Coronavirus LIVE: US Vice President Mike Pence gets vaccine in public event

The global tally of coronavirus cases stands at 75,223,151. While 52,805,160 have recovered, 1,666,988 have lost their lives

1:49 AM

UK records another 28,507 coronavirus cases, 489 deaths

Another 28,507 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 1,977,167, according to official figures released Friday.

 

The coronavirus-related deaths in Britain rose by 489 to 66,541, the data showed.

 

The figures were revealed as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged Britons to minimise their contact with those outside their household in the run-up to Christmas.

 

"If you are forming a Christmas Bubble, it's vital that from today, you minimise contact with people from outside your household," he said on Twitter.

12:38 AM

Assam reports 102 new Covid-19 cases

At least 102 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Assam on Friday, raising the tally in the state to 2,15,250, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

 

The death toll increased to 1,011 after a 78-year-old woman succumbed to the disease in Cachar district, he said.

 

"Sad to share the demise of one #COVID patient today...Condolences and prayers," Sarma said on Twitter.

 

The fatality rate currently stands at 0.47 per cent.

11:28 PM

Jaipur: Nearly 70 volunteers given Covaxin in Phase III trials

Nearly 70 volunteers were given Covaxin, a vaccine being developed indigenously for coronavirus, in the Phase III trials here, an official said on Friday.

 

They were given the vaccine at a private hospital in Jaipur.

 

Covaxin is being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

10:38 PM

Bengal reports 42 more Covid-19 deaths

The Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal rose to 9,277 on Friday as 42 more people succumbed to the disease, the health department said in a bulletin.

 

The state registered 2,239 new cornavirus cases, pushing the tally to 5,32,695, it said.

 

According to the bulletin, the total number of recoveries reached 5,04,353 as 2,729 people were cured of the disease during the day.

9:56 PM

Punjab coronavirus update

Covid death toll in Punjab climbs to 5,170 as 20 more people succumb to virus, caseload surges to 162,270 with 444 fresh infections

8:45 PM

Karnataka reported 1,222 new Covid-19 cases, 1,039 discharges

8:44 PM

US VP Mike Pence, wife Karen, get Covid-19 vaccine injections

Vice President Mike Pence became the highest profile world leader to be vaccinated for the coronavirus Friday. Pence's wife Karen and Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received shots on live television. President Donald Trump's administration helped deliver vaccinations against the coronavirus earlier than even some in his administration thought possible, launching Operation Warp Speed the government campaign to help swiftly develop and distribute vaccines this spring with great fanfare in the White House Rose Garden.

But five days into the largest vaccination campaign in the nation's history, Trump has held no public events to trumpet the rollout. He hasn't been inoculated himself. He has tweeted only twice about the shot. Pence, meanwhile, has taken center stage touring a vaccine production facility this week and receiving a dose himself on live television Friday morning. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell both said Thursday that they will get vaccinated in the next few days.

8:43 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Nepal reports 782 new cases of coronavirus

Nepal has reported 782 new cases of coronavirus, taking the total number of infections in the country to 252,474, the health ministry said on Friday. The Ministry of Health and Population said the new cases were reported after health authorities performed 5,706 screening tests across the nation. The total number of coronavirus infections in the country currently stands at 252, 474, the health ministry said in a statement.

As of Friday, 9,317 corona active people were undergoing treatment at different isolation centres across the country. Of the total cases so far, 241,392 people have recovered whereas 1,765 have died, according to the ministry. In the past 24 hours, 1,029 people have been discharged whereas 16 deaths have been reported. Nepal's recovery rate stands at 95.6 per cent.

8:42 PM

Slovenia's health minister steps down amid coronavirus pandemic

Slovenia's health minister resigned Friday after his party left the country's ruling center-right coalition, a blow to Prime Minister Janez Jansa during the coronavirus pandemic. Tomaz Gantar said he was stepping down after his Democratic Party of Pensioners, or DESUS, announced it was pulling out of the coalition government in protest of Jansa's populist policies.

The prime minister has faced accusations of pressuring the media and curbing criticism in the traditionally liberal European Union nation. He has denied the accusations. It was not immediately clear who will become health minister. Jansa said he would temporarily run the Health Ministry. The remaining coalition parties still appeared to hold a slight parliamentary majority. Jansa's government was formed in March following the resignation of Slovenia's previous, liberal prime minister, Marjan Sarec.

8:33 PM

Maharashtra reported 3,994 new Covid-19 cases, 75 deaths

6:54 PM

Uttarakhand reported 580 Covid-19 cases, 547 recoveries

6:45 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Vaccination for Covid-19 will be voluntary: Health ministry

Getting vaccinated for Covid-19 will be voluntary, the Union Health Ministry has said while underlining that the vaccine introduced in India will be as effective as any vaccine developed by other countries. The ministry further stated that it was advisable to receive a complete schedule of the anti-coronavirus vaccine irrespective of past history of infection with Covid-19 as this will help in developing a strong immune response against the disease. It also said that protective level of antibodies generally develop two weeks after receiving the second dose.

The ministry listed a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday night and responded to questions like if taking a vaccine was mandatory, how long does it take for the antibodies to develop and if it was necessary for a Covid recovered person to take the vaccine. "Vaccination for Covid-19 is voluntary. However, it is advisable to receive the complete schedule of the vaccine for protecting one-self against this disease and also to limit the spread of this disease to the close contacts including family members, friends, relatives and co-workers," the ministry said in response to a question on if it is mandatory to take the shot.

The ministry said that vaccine trials are under different stages of finalisation. The government is geared to launch a vaccine for Covid-19 soon, it said.

6:20 PM

Manipur records 86 new Covid-19 cases, 121 recoveries

6:13 PM

Kerala reports 5,456 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours

6:10 PM

Sex hormones, chromosomes behind better Covid-19 outcomes in women than men, study says

Women face less severe complications and a lower risk of dying from Covid-19 than men due to the presence of hormones and chromosomes that contribute to a stronger immune response in female patients, according to a study. The research, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, highlights how the sex differences in Covid-19 are linked to ACE2, an enzyme that acts as the receptor allowing SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the body.

ACE2 is also key in protecting against cardiovascular, lung and kidney diseases, the researchers said. "Because of their chromosomes, women have two copies of the ACE2 gene and men have only one copy," said senior study author Gavin Oudit, professor at the University of Alberta in Canada. "This does not seem to make women more susceptible to Covid-19 infection, but it does protect them from the complications associated with the virus," Oudit said.

ACE2 is an X chromosome-linked gene, Oudit explained. To avoid duplication, one X chromosome tends to be inactivated, however, due to its location ACE2 escapes inactivation. This means women have twice as many active genetic instructions to make ACE2, he said. Another gene that is twice as strong in women due to this X-inactivation escape is called Toll-like receptor seven, a key part of the innate immune system.
 

"The stronger presence of Toll-like receptor seven in women explains why women's immune systems are stronger than men's and can tolerate virus infection better, including the common cold," said Oudit, adding "the man-cold phenomenon is real." The study found that men face more severe illness and poorer outcomes around the world, even when women likely face more exposure to SARS-CoV-2 than men.
 

"Due to gender issues, women face more risk, so it's reassuring to know that their outcomes are not any worse; in fact they are clearly better than men's," Oudit said.