Page 9 - Coronavirus Tests

436 cases of XBB1.16.1 mutated sub-variant found in India, INSACOG reports

Amid rising Covid cases in India, 436 cases of XBB1.16.1 mutated sub-variant have been detected in the country till now, revealed Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) data on Monday. XBB1.16.1 is a mutation of Omicron's infectious XBB1.16 variant. The XBB 1.16 variant was first found in January when two samples tested positive for the variant. Till now, 436 cases of the subvariant have been found across 18 states and Union Territories, including Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana, according to INSACOG data accessed by PTI. The INSACOG data has shown that 2,735 cases of the XBB1.16 variant have been found in a total of 24 states and Union Territories. India has recorded 9,111 new coronavirus infections, while active cases have increased to 60,313, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The INSACOG bulletin of March 27 said an increase in infection rate has been observed, especially in western, southern, and northern parts of India. Among th

Noida Covid update: New guidelines issued amid spike in active Covid cases

Gautam Budh Nagar Health's new Covid guidelines, which come amid a surge in active cases in Noida and Greater Noida, call for wearing masks and practising social distancing

More than 9,000 Covid-19 cases recorded on Monday, active tally at 60,313

India recorded 9,111 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 60,313, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll increased to 5,31,141 with 27 deaths. While six deaths were reported from Gujarat, four were from Uttar Pradesh, three each from Delhi and Rajasthan, two from Maharashtra, one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and three reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,48,27,226). The daily positivity was recorded at 8.40 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 4.94 per cent. The active cases now comprise 0.13 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.68 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,35,772 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the mini

Number of road accident deaths in Maharashtra up by over 2,000 in 3 years

A total of 14,883 people were killed in road accidents in Maharashtra last year, an increase of 2,095 compared to 12,788 fatalities recorded in the pre-COVID-19 year of 2019, while the number of such incidents rose by 144 in 2022 from three years ago, as per official statistics. Last year, 33,069 road accidents took place in the state compared to 32,925 in 2019, as per the data. While there was a 0.44 per cent rise in the number of accidents in 2022 compared to 2019, the fatalities went up by 16.38 per cent, though the number of injuries to 27,218 from 28,628 during the period. The issue of road accidents gains prominence as 13 people, including five minors, were killed and 29 injured after a bus carrying young male and female members of a traditional music troupe fell into a gorge on the old Mumbai-Pune highway in the state's Raigad district on Saturday. The private bus with 42 persons on board was going from Pune to Mumbai when it plunged into the 300-feet deep gorge in the Bor

It is not a panic situation: Dr Guleria amid spike in Covid-19 cases

Former director of AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Randeep Guleria, on Saturday said while the country was seeing a fresh surge in Covid-19 infections, the situation, as of now, isn't one to induce panic

Mumbai reports 284 Covid-19 cases, one death in last 24 hours

Mumbai on Friday reported 284 COVID-19 cases and one death, which took the tally in the state to 11,60,103 and the toll to 19,753, a civic official said. The addition to the tally was a rise from the 274 cases detected on Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official pointed out. A 91-year-old man with comorbidities, including acute kidney injury, died during the day, he added. The recovery count increased by 275 in the last 24 hours to touch 11,38,707, leaving the metropolis with an active caseload of 1,643, he said. As per BMC data, the recovery rate is 98.2 per cent and the overall growth rate of cases between April 7 and 13 is 0.0189 per cent. The caseload doubling time is 3,551 days, as per civic data. The BMC had made masks mandatory inside civic-run hospitals since April 10 and had urged senior citizens and those with comorbidities to wear masks amid a rise in cases since the start of the month.

Covid's endemic challenges

Public health policy must respond for the long term

India logs 7,830 new Covid cases, active infections breach 40,000-mark

In the last 24 hours, India reported 7,830 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the country's overall caseload to 40,215, according to the latest Union Health Ministry data

As Covid cases spike in India again, IMA lists 3 possible reasons for rise

IMA in a statement said many people have lowered their guard against the coronavirus and people with symptoms refuse to get tested

Moderna to keep testing flu shot after initial failures, shares down 8%

The company said, ahead of its annual vaccines conference, that it will continue testing the flu shot for efficacy

TN may introduce mask mandate if Covid cases surge: Health Minister

Tamil Nadu may consider introducing mask mandate in the state if coronavirus cases surge beyond the 500 or 1,000 mark, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Tuesday and asserted that it is ideal to wear face masks in crowded places. The State is witnessing a gradual increase in cases, at present, with few cases being reported by the day and there have been five "incidental" coronavirus deaths so far, he said. "The government has not announced any relaxation in the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and it is safe to wear face masks in crowded places," Subramanian said responding to a call attention motion brought by Leader of Opposition K Palaniswami in the Assembly. Though masks are still compulsory as per the Centre's advisory, people were not taking it seriously, he said. Raising the issue, Palaniswami wondered if people should wear masks as coronavirus cases are increasing by the day and sought to know what steps are being taken by the State government to prevent the spread. "There

India logs 5,676 new Covid infections, active cases rise to 37,093

India recorded 5,676 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 37,093, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll has increased to 5,31,000 with 21 deaths. While three deaths each were reported from Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, two were recorded in Karnataka and one each in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu besides six reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,68,172) The active cases now comprise 0.08 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.73 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,00,079 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

India logs 5,880 Covid-19 infections, active cases rise to 35,199

India logged 5,880 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have increased to 35,199, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The death toll has increased to 5,30,979 with 14 deaths. While four deaths each were reported from Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, one each was reported from Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Rajasthan and two reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 6.91 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 3.67 per cent. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,62,496) The active cases now comprise 0.08 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.73 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,96,318 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been .

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Daily Covid-19 tests up 84% in a month, just shy of 140,000 mark: ICMR data

Technicians conducting over 60,000 more tests daily than a month ago; slight drop in number of positive cases at 5,357, though daily and weekly positivity rates are still above 3%

Covid wave looms as India's population-level immunity dwindles: WHO

Decreasing levels of immunity in our population may trigger new Covid waves and to tackle this, India needs a strong disease surveillance along with high vaccine coverage

India logs 5,357 Covid cases in 24 hrs, active caseload climbs to 32,814

India logged 5,357 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases rose to 32,814, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll has increased to 5,30,965 with 11 deaths. While three deaths were reported from Gujarat, two were from Himachal Pradesh and one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh besides one reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,56,616) The active cases now comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,92,837 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Amid rising concerns, UP registers 1,000 plus active cases of Covid

Continuing the surge in Covid cases, the total count of cases in Uttar Pradesh has gone up to 1,025.

Rising Covid cases: Experts say cold-like symptoms indicate endemicity

The rise in Covid cases is indicative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus moving into an endemic state in India and behaving like other coronaviruses that cause common cold-like symptoms and can keep reinfecting, say scientists. Giving the reassurance that a monster spike on the lines of the Delta wave in the spring of 2021 is unlikely due to the endemic nature of the virus, they also cautioned that the spread could be halted by following established protocols. COVID-19 is effectively endemic in the country, and virtually all of us will have sustained an infection by now, whether we knew it or not. The virus is behaving like coronaviruses that cause common-cold-like symptoms and can keep reinfecting us, said Gautam I. Menon, dean (research) and professor, Departments of Physics and Biology at Haryana's Ashoka University. Immunologist Satyajit Rath added that the actual magnitude of the infection is unknown. Questioning the reliability of reported Covid case numbers, he told PTI, "We are likely

Goa begins in-patient Covid testing at govt hospitals amid spike in cases

In light of the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, the Goa government on Friday resumed in-patient testing at state-run hospitals using antigen testing kits, a minister said. Goa had on Thursday recorded 162 new cases of coronavirus infection, which raised the active tally in the state to 872. Taking to Twitter, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, "I have directed the team at @GoaGmc to activate the genome sequencing machine on the premises, and the secretary for health has been notified on the same. We have also begun in-patient testing at government hospitals using antigen testing to keep the situation under control." Rane further said that RT-PCR tests are being conducted if necessary and genome sequencing is performed in accordance with protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An emergency vaccination requirement is also provided, in case anyone needs a booster dose or for travel purposes, he said. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a review ...