Corona Remedies

AstraZeneca's anti-Covid drug cuts disease risk in vulnerable patients

The long-acting antibody therapy called sipavibart showed a "statistically significant reduction" in symptomatic Covid-19 cases among immunocompromised patients

Novavax signs Covid-19 license deal with Sanofi, secures business viability

Novavax said it would co-commercialize its Covid-19 vaccine with French drugmaker Sanofi and develop new Covid-19-influenza combination vaccines using Novavax's Matrix-M adjuvant

AstraZeneca withdraws its Covid-19 vaccine, cites 'surplus availability'

According to media reports, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has previously admitted in court documents that the vaccine causes side-effects such as blood clots and low blood platelet counts

Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot tests positive for Covid-19, swine flu

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and swine flu. In a post on X, the Congress leader advised people to take care of their health in the changing season. "Due to fever for the last few days, today I got myself tested on the advice of doctors which confirmed (that I have) Covid and swine flu. Because of this, I will not be able to meet (anyone) for the next seven days," Gehlot said. "In this changing season, everyone should also take care of their health," he said.

India registers 133 fresh Covid-19 cases, active caseload at 1,389

India saw a single-day rise of 133 Covid cases, while the number of active cases stood at 1,389, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday. Two deaths -- one each from Gujarat and Maharashtra -- have been reported in 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases had begun to increase after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. A majority (around 92 per cent) of the total active cases are under home isolation, they said. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the

India registers 305 new Covid-19 cases, active cases decline to 2,439

India saw a single day rise of 305 new cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 2,439, the health ministry said on Thursday. Three deaths -- one each from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat -- have been reported in a span of last 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of a single-day rise of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. Of the total active cases, around 92 per cent are recovering under home isolation. "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 sub-variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality," the official source stated. India has witnessed three waves

World yet not fully prepared for future pandemics: Gates Foundation prez

Praising India and other countries for contributing to a global pandemic fund, a top official of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Tuesday said the world is yet not fully prepared to deal with any future pandemic and a lot more work needs to be done. Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, where 'Disease X' is one of the key areas of discussions, Dr Christopher J Elias said we have learnt our lessons after Covid-19 but further efforts and discussions are needed, including on financing requirements. "A really important discussion had started nearly eight years ago after the Ebola outbreak and that discussion cake into very clear focus after Covid-19 that the world needs to be better prepared," he said. "The world needs to be ready for infections and diseases that we know such as influenza but also diseases that we don't know and may be new such as Disease X. But I don't think we are fully prepared yet," he added. Elias noted that there hav

Covid-19 JN.1: UP joins list of 16 states, UTs; total cases cross 1,000

The number of cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 has crossed 1,000 mark with Uttar Pradesh becoming the latest state to join the list of 16 states and UTs which have detected its presence, according to INSACOG. The data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed Karnataka has reported the highest number of cases at 214, followed by Maharashtra (170), Kerala (154), Andhra Pradesh (189), Gujarat (76) and Goa (66). Telangana and Rajasthan have recorded 32 JN.1 cases each, Chhattisgarh has recorded 25, Tamil Nadu 22, Delhi 16, Uttar Pradesh 6, Haryana five, Odisha three, West Bengal two and Uttarakhand one, according to the data. A total of 1,013 cases of JN.1 have been detected till now across the 16 states and UTs. The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country. The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance o

819 cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 reported from 12 states: Govt

A total of 819 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were reported from 12 states till Monday, official sources said. They said 250 cases were reported from Maharashtra, 199 from Karnataka, 148 from Kerala, 49 from Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 30 each from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, 26 each from Tamil Nadu and Telangana, 21 from Delhi, three from Odisha and one from Haryana. Even though the number of JN.1 cases is rising, there is no cause of immediate concern as the majority of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating a mild illness, officials said. The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus in the country. The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance of the detailed operational guidelines for the revised Covid surveillance strategy shared with them by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The states have

Nineteen new cases of JN.1 subvariant of Covid-19 detected in Mumbai

Nineteen persons have tested positive for JN.1 sub-variant of coronavirus in Mumbai, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Tuesday. Out of 22 samples found positive for JN.1 subvariant in Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis, 19 were from Mumbai, Daksha Shah, executive health officer of the BMC told PTI. Two samples belonged to patients from outside the city, and one was a duplicate, she said. According to a release issued by the civic body, these samples were sent for testing last month, and the reports arrived on Monday. All 19 patients who tested positive for JN.1 in the city suffered mild symptoms, and two of them had comorbidities. The patients have recovered from the infection, it stated. Most of the samples were tested at private laboratories, the release said. Of the 8,262 samples tested between December 1, 2023 and January 8, 2024, only 394 tested positive for coronavirus, it stated.

Wearing masks mandatory at some US hospitals as Covid-19, flu cases rise

More than 1.1 million Americans have died from Covid-19, CDC figures show, a greater rate than most other wealthy countries

India records single-day rise of 529 Covid-19 cases; active cases at 4,093

India recorded 529 fresh COVID-19 cases in a single day, while the country's active infection count stood at 4,093, the health ministry said on Wednesday. Three new fatalities -- two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat -- were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but infections have again gone up after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. The daily numbers were in lakhs at the peak of the pandemic, which began in early 2020 and has seen more than 4.5 crore people getting infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths in about four years since then across the country. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at more than 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website. he case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far

3 persons, including a 6-month baby, test positive for Covid-19 in Bengal

Three persons including a six-month-old baby tested positive for COVID-19 in West Bengal, officials said on Friday. However, it was yet to be ascertained whether the trio were infected by the new JN.1 strain of COVID-19, they said. The child, a resident of neighbouring Bihar, is undergoing treatment at the Medical College and Hospital Kolkata (MCHK) while the other two are admitted at two separate private hospitals, they said. "These were suffering from high fever, cough and cold. and underwent RT-PCR and tested positive for COVID-19," the officer of the private hospital said. When contacted a senior official of the West Bengal Health Department said that they were "keeping a tab" on this. "The state health department never said that COVID-19 has been eradicated. We have to realise that this is going to stay. As of now, we have not come across any such case. However, our department is very much vigilant," the official told PTI. The state health department will continue its ...

Covid New Variant: Everything you need to know about JN.1 found in Kerala

Karnataka, Kerala's neighbouring state, has instructed senior citizens to wear masks. State health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday said an order would be issued accordingly

Covid infections down in Singapore but experts call for precaution

The number of COVID-19 infections in Singapore appear to have plateaued over the past week, but experts have urged people to be cautious and mask up in crowded enclosed places as a precaution. Last week, Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a 75 per cent jump with 56,043 cases, compared with 32,035 cases in the previous week. The seven-day moving average of the infection was 7,870 on December 12 and decreased slightly to 7,730 on December 17, The Straits Times newspaper reported. Experts have urged people to be socially responsible and mask up in crowded, enclosed places, even if they feel well, since the transmission of the virus occurs a day or two before symptoms appear. "It'll be a bell curve confounded by Christmas parties," Professor Dale Fisher, a senior infectious diseases consultant at the National University Hospital (NUH), said. "You don't know if it's peaked until after it's peaked," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper on Tuesday. While the numbers remai

JN.1 detected in Kerala: All you need to know about the Covid variant

The JN.1 sub-variant of Covid-19, first identified in Luxembourg and since spreading to several countries, is a descendant of the Pirola variant (BA.2.86)

Another COVID-19 variant JN.1 found in Kerala; check symptoms, treatment

The new COVID-19 variant has been found in Kerala district recently. The variants' symptoms are relatively mild and the cases of hospitalisation are less, check details here

India records 56 new Covid cases, total active cases at 1,475: Govt

India saw a single-day rise of 56 new coronavirus infections while the number of active cases was recorded at 1,475, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll was recorded at 5,31,926, the data updated at 8 am stated. The country's Covid case tally is 4.49 crore (4,49,96,732). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,63,331, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The case fatality rate stands at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far.

Study finds benefits of Covid-19 vaccines against severe cases in children

The Murdoch Children's Research Institute led a review of the international literature that was published in BMJ Paediatrics Open that examined the issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccination

72 new Covid cases in India, total active cases at 1,452: Health Ministry

India logged 72 new coronavirus infections in a day while the number of active cases was recorded at 1,452, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll stood at 5,31,925, according to the data updated at 8 am. The country's Covid case tally is 4.49 crore (4,49,96,548), it said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease increased to 4,44,63,171 and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, the health ministry said. The case fatality rate stands at 1.18 per cent, it said. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far.