News Analysis India

Tag: Omicron

  • 2,745 new COVID cases in India; active infections rise to 18,386

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With 2,745 new coronavirus infections being recorded in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,31,60,832, while the active cases increased to 18,386, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,24,636 with six fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

    An increase of 503 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.60 per cent and weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 0.63 per cent, according to the health ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,17,810, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 193.57 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 six new fatalities include two from Kerala and one each from Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

    A total of 5,24,636 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,860 from Maharashtra, 69,742 from Kerala, 40,107 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,210 from Delhi, 23,520 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,204 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.

  • India records 2,338 Covid cases, 19 deaths; active infections rise to 17,883

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India recorded 2,338 new Covid infections in a day that took its case tally to 4,31,58,087 while the number of active cases rose to 17,883, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,24,630 with 19 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    According to the ministry, active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent.

    India’s active caseload increased by 185 in 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was 0.64 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.61 per cent, the data showed.

    A total of 85.04 crore tests to detect COVID-19 have been conducted so far of which 3,63,883 were carried out in the last 24 hours.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,15,574, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent.

    The total number of vaccine doses administered in the country so far has exceeded 193.45 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 COVID-19 cases on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

  • Youth most affected by Omicron in third Covid wave

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Productive age group of 20-40 years was most affected during the third Covid wave propelled by the Omicron in India, a latest study has said.

    The study on Covid-19 third wave experience in India, in which 5,971 adults were surveyed, found that getting Covid-19 was higher in younger adults, most likely because of greater mobility and mingling.

    The survey conducted by Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman National Indian Medical Association (IMA) Covid-19 task force and its past president; Ramesh Shenoy and Anithadevi TS, said that nearly 45 per cent of people in the age group of 40 years tested positive.

    This was followed by nearly 40 percent of people in the 30 years age group and 31.8 per cent in the 20 years age group.

    Over 21 percent were those who were below ten years.

    “Significantly, over 40 percent of the young people reported symptoms of moderate severity requiring bed rest or hospitalisation for things like IV fluids and pain control,” Dr Jayadevan told this newspaper.

    He said this shows that Omicron is not the “common cold” that many people believe. The study was published in medRxiv, a preprint service for health sciences.

    “Rather, this means a substantial loss of productivity in various strata of society. Thus, a sudden surge in cases could not only overwhelm healthcare establishments but also be bad for the economy in general,” he added.

    With multiple waves from variants, the long term effects of repeated infections, including long Covid, are not fully known. “It is always better to prevent infection to the extent possible through established public health measures like indoor masking and to improve indoor ventilation,” Dr Jayadevan said.

    Dr Darshana Reddy, consultant, Internal Medicine, Altius Hospital, Bangalore, who saw many young people who tested positive during the third wave, agreed with the report findings, saying that thankfully most of the cases were mild, as a result of a successful vaccination drive that had undoubtedly proved useful. 

    “The number of people infected with Omicron was dramatically higher than at any other time in the pandemic. The infection is mild in most individuals, but those who have severe illness still represent a significant number,” Dr Reddy said.

  • 2,288 new COVID cases in India, active infections in country dip to 19,637

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With 2,288 new coronavirus infections reported in a day, India’s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,31,07,689, while the active cases decreased to 19,637, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,24,103 with 10 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.05 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

    A decrease of 766 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.47 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.79 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,63,949, while the case fatality rate was 1.22 per cent.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 190.50 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 10 new fatalities include six from Kerala, three from Delhi and one from Karnataka.

  • 3,207 new COVID infections in India; active cases dip to 20,403

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India logged 3,207 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,05,401, while the active cases dipped to 20,403, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,24,093 with 29 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.05 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

    A decrease of 232 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.95 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.82 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,60,905, while the case fatality rate was recorded as 1.22 per cent.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 190.34 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.

  • 3,451 new COVID cases in India; active infections in country rise to 20,635

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India logged 3,451 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,02,194, while the active cases rose to 20,635, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,24,064 with 40 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.05 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

    An increase of 332 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.96 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 0.83 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,57,495, while the case fatality rate was 1.22 per cent.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 190.20 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 40 new fatalities include 35 from Kerala, two from Delhi and one each from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

    A total of 5,24,064 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,846 from Maharashtra, 69,245 from Kerala, 40,103 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,179 from Delhi, 23,509 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,203 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.

  • 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.

  • COVID-19: India logs 796 new cases, 19 deaths; active infections dip below 11,000 mark

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India recorded 796 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,30,36,928, while the active cases dipped to 10,889, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

    The death toll climbed to 5,21,710 with 19 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

    The active cases comprise 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate remained at 98.76 per cent, the ministry said.

    A reduction of 169 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.20 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was 0.24 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,04, 329, while the case fatality rate was recorded as 1.21 per cent.

    The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 85.90 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 19 new fatalities include 18 from Kerala and one from Mizoram.

    A total of 5,21,710 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,816 from Maharashtra, 68,383 from Kerala, 40,057 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,157 from Delhi, 23,499 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,200 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.

  • COVID-19: India records 1,054 fresh cases, 29 more deaths; active infections go down further

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With 1,054 fresh cases, India’s COVID-19 tally has climbed to 4,30,35,271, while the death toll due to the viral disease has gone up to 5,21,685 with 29 more fatalities, the Union health ministry said on Sunday.

    However, the number of active cases of the infection has further declined to 11,132, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.

    The active cases account for 0.03 per cent of the total caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate remained at 98.76 per cent, the ministry said.

    A reduction of 233 cases was recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours, it added.

    The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.25 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was 0.23 per cent, according to the ministry.

    The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 4,25,02,454, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.

    The total number of Covid vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 185.7 crore.

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

    It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 2020, 70 lakh on October 11, 2020, 80 lakh on October 29, 2020, 90 lakh on November 20, 2020 and the one-crore mark on December 19, 2020.

    The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid cases on May 4, 2021 and the three-crore mark on June 23, 2021.

    The 29 new fatalities include 21 from Kerala.

    Of the 5,21,656 Covid deaths reported so far in the country, 1,47,816 are from Maharashtra, 68,360 from Kerala, 40,057 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,156 from Delhi, 23,499 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,200 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,” it said on its website, adding that a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

  • After Mumbai, Vadodara reports case of XE variant of Omicron

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI//AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Saturday reported the first case of Omicron’s sub-variant XE in the state. Said to be 10 per cent more transmissible, this was detected in a man from Mumbai who tested positive for Covid-19 during his visit to Vadodara. He has gone back to Mumbai and is said to be in stable condition.

    This is the second reported case of the variant in India, after one in Mumbai earlier this week. The Central government, which denied that the case in Mumbai was one of XE, did not comment on the Gujarat case till late in the evening. Experts have advised not to panic, saying that this combination of the BA.1 and BA.2 strains of Omicron will not be dangerous for a vaccinated population.

    Officials at the Indian Sars-coV-2 Genome Consortium (INSACOG), a network of labs that tracks sequences, and the Union health ministry are yet to confirm if the Gujarat case is actually an XE variant.

    According to Gujarat health department officials, a test was conducted on a 67-year-old man who came to Vadodara from Mumbai last month. He took a Covid-19 test after complaining of fever. The report was positive. This was around March 15. His samples were sent for genome sequencing to Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre in Gandhinagar for testing as per ICMR guidelines. The report came on Friday night.

    Those who came in contact with the man from Mumbai have tested negative. “Covid test reports of three persons who came in contact with the patient are negative,” the Gujarat health department said. “Condition of the patient was stable when the health department had a conversation with him over the phone. As precautionary measures, action has been taken in that area in Vadodara as per Covid guidelines,” said the health department in a media statement.

    Gujarat’s Additional Chief Secretary of Health, Manoj Agarwal said, “Transition capability of the XE variant is higher than Omicron. The hospitalisation process is the same. The Centre will continue to provide guidance.” The current variant has generated concern worldwide and in India, which has just lifted all Covid-related restrictions, with many states making it not mandatory to wear masks anymore.