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Tag: vk paul

  • Covid third wave: Govt prepared to handle 5 lakh cases per day

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The day saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate 35 PSA oxygen plants installed in various hospitals across various states, and the government said that it was preparing to deal with 4.5 to 5 lakh Covid cases per day as per forecast of a possible third wave.

    Authorities, however, also clarified that there is no evidence or projection available to suggest that the situation could get that bad, also issuing strong warnings for the next three months that will see many festivals. During the second peak of the Covid19 pandemic in India, the country had reported nearly 4.14 lakh cases in a day before swift decline began. 

    “We don’t have a straight-forward formula to calculate what extent the peak could reach this time after reaching 71 per cent vaccination with the 1st dose and a certain level of natural infection. But the government is preparing for a surge of 4.5 to 5 lakh cases per day,” said V K Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog on Thursday in a Union health ministry briefing. The second wave of the pandemic which caught the country rather unawares in April-May.

  • Third Covid-19 wave likely soon if guards are dropped: Centre

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Top authorities on Friday warned that a third Covid-19 wave could strike the country and peak higher if the restraints and measures being undertaken now to control the second wave of the infectious disease are dropped or eased without caution.

    In a press briefing by the Union health ministry, VK Paul, member, health, Niti Aayog who heads the country’s Covid-19 national task force underlined that the pandemic situation had not improved because of the virus behaviour but because of the measures taken to curb its spread.

    “If we again start doing what we were doing as a society in December, January, the situation can again go into a difficult phase,” he said. “More of that (not maintaining Covid appropriate behaviour) we do, higher will be the wave but if we proceed slowly and continue the tightrope walk, the wave will be small..maybe there will be no waves at all,” he said.

    The figures shared by the government on Friday showed that there has been a 68 % decline in daily cases from May 7.

    Also, around 377 districts are reporting less than five % test positivity rate and 257 districts are reporting more than 100 daily Covid-19 cases—all signs that the pandemic is now under control in many parts in India.

    Paul however insisted that this is not happening automatically. “ There are no crowds.. a price that we pay but we have made it difficult for the virus to travel. But we have to remember that when the peak is declining, if we start doing what we were doing in January, it will come back again. This is mathematically valid and also valid by common sense,” he stressed.

    Many experts have said that while a third wave of the pandemic is a real threat and could occur given the still large number of people who may be susceptible to the virus, it is difficult to predict its timing and intensity.

    Some doctors have even predicted that the third wave, when it arrives, maybe even tougher for children who have largely been unaffected so far and may be left completely uncovered through vaccination coverage but the government authorities and other experts have dismissed these concerns.

    Paul, however, maintained that the government was preparing for the worst-case scenario and guidelines on upgrading medical infrastructure for kids will soon be shared with states.

  • Preparing systematically for COVID-19 in kids, guidelines to be out soon: Centre

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre is set to issue guidelines for Covid-19 management in kids and also to prepare hospital infrastructure to support a large number of kids in case the infectious disease hits them with more intensity in the coming months, authorities announced on Tuesday.

    The announcement comes amid concerns that children may be among the worst hit with Covid-19 if there is a fresh wave of the viral disease. But many experts, apart from government officials, have said this may not be a valid apprehension based on the scientific evidence so far.

    VK Paul, member (health) Niti Aayog and chairman of the national Covid19 task force who is a paediatrician himself said in a press briefing on Tuesday that so far, only 2-3 % of the kids with Covid-19 need hospital care and the scientific evidence suggest that children are less susceptible for severe disease.

    He however added that preparations will be made keeping 2.5 to 3 times that number in mind to tackle any future exigency.

    “The paediatric population is generally asymptomatic. They often get infections but their symptoms are minimal or nil. If they do get Covid, the infection has not taken serious shape in children and the need to hospitalise is very less,” Paul said.

    “But the virus may change its behaviour in the paediatric population and there may be changes in epidemiological dynamics. The impact of Covid-19 may increase in children…The data has shown that a low number of children are being admitted to hospitals. We are pushing preparedness by the day,” he added.

    Paul also stressed that the government is working very systematically, comprehensively to address the problem of paediatric Covid disease for now as well as in the future.

    “We will strengthen our facilities as required and do an audit of what is required and what might be required in a worst-case scenario,” he also said adding that in some children post Covid19 complications are seen 2-6 weeks after the actual infection and these complications may be totally different than the ones reported in adults. 

    The debate that the children could be the worst affected in future waves of Covid19 pandemic started driven by the logic that they may be completely left out of the vaccination coverage against coronavirus.

    Most experts however say that these concerns may be unfounded. “Serosurveys in many countries including India have shown that prevalence of infection was similar across all age groups so a large number of kids may have been affected already,” pointed out public health expert Chandrakant Lahariya.

    He added that despite a high number of infections, not many kids reported severe disease or needed hospitalisation because of the fact that children due to a smaller number of ACE 2 receptors—used by coronavirus to enter the human cells—as compared to adults.

    “Therefore, I do not see the reason why there should be undue anxieties about a larger number of falling sick due to Covid19 in the coming weeks or months,” he said.

    Some doctors have also advocated that flu shots for kids may be a tool to prevent coronavirus infection but a senior paediatrician in AIIMS, Delhi indicated that it may not be suitable for India.

    “The flu shots available in the private market are often prepared for influenza virus strains prevalent in the peak season in Europe and are often not very effective against preventing seasonal flu in India so I am not sure how such flu shots can help against SARS CoV 2 which is a completely new virus,” he said.

    ALSO WATCH | Is highly infectious B.1.617 variant spreading at a frightening speed?

  • Stick to two-dose protocol for Covishield, no mixing of vaccines anytime now: VK Paul

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Amid confusion that the government may completely do away with the second dose of Covid vaccine Covishield, the Centre on Tuesday clarified that there was no change in the existing dosing protocol while also insisting that mixing and matching of vaccines was not a possibility in the near future.

    “There is some confusion and misunderstanding but let us make clear that we will keep following the gap interval of 12 weeks between two Covishield doses and everyone will get two doses of both Covishield,” said VK Paul, Member (Health) Niti Aayog and head of the national Covid task force.

    He also maintained, while addressing a press conference on Covid situation India, that mixing of Covid doses is not a protocol anywhere in the world as of now and it remains an unresolved scientific question which only research can settle.

    ALSO READ | CCMB’s dry swab test cheaper, results akin to RT-PCR tests: Scientists

    “Possibility of a positive effect (of mixing doses) is also plausible but a harmful reaction cannot be ruled out either,” he said, noting that research is still underway. “Mixing of vaccine is not the protocol yet, the same vaccines, that is Covishield and Covaxin should be administered for both doses. Stick to the SOP.”

    Last week, in a briefing by the Union health and family welfare, Paul on being asked a question related to inadvertent mixing of vaccines in Uttar Pradesh, had remarked that vaccinating people with two different vaccines is “scientifically and theoretically possible” but “it lacks scientific evidence at this time”.

    Meanwhile, authorities added that it will be able to offer Covid vaccines to 1 crore people per day by mid-July or August.

    “There is no shortage of Covid vaccines. By mid-July or August, we will have enough doses to vaccinate 1 crore people per day. We are confident of vaccinating the whole population by December,” said ICMR director general Balram Bhargava.

    ALSO WATCH |  Is B.1.617 variant spreading at a frightening speed?

  • ‘With folded hands…’: Covid task force head insists real-life proof drove Covishield call

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The government on Saturday insisted that the decision to increase the gap between two doses of Covishield to 12-16 weeks was based purely on scientific data and also reiterated that Covaxin production will be raised to 10 crore doses per month soon.

    VK Paul, member (health) Niti Aayog and the head of the country’s national Covid-19 task force, said in a briefing on the pandemic status that the narrative that the gap between two doses of Covishield has been raised owing to the scarcity of vaccines is “saddening”.

    “I am pleading to all of you with folded hands to put these controversies to rest,” he said and added the argument that the decision was taken under some kind of pressure trivialises the matter.

    “Our scientific institutions comprise independent scientists. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization is a standing committee that guided the country in the past – on rotavirus and several other immunization policies. Scientists of this panel deliberate and then come to a consensus,” he said.

    Paul added that India earlier did not go for the gap of 12 weeks, despite a decision by the UK to do so, as there was no evidence on its effectiveness back then and the country’s scientific body did not recommend it thinking that there could be a risk of breakthrough infections.

    “Just a single dose and delayed second dose could make the chance of infection higher. When clinical trials of the vaccine were conducted, the standard protocol was to administer the two doses in a gap of four to six weeks. Somewhere there was a breach in the protocol and there was a delay in administering the second dose,” said Paul.

    ALSO READ | Extended gap between two doses of Covishield reasonable approach’: Fauci advises India to speed up vaccination efforts

    “This breach should not have happened, but it happened. After analysis, it was found that delaying the second dose did not make any difference. But that was not considered robust evidence to extend the gap between the doses,” he explained.

    On the rationale behind the change of stance now, Paul said that that there is real-life evidence from lakhs of people in the UK, showing that a gap of 12 weeks reduces the risk of infection by 60-85% and also reduces the risk of transmission. “So now we got the confidence to implement the gap.”

    It was also reiterated in the briefing that while 1.5 crore doses of Covaxin are being manufactured in India as of now, this number will go up to 10 crore months very soon.

    ALSO READ | Think out of the box to scale up Covaxin production

    Bharat Biotech, said Paul, will start manufacturing 7.5 crore doses every month from August and will further raise it to 10 crore doses. The total Covaxin production, according to him, will go up to 13 crore doses per month once the three public-sector undertakings that have entered into a tie-up with Bharat Biotech for production scale-up start rolling out the vaccines.

  • Sputnik V jabs have reached India, could be available from next week: NITI Aayog

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Amid reports of the shortage of COVID-19 vaccine in various states, Sputnik vaccine has arrived in India, and “hopefully” it will be available in the market from next week, said Dr VK Paul, member (health) of the NITI Aayog, on Thursday.

    “Sputnik vaccine has arrived in India. I’m happy to say that we’re hopeful that it’ll be available in the market next week. We’re hopeful that the sale of the limited supply that has come from there (Russia) will begin next week, said Dr Paul while addressing media.

    He said the production of Sputnik is scheduled to begin in India by July. “Further supply will also follow. Its production will begin in July and it is estimated that 15.6 crore doses will be manufactured in that period,” Dr Paul said.

    Notably, Sputnik V is the third vaccine India has given go-ahead to after Covishield, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. Covishield is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

    ALSO READ | India will examine claim of single-dose version of Sputnik V vaccine: NITI Aayog member

    Talking about the Central government’s move to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the NITI Aayog member said that overall, 216 crore doses of vaccines will be manufactured in India between August and December – “for India and for Indians”.

    “There should be no doubt that vaccine will be available for all as we move forward…Any vaccine that is approved by FDA, WHO can come to India. Import license will be granted within 1-2 days. No import license is pending,” he added.

    He further informed that the Department of Biotechnology, along with other concerned departments and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been in touch with Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson from the initial days of vaccine production.

    “They were officially asked if they would like to send doses to or manufacture in India. We will find partners and assist. They had said that they are working in their own way and they would talk of vaccine availability in the third quarter in 2021. We are connected to them. I’m hopeful that they will step forward to increase availability in India. We invite them to manufacture here along with our companies. Johnson and Johnson did a good job. They accepted this offer under Quad,” Dr Paul said.

    ALSO READ | Vaccine shortage: Serum Institute to produce 10 crore doses by August, Bharat Biotech promises 7.8 crore jabs

    He added that nearly 18 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in India.

    “In the US, the number stands around 26 crores. So, India stands in the third position. We are happy to report that one-third of 45 and above are protected. 45 and above age group contributes to 88 per cent of deaths. So you can imagine, how many dents it would have made to reduce the risk of death of this population,” the NITI Aayog member added.

    Dr Paul also informed that Bharat Biotech has welcomed the offer of other companies manufacturing Covaxin to increase its production in the country.

    “People say that Covaxin should be given to other companies for manufacturing. I am happy to say that Covaxin manufacturing company (Bharat Biotech) has welcomed this when we discussed it with them. Under this vaccine, a live virus is inactivated and this is done only in BSL3 labs. Not every company has this. We give an open invitation to companies who want to do this. Companies that want to manufacture Covaxin, should do it together. The government will assist so that capacity is increased,” he said.

  • ‘No big outbreak’ of black fungus infection: Head of Covid-19 taskforce VK Paul

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Mucormycosis, a fungal infection, is being found in COVID-19 patients and largely in cases of those who are diabetic but there is “no big outbreak”, Niti Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul said on Friday.

    The situation is being monitored and the treatment for mucormycosis is available, he said.

    This comes a day after a leading private hospital in Delhi flagged the rising number of COVID-triggered mucormycosis or black fungus cases.

    Addressing a press conference here, Paul said, “The fungal infection called mucormycosis is being found in patients of COVID-19 disease. It is caused by a fungus named mucor, which is found on wet surfaces. It, to a large extent, is happening to people who have diabetes. It is very uncommon in those who are not diabetic. There is no big outbreak and we are monitoring it.”

    ALSO READ | Not ruling out nationwide lockdown: Head of COVID-19 taskforce

    “Mucor attacks people with uncontrolled sugar. Other than that, if the diabetes patient is taking immune suppressive medicines, steroids, or has cancer, then the impact of mucormycosis is more on that person. If these patients are exposed to wet surfaces, then the chances of getting this disease increases,” he said.

    Paul said drugs that suppress the immune system but are life-saving like dexamethasone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, dexona etc., are already being used to treat COVID-19 patients.

    “All these are related compounds. When these are used, the immune system gets suppressed, even in persons who are diabetic, and this fungus attacks,” he said.

    Paul said when the same COVID-19 patient is put on oxygen support, which has a humidifier containing water, the chances of him or her getting the fungal infection increase.

    “When a patient is on oxygen support, it should be ensured that water does not leak from the humidifier. Patient’s hygiene is also important,” he cautioned.

    Paul said another class of medicines — Tocilizumab and Itolizumab — is being used to treat COVID-19 patients that suppresses the immune system and leads to mucormycosis in diabetic patients.

    “Whoever has diabetes needs to control the sugar level always. We are promoting the administration of steroids but they should not be given at the onset of COVID-19.

    Steroids should not be given unnecessarily.

    ALSO READ | Delhi hospital reports rising number of COVID-induced ‘black fungus’ cases

    They can be given after the sixth day and should be given for a stipulated period of time and not for long.

    “There should be a rational usage of these life-saving steroids as they have ill-effects if given for a longer duration,” he said.

    Similarly, Tocilizumab and Itolizumab should also be given only when required and not irrationally as it can be dangerous, he added.

    “I request healthcare professionals to take care of these things and our National Task Force and the government have adjusted the dose of Tocilizumab in the new protocol to reduce the chances of these infections,” Paul said, adding that treatment for mucormycosis is available.

    Responding to a question on post-COVID deaths, Paul said secondary infection was one of the factors behind them and advised alertness even after acute COVID care.

    He said secondary infection, thrombosis (blood clotting) and severe pneumonia are some of the main reasons for post-COVID deaths.

    “It means that even after acute COVID care, we have to be alert. Many people already have comorbidities and the patient was in a hospital environment, so secondary infection happens, bacteria gets activated.

    “Another reason is thrombosis. Sometimes the residual effect stays for a long time and can be harmful. Another is pneumonia and damage to lungs. The effect stays and respiratory problem aggravates. So we need to stay alert in post-COVID days as well and take proper medication. It should be a very careful phase,” he said.

    Asked about the scarcity of medicines like Fabiflu and Tocilizumab, Paul said, “There is no such scarcity of Fabiflu but there is a possibility of hoarding at a few places.

    But Tocilizumab is imported and is available in limited quantities so the usage should also be in limits.

    “Its excessive use should not be done. It is given to not more than one per cent of the infected patients and only when it is absolutely necessary as it has side effects.”

    Paul said the government is trying to make the medicine available in larger quantities.

    “We have also requested states to have a COVID medical board. As this medicine is (available in) limited (quantity), it should be available with the board. Whichever hospital/nursing home needs it, can share their requirement with them and the medicine can be released accordingly,” he said.

  • Covid double mutant B1617, a variant of concern: Centre

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday came up with a grim warning that a third Covid-19 wave in India was inevitable and admitted for the first time that B.1.617, an Indian mutant of the virus, could be fuelling the massive surge in the country.

    “A phase three is inevitable, given the higher levels of the circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time scale this will occur. We should prepare for new waves,” said K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Centre said on Wednesday.

    Amid clamour for stricter measures to contain the spread of the fierce wave, Niti Aayog member (health), V K Paul, who also heads the national Covid-19 task force, did not rule out the possibility of a national lockdown to break the chain of the virus.

    ALSO READ | Not ruling out nationwide lockdown: Head of COVID-19 taskforce

    Listing the Centre’s guidelines like night curfews and restrictions in districts with over 10 per cent test positivity rate and more than 60 per cent ICU bed occupancy, Paul said: “In that direction there is a clear balanced advisory. At the same time, if anything more is required, those options are always being discussed, and decisions, as required, will be taken.” 

    Meanwhile, data shared during the briefing marked the B.1.617 variant – also known as double mutant – as a “variant of concern” for the first time. Samples collected from at least 18 states, which underwent genomic surveillance, showed the presence of the variant. ​

    ​This variant, along with E484Q and L452R mutants, was first identified in February. Its spread has been exponential, overtaking several other local variants, including N440K and B.1.618, suggesting that it was more transmissible. 

    ALSO READ | No need to panic over N440K variant of COVID-19, says expert

    Data from other countries suggest that while E484Q can escape antibody neutralisation, L452R increases infectivity.

    According to the WHO, this Indian strain has been detected in at least 17 countries, including the UK, US and Singapore.

    Sources said that following a request by the UK government, India has agreed to send samples of B.1.617 for examining the efficacy of the available vaccines against it. 

    Renu Swarup, secretary of department of biotechnology, said initial data has shown that vaccines in India effectively neutralised the variants in circulation. More work is underway to fully establish the findings, she added.

  • New variants of Covid-19 virus not behind the fresh surge in cases: Government

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday clarified that no new variants of the Covid-19 virus are responsible for the upsurge in active cases in some states, referring to the data from genome sequencing of virus samples so far. 

    At least five states in India have reported a gradual rise in active Covid cases over the past several days. The active coronavirus cases in the country crawled up to over 1.5 lakh after touching a low of 1.3 lakh cases earlier this month — the lowest since June. 

    VK Paul, Member, Health, Niti Aayog, who also heads the national Covid-19 task force, said in a press briefing that while two variants of SARS CoV 2 — N440K and E484K — have been detected in Maharashtra, Kerala and Telangana, there is no epidemiological evidence to suggest that these mutants are causing the faster spread of the disease.

    “Based on information available to us, yes these variants are there but there’s no reason today for us to believe, on the basis of scientific information, that these are responsible for the upsurge of the outbreak that you see in some districts of Maharashtra and Kerala,” said Paul. 

    He also said that so far nearly 200 cases of the UK variant, six cases of the South African variant and one case of the Brazilian variant of SARS CoV 2 have been found in India in the 3,500-genome sequencing tests carried out since December.

    ALSO READ | Over 7,000 coronavirus mutations in India, many have serious risks: Scientist

    These three variants, whose presence have been detected in international travellers but not in the community so far, are of particular concern as they are found to be more transmissible and capable of causing severe disease in a higher number of infected people. 

    The data generated by the consortium, INSACOG, led by the National Centre for Disease Control is being epidemiologically analysed, interpreted and shared with the states or districts for investigation, contact tracing and planning response strategies. 

    The rise in active cases, after a long and swift decline over several weeks, meanwhile has spurred fresh worries for the Centre’s disease response plan.

    As per the details shared, there are two states that have 75% active cases — Kerala and Maharashtra. Kerala has 38% of the total active cases of the country while Maharashtra has 37% of the total active cases. The other states showing an upward trend in daily Covid-19 cases include Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

    Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan highlighted in the briefing that nearly 62% of the healthcare workers, scheduled for the second dose of Covid-19 vaccination, have taken the jabs while 41 % of the targeted frontline workers have received the shots. 

  • ‘Concerns about adverse events unfounded’: Centre says Covid vaccine hesitancy must end

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Low turnout of healthcare workers for Covid-19 vaccination has become a major worry for the Centre, top officials conceded on Tuesday.

    “The whole world is clamouring for a vaccine. If we still decline then it is a matter of sadness. … I will urge them (healthcare workers) to please endorse the vaccine. We have to start non-Covid services. Those who are fortunate to receive the vaccine should not refuse it,” said V K Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog who also heads the national task force on Covid-19.

    “A lot of efforts have gone into making the vaccines. If our healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses are declining it (vaccination), then it’s very upsetting,” he added before making an impassioned appeal to healthcare workers to complete this “societal responsibility.”

    “We never know what form this pandemic could take, how big it could get, so please get vaccinated,” he said in a briefing on the Covid-19 outbreak response by the Union government.

    So far, nearly 6.31 lakh people have taken the jabs which are being offered only to healthcare workers in the first phase due to limited supply.

    Paul also reiterated that concerns about serious problems related to the two vaccines are unfounded and insignificant, referring to the Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

    “If there is an adverse effect, there are all preparations in place. But let me assure you that adverse events are not even taking place to a significant scale. The hesitancy about adverse effects among healthcare workers needs to end,” he said.

    “I request them to get vaccinated and please be a role model, motivate others. This vaccine hesitancy needs to end,” Paul underlined, adding vaccination is the only route that will “take us to the end of this calamity”.

    Till Monday a total of 580 cases of adverse reactions have been observed and seven had been hospitalised. However, the government said that adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) were only 0.18% of the total vaccinations, much lesser than what was being reported in several countries and very few of these were serious cases.

    The two deaths that have been recorded in people following vaccinations are unrelated to vaccines, the government has said.

    The Centre had set a target of vaccinating nearly 30 crore population by July this year which include healthcare and frontline workers, those above 50 years and people with serious comorbidities.

    It had also said that in the beginning nearly 100 people will be vaccinated at each of the 3,000 planned vaccination sites however less than 3 lakh people have been turning up to take jabs every day so far.