India Coronavirus Dispatch: Why is Maharashtra seeing a spike in cases?

India's wedding season is a worry and its digital to track vaccinations has glitches: That is in news about the country's fight against Covid-19

IN NUMBERS: Nearly 13,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 12,881 fresh coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,09,50,201, according to a report in the Scroll. The country saw 101 deaths, taking the death toll to 1,56,014, according to central health ministry data. Total recoveries have surged to 1,06,56,845. The national recovery rate is at 97.32 per cent. The active caseload is at 1,37,342, which makes up 1.25 per cent of the total caseload. About 9.4 million healthcare and frontline workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here 

Why is Maharashtra seeing a spike in cases?

A factor in rising Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra in the past two weeks could be the reopening of local trains for the general public in Mumbai, a report in The Indian Express said. The recently held gram panchayat polls could also have played a part state surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate told the newspaper. Another factor could be a surge in weddings and other family events that are taking place which had been put on hold last year. Read more here 

Wedding season a concern

Government medical experts flagged the ongoing wedding season as a concern in the efforts to contain the spread of the virus, a report in the Hindustan Times said. “…this is a period for marriages, particularly in north India, so we have to be careful by maintaining social distancing, and maintaining our other precautions in this particular phase with equal and continuing rigour,” said Dr VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog. Read more here

Research shows evidence of reinfection without spike protein mutations

A joint study by researchers at CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Apollo Hospitals showed some evidence for Covid-19 reinfection without any mutations to the spike protein, a report in The Hindu said. The study reported two cases where there was no difference in the spike protein of the virus after samples were sequenced to establish genetic diversity. Of the two cases, one was a clear case of reinfection and the other was a possible case. Both infections were detected during routine surveillance. The findings of the study were published in the Oxford University publication, Clinical Infectious Diseases. Read more here

Co-Win snags continue, impede vaccination in Bihar

Technical snags in Co-Win, India's digital platform to manage and track the Covid-19 vaccination rollout, continue to be reported from Bihar, a report in Hindustan Times said. For instance, a healthcare worker who was yet to complete the mandated 28-day period between doses was listed for the second jab earlier this week at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS). Glitches such as eligible beneficiaries not receiving information about the date, time, and vaccination centre in time have resulted in a low turnout, State Health Society Executive Director Manoj Kumar told the Hindustan Times. Read more here