Page 12 - Coronavirus Tests

Two American tourists test Covid-19 positive in UP's Agra: Official

Till now two residents of Agra -- one who returned from China and another one from USA -- tested Covid-19 positive

Govt panel recommends market authorisation for Covovax jab as booster dose

Covovax is manufactured through technology transfer from Novavax

Satellite images capture crowding at China's crematoriums amid Covid surge

China recently moved away from its strict zero-Covid approach to the virus, which had sparked mass unrest after more than two years of tight controls on citizens' personal lives

No immediate Covid-19 outbreak threat from China, says WHO Europe director

The director of the World Health Organisation's Europe office said Tuesday that the agency sees no immediate threat" for the European region from a COVID-19 outbreak in China, but more information is needed. China is battling a nationwide outbreak of the coronavirus after abruptly easing restrictions. Hans Kluge said that, based on the information WHO had received from china, there was no threat, but more detailed and regular information was required from China to monitor the evolving situation. We cannot be complacent, he added. Several countries have imposed COVID-19 testing requirements on Chinese travellers. Australia and Canada require travellers from China to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding their flight. Other countries including the U.S., India, Japan, South Korea and several European nations have announced tougher COVID-19 measures on travellers from China amid concerns over a lack of data on infections in China and fears that new variants may emerge. China has thr

China suspends visas for South Koreans in apparent retaliatory move

China suspended visas Tuesday for South Koreans to come to the country for tourism or business in apparent retaliation for COVID-19 testing requirements on Chinese travellers. A brief notice posted online by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said the ban would apply until South Korea lifted its discriminatory measures on entrance by China to the country. No other details were given, although China has threatened to take retaliation against countries that require travellers from China to show a negative test result for COVID-19 taken within the previous 48 hours. China requires the same measures for travellers coming into the country. Beijing has been accused by the World Health Organisation of withholding data on the state of the outbreak in China.

New Omicron variants are not causing case spike or mortality: Govt

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated random testing of international travelers arriving at various Airports from December 24, 2022

New case of Covid XBB 1.5 strain found, total variant cases now 8: INSACOG

One new case of COVID-19's XBB 1.5 strain, responsible for the surge of cases in the United States, was found in India, taking the overall number of such cases in the country to eight, according to INSACOG data. The new case of the strain was found in Uttarakhand in the last 24 hours, while earlier, three cases were found in Gujarat, one each in Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants. Combined, XBB and XBB.1.5 make up 44 per cent of cases in the US. The INSACOG data also showed that nine cases of BF.7 strain, which is apparently driving China's coronavirus wave, have been found. Four cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 have been reported in West Bengal, two each in Gujarat and Haryana, and one in Odisha. INSACOG reports genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 across the country through ...

90% people in China's third-most populous province infected with Covid

With a population of 99.4 million, the figures suggest about 88.5 million people in Henan may now have been infected

India reports 170 new Covid-19 infections, 1 death; active cases down by 52

India saw a single-day rise of 170 coronavirus infections on Monday, while the active cases declined by 52 to reach 2,371. According to the Union Health Ministry data updated at 8 am Monday, the total number of cases is now 4.46 crore (4,46,80,094). The death toll stands at 5,30,721 with one more fatality reported from Madhya Pradesh, the data stated. The active cases now constitute 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the country's COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the health ministry website. A decrease of 52 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 4,41,47,002, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.20 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 0.11 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.14 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the c

India records 163 new Covid cases; active tally declines to 2,423

India logged 163 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 2,423, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,79,924). The death toll stands at 5,30,720 with two deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, the ministry said. A decrease of 86 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,46,781, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.13 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and

Mumbai reports nine new Covid-19 cases in a day; active tally now 29

Mumbai on Friday reported nine COVID-19 cases, which took the tally here to 11,55,151, while the death toll stood unchanged at 19,746, a civic official said. The addition to the tally is a slight rise from the seven cases reported a day earlier, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said. The recovery count increased by five to touch 11,35,376, leaving the metropolis with 29 active cases, he added. As per BMC data, the recovery rate was 98.3 per cent, while the caseload doubling time was 2,18,342 days. So far, 1,86,49,078 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the city, including 2,612 in the last 24 hours. The overall growth rate of COVID-19 cases between December 30 to January 5 is 0.0003 per cent, as per civic data.

China seeks to minimise coronavirus risk during Lunar New Year travel rush

China is seeking to minimise the possibility of a major new COVID-19 outbreak during this month's Lunar New Year travel rush following the end of most pandemic containment measures. The Transportation Ministry on Friday called on travelers to reduce trips and gatherings, particularly if they involve elderly people, pregnant women, small children and those with underlying conditions. People using public transport are also urged to wear masks and pay special attention to their health and personal hygiene, Vice Minister Xu Chengguang told reporters at a briefing. The call stopped short of asking citizens to stay home entirely, as the government had since the pandemic began, although some local governments have urged migrant workers not to return home. Xu said authorities expect more than 2 billion trips to be made during the weeklong festival season, the most important time for visiting family and friends in the traditional Chinese calendar. That is nearly double the number of last ye

Covid infection reshapes immune status depending on gender: Study

Scientists have found that the baseline immune statuses in men previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 was altered in ways that changed the response to an exposure different from SARS-CoV-2. The team of researchers systematically analyzed immune responses of healthy people who had been given the flu vaccine. From that data, they then compared the responses between those who had never been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and those who experienced mild cases but recovered. The team led by John Tsang, an immunobiologist from Yale University, US, found that immune systems of men who had recovered from mild cases of COVID-19 responded more robustly to flu vaccines than women who had had mild cases or men and women who had never been infected. "This was a total surprise," said Tsang. "Women usually mount a stronger overall immune response to pathogens and vaccines, but are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases," said Tsang. The long-term effects of ...

Covid-19 pandemic reduces Australian life expectancy, says report

In the first week of August alone there were 4,200 deaths -- 20 per cent higher than the historical weekly average

Japan reports all-time high 456 coronavirus deaths in a single day

There were concerns that the Covid infection and death numbers would only go up with the New Year festivities

China seeks to minimise Covid-19 risk during Lunar New Year travel rush

China is seeking to minimize the possibility of a major new COVID-19 outbreak during this month's Lunar New Year travel rush following the end of most pandemic containment measures. The Transportation Ministry on Friday called on travelers to reduce trips and gatherings, particularly if they involve elderly people, pregnant women, small children and those with underlying conditions. People using public transport should wear masks and pay special attention to their health and personal hygiene, Vice Minister Xu Chengguang told reporters at a briefing. The call stopped short of asking citizens to stay home entirely, as the government had since the pandemic began, although some local governments have urged migrant workers not to return home. China abruptly ended a strict regime of lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing in December amid growing concerns about the economic impact and rare public protests in a country that permits no open political dissent. China on Sunday is also endin

India logs 228 new coronavirus infections, active cases decline to 2,503

India logged 228 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 2,503, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,79,547). The death toll stands at 5,30,714, with four deaths. Two deaths were reconciled by Kerala while one death each was reported from Bihar and Uttarakhand in last 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity was recorded at 0.11 per cent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.12 per cent. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.80 per cent, the ministry said. A decrease of 51 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,46,330, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.12 crore doses of Covid vaccine

As Covid-19 infections surge in China, US begins testing more travellers

Shubham Chandra knows how dangerous the coronavirus can be: He lost his dad during the pandemic. So when he cleared customs at Newark Liberty International Airport and saw people offering anonymous COVID-19 testing, he was happy to volunteer. It's a minimum amount of effort to help a lot of people," said the 27-year-old New York City man, who had just stepped off a plane from Cancun, Mexico. The airport testing is part of the government's early warning system for detecting new variants, which began expanding recently in the wake of a COVID-19 surge in China. With the addition of Los Angeles and Seattle, there are now seven airports where arriving passengers can volunteer for COVID-19 tests. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention program now covers about 500 flights from at least 30 countries, including more than half from China and surrounding areas. As of Thursday, the CDC is also requiring travellers to the US from China, Hong Kong and Macao to take a COVID-19 test no mor

Covid's XBB.1.5 variant cases rise to seven in India: INSACOG figures

The number of COVID-19's XBB.1.5 variant, responsible for the rise in cases in the US, rose to seven in India as new cases of the variant were found in Chhattisgarh and Telangana, according to INSACOG figures on Thursday. Of the seven cases, three were found in Gujarat and one each in Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants. Combined, XBB and XBB.1.5 make up 44 per cent of cases in the US. The INSACOG data also showed that seven cases of BF.7 strain which is apparently driving China's COVID-19 wave have been found. There are four cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 reported in West Bengal, two in Gujarat and one in Odisha. INSACOG reports genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 across the country through sequencing of samples from sentinel sites and international passengers arriving in India.

Maharashtra reports 16 new Covid cases, zero death; active tally at 140

Maharashtra on Wednesday logged 16 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 81,36,725, while no fresh death linked to the infection was registered in the state, said the health department. The coronavirus death toll remained unchanged at 1,48,417. On Tuesday, Maharashtra had reported 22 COVID-19 cases and zero fatality. The Pune administrative circle logged the highest cases at seven, followed by five in Mumbai, two in Akola, one each in Nashik and Nagpur circles, said the department in a bulletin. An administrative circle consists of multiple districts and Maharashtra has eight such circles. As many as 12 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, taking their cumulative count to 79,88,168 and leaving the state with 140 active COVID-19 cases, said the bulletin. Of the 140 active COVID-19 cases, the highest are in Pune district at 75, followed by 27 in Mumbai and eight in Thane, among other districts, it said. With 14,784 swab samples examined in the ..