Page 8 - Coronavirus

Best of BS Opinion: A wiser world after Covid, Preserving the magic & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

A wiser world after Covid

Another pandemic or global scale disaster is inevitable but the Covid experience will help us deal with it better

Persistent Covid infections may be more common than expected: Report

A high proportion of COVID-19 infections in the general population lead to persistent infections lasting a month or more, according to a study. It has long been thought that prolonged COVID-19 infections in immunocompromised individuals may have been the source of the multiple new variants that arose during the pandemic and seeded successive waves of infection, the researchers said. However, until now, the prevalence of persistentS-CoV-2 infections in the general population and how the virus evolves in these situations remained unknown, they said. The study, published in the journal Nature, used data from the UK Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey (ONS-CIS), which tested participants monthly. Of the over 90,000 participants, 3,603 provided two or more Covid positive samples between November 2020 and August 2022. Of these, 381 individuals tested positive for the same variant over a period of a month or longer. Within this group, 54 individuals had a persistent .

Covid surge in North India: Delhi records highest daily total since May

In the last 15 days, Delhi has recorded 459 cases of Covid-19, up from 191 the previous fortnight and 73 in the prior 15-day period

Domestic air passenger traffic expected to surpass pre-Covid levels: ICRA

The domestic air passenger traffic is expected to surpass the pre-Covid levels of 141.2 million and reach 150-155 million this fiscal, registering an estimated growth of 8-13 per cent, credit ratings agency Icra said on Wednesday. Icra also projected a significant reduction in industry's net loss for the next two fiscals and was also of the view that supply-chain challenges and engine failure issues may remain near-term headwinds. Icra maintains a "stable" outlook on the domestic aviation industry, amidst the continued recovery in domestic and international air passenger traffic, and relatively stable cost environment, it said. The momentum in traffic growth is expected to continue in FY2025 as well, with a similar estimated year-on-year growth, aided by rising demand for both leisure and business travel and improving airport infrastructure, it said. The international passenger traffic for Indian carriers surpassed the pre-Covid levels in FY2023, although it trailed the peak levels

Why PVR INOX MD Ajay Bijli thinks leading a 3D life is the key to wellness

Make time for that forgotten hobby, advises Bijli, who revived his 1980s-style rock band during the pandemic

No impact on immune system of man who took over 200 Covid vaccines: Study

Researchers have examined a man in Germany who claims to have received 217 vaccinations against COVID-19 and found that his immune system was fully functional. Until now, it has been unclear what effects hypervaccination such as this would have on the immune system. Some scientists were of the opinion that immune cells would become less effective after becoming used to the antigens. However, the case study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal found that the immune system of the person is fully functional. More than 60 million people in Germany have been vaccinated againstS-CoV-2, a majority of them several times, the researchers said. The man examined by a team at FriedrichAlexander University ErlangenNurnberg (FAU) in Germany claims to have received 217 vaccinations for private reasons. There is official confirmation for 134 of these vaccinations, they said. "We learned about his case via newspaper articles," said Kilian Schober from FAU. "We then contacted him an

CDC notifies guidelines for individuals, organisations to curb Covid spread

These guidelines offer practical advice for individuals and organisations to navigate the complexities of illness, recovery, and preventing transmission

Older US adults should get another Covid-19 shot: Govt advisory panel

Older US adults should roll up their sleeves for another COVID-19 shot, even if they got a booster in the fall, an influential government advisory panel said on Wednesday. The panel voted 11-1 to say Americans 65 and older should get another dose of the updated vaccine that became available in September if at least four months has passed since their last shot. The committee advises the head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, who will decide whether to sign off on the recommendation. The panel's decision came after a lengthy discussion about whether to say older people may get the shots or if they should" do so. That reflects a debate among experts about how necessary another booster is and whether yet another recommendation will add to the public's growing vaccine fatigue. Some doctors say most older adults are adequately protected by the fall shot, which built on immunity derived from earlier vaccinations and exposure to the virus itself. And preliminary studies so

India's thermal coal imports fall for first time since Covid-19 pandemic

Surging production and supplies by world's largest miner Coal India have pushed stockpiles at power plants to record highs of over 43 million metric tonnes

Health care companies check market pulse with IPOs after pandemic

Noticeably, a large number of hospital chains have tapped the public markets. Some of them include Yatharth Hospital, Jupiter Life Line and Global Healthcare

Byju's controversies: The troubles hurting India's biggest edtech company

How did Edtech firm fall from the grace that it once enjoyed with the valuation peaking at $22 billion. Explained

India records 105 fresh Covid-19 infections, active cases stand at 875

India saw a single-day rise of 105 COVID-19 cases, while the number of active cases of the infection was recorded at 875, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday. A new death due to the viral disease was reported from Punjab in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The number of daily Covid cases was in double digits till December 5, 2023, but it began to rise after the emergence of a new variant of the virus and cold weather conditions. After December 5, the maximum of 841 cases were reported on December 31, 2023, which was 0.2 per cent of the peak number of cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. India has witnessed three Covid waves in the past, with the peak incidence of daily cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021. At its peak, 4,14,188 new Covid cases and 3,915 deaths due to the infection were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic broke out in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people in India

Covid vaccine complications range from neurological to heart issues: Study

The viral-vector jabs were also tied to an increased risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nervous system

Covid-19 updates: India records 110 new cases, total active tally at 893

India has logged 110 new cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection stood at 893, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. No new deaths have been reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases had begun to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021. At its peak, 4,14,188 new cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths recorded.

Dubai Int'l Airport had 86.9 mn passengers last year in post-pandemic surge

The number of passengers flying through Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, surged last year beyond its total for 2019 just before the coronavirus pandemic grounded global aviation. While still shy of its all-time high in 2018, the figures for 2023 showed just how far the airport known as DXB has bounced back from the pandemic. The number of passengers passing through its cavernous, air-conditioned terminals, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates in Dubai, long has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and the wider economic health of this city-state. Overall in 2023, the airport had 86.9 million passengers. The airport's 2019's annual traffic was 86.3 million passengers. The airport had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 its busiest-ever year before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022. Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, made the announcement Monday on state-owned radio station Dubai ...

Etihad reports 10% rise on pre-pandemic levels; aims 35-40% further growth

Gulf carrier Etihad has seen strong growth in the domestic market post pandemic and is expecting to fly more Indian passengers this year than 2023, which saw around 3-million Indians boarding its flights, a top executive at the airline has said. The Abu Dhabi-based national carrier, according to its chief revenue and commercial officer Arik De is also a strong "believer" in competition and is not afraid of it. "Etihad is actually back with a bang in the Indian market. Our numbers are over 10 per cent higher than they were pre-pandemic," De told PTI. Noting that the airline came back "pretty strongly" in 2023 itself, he said, "we grew capacity by over 40 per cent and then in 2024 we plan to finish the year with around 35-40 per cent further growth." Moreover, the airline carried around three million Indians last year and this number is obviously set to grow this year as well, he stated. Emphasising that a 10 per cent capacity growth ahead of pre-pandemic numbers is a strong growth

Four new Covid deaths reported across country, active caseload at 876

India has logged 123 new cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection stood at 876, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Tuesday. Four new deaths --two from Delhi and one each from Gujarat and Maharashtra-- have been reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases had begun to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. After December 5, a maximum of 841 new cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave in April-June 2021. At its peak, 4,14,188 new cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and

India records 74 new Covid-19 infections, active cases stand at 871

India has recorded a single-day rise of 74 new COVID-19 infections and the number of active cases of the disease in the country stands at 871, according to Union Health Ministry data on Monday. No new deaths due to the disease were reported in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported in the delta wave during April-June 2021. At its peak, 414,188 new cases and 3915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths due to the disease recorded in the country. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore, according to the ministry's website. Besides, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have so far been administered in the country.

JN.1 Covid variant has increased transmissibility, immune escape: Study

The JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus not only spreads easily but also seems to resist immunity, according to a study that emphasizes the urgent need for strategies to address its threat to public health. The emergence JN.1 has sparked global concern due to its distinct genetic features and heightened infectivity. Carrying more than 30 spike protein mutations, including the hallmark Leu455Ser, JN.1 exhibits substantial potential for immune evasion. Researchers from The University of Tokyo, Japan, used genomic surveillance data from across France, the UK, and Spain, uncovering novel findings regarding the virological properties of JN.1. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, sheds light on the variant's potential to become the dominant lineage and alerts the global health community. The researchers found that the reproductive number of JN.1 was found to surpass that of its counterparts in the three countries studied, suggesting a potential global dominanc