Covid LIVE: Tamil Nadu sees 33,361 new cases in a day; 1,266 in Mumbai

Coronavirus live updates: India reported 211,298 fresh Covid-19 infections today, taking the caseload tally to 27,369,093. Death toll stands at 315,235. Stay tuned for corona-related news

2:45 PM

Covid second wave triggers raft of growth forecast revisions: RBI report

Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said that the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has triggered revision of growth projections for the current financial year with consensus gravitating towards its earlier forecast of 10.5 per cent.

 

The central bank, in its annual report for 2020-2021, further said that previous year has left a scar on the economy and "in the midst of the second wave, as 2021-22 commences, pervasive despair is being lifted by cautious optimism built up by vaccination drives."

 

"The onset of the second wave has triggered a raft of revisions to growth projections, with the consensus gravitating towards the Reserve Bank's projection of 10.5 per cent for the year 2021-22 -- 26.2 per cent in Q1, 8.3 per cent in Q2, 5.4 per cent in Q3 and 6.2 per cent in Q4," it said.

2:41 PM

Production of another Covid-19 vaccine to begin in weeks

Production of another potential vaccine against COVID-19 will begin within weeks, its developers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday as they launched a large trial enrolling 35,000 adult volunteers in the United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

 

The study will test vaccine candidate formulas against the original coronavirus that spread from Wuhan, China, and against the variant first seen in South Africa, the pharmaceutical firms said.

 

If the trial is successful, regulators could approve the vaccine for use in the last three months of the year, the drugmakers said in a statement. Manufacturing will begin in the coming weeks to enable rapid access to the vaccine, should it be approved, they said.

2:22 PM

Covid-19 may cause long-term lung damage: Study

Scientists have identified persistent damage in the lungs of COVID-19 patients at least three months after they were discharged from hospital, and for some patients even longer.

 

This damage was not detected by routine CT scans and clinical tests, and the patients would consequently normally be told their lungs are normal, according the researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Oxford in the UK.

 

The study, published in the journal Radiology, also shows that patients not hospitalised with COVID-19 but who experience long-term breathlessness may have similar damage in their lungs. However, the researchers said a larger study is needed to confirm this.

2:21 PM

World Coronavirus Dispatch: Biden orders inquiry into origins of virus

Joe Biden has ordered US intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, indicating that his administration takes seriously the possibility that the deadly virus was accidentally leaked from a lab, in addition to the prevailing theory that it was transmitted by an animal to humans outside a lab. The President's statement, his most public and expansive yet on the question of how the virus spread to humans, came as top health officials renewed their appeals this week for a more rigorous inquiry. READ ON...

2:06 PM

Another Covid-19 vaccine enters final trials

Production of another potential vaccine against COVID-19 will begin within weeks, its developers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline said Thursday as they launched a large Phase III trial enrolling 35,000 adult volunteers in the United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

 

The study will test the effectiveness of vaccine candidate formulas against the virus that spread from Wuhan, China, and against a variant first seen in South Africa, the pharmaceutical firms said.

 

If the trial is successful, regulators could approve the vaccine for use in the last three months of the year, the companies said in a statement. Manufacturing will begin in the coming weeks to enable rapid access to the vaccine should it be approved, they added.

2:01 PM

Delhi HC allows duty free import of black fungus drug till waiver decision

The Delhi High Court Thursday allowed duty free import of Amphotericin B, used for treating black fungus patients, primarily those affected by it after recovering from COVID-19, on furnishing of a bond by the importers till the Centre takes a final decision on waiving the customs duty on it.

 

The high court said the medicine is required to save lives of thousands of people suffering from Mucormycosis and the central government shall seriously consider waiver of customs duty till the drug is in short supply in India. READ MORE...

1:54 PM

Black Fungus medicine needed to save lives, Centre should seriously consider waiver of custom duties: HC

Delhi HC says black fungus medicine needed to save lives, Centre should seriously consider waiver of custom duties till it is in short supply

1:47 PM

Covid vaccine supply not at par with our demand: Punjab Health Minister

1:41 PM

Drive-through Covid-19 vaccination centre starts in Ahmedabad

The Ahmedabad civic body on Thursday started a drive-through vaccination centre here for inoculation against COVID-19 of people aged 18 and above.

 

After the facility opened in the morning at the GMDC ground here in Gujarat, a number of citizens were seen arriving there in their vehicles.

 

The drive-through facility has been started in collaboration with the Apollo Hospital under public private partnership (PPP) mode, a release issued by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said. The hospital management will arrange all the logistics, such as vaccine vials and staff, it said.

1:39 PM

Centre should consider complete waiver of import duties of Amphotericin for a limited period: Delhi HC

1:35 PM

States to receive 11 lakh Covid-19 doses soon: Centre

More than 1.84 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and UTs and they will receive over 11 lakh doses within the next three days, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

 

The Centre has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 22 crore vaccine doses (22,16,11,940) to states and UTs.

 

Of this, the total consumption, including wastages is 20,17,59,768 doses, the ministry said. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the states and UTs by providing them COVID-19 vaccines free of cost. The Centre has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by states and UTs.

1:30 PM

Controlling Covid is my only focus: Yediyurappa on replacement speculation

With speculations rife that some attempts were on within the ruling BJP to replace him, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and protecting the interests of the people were his only priorities now.

 

In a veiled attack on those trying to exert pressure for unseating him, he said those who had gone to Delhi have come back with answers as he asserted that addressing the Covid situation should be the priority of all Ministers and legislators.

 

"The only thing before me is Covid, controlling it and protecting the interest of the people is my priority. If some has gone somewhere (referring to some legislators going to Delhi to meet high command), they have been given the right answers (by the high command) and sent back," Yediyurappa said. Read on...

12:59 PM

Pfizer vaccine procurement as soon as possible for children: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday sought procurement of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible to inoculate children.

 

This comes after the US pharma company sought fast-track approval for its jab in India.

 

The US major has told Indian authorities that its vaccine is suitable for everyone aged 12 years or above and can be stored for a month at 2-8 degrees, sources had said.

 

"We shud procure this vaccine asap for our children," Kejriwal tweeted, citing a news story on fast-track approval sought by the company. Read on..

12:36 PM

GSK says it aims to bring FDA-approved antibody therapy to India for Covid

Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Nasdaq-listed Vir Biotechnology have won the US drug regulator’s approval for a drug to treat mild and moderate Covid-19 patients older than 12.

 

A spokesperson for GSK India said that the company was exploring options to make Sotrovimab, an "important medicine", available for Indian patients quickly. The spokesperson did not comment on possible pricing of the product that will be available in the US in weeks. “Discussions with global regulators regarding authorisations in additional countries continue to advance,” GSK said.

 

Cipla recently launched its Roche antibody cocktail (casrivimab and imdevimab) for Rs 60,000 per patient for Covid-19 treatment in India. Read on...

10:47 AM

Zydus seeks DCGI approval to undertake clinical trials for monoclonal antibodies cocktail

Zydus seeks DCGI approval to undertake clinical trials for monoclonal antibodies cocktail that can neutralise Covid infection: Zydus Cadila