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COVID-19

27% rise in Covid cases, 5 deaths reported

India had recorded 2,994 new COVID-19 infections yesterday…reports Asian Lite News

India reported 3,823 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a 27 per cent jump over yesterday, according to union health ministry data updated on Sunday.

Five deaths were reported due to the disease, with two from Kerala, and one each from Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana. The total number of active cases in the country has now shot up to 18,389.

India had recorded 2,994 new COVID-19 infections yesterday.

Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu are worst hit. Himachal Pradesh, the most vaccinated state, is witnessing a surprise increase, this is being attributed to the large influx of tourists in the hill state.

Mehanwhile, Maharashtra recorded 669 Covid-19 cases, including 189 in Mumbai; no death reported in state

Delhi clocked 416 fresh Covid cases, highest in over seven months; positivity rate 14.37%.

The Centre has advised the states to step up testing of Covid cases and ensure Covid appropriate behaviour such as wearing of masks and social distancing is followed in the affected clusters. States have also been told to send samples for genome sequencing in Centre’s labs in order to keep track of the Covid strains.

According to the health ministry’s website, 220.66 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. This is expected to help keep the disease under check.

Surge in Delhi

Marking a sudden hike in the number of positive cases, the national capital has reported 429 new Covid cases and one death in the last 24 hours, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department on Sunday.

The national capital currently has 1,395 active Covid cases, with the infection rate at 16.09 per cent, the bulletin stated. Further, according to the bulletin, as many as 2,667 swab samples were tested over the last 24 hours, of which 429 tested positive for Covid-19.

A total of 4,07,95,327 Covid tests have been conducted so far.

It stated further that a total of 249 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,82,816.

On April 1, the national capital reported 416 new Covid cases and one death in the last 24 hours, the highest in over seven months. The positivity rate also jumped to 14.37 per cent.

Earlier on Friday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the national capital is fully prepared to handle the spread of coronavirus and added that wearing face masks has not been made mandatory as yet.

Kejriwal had said after chairing a meeting of senior officials to review the Covid-19 preparations in the city.

Addressing the media here, Kejriwal said that the Delhi government is monitoring the Covid-19 situation and is prepared to face any eventuality. He noted that Delhi has seen an increase in Covid -19 cases in the last 15 days but there is no need to worry now.

Kejriwal said that 42 cases of Covid-19 were found on March 15 which went up to 295 cases on March 30.

“We tried to understand the sudden jumps in the daily covid cases. There is a total of 932 active cases till now, and a total of 2363 Covid tests were conducted on March 30,” the Delhi Chief Minister had said.

“There is no need to worry right now but we are taking the necessary steps on time. Till now three deaths have been confirmed, two deaths on Wednesday and one death before that,” the CM said adding that these deaths could probably be due to comorbidities and COVID-19 incidentals.

Kejriwal’s meeting came against the backdrop of a spurt in coronavirus cases in the city over the past two weeks.

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-Top News COVID-19

Covid cases continue to soar

The country recorded the highest one-day fresh infections in the last nearly six months…reports Asian Lite News

India continued to report over 3,000 COVID cases for the second day in a row with 3,095 new infections in the last 24 hours, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Friday. The country recorded the highest one-day fresh infections in the last nearly six months.

The country had reported 3,016 cases on Thursday with a case positivity rate of 2.73 per cent which declined to 2.61 per cent today. The weekly positivity rate jumped to 1.91 per cent today from 1.71 per cent yesterday. According to the Ministry, the active caseload in the country increased from 13,509 yesterday to 15,208 today which is 0.03 of the total number of cases.

As many as 1,390 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 4,41,69,711.

The recovery rate in the country currently is 98.78 per cent.

The Ministry informed that 220.65 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive, of which 95.20 crore are second doses and 22.86 crore are precaution doses. 6,553 COVID vaccine doses have been administered in last 24 hours, the Ministry said.

As far as the testing in the country is concerned amid the rising COVID cases, 1,18,694 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued revised guidelines for Covid-19 in the wake of the surge of cases in the past week across the country.

“Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of COVID-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease,” revised guidelines said.

As per the revised Covid-19 guidelines, maintain “Physical distancing, indoor mask use, hand hygiene, Symptomatic management (hydration, antipyretics, antitussive) Monitor temperature and oxygen saturation (by applying a SpO probe to fingers) Stay in contact with the treating physician.

“Seek immediate medical attention if difficulty breathing, High-grade fever/ severe cough, particularly if lasting for more than 5 days. A low threshold is to be kept for those with any of the high-risk features,” guidelines discussed and prepared in January said.

Additionally, in moderate or severe diseases at high risk of progression, the guidelines recommend, “Consider Remdesivir for up to 5 days (200 mg IV on day 1 followed by 100 mg IV OD for the next 4 days)”. (ANI)

Delhi infection rate nears 13%

Delhi recorded 295 fresh cases of Covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent, according to a daily health bulletin released by the government on Thursday.

The national capital currently has 932 active cases of Covid-19, it said. A total of 4,07,87,796 Covid tests have been conducted so far.

It stated further that a total of 163 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,82,029.

Earlier on Thursday, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj called an emergency meeting after 300 fresh Covid-19 cases were recorded in the Capital on Wednesday.

(Photo Qamar Sibtain IANS)

“Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj will hold a meeting with the officers and specialist doctors associated with the health department this afternoon,” officials said.

The Special Secretary, Health Department, Director of General Health Services, Nodal Officer for Oxygen and Testing and Medical Directors of several hospitals including Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) will be present in the meeting.

On Wednesday, the national capital recorded 300 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths, marking a sharp uptick in infections over the last 24 hours.

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Health India News

Modi advises caution amid rise in flu, Covid cases

PM Modi was briefed that India has been witnessing a slight rise in new cases with average daily cases reported as 888….reports Asian Lite News

Amid the spike in influenza cases in the country and the rise of Covid-19 cases in the past 2 weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to assess in terms of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, the status of the vaccination campaign, stated an official release.

A comprehensive presentation was made covering the global Covid-19 situation including the rising cases in India by the Secretary, of Health, MoHFW. PM Modi was briefed that India has been witnessing a slight rise in new cases with average daily cases reported as 888 and weekly positivity reported as 0.98 percent in the week ending March 22, 2023. However, 1.08 lakh daily average cases have been reported globally during the same week.

“The action taken on the directions given by Prime Minister during the last Covid-19 review held on December 22, 2022, was also briefed. He was informed that the availability and prices of 20 main Covid Drugs, 12 other drugs, 8 buffer drugs, and 1 influenza drug are being monitored,” it read.

A mock drill was also conducted on December 27, 2022, in 22,000 hospitals, and many remedial measures were taken by hospitals thereafter.

The Prime Minister was apprised of the influenza situation in the country, particularly with respect to a higher number of cases of H1N1 and H3N2 being noted in the last few months.

PM Modi directed officials to enhance the Whole Genome Sequencing of Positive Samples with the designated INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories.

“This will support tracking of newer variants if any, and timely response,” said PM Modi.

He also emphasized on Covid appropriate behaviour including wearing masks in hospital premises by patients, health professionals, and health workers.

He also stressed that wearing of masks is advisable when senior citizens and those with co-morbidities visit crowded areas.

He directed that effective monitoring of IRI/SARI cases, and testing for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and Adenovirus be followed up with States.

Further, Prime Minister stressed the need to ensure the availability of required Drugs and Logistics for influenza and Covid-19 across Health Facilities along with the availability of sufficient beds and for health human resources.

He highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and there is a need to monitor the status across the country on regular basis.

The PM advised to continue focusing on the 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and Covid Appropriate Behaviour, enhance Lab Surveillance, and testing of all Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases. Mock drills should be conducted regularly to ensure that our hospitals are ready for all exigencies.

Prime Minister exhorted the community to follow respiratory hygiene & to adhere to Covid appropriate behavior in crowded public places.

The meeting was attended by PK Mishra, Principal Secretary to PM, Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog; Rajiv Gauba, Cabinet Secretary; Secretary, Health & Family Welfare; Secretary, Pharmaceuticals and Secretary, Biotechnology; DG, ICMR, Amit Khare, Advisor, PMO along with other senior officials. (ANI)

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-Top News UK News

Britain briefly mulled culling cats to stop Covid-19

Bethell revelations came after being asked about the government’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic…reports Asian Lite News

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when little was known about the novel virus, the U.K. government briefly considered asking the public to exterminate every cat amid fears that the pets could spread the disease.

Lord Bethell, a former deputy Health Minister from 2020 to 2021, revealed the news Wednesday during an interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News. “Can you imagine what would have happened if we had wanted to do that?” he added. The U.K. has some 10.9 million cats, according to the 2022 PDSA Animal Wellbeing report.

The revelations have sparked astonishment from some on social media, with users sharing images of their own cats and vowing they would have put up a fight. 10 Downing Street’s own feline friend Larry’s unofficial Twitter parody account wrote “hard not to take this personally.”

Bethell added in the Channel 4 interview that there was a moment where evidence suggested there was merit in taking the extraordinary measure but it was investigated and ultimately dismissed.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, animals do not appear to play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus to humans, but cases of animals have been documented and most of them were “infected after contact with people with COVID-19.”

Despite this, there have been examples of some countries pursuing the mass culling of animals or pets in a bid to contain the virus. Hong Kong tested and euthanized some 2,000 hamsters in January 2022, after several tested positive for the virus in the weeks prior. Earlier on in the pandemic, in November 2020, Denmark culled 17 million minks over fears that a mutation could be transferred from minks to humans.

Denmark was the world’s largest mink producer and the decision was found to have no legal justification. The fallout prompted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to call a snap election in October last year after a member of her ruling coalition government threatened to withdraw their support amid the controversy.

Bethell’s comments to Channel 4 comes a day after more than 100,000 private WhatsApp messages in relation to how Matt Hancock, who was Health Minister from 2018 to 2021, handled the pandemic were leaked by political journalist Isabel Oakeshott to The Telegraph.

Bethell revelations came after being asked about the government’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hancock had entrusted Oakeshott with the messages in the hopes of writing a biography. Hancock was the subject of numerous personal and professional scandals, culminating in his resignation in June 2021 amid scandal for breaking COVID-19 restrictions. Among the revelations shared by Oakeshott was that Hancock dismissed expert advice to test anyone entering a care home for COVID-19 in the early days of the outbreak. In the first two years of the pandemic, Britain recorded over 40,000 COVID-19 related deaths in care homes.

The leaked messages appear to show Hancock was concerned that expanding testing in care homes could “get in the way” of his personal target of 100,000 COVID-19 tests per day.

Hancock has denied ignoring expert advice and is reportedly considering legal action over the claims made in the publication.

ALSO READ-Bill Gates appreciates India’s Covid-19 management

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News

India’s Covid fight story a global example: Gates Foundation

The foundation’s mission is to see a world where every person should have the chance to lead a healthy and productive life…reports Asian Lite News

India’s fight against the Covid crisis has set a positive global example, said Mark Suzman, CEO of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, adding that it can be a model for others on how it addressed the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines at such a scale. “We were proud to be able to help work with the Indian government and with partners like the Serum Institute of India, to help manufacture some of the vaccines and to help with some of the primary health care facilities to help with distribution and in some of the states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where we work closely, but it really is a model both because of the direct COVID response, but also because the infrastructure that’s been put in place has lots of positive effects by other forms of healthcare,” Suzman told ANI in an exclusive interview.

According to India’s health ministry’s latest data, it has administered over 2.2 billion doses.

Asked what challenges the foundation faced during and post-Covid, the pandemic has had a devastating impact, and more so the knock-on impact on economic growth on poverty and people’s health.

“Yes, well, globally COVID has had a devastating impact. And not just in terms of the direct impact of the disease itself, but the knock-on impact on economic growth on poverty on health. So across large parts, I think around a third of the developing world is likely to be in recession,” he said.

However, he believes India is in a “bright spot” as the country has accelerated its broader healthcare ecosystem.

“From vaccination campaigns to nutrition campaigns to sanitation campaigns. And so in all of those areas, we’re trying to sound the call to action and saying the world really needs to support and engage much more deeply so that we can start to accelerate progress again.”

Gates Foundation has been working in India for nearly two decades, and it works across a number of sectors from agriculture to financial services, and health, among others.

Further, on India’s G20 Presidency, he said the Indian government has already shown a strong commitment to driving forward in mitigating global health issues, and broader development issues like digital infrastructure, and financial services, which again can be examples of India addressing some of these issues.

“And so I think at the government of India’s stated ambition to try and tackle both those things, the issues of pandemic preparedness and global health response so that we can both finish the job on COVID and be ready to address the next pandemic, but also to think about these wider development challenges and using new tools like the digital financial infrastructure that India has developed through UPI, but also some of the new initiatives like the use of environment Digital Health Initiative, which we think again as some very positive models that we’ll be able to use in Africa and other parts of the developing world,” the CEO said.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will spend USD 8.3 billion in 2023 in its continued efforts to fight poverty, disease, and inequity.

By 2026, it aims to meet its commitment to reach an annual payout of USD 9 billion by 2026.

On the pledge for 2023 and its commitment to fight malaria through equipping partner countries, Suzman said: “Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people every year still and is responsible for many millions of cases. India has made great strides addressing some of the most serious incidents remaining in sort of central and west Africa, but they’re also it’s in South Asia and Latin America.”

He continued there have been a number of steps — from the provision of new insecticides and mosquito nets and other treatments and tools in malarial areas, which have been very successful.

“There are some new scientific advances using monoclonal antibodies, which is sort of complex and still expensive, but we’ve seen 80 to 90 per cent success rates in addressing malaria and we think those are going to be the tools that over the next decade or two, the world will actually move from containing and preventing malaria to eventually eradicating it. And that is our innovation,” he further said.

The foundation’s mission is to see a world where every person should have the chance to lead a healthy and productive life.

Finally, asked about is the foundation also working on reverse zoonosis, he said they are talking with the department of biotechnology in India, adding the foundation is aware of those challenges of how animal health is linked to human health.

“We also are global supporters of an initiative called the Coalition for epidemic preparedness initiative (CEPI) which is a major global effort that is trying to develop protective vaccines against other diseases that could become future pandemics. And so, we work on all of those areas, but really in partnership, we don’t take the lead on those research. We do it through coalitions with partnerships with governments like India or the United States.”

An infection or disease that is transmissible from humans to animals under natural conditions is called reverse zoonosis. (ANI)

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COVID-19 USA

Mandatory Covid testing for visitors from China

Travelers wearing face masks are seen at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Feb. 2, 2021. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua/IANS)

Under the new rules, travelers to the US from China, Hong Kong and Macau, will be required to take a Covid-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding their flight…reports Asian Lite News

The US announced new Covid-19 testing requirements Wednesday for all travelers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections.

The increase in cases across China follows the rollback of the nation’s strict anti-virus controls. China’s “zero Covid” policies had kept the country’s infection rate low but fueled public frustration and crushed economic growth.

The new US requirements, which start Jan. 5, apply to travelers regardless of their nationality and vaccination status.

In a statement explaining the testing, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited the surge in infections and what it said was a lack of adequate and transparent information from China, including genomic sequencing on the viral strains circulating in the country.

“These data are critical to monitor the case surge effectively and decrease the chance for entry of a novel variant of concern,” the CDC said.

Some scientists are worried the COVID-19 surge in China could unleash a new coronavirus variant on the world that may or may not be similar to the ones circulating now. That’s because every infection is another chance for the virus to mutate.

“What we want to avoid is having a variant enter into the US and spread like we saw with delta or omicron,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

But the CDC’s action may be less about stopping a new variant from crossing US borders and more about increasing pressure on China to share more information, said Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, adding he hopes the restrictions “aren’t kept in place longer than they need to be.”

“I don’t think it’s going to have a major impact in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” Dowdy said. “We have a whole lot of transmission of COVID-19 here within our borders already.”

Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University, agreed China isn’t sharing enough genomic sequencing information. But he also said the US has become a little complacent about sequencing and needs to redouble its own efforts. The CDC also announced the expansion of an early warning program that tests volunteers at select airports for new and rare variants of the coronavirus. That program will expand to airports in Seattle and Los Angeles.

Under the new rules, travelers to the US from China, Hong Kong and Macau, will be required to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding their flight. The testing applies to anyone 2 years and older, including US citizens.

It will apply to people traveling from China via a third country and to people connecting through the US as they go on to other destinations. Anyone testing positive more than 10 days before the flight can provide documentation showing they’ve recovered from COVID-19 instead of a negative test result.

It will be up to the airlines to confirm negative tests and documentation of recovery before passengers board.

Other countries have taken similar steps in an effort to keep infections from spreading beyond China’s borders. Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travelers from China, and Malaysia announced new tracking and surveillance measures. India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan are requiring virus tests for visitors from China.

Lunar New Year, which begins Jan. 22, is usually China’s busiest travel season, and China announced Tuesday it will resume issuing passports for tourism for the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

“We look forward to welcoming Chinese travelers back to the United States,” US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement. He called the US approach to testing inbound travelers “reasonable and appreciated.”

The US action is a return to testing requirements for some international travelers. The Biden administration lifted the last of such mandates in June. At that time, the CDC continued to recommend that people boarding flights to the U.S. get tested close to departure time and not travel if they are sick.

Early in the pandemic, the US barred entry to foreigners traveling from China, weeks after the virus first emerged there three years ago, and dozens of other countries were added to the list. The country started lifting travel bans late last year, but required travelers to the US to be vaccinated and tested.

ALSO READ-‘Country may see spike in Covid cases mid-January’

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COVID-19 India News

‘Country may see spike in Covid cases mid-January’

Complications in kids hospitalised with Covid: Lancet.(photo:pixabay.coM)

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya went to the Safdarjung Hospital to observe the Mock drill on Tuesday…reports Asian Lite News

The next 40 days will be crucial as India may see a surge of COVID cases in mid of January, said Union Health Ministry sources on Wednesday.

The sources said the assessment had been made after analysing the previous trends of the COVID surge the country experienced. As there have been reports of a surge in COVID cases in some countries, the operational readiness of health facilities is being reviewed in all States and Union Territories in case of another wave.

Notably, two passengers coming from Dubai tested positive for the COVID infection at Chennai airport on Wednesday.

“Two passengers who arrived from Dubai tested positive at the Chennai airport today. Both of them hailed from the Alangudi district of Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai. Their test samples have been sent to State Public Health Laboratory,” said Tamil Nadu Health Department said.

At least 39 international travellers have tested positive for COVID infection between December 24-26 as the random testing of international passengers arriving at the airports is being done

“The total number of international flights screened in the last three days ie December 24, December 25 and December 26 is 498. The number of samples collected for COVID-19 testing is 1,780. The cumulative number of samples collected is 3,994. The cumulative number of samples testing positive is 39 and the cumulative number of samples sent for whole genome sequencing is 39,” sources told ANI on Tuesday.

In light of the surge in COVID in some countries, hospitals across India conducted a Mock drill for COVID. The purpose of the mock drill was to evaluate COVID preparedness in terms of resources, protocol and personnel.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya went to the Safdarjung Hospital to observe the Mock drill on Tuesday.

“To make sure there is not a COVID surge in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked us to be careful. The government is also preparing if the Covid cases increase. Today mock drills are conducted across Covid hospitals in the country to make sure people get proper treatment,” the Union Health Minister said at Safdarjung hospital.

This came after four international travellers from Myanmar tested positive for COVID infection at the Delhi airport.

Meanwhile, India recorded 188 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

India’s active caseload currently stands at 3,468 which accounts for 0.01 per cent of the total cases. The recovery rate currently is at 98.8 per cent. As many as 141 recoveries were made in the last 24 hours, thereby taking the total recoveries to 4,41,43,483

The daily positivity rate stood at 0.14 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate is at 0.18 per cent.

A total of 90,529 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours.

On the COVID-19 vaccination front, the government data informed that over 220.07 crore vaccine doses had been administered so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive. (ANI)

ALSO READ-US mulls new Covid curbs on Chinese arrivals

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-Top News UK News

UK govt to stop publishing coronavirus data

5 precautions to keep in mind for air travel in the times of COVID-19.(Photo:IANSLIFE)

The country’s remaining COVID restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate at home with symptoms, were removed earlier this year…reports Asian Lite News

Health authorities said on December 26 that they will stop publishing their regular COVID-19 infections modelling data in the new year because it is seen as “no longer necessary” as the country moves to a phase of living with the virus with the help of vaccines and medicines.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that it will continue to monitor COVID like other common viral illnesses such as seasonal flu. Since April this year, the data on the reproductive rate, or the R value speed at which the novel coronavirus infects people, has been published fortnightly as a monitoring tool.

“During the pandemic, the R value and growth rate served as a useful and simple indicator to inform public health action and government decisions,” said Dr. Nick Watkins, chair of the UKHSA Epidemiology Modelling Review Group (EMRG).

“Now that vaccines and therapeutics have allowed us to move to a phase where we are living with COVID-19, with surveillance scaled down but still closely monitored through a number of different indicators, the publication of this specific data is no longer necessary,” he said.

“We continue to monitor COVID-19 activity in a similar way to how we monitor a number of other common illnesses and diseases. All data publications are kept under constant review and this modelling data can be reintroduced promptly if needed, for example, if a new variant of concern was to be identified,” he added.

The EMRG said its recent detailed review concluded that the next publication of its so-called “consensus statement” on COVID-19 on January 6, 2023, “will be the last”. The U.K.’s COVID incidence data will continue to be accessible from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) infection survey.

The country’s remaining COVID restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate at home with symptoms, were removed earlier this year. Amid an expected rise in infections over the winter months, the health authorities had urged those with signs of respiratory illness to avoid mixing during the festive holiday period.

“We are seeing a rise in cases and hospital admissions for both flu and COVID-19 as people continue to mix indoors this winter. Hospitalisation rates due to COVID-19 remain highest in those aged 65 and over, so it is vital that everyone who is eligible continues to come forward to accept their booster jab before the end of the year,” Dr. Mary Ramsay, Director of Public Health Programmes, said last week.

“Both COVID-19 and flu can cause severe illness or even death for those most vulnerable in our communities, and so it is also important to avoid contact with other people if you are unwell in order to help stop infections spreading over the Christmas and new year period,” she said.

ALSO READ-China to ease Covid quarantine rule from Jan 8

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COVID-19

Researchers use new tech to test blood proteins in Covid patients

The researchers discovered that Covid-19 patients had changes in immunosuppression pathways, which normally keep the immune system in balance, the study revealed…reports Asian Lite News

A team of researchers are combining new technologies to discover unique patterns of blood plasma proteins in critically ill patients that may help develop a more personalised approach to treating severe Covid-19, a new study has shown.

According to the study published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the proteins being studied, called the “plasma proteome”, are released by cells that often play a key role in the body’s immune response to viruses.

To conduct the study, blood samples were taken from 30 subjects in three patient groups at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).

One group had patients with Covid-19, another group had patients with severe infection but were negative for Covid-19, and the third was a healthy control group.

“We collected plasma from these patients and measured well over a thousand proteins with great accuracy using new technology that combines immunology and genomics,” said Dr Douglas Fraser, Lawson Scientist, Critical Care Physician at Children’s Hospital at LHSC.

“With the use of this advanced technology, we were able to better analyse the protein patterns and better understand what is happening with Covid-19, especially in critically ill patients,” he added.

The researchers discovered that Covid-19 patients had changes in immunosuppression pathways, which normally keep the immune system in balance, the study revealed.

The changes were heightened in critically ill patients.

The plasma proteome analysis assisted researchers in determining which cells in the body are active during the disease state and which signalling pathways were activated.

“In-depth analysis of the human plasma proteome helps us capture tissue proteins that can provide us with information regarding organ integrity during infection,” said Cristiana Iosef, Lawson Research Associate.

“This is important because it will allow us to search for new blood biomarkers that are specific for Covid-19 patients,” she added.

Moreover, Dr Fraser commented that the team can now examine potential new drug therapies with the hopes of improving outcomes for these patients.

ALSO READ-We are keeping a close eye on the Covid situation in China, says Govt

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China COVID-19 India News

We are keeping a close eye on the Covid situation in China, says Govt

While official figures of recent Covid-19 infections and deaths are hard to come by, social media has been flooded with videos and images of overcrowded healthcare facilities as well as crematoriums…reports Asian Lite News

India is keeping a close eye on the Covid-19 situation in China but there is no specific guideline for Indians living there as of now, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

“We are keeping a close eye on the situation evolving in China. There is no advisory or specific guideline by the MEA for Indians living in China as of now,” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in response to a question at the weekly media briefing.

Indian nationals living in China would be expected to follow guidelines issued by the local health authorities, he added.

Bagchi also pointed out that India had helped other countries as the pharmacy of the world after the Covid-19 outbreak.

The past few days have seen China reporting an alarming surge in Covid-19 cases after it relaxed stringent curbs under its ‘zero-Covid policy’ after huge country-wide protests.

While official figures of recent Covid-19 infections and deaths are hard to come by, social media has been flooded with videos and images of overcrowded healthcare facilities as well as crematoriums.

Reviewing the Covid-19 situation in India amid a sharp spike in cases in China and several other countries, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya had on Wednesday directed officials to stay alert and step up surveillance.

The review came a day after the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sent a letter to States and Union Territories citing the COVID-19 situation in the USA, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and China.

Through the letter, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan requested all States and Union Territories (UTs) to gear up the genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network.

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