covid -19

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India recorded 13,086 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, down from 16,135 infections and 19 fatalities on Monday. The number of active cases has now reached 1,14,475 and 5,25,242 fatalities have been registered across the nation to far. According to health ministry data, 4,28,91,933 patients have been released.

During this time, the positive rate was 2.9 percent. Meanwhile, 19 additional deaths occurred on Tuesday, bringing the overall death toll to 5,25,242.

In the meantime, India’s recovery rate was 98.53 percent. In the previous 24 hours, a total of 12,456 patients recovered, increasing the overall number of recoveries to 4,28,91,933 across the country.

Covid Vaccination

In addition, India administered 11,44,805 doses in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of doses administered to 1,98,09,87,178.

According to the statistics, 4,51,312 samples were analysed in the previous 24 hours.

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The unique coronavirus infection began in China and quickly spread around the world. In short time, WHO labelled the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a worldwide pandemic, bringing the globe to a halt.

New Covid-19 variants began to emerge as scientists and medical experts began their hunt for medication and therapy. Two years later, coronavirus evolution continues to astound experts worldwide. Here are the several versions that have arisen during the last two years.

Variant Delta Plus

This variant had a catastrophic impact on the planet. It was the primary cause of the increased number of cases during the second wave in India and one of the most lethal COVID-19 variants. Because of its enhanced transmissibility and stronger reactivity, it was more alarming.

Also known as the B.1.617 variant, it is thought to have two distinct mutations, E484Q and L452R. The mutation was most common in Brazil and South Africa, and it was discovered in December 2020.

Also Read: India reports 16,135 new Covid cases

Variant of Omicron

The World Health Organization declared this variation a matter for concern last year. Despite the minor symptoms, a significant transmission rate was noted. The omicron epidemic had a far lower death rate than previous varieties, making it less dangerous.

Variants BA.4 and BA.5

These are Omicron’s subvariants. BA.4 and BA.5 variants are on the rise internationally because they propagate more quickly than other variants. According to reports, it began in South Africa and quickly spread to the United States.

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Tokyo: A unique compact patch created by Japanese researchers can detect the presence of Covid antibodies non-invasively in three minutes.
The University of Tokyo researchers focused on the interstitial fluid (ISF), which is found in the epidermis and dermis layers of human skin, to identify anti-Covid IgM/IgG antibodies.
The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, demonstrated that the novel antibody-based technique aids in the speedy and precise identification of SARS-CoV-2.

To present, the most common Covid detection procedure is swabbing the nose and mouth for samples.

However, the applicability of this technology is limited due to its long detection time (4-6 hours), expensive cost, and need for specialised equipment and medical professionals, especially in resource-poor nations.

The detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies is an alternative and supplementary approach for confirming Covid-19 infection.

In several countries, testing strips based on gold nanoparticles are now widely used for point-of-care testing. They offer sensitive and consistent findings in 10-20 minutes, but blood samples must be taken by finger prick using a lancing instrument.

This is unpleasant and raises the risk of infection or cross-contamination, and the used kit components may provide a biohazard risk.

“We investigated the possibility of sampling and evaluating the ISF to design a minimally invasive detection assay that would overcome these limitations.” Although antibody levels in the ISF are around 15-25% of those in blood, it was nevertheless possible to identify anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies and that the ISF might operate as a direct alternative for blood sample,” stated lead author Leilei Bao from the varsity’s Institute of Industrial Science.

After proving that ISF could be used for antibody detection, the researchers devised a novel method for sampling and testing the ISF.

“First, we created biodegradable porous polylactic acid microneedles that extract ISF from human skin.”

“We then built a paper-based immunoassay biosensor to detect SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies,” senior scientist Beomjoon Kim explained.

The lab testing revealed that by combining these two features, the tiny patch could detect antibodies on-site in 3 minutes, according to Kim.

This innovative detection technology has significant potential for quick screening of Covid-19 and many other infectious illnesses while remaining safe and acceptable to patients. According to the scientists, it has potential for usage in many nations regardless of affluence, which is a fundamental goal for global infectious disease management.

According to data from the Union Health Ministry, India recorded 17,092 new Covid-19 cases and 29 deaths in the last 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Saturday. The country’s total number of active cases is presently 1,09,568.

The number of new Covid cases in Mumbai fell to 978 on Friday, a day after the city recorded 1,265 cases. The daily caseload in Mumbai has dropped by 22.6 percent in the previous 24 hours. The city’s test positivity rate (TPR) – the number of positive cases out of all tests performed — was 7.8 percent on Friday, with 12,452 tests performed.

There were also two Covid-related fatalities in the city. The virus killed a nine-year-old child who had underlying comorbidities such as epilepsy and glycogen Storage Disorder Type III.

According to statistics supplied by the health department, Delhi recorded 813 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with a positive rate of 5.30%, and three more individuals died from the viral illness.

This is the second day in a row that the daily case count has been in the 800-1,000 area. The number of cases in Delhi has risen to 19,35,687, with a mortality toll of 26,264, according to the health department bulletin.

There were also two Covid-related fatalities in the city. The virus killed a nine-year-old child who had underlying comorbidities such as epilepsy and glycogen Storage Disorder Type III.

According to statistics supplied by the health department, Delhi recorded 813 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with a positive rate of 5.30%, and three more individuals died from the viral illness.

This is the second day in a row that the daily case count has been in the 800-1,000 area. The number of cases in Delhi has risen to 19,35,687, with a mortality toll of 26,264, according to the health department bulletin.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has authorised two doses of Gennova Biopharmaceuticals’ mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for use in limited emergency conditions for beneficiaries over the age of 18.

According to authorities, this vaccination is the first in history to stay stable while storage at temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. On Friday, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) recommended Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for India’s first mRNA vaccination, according to sources.

The data supplied by Gennova Biopharmaceuticals was deemed “sufficient” by India’s drug regulator’s Subject Expert Committee.

In the month of April, the firm supplied statistics. Then, in May, they supplied further new data.

Earlier in May, Gennova provided an update to ANI on the status of submitting phase 3 data, saying, “Gennova is in discussion with the regulatory body and providing the relevant data and information required for the product approval.”

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“Product development, employing breakthrough technologies such as mRNA, a fourth-generation vaccination platform that is stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius, is a tough path during pandemic times,” they added.

On 4000 people, the business performed phase 2 and phase 3 data trials to assess vaccination safety, immunogenicity, and tolerability.

The Union Government is dedicated to speeding up and broadening the scope of COVID-19 immunisation across the country. The national COVID-19 vaccine campaign began on January 16, 2021.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccine universalization began on June 21, 2021. The immunisation campaign has been stepped up with the availability of additional vaccinations, advance awareness of vaccine availability to states and UTs for improved planning, and simplification of the vaccine supply chain.

As part of the countrywide immunisation campaign, the Government of India has been supplying free COVID-19 vaccinations to states and union territories. In the next phase of the COVID-19 immunisation programme, the Union Government would acquire and deliver (at no cost) to States and UTs 75% of the vaccines manufactured in the country by vaccine makers.

Despite the fact that COVID-19 instances are increasing in the nation, the severity and hospitalisation are being closely watched because no new variety has been identified, according to Dr Sujeet Singh, Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“We are investigating the sort of variant to see whether we are seeing specific cases of some variant as the US, UK, and other nations are reporting.” “We are also tracking hospitalisation and case severity to see whether it is related to another variety or not,” Dr Sujeet Singh told ANI. Dr. Singh also stated that no new variants have been reported as of yet.

“Aside from Omicron or its sublineages, we haven’t uncovered any distinct new variations, and recombinant variants have been reported,” he noted.

He also mentioned a sentinel surveillance scheme, in which 396 sentinel sites around the nation provide samples for genome sequencing.

“Omicron BA.2 and its sublineages have supplanted all varieties such as delta and others, although sublineages differ in transmission and severity,” Singh explained.

According to Dr. Sujit Singh, the Union Health Ministry has issued instructions to investigate how a certain variety is acting in India, which cities have been affected, and whether it is signalling any severity.

“We have discussed the behaviour of various variants in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and South Africa. The Union Health Minister has also issued special instructions to check into the instances that are hospitalised.” “What kind of mutations are observed in those patients that are in hospitals?” he added.

He also stated that surveillance had begun in accordance with the directions, with a particular focus on districts with the highest number of reported cases to determine which specific variant is responsible for the increase in COVID cases and what type of variants have been encountered in hospitalisation cases.

He explained the distinction between infection and disease, saying, “Infection and disease are two separate things; you might be infected yet not acquire a symptomatic condition.”

Also Read: With 45 percent increase, India reported 17,073 new Covid cases

So, if the number of infected and asymptomatic people is increasing and the variant is not causing a severe disease, we may not need to be concerned.”

“I won’t say it’s a rapid jump; we’ve been witnessing a slow rise for two months; if we speak about day one and day 60th, there is obviously a worrying growth, but we do need to understand the epidemiological spread and severity,” he added.

Explanation of the increase of COVID cases in certain locations of some states.

“When we look at Maharashtra, we notice that it is not the entire state that is reporting a jump in COVID cases; we need to look at epidemiologically where the transmission is highest, which is Mumbai circles, Pune, Palghar, and Thane. Similarly, while optimism is abundant in Kerala, there are other aspects “He finished.

“The increase in instances is determined by three key factors. The first is the susceptible pool of the population; you can observe what the immunity status is in the community. As immunity deteriorates, the population’s susceptibility increases. Virus-like omicron has a higher proclivity to overcome vaccination.

“As the vulnerable pool grows, so do the cases,” he concluded.

According to a health advisory issued by the Delhi government on Saturday, the national capital saw a decrease in new COVID-19 cases, with 666 new infections detected in the past 24 hours.

On Friday, the city reported 1,447 new cases. As a result, the city’s active cases have decreased from 5,507 on Friday to 4,717 today.

In the previous 24 hours, 8,544 COVID tests were performed, with a daily case positive rate of 7.80%.

During this time, 1,450 people recovered from the condition, according to the newsletter. Since the start of the epidemic, the overall number of recoveries in the city has risen to 18,98,541.

Six COVID patients died as a result of the infection. The death toll currently stands at 26,249.

In terms of immunisation, 27,699 recipients were immunised during this time period. The total number of vaccination doses delivered in the city to date is 3,48,15,494.

Meanwhile, in the previous 24 hours, India reported 15,940 new COVID cases and 20 fatalities. With this, India’s active cases have increased to 91,779, with a daily positive rate of 4.39 percent.

Earlier this month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya convened a video-conference meeting with Health Ministers and top officials from States and Union Territories (UTs) to examine the success of the HarGharDastak 2.0 immunisation campaign.

Mandaviya added that expanded and timely testing will enable early detection of COVID patients and assist to prevent the spread of the illness among the population, citing higher case positive in various districts and States and lower COVID-19 testing.

He had asked states and universities to maintain and expand monitoring while focusing on genome sequencing to find novel mutants/variants in the country.

He added that States/UTs must maintain and monitor the five-pronged strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccination, and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB).

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On Saturday, India’s total COVID-19 vaccine coverage surpassed 196.94 crores (1,96,94,40,932), according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

According to preliminary reports, India reached the target via sessions till 7 a.m. on Saturday. COVID vaccination for children aged 12 to 14 years old began on March 16, 2022.

More than 3.62 crore (3,62,20,781) adolescents have received the first dose of the COVID vaccination, and 2,23,36,175 have received the second dose.

In the 15-18 year age group, 6,02,72,529 doses were provided as the first dosage and 4,82,78,560 doses as the second dose.

Also Read: India sees decrease in COVID cases with 17,336 cases recorded

According to the Ministry, 1,04,08,628 health care workers (HLWs) have gotten the first vaccination dosage, 1,00,60,891 have received the second vaccine dose, and 56,11,589 have received the precaution dose.

In addition, the first dosage was given to 1,84,22,906 frontline employees, the second dose to 1,76,19,383 personnel, and the precaution dose to 99,40,140 workers.

In the age range 18-44 years, a total of 55,80,69,125 vaccine doses were delivered as the first dose, 49,98,02,380 as the second dose, and 24,07,273 as precaution doses.

Similarly, people aged 45 to 59 years received 20,34,14,801 vaccine doses as the first dose, 19,30,99,268 as the second dose, and 22,93,280 as precaution doses, whereas people aged 60 and up received 12,72,28,781 vaccine doses as the first dose, 12,05,89,141 as the second dose, and 2,33,65,301 as precaution doses.

Covid cases

Meanwhile, in the previous 24 hours, India reported 15,940 new COVID cases and 20 fatalities.

With this, India’s active cases have increased to 91,779, with a daily positive rate of 4.39 percent.

Earlier this month, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya convened a video-conference meeting with Health Ministers and top officials from States and Union Territories (UTs) to examine the success of the HarGharDastak 2.0 vaccination campaign.

Mandaviya added that expanded and timely testing will enable early detection of COVID patients and assist to prevent the spread of the illness among the population, citing higher case positive in various districts and States and lower COVID-19 testing.

He had asked states and universities to maintain and expand monitoring while focusing on genome sequencing to find novel mutants/variants in the country.

He added that States/UTs must maintain and monitor the five-pronged strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccination, and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behavior (CAB).

The number of coronavirus infections in India has decreased in the previous 24 hours, with the Union Health Ministry reporting 15,940 new cases of covid-19, compared to the 17,336 total cases recorded on Friday.

According to the most recent Health Ministry data, India’s active caseload stood at 91,779 at a rate of 0.21 percent, up from 88,284 at a rate of 0.20 percent the day before. In addition, the Ministry reported that the country has seen as many as 12,425 recoveries from the sickness in the previous 24 hours, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 4,27,61,481 at a rate of 98.58 percent.

The country’s daily positivity rate is 4.39 percent, while its weekly positivity rate is 3.30 percent.

According to the Health Ministry, 86.02 crore tests have been performed across the country thus far, with 3,63,103 performed in the previous 24 hours alone.

Covid vaccines

The Ministry also revealed that as much as 196.94 crores of covid-19 vaccine had been distributed to Indian states and union territories as part of the Union Government’s Nationwide Vaccination Drive.

Also Read: Over 12.14 million unutilized COVID-19 vaccination doses still accessible with states & UTs

In light of an increase in COVID-19 cases in India, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the COVID-19 and vaccination situation in the country on Thursday.

Mandaviya urged a high-level conference to rigorously monitor the COVID-19 situation in the country, focusing on vaccination of the elderly population, school-aged children, monitoring, and genome sequencing.

Over the previous several weeks, India has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 instances.

The Union Minister emphasised the need of focusing on districts with a high case positive rate and doing proper testing (with a larger proportion of RTPCR) as well as effective COVID-19 surveillance in order to identify and limit the spread of illness in a timely way.

Mandaviya urged officials to continue focusing on monitoring and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to look for any potential mutations.

He also oversaw hospitalizations related to COVID-19 and SARI/ILI patients.

He also urged health officials to speed up vaccination, including booster doses, in regions with high case counts. “As long as appropriate vaccine doses are available, there should be no vaccine waste,” he said, “while focusing on expediting vaccination among the eligible and vulnerable populations.”

According to a new forecast scheduled to be published in the Lancet journal on Friday, COVID-19 vaccination may have helped cut the number of fatalities worldwide by about a third, including by 2.7 million to 5.3 million in India.

After India reported the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the recent 100 days, a leading specialist stated that the increase in COVID-19 infections is not cause for alarm, but that the virus’s severity must be properly monitored.

According to Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Epidemiologist at AIIMS, the increase in COVID-19 cases is not a cause for alarm, but there is a need to actively monitor severity, mortality, and hospitalisation.