Covid LIVE: Zydus plans to make 100 mn-120 mn doses of ZyCov-D annually

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Kerala reported 21,116 new infections, Maharashtra 5,225, Andhra Pradesh (1,501), Tamil Nadu (1,702), Karnataka (1,432), Delhi (25). Stay tuned for corona-related news

8:40 AM

Gujarat logs 19 new coronavirus cases, 22 recoveries; no fresh death

Gujarat reported 19 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, taking the tally to 8,25,255, while no fresh death due to the infection was reported in the state, the Health Department said.

 

With 22 more patients getting discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, the tally of recoveries rose to 8,14,994, said a release by the department. 

8:30 AM

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Pfizer and Astra vaccines less effective after 90 days, says study

A British public health study has found that protection from either of the two most commonly used Covid-19 vaccines against the now prevalent Delta variant of the coronavirus weakens within three months.

 

It also found that those who get infected after receiving two shots of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the AstraZeneca vaccine may be of greater risk to others than under previous variants of the coronavirus. Based on more than three million nose and throat swabs taken across Britain, the Oxford University study found that 90 days after a second shot of the Pfizer or Astrazeneca vaccine, their efficacy in preventing infections had slipped to 75 per cent and 61 per cent respectively.

That was down from 85 per cent and 68 per cent, respectively, seen two weeks after a second dose. Read on...

8:20 AM

Markets gripped by anxiety over Covid-19 pandemic, Fed's tapering

Iron ore, luxury stocks and the dollar are all sending the same message across markets: investors are getting uneasy.

That anxiety was on display on Thursday as global markets shuddered in the wake of concerns stretching from China’s economy, Covid and the tapering of Federal Reserve stimulus. While the pain was sharpest in commodities and cyclicals, even defensive tech stocks slumped.

 

“What if the Fed can’t taper, let alone hike? This market is wedded to the narrative,” said Kit Juckes, chief foreign-exchange strategist at Societe Generale SA in London. Read on...

8:10 AM

World coronavirus update: UK records another 36,572 coronavirus cases

Another 36,572 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 6,392,160, according to official figures released on Thursday.

 

The country also reported another 113 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 131,373. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test, the Xinhua news agency reported.

 

Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Thursday that he is "confident" that Covid-19 booster vaccine will begin to be given to the most vulnerable from next month.

8:00 AM

Coronavirus fallout: India Inc earnings losing momentum as demand recovery falters, shows Q1

The strong surge in India Inc’s profits seen after the first wave of Covid-19 is now losing momentum as demand recovery falters.

 

The combined net profit of India’s top listed companies was down 12.4 per cent in Q1FY22 on a quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) basis while net sales declined 7.8 per cent Q-o-Q. The 2,866 companies in the Business Standard sample reported combined net profits of Rs 1.90 trillion in Q1FY22, up four times from Rs 48,890 crore in Q1FY21 and against Rs 2.16 trillion in the January-March FY21 quarter.

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7:50 AM

Coronavirus update: Existing drugs kill SARS-CoV2 in cells, claims study

Since the beginning of the pandemic, researchers worldwide have been looking for ways to treat Covid-19. While the Covid-19 vaccines represent the best measure to prevent the disease, therapies for those who do get infected remain in short supply.

 

A new groundbreaking study from the University of Michigan (U-M) reveals several drug contenders already in use for other purposes--including one dietary supplement--that have been shown to block or reduce SARS-CoV2 infection in cells.

 

The study, published recently in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, uses artificial intelligence-powered image analysis of human cell lines during infection with the novel coronavirus.