Corona

Researchers have identified specific proteins in the blood plasma of people infected with COVID-19 that may help predict which patients may need to be placed on ventilators to breathe and which are most likely to die of the virus. The researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in the US studied blood plasma samples from 332 COVID-19 patients. "Identifying harmful proteins may be helpful as we confront not only variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, but also as new viruses emerge in the future," said study principal investigator Carlos Cruchaga. "We may be able to draw blood from an individual with a COVID infection, check the levels of these key proteins and quickly determine risk for serious outcomes. We then could use that information to determine the best course of treatment," Cruchaga said. The team studied plasma samples from COVID-19 patients admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, US and compared them to plasma samples from 150 people who had not b

Delhi on Sunday logged 699 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 21.15 per cent, according to data shared by the city government's health department. Four people suffering from COVID-19 died in the city. However, the health bulletin stated that COVID-19 was the primary cause of death in just one case. With the fresh cases, Delhi's COVID-19 tally has risen to 20,14,637. The death toll stands at 26,540, the bulletin stated. Delhi saw 535 COVID-19 cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 23.05 per cent. The capital logged 733 cases -- the highest in more than seven months -- on Friday with a positivity rate of 19.93 per cent. On Thursday, 606 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 16.98 per cent, and one fatality. On Wednesday, Delhi added 509 cases with a positivity rate of 26.54 per cent, the highest in nearly 15 months. In January last year, the positivity rate had touched the 30-per cent mark. According to the bulletin, 3,305 COVID-19 tests were conducted in

India on Saturday recorded 6,155 fresh COVID-19 infections, while the number of active cases increased to 31,194, according to Union health ministry data. India's COVID-19 tally now stands at 4.47 crore (4,47,51,259). The death toll climbed to 5,30,954 with 11 deaths, including two reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. At 31,194, the active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 98.74 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,89,111, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

The newly emerged recombinant coronavirus variant XBB.1.16 has been observed in different parts of the country, accounting for 38.2 per cent of the infection till date, according to the latest INSACOG bulletin. The bulletin of March 27, which was released on Thursday, said among the samples collected till the third week of March 2023, XBB continued to be the most commonly circulating Omicron sublineages. Noting that Omicron and its sublineages continue to be the dominant variants in India, the bulletin said an increase in infection rate has been observed, especially in western, southern and northern parts of India. A newly emerged recombinant variant XBB.1.16 has been observed in different parts of India, accounting for 38.2 per cent of the infection till date, the bulletin said. The bulletin further said a few BA.2.10 and BA.2.75 sublineage was detected in some part of the country whereas XBB was the most prevalent sublineage of the Omicron variant. The INSACOG said globally, nea

On the eve of World Health Day, WHO on Thursday called for concerted and urgent efforts to bridge gaps accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving health for all through universal health coverage. WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said the world health body is fully committed to achieving health for all through universal health coverage (UHC) and facilitating access to essential health services for all without financial hardship. On the World Health Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) celebrates 75 years of improving public health and well-being globally. For decades, and even before the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, leaders and policy makers from across the region have recognised the critical role that access for all to quality, affordable and comprehensive primary health care (PHC) can play in achieving UHC and therefore, health for all, she said. This has been well reflected in the region's renewed and decade-long push to achieve UHC

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday said all civic-run hospitals are "fully prepared" to deal with the coronavirus situation and appealed to people not to panic. The mayor was interacting with reporters at the Civic Centre here a day after Delhi recorded 521 COVID-19 cases -- the highest single-day rise since August 27 last year -- and one fatality. "This morning I visited the MCD-run Hindu Rao Hospital and took stock of the arrangements there, including on Covid beds, oxygen availability, testing facility and stock of medicine. Later, a meeting was also held with doctors and others from the hospital administration department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on the Covid situation," she said. Hindu Rao Hospital is the largest civic-run hospital with 980 beds. "The situation is fully under control and people should not panic. Our hospitals, doctors and staff are all equipped to handle the situation," Oberoi said, adding the Delhi government is

The new COVID variant poses less risk and is unlikely to result in increase in hospitalisations but people need to remain vigilant, according to a top Union Health Ministry official. "New strains keep coming after mutation..this is a new variant which has come..this would not lead to increase in hospitalisations so there is low risk associated with it," the top official said on Monday. The strain has been isolated in the laboratory and a study has also been done on it, he added. "But even then there is a need to remain vigilant," the official said. Further, he noted that the current surge in the COVID cases could be attributed to the spread of the XBB 1.16 variant in the country. India recorded a single-day jump of 3,641 fresh COVID-19 cases as the active caseload rose to 20,219, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The toll has risen to 5,30,892 with 11 deaths -- three from Maharashtra and one each in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan -- recorded in a

Maharashtra's Nashik district recorded 33 new cases of coronavirus that raised its tally of infections to 4,82,721 on Monday, an official said. The toll remained unchanged at 8,904, while the count of recoveries reached 4,73,343 after 39 patients recovered during the day, he said. With this, the district currently has 74 active cases, the official said. Of the total number of cases reported so far, 2,76,345 were from Nashik city, 1,79,822 from other parts of the district, 14,076 from Malegaon and 8,562 from outside the district, he added.

Delhi recorded 429 fresh Covid cases on Sunday, the highest in more than seven months, with the positivity rate rising to 16.09 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. One Covid-related death was reported in the city. The health bulletin, however, said the primary cause of death was not Covid. The death toll due to the infection stands at 26,530. Delhi saw 416 fresh Covid cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent. The city recorded 295 coronavirus cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent. On Wednesday, the national capital logged 300 cases and two deaths while the positivity rate was 13.89 per cent. Delhi recorded 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent on Tuesday, 115 cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday, and 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent last Sunday. The Delhi government is keeping an eye on the spurt in Covid cases in the national capital and is "prepared to face any

A total of 3,824 new Covid-19 infections were reported across the country in the last 24 hours a marginal increase from Saturday's tally of 2994 coronavirus cases

As Delhi witnesses a sudden spurt in Covid cases, experts have stressed that there is no need to panic over the absolute numbers and the focus should be on protecting the vulnerable population, especially those who are immunocompromised or have comorbidities. They have also advised people to remain cautious by masking up and avoiding public gatherings. Delhi recorded 416 fresh Covid cases on Saturday, the highest in over seven months, with a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. While the government did not issue a bulletin on Friday, the numbers on Thursday stood at 295 while the positivity rate was at 12.48 per cent. Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and public health specialist, told PTI, "There is a clear dissociation between infection and disease. It means that people are testing positive but they do not have symptoms. There is increased testing for flu so there is targeted testing and hence an increase in ...

Delhi recorded 295 fresh Covid cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. On Wednesday, the city had logged 300 cases, the first time since August 31, and two deaths while the positivity rate had mounted to 13.89 per cent. Delhi had logged 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent on Tuesday, 115 cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday, 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on Sunday and 139 cases with a positivity rate of 4.98 per cent on Saturday. The Delhi government is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, adding that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a review meeting on the matter on Friday. Bharadwaj also assured people that there was no need to panic since the hospitalisation rate was low. The heath minister held a meeting on the coronavirus situation on Thursday. Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number o

A total of 610 cases of Covid's XBB.1.16 variant, which might have been behind the recent rise of coronavirus cases, have been detected across the country, according to INSACOG data. The samples have been found across 11 states and Union Territories. The highest number of Covid cases caused due to this variant has been found in Maharashtra and Gujarat at 164 each, followed by 93 Telangana and 86 in Karnataka, according to INSACOG data. The XBB 1.16 variant was first found in January when two samples tested positive for the variant. India has been witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country recently. India logged 1,805 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have surpassed the 10,000-mark after 134 days, according to the Health ministry data updated on Monday.

Dealing with pandemic-related woes and other public health issues has become a critical agenda for the member states of BIMSTEC over the last two years since the COVID-19 outbreak, a top official of the regional organisation said on Saturday. Sri Lanka has been identified as the lead country for coordinating and planning on public health matters, he said. "COVID-19 made us realise that pandemics and health per say is an important agenda, and as a region, we have to come together. "Before COVID-19, we were focusing more on trade, connectivity, energy, electricity and such sectors, but not much on health. However, now we have realised that health is also a very important component," Tenzin Lekphell, BIMSTEC secretary general, told PTI. He was speaking here on the sidelines of a two-day meet of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which has Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand as member ...

Delhi government-run hospitals will conduct a mock drill on Sunday to assess their preparedness to deal with any eventuality in view of rising COVID-19 and seasonal influenza cases. A senior official said an order to this effect was issued to medical superintendents, medical directors and chief district medical officers (CDMOs) by the Delhi health department on Friday. "All the MS/MDs and CDMOs of all the hospitals of Delhi government are hereby requested to hold a mock drill on 26.03.2023 (Sunday) to check the preparedness of health, infrastructure, and logistics including availability of oxygen, so as to prepare for any eventuality, especially in view of increasing COVID-19 and influenza type cases," according to the order. The mock drill must be conducted by all the hospitals of the Delhi government and a report be submitted by March 26 evening or March 27 morning, furnishing details on a list of parameters mentioned in an earlier order dated March 23, it says. Sources said the

The advisory has also flagged low level of testing by states and UTs and has said that testing levels are insufficient as compared to the standards prescribed by WHO i.e 140 tests per million

Amid a gradual increase in Covid-19 cases in Delhi in recent days, some medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the rise in cases but add there's no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots if they have not already. They also say this rise could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related ailments. Over the past week, Delhi has seen a rise in daily Covid cases amid a sharp increase in H3N2 influenza cases in parts of the country, including the national capital. On Friday, Delhi recorded over 150 fresh Covid cases with a positivity rate of 6.66 per cent. A day before that, it logged 117 cases with a positivity rate of 4.95 per cent. The number of daily Covid cases has nearly doubled since Tuesday when 83 fresh Covid cases were reported with a positivity rate of 5.83 per cent and one fatality. T

A report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the functioning of Mumbai's civic body has highlighted the lack of transparency and planning as well as careless use of funds and flagged non-sharing of COVID-19 management expenditure records. The CAG report, which was tabled in the Maharashtra Assembly on Saturday by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, scrutinized expenditure of Rs 12,023.88 crore made by nine departments of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation between November 28, 2019 and October 31, 2022. Several works were awarded without tendering or choosing proper contractors, including one case of an influent pumping station in which, the report said, malafide intentions cannot be ruled out. The CAG report also stated that records relating to the expenditure for the management of COVID-19 pandemic were not produced despite repeated requests to the civic body by the Office of the Accountant General (Audit)-I, Maharashtra. The non-production o

In addition, the study published in the journal Nature Microbiology found that chemical modifications on chromatin were also altered by SARS-CoV-2

A total of 349 samples of COVID-19's XBB.1.16 variant, which might have been behind the recent rise of coronavirus cases in the country, have been detected, according to INSACOG data. These 349 samples of the variant have been found in nine states and Union Territories. The highest number of cases due to this variant has been found in Maharashtra at 105, followed by Telangana 93, Karnataka 61 and Gujarat 54, according to INSACOG data accessed by PTI. XBB 1.16 was first found in January when two samples tested positive for the variant. In February, 140 samples of the XBB 1.16 variant were found. In March, 207 XBB 1.16 variant samples have been found till now, according to INSACOG data. India has been witnessing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country recently. On Thursday, India logged 1,300 new coronavirus cases, the highest in 140 days, while the active cases have increased to 7,605. The death toll has increased to 5,30,816 with three deaths. One death each has been reported b