India Coronavirus Dispatch: 'Symbolic snan' in Haridwar on Guru Purnima

Study finds immune response to Covid vaccine found linked to age, azithromycin out of favour as therapy, and more-news relevant to India's fight against the pandemic

Over 35,342 fresh cases reported

India reported 35,342 fresh coronavirus infections on Friday, taking the cumulative caseload to 3.12 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 483 more deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 419,470. The active caseload is at 405,513, while the total recoveries have surged to 30.4 million. As many as 423 million vaccine shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 5.4 million were given on Thursday. Read more

Only 'symbolic snan' in Haridwar on Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima celebrations in Uttarakhand's Haridwar this year will be limited to only a symbolic snan on Sunday, ANI reported. Only devotees with a negative RT-PCR report carried out in the last 72 hours will be allowed to participate, officials said. "In view of the Covid-19 pandemic and a possible third wave, only a symbolic 'snan' will be held in Haridwar on July 24 on the occasion of Guru Purnima. Only 'Shri Ganga Sabha' and 'Teerth Purohit' to participate in the snan," the Haridwar district administration said on Saturday, according to ANI. Read more

Immune response to Covid vaccine found linked to age: Study

New research suggests that older people appear to have fewer antibodies against the novel coronavirus, a report in The Indian Express said. The study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The authors emphasised that even though they measured diminished antibody response in older people, the vaccine still appeared to be effective enough to prevent infection and severe illness in most people of all ages. Researchers measured the immune response in the blood of 50 people two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19. They grouped participants into age groups and then exposed their blood serum in test tubes to the original variant and the Gamma variant that originated in Brazil. Read more

Azithromycin, out of favour as Covid-19 therapy

At one stage, azithromycin was the most commonly prescribed outpatient therapy for Covid, a report in The Indian Express said. However, its use as a treatment option against Covid-19 has gone down, given the lack of evidence that it works. Now, a new study has shown that it does not have a role in the treatment of Covid-19; it only has a placebo effect. Read more

Vaccine trial in Bihar: After first dose, no major side effect in children

According to experts, Covaxin could get emergency certification for use in children earliest in September as no anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction, or major adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), has been reported in children so far during the phase II/III clinical trials of the vaccine, a report in Hindustan Times said. Read more