and were significantly more predisposed to hospitalization, noted the authors. 

    It was highlighted that the current Covid19 vaccines are disease-modifying in nature wherein mild or less severe infections are expected to occur in vaccinated individuals. 

    However, vaccination seems to have an obvious advantage in averting severe disease, hospitalization, and deaths, felt the scientists adding that continuous monitoring of post-vaccination breakthrough infections along with clinical severity of disease must be adopted as an essential component of vaccine roll-out program by all countries. 

    “Such monitoring will help us to understand the need to adequately tweak the available vaccines and also develop new vaccines with enhanced potential to protect against variant strains of SARS-CoV-2,” said the paper.