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HKU1 Coronavirus Detected in Kolkata Woman: What You Need to Know

March 21, 2025, 5:55 pm

Recently, reports surfaced about a woman in Kolkata testing positive for a strain of human coronavirus known as HKU1. Understandably, this news sparked concerns given the recent global experience with COVID-19. However, it’s crucial to clarify that HKU1 is not a novel virus and does not pose pandemic-level risks like COVID-19. Identified back in 2005, HKU1 is known for causing milder respiratory illnesses, similar to the common cold.

According to recent reports, the Kolkata patient has stabilized, and health experts emphasize there is no need for panic. Dr. Suranjit Chatterjee, a senior consultant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, reassures the public by explaining the virus’s nature and its implications.

Understanding the HKU1 Strain

HKU1 is part of the coronavirus family, which comprises a large group of viruses known to cause respiratory illnesses in humans. Unlike COVID-19, which was a novel coronavirus at the time of its outbreak in 2019, HKU1 was first identified in 2005. It is considered a rare isolate and has been studied over the years to understand its effects on human health.

Coronaviruses, including HKU1, typically affect the upper respiratory tract, causing symptoms like a common cold or flu. HKU1 infections are usually mild, self-limiting, and resolve without the need for extensive medical treatment. According to experts, the virus is evolving slowly in humans, who are believed to be its only reservoir.

Dr. Chatterjee adds, “Most people will encounter these viruses at some point in their lives. Symptoms typically last for a limited duration, and there’s no need to panic over this strain.”

Symptoms of HKU1 Infection

Symptoms of HKU1 closely resemble those of seasonal flu and are generally mild in most patients. The common symptoms include:

Persistent cough
Runny nose or nasal congestion
Blocked sinuses
Sore throat
Fatigue
Headaches
Low-grade fever

These symptoms may vary in intensity and typically resolve on their own. However, in rare cases, the infection can progress to more severe conditions such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Since the virus can infect cells along the airways, it has the potential to descend to the lungs, increasing the risk of pneumonia, especially in vulnerable individuals.

Who is at Risk?

For most individuals, HKU1 infection is mild and self-limiting, with recovery expected without complications. However, certain groups are more susceptible to severe illness and must exercise caution:

Elderly Individuals: As with many respiratory infections, older adults are more vulnerable due to age-related decline in immune function.
Children: Young children have developing immune systems, making them more susceptible to respiratory infections.
Pregnant Women: Pregnancy can suppress the immune system, increasing the risk of complications from respiratory infections.
Immunocompromised Individuals: Those with weakened immune systems due to conditions like HIV, cancer, or organ transplants are at higher risk.
People with Co-morbidities: Individuals with underlying health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or chronic respiratory diseases need to be particularly cautious.

For these groups, severe symptoms such as persistent high fever, difficulty breathing, or chest pain may require immediate medical attention.

Transmission of HKU1

HKU1 spreads similarly to other coronaviruses. The primary mode of transmission is via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread by:

Direct contact with an infected person
Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the face, mouth, or nose

The virus is highly contagious, especially in crowded or enclosed spaces, making public awareness and adherence to preventive measures critical.

Preventive Measures Against HKU1

Given the similarities between HKU1 and other coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2, prevention strategies mirror those recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Chatterjee advises the following measures to reduce the risk of HKU1 infection:

Hand Hygiene: Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.
Mask Usage: Wear masks in crowded or high-risk areas to reduce respiratory droplet transmission.
Respiratory Etiquette: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of tissues properly and sanitize your hands afterward.
Social Distancing: Maintain a safe distance from individuals displaying symptoms of respiratory illness. Avoid close contact, especially in indoor and crowded settings.
Avoid Touching Face: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially after touching potentially contaminated surfaces.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids to keep the respiratory tract moist and help your immune system function optimally.
Rest: Ensure you get sufficient rest to allow your body to fight off infections effectively.
Vaccination: While there is no vaccine specifically for HKU1, staying up-to-date with other respiratory vaccines like the flu shot can reduce overall respiratory infection risks.

Differences Between HKU1 and COVID-19

One of the main reasons for public anxiety over the HKU1 case is the comparison to COVID-19. However, there are significant differences between the two:

Novelty: COVID-19 was caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) when it first emerged in 2019, whereas HKU1 was identified in 2005 and is well-studied.
Severity: COVID-19 can cause severe illness, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure. HKU1 typically causes mild upper respiratory symptoms, with severe cases being rare.
Pandemic Potential: COVID-19 spread globally, leading to a pandemic. HKU1, in contrast, does not exhibit the characteristics needed to cause a pandemic.
Mortality Rate: COVID-19 has a higher mortality rate, particularly in vulnerable groups. HKU1 has not been linked to significant fatalities and is considered less dangerous.

Clinical Management of HKU1 Infection

Since HKU1 infection is usually mild, treatment focuses on symptom management and supportive care:

Rest: Allowing the body to recover by minimizing physical exertion.
Hydration: Drinking sufficient fluids to keep the respiratory tract moist.
Over-the-Counter Medications: Paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever and body aches, cough syrups, and decongestants to alleviate symptoms.
Monitoring: Keeping track of symptoms, especially in high-risk individuals. If symptoms worsen or signs of pneumonia appear, seek medical care promptly.

In severe cases, where pneumonia or bronchitis develops, hospitalization and more intensive treatments such as oxygen therapy or antibiotics (for secondary bacterial infections) may be required.

The detection of HKU1 coronavirus in a Kolkata woman serves as a reminder of the ongoing need to monitor respiratory viruses. However, the key takeaway is that HKU1 is not a novel virus and generally causes mild illness without pandemic-level risks. Public health experts urge people to remain calm, continue following basic preventive measures, and rely on credible sources for information.

As with all respiratory illnesses, vigilance and good hygiene practices are essential to minimize risks. While the HKU1 case should be monitored, there is no cause for widespread concern, and life can continue with appropriate caution and awareness.

Delhi Health Minister Bhardwaj Announces Discharge of JN.1 Patient, No New Cases

December 28, 2023, 2:11 pm

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj affirmed on Thursday that Delhi presently has no active cases of the JN.1 subvariant of COVID-19, following the discharge of the lone patient infected with the variant. Minister Bhardwaj reassured the public, stating that the new variant is mild, and individuals infected with it are not experiencing severe illness.

Highlighting the increased testing efforts, Minister Bhardwaj provided details, saying, “We have increased the number of tests. Yesterday, we performed 636 tests in private and government hospitals combined. Three genome sequencing results were received yesterday, out of which two were old Omicron variants and one was JN.1.”

Regarding the patient with the JN.1 variant, he mentioned, “The patient has already been discharged from the hospital and is healthy now.” He concluded, “We can say that there are no patients of JN.1 variant in Delhi currently.”

In the broader context of COVID-19 in India, the Union Health Ministry reported 692 new cases in the last 24 hours, with the total active caseload at 4,097. Six deaths were recorded during this period, with two in Maharashtra, and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal. The overall COVID-19 cases in India since January 2020 now stand at 4,50,10,944, and the total death toll has risen to 5,33,346.

Addressing the surge in cases, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has issued guidelines for COVID-19 suspected or positive cases reported at hospitals. Meanwhile, the JN.1 sub-variant, a descendant of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.86 or Pirola, has seen 109 cases in India, with the first case reported in Kerala. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, emphasizing a low overall risk based on current evidence, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86.

India Sees Surge in COVID-19 Cases with 692 New Infections and Six Deaths in 24 Hours

December 28, 2023, 11:23 am

In the past 24 hours, India has reported a spike in COVID-19 cases, with 692 new infections, pushing the total active caseload to 4,097, according to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry. The overall tally of coronavirus cases in the country, since the onset of the pandemic in January 2020, now stands at 4,50,10,944, with an increase of 702 cases in the last day.

The health authorities also confirmed six new deaths in the same period, bringing the total death toll due to COVID-19 in India to 5,33,346. The fatalities were reported in different states, with two in Maharashtra, and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal.

Adding a new dimension to the situation, Delhi reported its first case of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 on Wednesday. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Delhi reports the first case of JN.1, a Sub-Variant of Omicron. Out of the three samples sent for Genome Sequencing, one is JN.1, and two are Omicron.”

The JN.1 sub-variant, a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86 or Pirola, was initially reported in Kerala. Health Ministry sources have identified a total of 109 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant in India until now. However, the World Health Organisation has emphasized that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.

In response to the escalating COVID-19 situation, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has issued guidelines for handling suspected or positive cases. AIIMS Delhi director conducted a meeting on Wednesday with department heads to discuss contingency measures, including testing policies, designated areas for positive patients, and hospitalization protocols. These measures aim to address the sudden surge in coronavirus cases across the country.

Covid Update: Kerala Adds 300 Fresh Cases, India’s Active Tally Reaches 2,669

December 21, 2023, 11:59 am

Kerala reported 300 new active cases of COVID-19 and 3 deaths on December 20, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, contributing to the country’s total active cases standing at 2,669.

Amid concerns about the new variant of the Coronavirus, a health expert from Kerala emphasized that COVID is akin to any other communicable disease and cannot be completely eradicated. Dr. Sreejith N Kumar stated that while COVID cannot be wiped out entirely, the strike rate of the disease has reduced, and mortality is not as high as before. He likened it to any other influenza or common cold.

In response to the rising cases and concerns over emerging strains, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India. He urged vigilance and preparedness against new and emerging strains of the virus. Stressing the importance of being alert, Mandaviya called on all states to enhance surveillance and ensure sufficient stocks of essential medical supplies, including medicines, oxygen cylinders, concentrators, ventilators, and vaccines.

Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the need for joint efforts between the Centre and States to efficiently manage COVID-19, proposing mock drills every three months at both levels to share best practices. He urged states to create awareness, manage the epidemic, and disseminate accurate information.

With the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighting the evolution of the virus and the new JN.1 COVID sub-variant, member states were urged to maintain robust surveillance and share sequences to adapt to the changing nature of the virus.

India Records 171 Covid Cases

January 11, 2023, 11:40 am

India in lat 24 hours logs 171 covid cases as informed by Ministry Of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. With this the active caseload rises to 2342. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.09 per cent while the weekly positivity was at 0.11 per cent, the ministry said.The country conducted 1,80,926 tests in the last 24 hours and so far a total of 91.25 crore tests have been done.

China lifts restrictions on travel, amid increase in Covid-19 cases.

January 8, 2023, 12:30 pm

China is struggling from the nationwide explosion of Covid-19 cases despite this China has decided to uplift quarantine provisions for inbound travelers. The first lot of passengers to arrive under the new rules was on Sunday that landed at airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, CGTN news agency reported.

Crematoriums have run out urns and are now using bags to put ashes in Shanghai.

The Chinese authorities have taken a back step on their ravaging “zero Covid” policy. After record breaking protests in China over the harsh measures used by authorities to contain Covid-19. No one from the 387 flyers on the flight from Singapore and Toronto was subjected to Covid-19 tests or the mandatory five-day quarantine after arrival.

All this is happening when the reports coming from China tell a story that is completely different from the officially claimed story by the Chinese Communist Party(CCP). The surge in cases has flooded the Chinese hospitals in metropolitan cities like Shanghai and Beijing. If we believe the reports coming from the censored social media in China, people are forced now to cremate their relatives out in open as the crematoriums have really long ques.

China has uplifted restrictions on domestic and international travel despite the number of cases remaining high. This has forced other nations to impose ban on travel from China as many Chinese national see this as an opportunity to get out of the country. There is a concern over the rapid increase in cases and the emergence of a more harmful variant of coronavirus variant.

Chinese officials attack Biden on his statement that “pandemic is a thing of past”

September 24, 2022, 2:46 pm

The officials of the Chinese government questioned US President Joe Biden after his statement in which he said that pandemic is now a thing of the past.Joe Biden had said in an interview, “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape, and so I think it’s changing.”China official Lijian Zhao posed the question with a photo showing “facts” on US Covid data. The photo said, “An average of nearly 400 Americans die from Covid-19 in a day. Around 8% of working-age Americans currently have long Covid.”It further said, “2 to 4 million Americans are out of work due to long Covid. The US is operating under Covid-19 public health emergency conditions.”Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden’s top medical adviser and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had also said, “We are not where we need to be if we’re going to be able to, quote, ‘live with the virus,’ because we know we’re not going to eradicate it.”He also said, “How we respond and how we’re prepared for the evolution of these variants is going to depend on us and that gets to the other conflicting aspect of this — is the lack of a uniform acceptance of the interventions that are available to us in this country.”

India reports 5,443 new COVID-19 cases

September 22, 2022, 2:19 pm

According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,45,53,042, while the active cases climbed to 46,342 as 5,443 new COVID-19 cases were registered in a day. The data updated at 8 a.m. stated that the death toll climbed to 5,28,429 with 26 fatalities which includes 12 deaths reconciled by Kerala.The active cases comprise 0.10 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.71 per cent, the ministry said.An increase of 126 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

India records 18 deaths to Covid in 24 hours

September 10, 2022, 10:52 am

The Union Health Ministry reported 5,554 new coronavirus infections in India, bringing the total to 4,44,90,283, while active cases fell to 48,850.

The death toll rose to 5,28,139 with 18 new fatalities, including two deaths reconciled by Kerala, according to data updated by the ministry at 8 a.m.

Active cases account for 0.11 per cent of total infections.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate has risen to 98.70%, according to the health ministry.

The active COVID-19 case count has dropped by 786 cases in 24 hours, according to the report.

According to the ministry, the daily positivity rate was 1.47 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was 1.80 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have recovered from the disease has risen to 4,39,13,294, with a case fatality rate of 1.19 per cent, according to the report.

So far, 214.77 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country as part of the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation drive, according to the ministry.

82,000 student visas issued by US to Indians in 2022

September 8, 2022, 1:22 pm

Higher than in any previous years, US missions in India have issued 82,000 student visas so far in 2022. Indian students received more American student visas than students from any other country.

The embassy said that to ensure that as many qualified students as possible made it to their programmes of study on time for scheduled start dates, the processing of student visa applications from May to August was prioritized by the US embassy in New Delhi and the consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

The senior-most US diplomat in India, Patricia Lacina, said in charge d’affaires that, “We issued over 82,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year. This shows that the United States remains for most Indian families the most sought-after country for higher education. “

She also said, “We are happy to see so many students were able to receive visas and reach their universities after the delays caused in previous years by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Lacina said, “This also highlights the important contributions Indian students make to both our countries as they build life-long connections with American peers to maintain and grow international partnerships.”

Don Heflin, the minister counsellor for consular affairs, said, “International student mobility is central to US diplomacy, and nowhere is the contribution of students bigger than in India.”

The “Open Doors” report in 2021 showed that there were 1,67,582 students from India during the 2020–21 academic year. Indian students comprise nearly 20% of all international students in the US. Students seeking assistance with studying in the US can download the EducationUSA India app, which provides the latest information about the college application process and helps plan for higher education in the US.

UK approved Modern vaccine targeting Omicron

August 15, 2022, 5:43 pm

The updated Moderna vaccine against COVID-19, which targets both the original form and the Omicron variant, was approved by the UK on Monday, making it the first nation to do so. The bivalent vaccination produced by US pharmaceutical company Moderna as a booster for adults has received approval from the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised the vaccine for adult booster doses “after it was found to meet the UK regulator’s standards of safety, quality and efficacy” and to elicit a “strong immune response” against both strains, according to a statement.

Clinical study data that indicated the booster elicited “a significant immune response” against both Omicron (BA.1) and the original 2020 virus, according to the MHRA, were the basis for the agency’s approval.

The MHRA also highlighted a preliminary analysis in which it was discovered that the shot produced a strong immunological reaction against the two currently predominant Omicron offspring, BA.4 and BA.5.

MHRA chief executive June Raine said in a statement, “The first generation of COVID-19 vaccines being used in the UK continue to provide important protection against the disease and save lives.”

“What this bivalent vaccine gives us is a sharpened tool in our armoury to help protect us against this disease as the virus continues to evolve.”

NEW CORONA SOP PERMITS RELAXATION FOR MOVIE HALLS, SWIMMING POOLS

January 28, 2021, 8:22 am

Cinema halls and theatres will be allowed to operate with higher occupancy, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced in its revised Covid-19 guidelines. The updated standard operating procedures (SOPs) also allow the reopening of swimming pools for all. The fresh guidelines are effective from 1 February.

“Cinema halls and theatres have already been permitted up to 50% of seating capacity. Now they will be permitted to operate at higher seating capacity, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in consultation with MHA,” it said in a release.

The guidelines for ‘Surveillance, Containment and Caution’ will remain in force till 28 February. According to the MHA, the substantial gains are visible in the steady decline in the number of active and new cases in the country over the last four months.

It further said all activities are now permitted outside containment zones and urged the people for strict adherence to the new standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued for containment zones.

“It is, therefore emphasised that to fully overcome the pandemic, there is need to maintain caution and to strictly follow the prescribed containment strategy focussed on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines/ SOPs issued by MHA and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW),” the official notification read.

“Business to Business (B2B) exhibition halls have already been permitted. Now all types of exhibition halls will be permitted, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Department of Commerce in consultation with MHA,” it stated.

The MHA further said the opening of international air travel of passengers along with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) may take a decision based on the assessment of the situation.

However, social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational, cultural, religious gatherings have already been permitted upto a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 persons in closed spaces, and keeping of the size of the ground or space in view, in open spaces.

“Now such gatherings will be allowed subject to SOP of the State and UT concerned,” it added.

The ministry further informed that there will be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries.

“No separate permission/ approval/ e-permit will be required for such movements. Use of Aarogya Setu has been encouraged,” the notification added.

PM Modi’s formula for winning the Covid war

January 21, 2021, 2:20 am

The Modi government has decided to export Covid vaccines free of cost to its neighbours as a ‘goodwill gesture’. Covaxin will be sent to seven countries, including Mongolia, Oman, Myanmar, the Philippines, Bahrain, Maldives and Mauritius, while Covishield is being sent to Bhutan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Seychelles. The government will procure the vaccines for export through the government-run pharmaceutical company, HLL Lifecare Limited. The country had exported hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) last year through the same company to many other countries. India plans to offer 20 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to its neighbours, once again showcasing how Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s war against the Wuhan virus has been guided by the abiding principles of “India First” and “Neighbourhood First”.

The cumulative number of healthcare workers vaccinated against the coronavirus touched 6.31 lakhs in the first four days itself, through 11,660 sessions. Of the total people vaccinated against Covid-19 so far, 0.18 percent experienced adverse events following immunisation, while 0.002 percent had to be hospitalised, which is fairly low. Hence, concerns about adverse effects and serious problems post-immunisation as of now are unfounded and negligible, with both the “Made in India” vaccines being completely safe.

On 16 January 2021, India, the world’s largest democracy, with a population of 1.38 billion people, kickstarted the world›s largest Covid vaccination drive, with 2.07 lakh people vaccinated in a single day across 3,351 sessions and with the help of 16,755 vaccinators. What makes India›s vaccination drive against Covid unique is the sheer size, scale and meticulous planning of this mammoth exercise, guided by the humanitarian concept of “Jan Bhagidari” or people’s participation. The plan is to inoculate 300 million or 30 crore “priority population” in the first two phases by July-August 2021, including 3 crore healthcare and frontline Covid workers in the next three months in the first phase itself. Inoculating 300 million people within six to seven months is akin to vaccinating almost the whole of America or vaccinating the combined populations of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France, in record time!

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while laying the foundation stone of a new battalion campus of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) near Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district, recently summed up the crux of India›s gigantic pushback against Covid when he said, “India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fought the most successful battle against coronavirus in the world, and with the beginning of the vaccination drive, the country has taken the fight against the pandemic to a final stage”.

“The whole world has been fighting against the coronavirus for about a year, many people have lost lives. This was probably one of the toughest fights that humanity has fought, using knowledge, innovations and mutual cooperation,” Shah further added.

India has reported less than 20,000 daily cases over the past 10 days and less than 300 daily deaths for the last 23 days, pushing the national recovery rate to a solid 96.58 percent and the case fatality rate (CFR) to just 1.4 percent, the lowest globally. The active caseload now is less than 1.98 percent and the daily positivity rate is also pretty low, at barely 1.8 percent. India›s cumulative positivity rate is hardly 5.6 percent, which is commendable given that many states in America like Florida and Connecticut are still reporting daily positivity rates as high as 8.55 percent. It is indeed noteworthy that despite having a density of population of 455 per sq km, amongst the highest in the world, India has tested over 170 million people and done an extraordinary job of reining in the total number of cases at 10.6 million. In sharp contrast, the USA, with a population density of just 36 per sq km, has reported a staggering 24.3 million coronavirus cases and 163 percent higher deaths than in India.

The Modi government has built a war kitty of 2,360 master trainers, 61,000 programme managers, 2 lakh vaccinators and 3.7 lakh vaccination team members so far. The Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech›s Covaxin, which it has developed with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), are homegrown vaccines that vindicate PM Modi›s clarion call of “Vocal for Local” and are reflective of the country›s immense innovative and scientific temper. Both the vaccines have been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).

The Modi government has procured 11 million doses of Covishield at a cost of Rs 200 per dose, exclusive of taxes. Of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, the number is 5.5 million doses, of which 1.65 million doses are being procured free of cost, and the remaining 3.85 million doses are being purchased at a cost of Rs 295 per dose. In effect, India›s vaccine roll-out is not only the largest in the world, but also the most affordable, with no compromises whatsoever on any standard operating procedures (SOPs). The PM-Cares fund will bear the entire cost of the first phase, which will inoculate 3 crore frontline Covid workers. Earlier, in June 2020, over Rs 2000 crore had been allocated from the PM-Cares fund for the supply of 50,000 ‘Made-in-India’ ventilators to government-run Covid hospitals in all states and UTs. Out of the 50,000 ventilators, 30,000 ventilators were manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited, again showcasing India›s indigenous manufacturing prowess. While a jaded, directionless and clueless Rahul Gandhi keeps taking needless jibes at the Modi government, the fact of the matter is that for over six decades, India just had 47,000 ventilators, whereas in one go, in June 2020, the Modi government made available 50,000 ventilators to ensure that no life is lost for want of life-saving equipment.

PM Modi›s food security scheme for the needy, called the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKAY), provided free ration to 81 crore people every single month, for nine months in a row, during the pandemic. Effectively speaking, this means that a population 2.5 times the size of America was fed every month, showcasing the Modi government’s generous, welfarist and people-centric approach.

Contrast the policy of obfuscation and apathy followed by China with the probity and transparency shown by India in taking Covid head-on. Be it building over 116 million toilets under the «Clean India›› or «Swachh Bharat» mission, making India›s 5.5 lakh villages open defecation-free (ODF), giving free health insurance to 50 crore Indians under the «Ayushman Bharat» scheme, producing over 60 million PPE kits and 150 million N95 masks in 2020, bringing home over 3.9 million stranded Indians from different parts of the globe via the “Vande Bharat Mission”, or extending medical and humanitarian assistance to over 150 countries in the fight against the pandemic, the Modi government›s fight against the Wuhan virus was made easier by the fact that a huge amount of effort has gone into ramping up India›s health infrastructure and making cleanliness a way of life in the last 6.5 years.

What is worth mentioning here is that, during the initial days of the Covid outbreak, there was only one lab in the country that could undertake testing for the infection. But today there are over 2000 testing laboratories. Punjab’s case fatality remains at 3.20, amongst the highest in the country. Meanwhile, Maharashtra, which has recorded the highest number of Covid deaths in India, has the second highest CFR of 2.56. Had it not been for the high Covid fatality rates from these two states, India›s CFR of 1.4 percent would have been even lower. Maharashtra, which is currently a non-BJP-ruled state and is led by a Congress-centric alliance, is, in fact, one of the worst performing states, having reported close to 50,000 deaths already. Despite having just 8 percent of India›s population, Maharashtra accounts for almost 33 percent of India›s Covid-related fatalities, showcasing how a poor and lethargic leadership can be a bane during a global health crisis. In sharp contrast, Uttar Pradesh, a BJP-ruled state, which has a massive population of over 200 million people and is almost the same size as Brazil, has reported less that 8,600 deaths. Brazil, in the meanwhile, has reported over 2.1 lakh mortalities.

The Modi government›s massive vaccine roll-out plan has put in place an end-to-end traceability mechanism with RFID and barcoding to secure and monitor the supply chain, transportation and distribution, right from the manufacturing facility to the time the patient is inoculated. Automated data loggers that monitor storage temperature and transfer messages every three seconds to a central unit under tight surveillance 24/7 have been deployed. The mega immunisation drive may see high-speed vehicles transporting the vaccines, secured by rifle-wielding escorts on the outside and highly secure Internet of things (IoT)-enabled locking system from the inside, to prevent theft and counterfeiting.

More importantly, there is the Modi government›s CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network), with 80 lakh beneficiaries from the first priority list already registered on the app. The CoWIN platform is owned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and was earlier the platform used for conducting Pulse Polio and other crucial and highly successful immunisation programmes across the country. The same platform has been expanded for doling out Covid-19 vaccines and the Ministry of Electronics and IT along with the National Informatics Centre are handling the backend and the tech infrastructure for it. CoWIN is again an example of how the Modi government has seamlessly embraced technology to ensure last mile delivery. When it does become open to everyone, it will have four modules—user administrator, beneficiary registration, vaccination and beneficiary acknowledgement, and status updation. The CoWIN app is likely to be made accessible to the general public for registration by the end of March-April 2021. The idea behind the CoWIN app is to create a digital health behemoth. The CoWIN app has two parts: one that will be used by the beneficiary and the other that will be a back-end module to be used by vaccinators.

To cut to the chase, if 2020 was a year that tested the human will to survive, 2021 is slated to be the year that will heal the world and restore faith in the ability of leaders who are both courageous and compassionate. «Good governance is not firefighting or crisis management. Instead of opting for ad-hoc solutions, the need of the hour is to tackle the root cause of the problems››, as a famous quote by PM Modi goes. Better words have not been said. Undoubtedly, India›s outstanding and successful war against Covid will go down in history as a textbook case of what a sensitive and nimble footed leadership can accomplish.

It would be apt to conclude with a quote by John F. Kennedy, who said, “When written in Chinese, the word ‹crisis› is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” Undoubtedly, while a reckless China foisted the Wuhan virus on an unsuspecting mankind, a visionary leader like PM Modi utilised this unprecedented global crisis as an opportunity to reach out to and heal millions, both in India and outside, showcasing India›s true spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, which means that “the world is one family”.

The writer is an economist, national spokesperson for the BJP and the bestselling author of ‘Truth & Dare: The Modi Dynamic’. The views expressed are personal.

DOCTORS SHARE COVID-19 VACCINE EXPERIENCE

January 19, 2021, 4:00 am

The pan-India massive vaccination drive against Covid-19 began from January 16. Hospitals had prepared for it beforehand, they followed guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health for the vaccination process, trained the team and did dry runs, some hospitals formed Adverse Effects committee, set up Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) room or made special arrangements to deal with side effects. For a smooth process, each hospital has a pre-vaccination waiting area, vaccination room and observation area. Taking a leap of faith, many healthcare workers including doctors and medical staff from hospitals across the country came forward to get the vaccination dose. They are urging that if given a chance, people should get the vaccine shot. Scientists have worked hard for the vaccine and doctors are leading by example so people should not hesitate to go for the vaccination.

Talking about the vaccination drive, Dr Shreevidya Venkatraman, senior consultant-Internal Medicine, MGM Healthcare, Chennai said, “Covid-19 is here to stay. Covid cases are less but as seen in Europe, the peak is expected in March/April. Vaccination against Covid-19 is our best option. Safety and efficacy of the Covid vaccines have been proven. Mild malaise, fever, and local pain may be expected. So far we have not seen any major hypersensitivity reactions after the administration of the Covid vaccines.” Health professionals including doctors, who were vaccinated at Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, Delhi, said that they are upbeat as the final assault on coronavirus has begun and this will create a strong safeguard against the infectious disease. Dr Pankaj Dhamija, Centre head, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, Mumbai said, “The news of vaccination has certainly given hopes to people. We are proud to be a part of this vaccination drive and committed to working round-the-clock for the betterment of the patients. Coronavirus vaccination will protect people by creating an antibody (immune system) response without getting sick by the virus.”

Doctors and healthcare workers share their first-hand experience with us about receiving the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine:

It is a moment of victory for the war against Coronavirus. I was excited and eagerly waiting for these vaccines to be made available. When this initiation of vaccination news arrived I was upbeat and after going through all the information I readied myself to get vaccinated. The process was well organised and meticulous. I took the first dose of Covisheild vaccine at 10.30 am on Saturday at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. I was made comfortable and all the information was given. I am doing fine and feeling confident.

— Dr Gururaj Sangothimath, spine surgeon, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, Delhi

There was certainly an apprehension about taking the vaccine initially in terms of efficacy and reaction. There were misconceptions and after discussions with doctors, everyone came forward to take the vaccine jab. We were made to wait for 30 minutes post the vaccination for any adverse effects after which I experienced mild nausea and gastritis. I was completely fine after an hour of vaccination.

— Dr Prakash K.N., Chief of Medical Services, Columbia Asia Hospital Hebbal, Bengaluru

It feels good to be the first person to be vaccinated in the vaccination site at BLK Super Speciality Hospital. It was just like any other shot that one would have taken. We were really looking forward to this and the process was pretty smooth.

— Dr Sandeep Nayar, Senior Director, Centre for Chest and Respiratory Disease, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, Pusa Road, Delhi

I am glad that I was the first one to get the vaccination at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital. I did not feel any sign of anxiety or reaction. Everyone should get the vaccine shot and even after the vaccination, people must follow the safety guidelines issued by the government.

— Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Emergency Nursing Head, Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, Delhi

I was the first one to get vaccinated at Aakash Healthcare. I was vaccinated at 11:10 am on Saturday and was told to sit for 30 minutes to check if I have got any adverse effects of the vaccine. The government officials assigned were constantly checking with me for any side effects. I had no side effects in my body and I am fine since I got the vaccine shot. I started working after getting vaccination and not experienced any problem. I am having no interruptions due to the vaccine in walking, eating, or working. This is a very appreciable step that the government has taken for healthcare workers.

— Anita Ryder, Support Services Department, Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital, Dwarka, Delhi

Social distancing versus physical distancing vis-à-vis Dr Ambedkar’s narrative

January 6, 2021, 4:19 am

With COVID induced ‘Social Distancing’. Have we, coincidently, promoted an unequal social order?

Beyond a doubt, Dr. Ambedkar was one of the vital head and a proponent for establishing the democratic essence in India. Ambedkar’s contribution to protect the nation’s integrity has always stood out from the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and other luminaries, primarily because of his background, and the entrenched caste – system that he fought against. According to him, the notion of an ideal democracy must be concomitant with elements like equality, fraternity, liberty, and other principles of life. In his eloquent thoughts, aforesaid principles form a union of trinity in a sense that to disassociate one from the other would defeat the purpose of an exemplary democracy. He cautiously focused upon the principle of fraternity, which essentially means common brotherhood of all Indians, the reason for later inclusion of this term in the preamble was to ensure that no man should practice tyranny against his fellow beings in society for striving to become successful over one another. His scrupulous analysis on the issue of the caste system in India identified the snag of separation in the social life of the people, which made him construct the statement – “CASTES ARE ANTI- NATIONAL”; as it intends to develop the feeling of resentment and aversion among different castes.

The present times unarguably suggest for the showcase of social harmony among the individuals; yet rampant and deplorable caste-related monstrosities were reported in the country. The incident took place in Haryana where a Dalit family was attacked merely for not following the PM’s call to turn off the lights, the catalogue doesn’t end here; a breathtaking video gained many sights on the internet as it covered caste-related asperse and assault on a Dalit couple who refused to sell their land which lawfully belonged to them.

Covid-19 has certainly rekindled the debate of the relevance of Dr. Ambedkar’s teachings and principles by the colossal push to the notion of ‘Social Distancing’. A couple of months ago, many migrant workers were witnessed marching down-heartedly towards their home due to inadequate transport facilities. Subsequently, some reports disclosed that nearly 30 migrants died on their way home. Of course, very often we get to hear inciting stories of people ensuring basic facilities to the strangers, yet it is the collective sociopolitical response towards the marginalized section of the society which has resulted in distorting the Ambedkarite framework.

Experts have suggested that “Social Distancing” with other individuals is the only way out to prevent the present and the persistent danger of COVID–19. Albeit, it came out as a preventive measure yet both the union government and the experts have shunned the deeper magnitude of distancing caused by ‘social isolation’ and ‘social nausea’, the two notions used by B.R. Ambedkar, to depict the plight of the weaker and marginalized sections of the society. Thankfully, the WHO (World Health Organization) acknowledged the din of the depressed classes from all over the world, and the term ‘Social Distancing’ got replaced with ‘Physical Distancing’. This sandstorm has thus left all of us with certain imperative questions- Why do policymakers often forget to pay heed to the well-being of the majority population before imposing their drastic decisions? How much heed has been paid upon the chronic distance between the caste/classes and the blindness of policymakers concerning the weaker sections of the society?

In order to find the solution, we have to first fathom the structure of the society we are living in, I venture to say here that there is no nation that can challenge the cultural unity of India. The roots of this unity are not only confined to geographic unity, but it has over and above all, a much rooted fundamental unity. This indubitable cultural unity in India is perhaps one major problem that has tangibly contributed towards the rise of the hornet- nest of castes, classes, and religion. In the traditional Hindu system, the ‘idea of pollution’ has been considered as an integral and entrenched part of the inflexible caste-system. In this context, Dr. Ambedkar remarked that ‘priest’ and ‘purity’ are the oldest associates of caste and he eloquently concluded that the ‘idea of pollution’ is an attribute of caste only to the extent that caste has “religious flavor”. The pandemic has revealed that in India, minds are caste-trained; it is believed that germs are not the actual carriers of the disease but rather it is the ‘unclean human beings’. Uncleanliness here means ‘ritual purity’; a facet that bothers all the casteist in the country.

It would be suitable to say that caste rests on belief, but belief is just a mere piece of stone that has been placed in the institution, the institution itself needs to be demolished and forfeited. In the present times, what we have forgotten is the dogmas that were laid in an undelivered speech of Dr. Ambedkar “The Annihilation of Caste”. In this piece, he expounded what was erroneous in the Hindu caste system, and what measures should be adopted to create an equal and fair social order.

Admittedly, weaving the fabric of social order cannot be confined in the realm of government alone. It is where the role of social activists, political parties, and individuals should be brought to guard the caste-related monstrosities in everyday life. Mandating ‘Annihilation of Caste’ a compulsory reading in the textbooks perhaps can be of help in maintaining the social order. Can PM Modi take a moment in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and make an appeal to all the citizens to destroy the feudal practice of separation from birth on the basis of caste? Can an appeal be made to the public at large to promote ‘social interaction’ whilst maintaining ‘physical distancing ’?

While we unitedly continue to fight Covid-19, it is the time to re-build – India of Ambedkar’s dream.

“Imitation is easy and invention is difficult!”

– Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

HOW IAF’S COVID EVACUATION CREW IS MAKING A MARK IN ANDAMAN & NICOBAR

January 6, 2021, 4:01 am

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands, while being host to some of the most scenic islands on this planet, encounters myriad challenges for connectivity with the mainland in general and within the islands in particular. This predicament became more glaring and predominant during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which necessitated prompt evacuation of patients from various islands to Port Blair. The Indian Air Force helicopter flight at Air Force Station Carnicobar under the Andaman & Nicobar Command was entrusted the responsibility of airlifting critical patients to Port Blair and have flown numerous missions by day as well as night since June this year.

A dedicated team of pilots and technicians were earmarked as the Covid-19 Evacuation Crew and kept in a state of readiness round the clock so as to get airborne at short notice. The maintenance team has ensured high operational readiness of the helicopters by working 24×7 to enable safe evacuation flying. Strict Covid protocols and preventive measures were instituted for these Air Warriors which included stringent isolation for long periods so as to ensure the crew is available for ‘Covid Safe’ flying for evacuations at any time. Innovative measures by creation of partitions ensured that the patient and crew were isolated from each other thereby reducing the risk of the infection to the aircrew during the flight.

Despite the physical and mental challenges, these motivated professionals displayed exemplary dedication to duty and have been the flying angels for our citizens evacuating nearly 34 Covid-19 patients by air since July 2020. In the past few months the helicopters have also been actively involved in medical evacuation of other critical patients and have evacuated patients which includes five ladies with complications in advance stages of pregnancy endorsing the adage associated with the helicopters of IAF—‘Apatsu Mitram’ meaning a ‘Friend in Distress’.

The unit helicopters and crew continue to be in a heightened state of alertness and are ever prepared to provide yeoman service to our fellow citizens.

Covid can stay in air for 2 hours, spread over two metres: Study

January 6, 2021, 2:38 am

CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh have released their data on the air-borne nature of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Scientists have worked with hospitals, three in Hyderabad and three in Chandigarh, to find if the virus particles can be found in air samples in the hospital wards. They used an air sampler that can collect the virus particles and then looked for their presence using RT-PCR.

In this study, the virus was found in air samples from Covid-19 wards of hospitals but not from non-Covid-19 wards. This suggests that the demarcation of hospital zones has been an effective strategy. The study also showed the chances of picking up SARS-CoV-2 in the air is directly related to the number of Covid positive cases in the room, their symptomatic status and the duration of exposure. When Covid positive individuals spent longer hours in a room, the virus was found in the air for more than two hours and even farther than two metres from their seating places. But for asymptomatic cases, the virus does not spread farther from them when they are seated in a room without perceived airflow due to a fan or AC.

“Till the vaccines are available, the social vaccine that is wearing a mask is the best prevention,” said Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, IMTECH. “All these findings do show that the coronavirus can stay in the air for some time. But they also strengthen the importance of Covid-19 preventive guidelines that we already have in place to curb this pandemic. If we ensure that we follow hygiene protocols such as regular handwashing, using masks effectively, and preventing symptomatic people from public mixing, we can start getting back to normalcy more comfortably. Detecting and isolating the positive cases early on can help prevent the spread among other family members in a home setting too,” comments Dr Rakesh Mishra, Director, CCMB and corresponding author of this study.

The study is available on preprint server MedRxiv and is yet to be peer-reviewed.

NEW COVID CASES BELOW 20K FOR 4 DAYS IN A ROW

January 6, 2021, 2:21 am

With 16,375 new Covid-19 cases and 201 deaths in the past 24 hours, India’s overall tally stood at 1,03,56,845 on Tuesday, while the toll touched 1,49,850. The country continued its streak of low daily new cases as the fresh infection numbers remained below 20,000 for the fourth consecutive day. Till now, 99,75,958 have recovered. Currently, there are 2,31,036 active cases. The recovery rate stands at 96.32%, while the fatality rate is 1.45 per cent. Delhi recorded 442 Covid-19 cases and12 new fatalities on Tuesday, even as the positivity rate slumped to 0.55 per cent. The overall infection tally in the city has now gone past 6.27 lakh and the death toll reached 10,609. The 442 new cases came out of the 79,777 tests conducted the previous day, including 41,633 RT-PCR tests and 38,144 rapid antigen tests. The active cases tally on Tuesday dropped to 4,562 from 4,689 the previous day.

Maharashtra’s Covid-19 tally increased to 19,50,171 on Tuesday after it recorded 3,160 fresh cases of the viral infection. The state reported 64 more deaths due to the infection, taking the fatality count to 49,759. Also, 2,828 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, pushing the tally of recovered people to 18,50,189. With this, the state now has 49,067 active cases of coronavirus.

Goa’s coronavirus caseload went up by 80 and reached 51,415 on Tuesday, while the death toll increased by one to touch 744. The number of people who have recovered rose to 49,811 after 70 people were discharged during the day. Goa now has 860 active cases.

Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday reported 671 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking its infection count to 2,45,318, while 839 patients recovered from the infection. With 14 more people succumbing to the viral infection, the state-wide death toll rose to 3,662. A total of 839 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the state’s overall recovery count to 2,33,229. The state now has 8,427 active cases.

The coronavirus caseload in Gujarat rose to 2,48,581 with 655 new cases coming to light on Tuesday. Four patients succumbed to the viral infection which took the death toll to 4,325. At the same time, 868 patients were discharged from hospital. The number of recovered persons in the state thus rose to 2,35,426.

Telangana added 253 fresh infections to its Covid-19 tally, taking the total caseload to nearly 2.88 lakh while three related fatalities pushed the toll to 1,554. The total number of cases stood at 2,87,993 while the recoveries were at 2,81,400.

India’s daily count in 16k bracket; recovery rate improves to 96.19%

January 5, 2021, 3:18 am

India’s recovery rate continued to rise, standing at 96.19 percent on Monday. A total of 99,46,867 patients have recovered or been discharged in the country so far.

In the past 24 hours, India added 16,504 cases to its Covid-19 tally, placing its overall number at 1.03 crore cases. This is the third time that the daily count has remained within the 16,000 bracket after June 23 and December 28. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reported that there are still 2,43,953 active cases in the country.

In the same period, India also reported 214 deaths linked to the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,49,649. The fatality rate in India stands at 1.45 percent currently.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state. The maximum number of cases is from Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, which contribute 62 percent of the total active cases.

The Maharashtra Health Department said on Monday that the state has recorded 2,765 fresh Covid-19 cases.

The total coronavirus tally in Maharashtra is 19,47,011 now. With 29 Covid-19 deaths reported on January 4, the death toll in the state is 49,695.

The Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal rose to 9,792 with 26 more people succumbing to the disease. At least 896 fresh coronavirus cases pushed the tally to 5,54,975. 1,432 people were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 5,34,737. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state now stands at 96.35 percent, while the percentage of positive cases, out of the samples tested, stands at 7.70 percent. West Bengal now has 10,446 active cases.

Bihar’s Covid-19 tally rose to 2,53,933 as 282 more people tested positive for the virus, while two new fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,405 on Sunday. The Covid-19 recovery rate in the state climbed to 97.75 percent as 631 more people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,48,210.

Delhi recorded 424 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in over seven months, and 14 fatalities yesterday, even as the positivity rate slipped to 0.62 percent. The 424 new cases came out of the 68,759 tests conducted the previous day, including 39,217 RT-PCR tests and 29,542 rapid antigen tests. The infection tally in the national capital stands at over 6.26 lakhs. The death toll linked to the pandemic rose to 10,585 in the city.

Haryana reported 244 new cases of Covid-19 infections, six deaths and 391 recoveries in the last 24 hours. At least 17,578 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. For the last few days, except Gurgaon, all the 21 districts of Haryana have reported less than 50 new cases in a single day.

IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HYGIENE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

January 5, 2021, 2:43 am

In 2020 mental health took centre stage like never before. A topic which more often than not has been ignored, denied, and mocked at, is now one of the most discussed topics. While there has been a huge amount of activism and evangelism around the topic, what many people still don’t realise is that it isn’t a bad word and that we all have “Mental Health”. Mental health is a spectrum, at any point we will be somewhere on that spectrum, it’s just a matter of where you are on the slider of the toggle bar- distressed, ill, or good. How you can work towards maintaining your mental health is by practising mental hygiene, which is being proactive about not only your behaviour but how you treat your body, mind, soul, spirit, and environment. It essentially encompasses your overall well-being. Having said this, the role of medication should never be overlooked, if required. No amount of prayer, exercise or mental exercise can will away a mental ailment that needs medical attention.

Very often we lead our lives on autopilot, without being present at all, dwelling on either the past or the future and ending up neglecting our senses. What’s worse is that we have been conditioned to filter senses that we cannot see, like that of the spirit. Mental hygiene includes even your spiritual sweeping. It is what you do with intent, presence awareness, and acknowledgement of your body, mind, and spiritual form every single day.

The internet, where we have mostly spent the last 10 months is flooded with information on self-care activities to establish your mental hygiene rituals.

A few that top my list are:

1. Practicing gratitude, compassion, kindness towards others and one’s self

2. Keeping a journal

3. Doing Breathwork

4. Decluttering your space and life

5. Going for walks in nature

6. Using Lucia 3 light to meditate

7. Practicing mindfulness in even the small acts

8. Guided and unguided meditation

9. Digital detox, even if just for a few hours

10. Sleeping adequately

11. Movement in any form like dancing, exercising or running.

12. Floating in an isolation tank to meditate

13. Clean eating

14. Getting therapy – the power of professional support is unparalleled

From the ABC’s of Awareness Breath and Circulation to the three MMM’s of Meditation Movement and Mindfulness we know all about them by now. But what I really believe in addition to all this are the three Cs – The power of Communicating Consistently with Communities. Not only are we suffering from touch starvation at this point, but we are also suffering from a basic human connection. A large number of online communities have mushroomed over the past year serving as great support systems to people in their mental health journeys. Even if you aren’t suffering from mental health issues just reaching out to your friends and family regularly can keep your mental health in check. Intimacy is a basic human need that has suffered hugely during this pandemic. There is nothing like the power of holding space for oneself and others. Our mental health flourishes when we see and feel seen. The quality of our relationships also affects our happiness quotient which in return affects the level of neuroplasticity of your brain. The better our relationships, with more resilience we deal with the hardships. Studies have established that loneliness is more prevalent a killer than alcoholism and smoking which can explain the rise in suicides during this pandemic. According to longitudinal studies, the quality of your relationships determines your happiness more than money and fame.

Social media has helped us form new relationships and served as a platform for sharing and exchanging our stories which are wonderful for our mental health, but what has also happened is the flipside – social media and phone anxiety. Scrolling nonstop like a hamster on a wheel can take away from human connection and we may lose the ability to connect face to face eventually. So being mindful while using social media is one of the crucial factors to maintain mental health hygiene. Everyone’s definition of mental hygiene will be different, but what’s important is to reflect on what works best for you. Creating a repository of rituals and habits that make you feel good about your overall well-being will serve you in good stead in the face of adversity.

The writer is a well-being crusader, mental health advocate and Concepteur, Pursuit of Balance.

PM Modi’s Covid-19 decisions make him most popular leader

January 5, 2021, 2:06 am

US-based political rating firm Morning Consult rated Prime Minister Narendra Modi the most popular world leader last week for his efficient handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. While this should be a moment of pride for all of us, we need to refresh our memory about what he has done to attract such encomiums across the world.

Imagine a family that is saving money on a day-to-day basis to buy lifestyle items but is suddenly faced with a situation where a member falls seriously ill. The family head decides to spend the entire money on getting the ailing member back to health and postpones all major economic decisions. No one in the family grudges that and everybody gets ready to build their dreams again.

This is exactly what happened when Covid-19 struck India in February-March 2020. The country was doing reasonably well and aspiring to become a major economy, despite the economic slowdown the world over. The decision to put the country under lockdown meant that economic activities would virtually shut down. But the decision had to be taken and the country’s leader, like the family elder, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to save lives first.

Nobody knew how to deal with the situation. Nobody knew how the new virus would spread and how it would be contained. World health bodies and experts had differing views on how to deal with the situation. The only reasonable way was to track down the carrier and isolate the patient till he recovered. But this was a near impossible task due to the density of population and the number of people who had already come into India from various affected countries, including China.

Luckily, in India, we had Narendra Modi, who is an expert in disaster management, at the helm. He had organised the biggest relief work in Gujarat while trying to rebuild Bhuj after a devastating earthquake. He did it first as BJP’s organisational man in 2001, then as Chief Minister from 2002, till he became the Prime Minister in 2014.

His experience and instinct, besides feedback from experts, indicated that something serious was going to threaten human existence. Let us not forget that Covid-19 was declared a pandemic much later. One can imagine how civilisations must have collapsed and become extinct in the past. India was clearly not prepared. There was a shortage of PPE Kits, masks, sanitisers, drugs and every other thing that was needed to deal with the situation, including doctors and paramedical staff.

It was in this context that on 24 March 2020, Prime Minister Modi came on national television and announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. Prior to the lockdown, US health expert Dr Ramanan Laxminarayan had warned that, in the worst-case scenario, about 60% of India’s population, or 80 crore people, would be infected with Covid-19. But in view of the lockdown, Dr Ramanan scaled down the figure to about 20% (almost 30 crore). There is now a history of how the lockdown was extended and how it was violated and the controversy associated with the events. But, overall, the country behaved very sensibly. The economy shrunk, people lost jobs and life got completely disturbed—but lives were saved.

A comparison would give a clearer picture. As of 2 January 2021, about 8.2 crore people have been infected with Covid-19 worldwide, of which, more than 18 lakh people have succumbed to the disease. Meanwhile, the most powerful country in the world, with one of the best healthcare systems, saw about 2 crores of its 32-crore population become infected with Covid-19 and close to 3.5 lakhs die. Compare this with India, which has a population of about 140 crores. More than 1 crore people were infected and close to 1.5 lakh people died in the country. While the Indian graph is tapering further and bringing hope, the situation elsewhere in the world is not encouraging. Just last Saturday, the United States recorded the highest spike of 2.77 lakh cases in a day.

PM Modi must be credited for deciding that the economy can wait. Like a senior figure in a family, he decided to save the lives of each and every individual. There are many countries that thought they could tackle the crisis differently due to their strong healthcare systems, but failed and saw very high casualty figures. One country even tried to become a predator by buying cheap stocks in the depressed market. But India upheld its morality and showed the human face of its civilisational roots.

From manufacturing PPE kits, masks and sanitizers, creating extra beds and training paramedics on how to handle the situation, it was an onerous task never undertaken on such a huge scale ever before. Normally, in such situations, panic grips people because of the shortage of essential commodities and the uncertainty about events. But the Modi government ensured that the supply line was not disrupted. He appealed to traders and stockists not to hoard and appealed people not to panic. The Indian Railways plied at night to ensure that there were no shortages. Road transport ensured that these reached the right places. Even the supply of milk was never disrupted.

From depositing money directly into the accounts of the poor and the deprived to giving free ration to 80 crore people for eight months, it was a mammoth task that the government achieved with aplomb. In the absence of employment and money, they had nowhere to go. But the society was saved from a situation that could have turned volatile. From the Prime Minister down to every minister and health worker, everyone stressed on boosting immunity, and I have hardly heard anyone not knowing the art of boosting immunity using traditional herbs and medicines.

The lockdowns and the consciousness generated among the people prevented Covid-19 from touching the rural areas. We saw barricades put up by villagers for those coming from outside. By the time the disease touched the fringes of the rural population, Indian farmers had already produced a miracle as if to supplement the efforts of the government. India received a bumper kharif crop, rekindling the hope of a quick economic revival.

We have entered 2021 with the hope that the vaccine will soon be available to take care of critical and priority sections of the population. Unless a mishap happens, it appears that we have been successful in containing the disease. Of course, the entire country deserves praise for acting as one. However, one must not forget the leader who made this happen. And the nation must rise in unison to thank God for giving us a leader who knew what to do. He deserves our salute, irrespective of any world ratings.

The writer is convener of the Media Relations Department of the BJP and represents the party as a spokesperson on television debates. He has authored the most authentic book on the Prime Minister, called ‘Narendra Modi: The Game Changer’. The views expressed are personal.

On 24 March 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came on national television and announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. Prior to the lockdown, US health expert Dr Ramanan Laxminarayan had warned that, in the worst-case scenario, about 60% of India’s population, or 80 crore people, would be infected with Covid-19.

9 MORE DETECTED WITH UK COVID STRAIN, TOTAL CASES IN INDIA RISE TO 38

January 5, 2021, 2:04 am

Nine more Covid patients have been detected with the UK Covid strain, taking the total number of such cases to 38 in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

All the nine latest additions have been reported from a single laboratory in the national capital, which accounts for nearly half of the total cases of new mutant coronavirus strain. The Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) have reported all the new nine cases detected on Monday.

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have also reported 8 cases till date. Together, NCDC and IGIB have detected 18 of the total 38 cases.

Earlier, 4 new cases of the UK strain were detected on January 1, when the total count had reached 29.

A government official said all the 38 persons have been kept in single-room isolation in designated health care facilities while their close contacts have also been put under quarantine.

“Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is underway,” the official added.

The health ministry stated that the situation is under watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs. The samples have so far been sequenced in six of the 10 designated labs across the country.

Of the total 38, the mutated UK strain was detected in the samples of eight persons at the NCDC, 11 in the IGIB, one in the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani (near Kolkata), five in the National Institute of Virology in Pune, three in the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad and 10 were sequenced at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bengaluru.

With IANS inputs

Centre must provide free Covid vaccine to all without discrimination: Balbir Sidhu

January 4, 2021, 2:36 am

Health and family welfare minister of Punjab, Balbir Singh Sidhu on Sunday said that Central Government should provide free of cost Corona vaccine to the state in a stipulated time.

Talking to media persons he said that stringent measures were taken from time to time with view to control the pandemic and now, the Centre cannot backtrack from its duty to supply the Corona vaccine. Sidhu said that about 5364 COVID related unfortunate deaths till date had happened in the state which is about 178 deaths per million, in comparison to Delhi where total 10,577 COVID-19 related deaths took place and their deaths per million rate is quite high at 528. We are in a way better position than other states, he added, saying that Punjab has a recovery rate of 95 % and active cases are declining day-by-day.

Giving details on vaccination preparedness in the state, he said that Punjab is fully prepared for the vaccination drive and state has a capacity of vaccinating 4 lakh persons a day. Elaborating more on this he said that state has established robust storage capacity of 1 crore vaccines in state’s own Cold Chain centres. He stated that Punjab has also achieved more than 95% of routine vaccination of children which is highest in the Country.

Speaking on the occasion, Principal Secretary Health Hussan Lal said that vaccine will be given to about 70 lakh people in the state in phased manner, which includes 1.6 lakh health workers, other frontline workers, people aged above 50 and people with co-morbidities aged below 50. The criteria of the age will be counted as on 1 January, 2021. In the first phase all the 1.6 lakh health care workers will be vaccinated on top priority.

INDIA RECORDS 18K CASES, DELHI’S DAILY COVID TALLY FALLS BELOW 500 FOR FIRST TIME IN MONTHS

January 4, 2021, 2:09 am

NEW DELHI: With only 424 fresh infections reported in Delhi in the last 24 hours, for the first time in the last seven and a half months, the number of Covid-19 cases has gone below 500 in the national capital.

As per the latest health bulletin, there were 424 positive cases in Delhi, showing a 0.62 percent positivity rate after 68,759 tests were conducted on people suspecting symptoms of Covid-19 that has claimed 10,585 lives and infected 6,26,872 people in the city till date.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, “For the first time, positive cases were less than 500, and the positivity rate was on a continuous decline.” “After May 17, 2020, this is the lowest number of cases. Positivity rate has fallen to 0.73 percent implying that in every 1,000 tests conducted, seven positive cases are detected. Testing is still being conducted on a large scale,” he added. However, he also stressed that it is still advisable to wear a mask and follow all precautions. “It is better to remain on the safer side,” he said.

In Maharashtra, the coronavirus tally reached 19,32,112, including 18,28,546 recoveries. The cumulative death toll in the state reached 49,521.

Gujarat’s tally of coronavirus positive cases rose to 2,47,228 on Sunday with the addition of 715 fresh infections. With four more deaths, the number of people who have succumbed to the viral disease in the state went up to 4,318. A total of 938 patients were also discharged from various hospitals during the day, taking the count of recoveries in Gujarat to 2,33,660.

Telangana recorded 394 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total positive cases to over 2.87 lakhs, while three fatalities pushed the toll to 1,549 on Sunday.

Mizoram reported 12 new COVID-19 cases

A DECISIVE TURNING POINT: PM MODI ON VACCINE APPROVAL

January 4, 2021, 2:00 am

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded scientists of the country after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval to Serum Institute of India’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine and Bharat Biotech’s ‘Covaxin’ for emergency use, paving the way for its roll-out and administration to millions.

“A decisive turning point to strengthen a spirited fight! DCGI granting approval to vaccines of @SerumInstIndia and @BharatBiotech accelerates the road to a healthier and COVID-free nation. Congratulations India. Congratulations to our hardworking scientists and innovators,” the Prime Minister said in a series of tweets.

He further said it would make every Indian proud that the two vaccines that have been given emergency use approval are made in India. “This shows the eagerness of our scientific community to fulfil the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, at the root of which is care and compassion. We reiterate our gratitude to doctors, medical staff, scientists, police personnel, sanitation workers and all Corona warriors for the outstanding work done, that too in adverse circumstances. We will remain eternally grateful to them for saving many lives.”

Prime Minister’s remarks came after Drugs Controller General of India V.G. Somani announced that the CDSCO has decided to accept the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee and accordingly, vaccine of Serum and Bharat Biotech are being approved for restricted use in emergency situation after adequate examination.

This is a major relief for India which has the second highest number of infections in the world after the US. The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive in the next six to eight months.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan criticised Congress and other Opposition leaders over their comments on Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which was cleared for emergency use in the country along with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had pointed out that Covaxin lacked efficacy data to show the vaccine’s effectiveness before it was approved for emergency use.

“Disgraceful for anyone to politicise such a critical issue. Sh @ShashiTharoor, Sh @yadavakhilesh & Sh @Jairam_Ramesh don’t try to discredit well laid out science-backed protocols followed for approving #COVID19 vaccines. Wake up & realise you are only discrediting yourselves,” Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted.

The Health Minister said Covaxin is “likely to have similar protective efficacy reported for others”, despite the lack of efficacy data from phase 3 trials.

“Vaccines approved globally based on gene encoding spike proteins have protective efficacy of over 90%. However, Covaxin based on whole inactivated virus has other antigenic epitopes in addition to spike protein. So, it’s likely to have similar protective efficacy reported for others,” the minister said.

“Covaxin is more likely to work against newer variants like N501Y Variant (UK variant) & any other that may arise due to antigenic drift as it contains immunogens (epitopes) from other genes in addition to those from Spike protein. Inactivated virus from NIV also had D614G mutation,” Harsh Vardhan said.

“For those spreading rumours let it be known that EUA for Covaxin is differently conditional—in clinical trial mode EUA for Covaxin is different from Covishield because its use will be in clinical trial mode. All Covaxin recipients to be tracked, monitored as if they’re in trial,” the minister tweeted, referring to emergency use authorisation.

Earlier in the day, Congress leaders had said the government must explain why mandatory protocols and verification of data from phase 3 trials have been dispensed with while granting permission for emergency use of Covaxin.

«Covaxin has not yet had Phase 3 trials. Approval was premature and could be dangerous. @drharshvardhan should please clarify. Its use should be avoided till full trials are over. India can start with the AstraZeneca vaccine in the meantime,» Tharoor tweeted.

Jairam Ramesh too raised concerns and asked the Health Minister to clarify why internationally-accepted protocols on phase 3 trials are being modified. «Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan should clarify,» the senior Congress leader said on Twitter.

Akhilesh Yadav, however, politicised the issue the most when he called it a “BJP vaccine”. He said he would not take the Covid-19 vaccine “at this moment”. “That too given by Bharatiya Janata Party. How can I trust the BJP’s vaccine, no chance? When our government is formed, everyone will get a free vaccine. We cannot take the BJP vaccine. The inoculation programme under the BJP-led regime cannot be trusted,” the former UP CM said.

INDIA’S WAIT OVER, DRUG REGULATOR CALLS COVID-19 VACCINES 110% SAFE

January 4, 2021, 1:56 am

India’s central drug authority, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), on Sunday announced the formal approval for the Covid-19 vaccines of Oxford-AstraZeneca, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and Bharat Biotech, saying they would be administered in two dosages each. Drugs Controller General of India V.G. Somani said that the two firms submitted data on their trial runs of the Covid vaccines and both have been granted permission for “restricted use” in emergency situations.

The approval by the DCGI was given on the basis of recommendations submitted by an expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

Announcing approval to Serum Institute’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine, Somani said that the vaccine trial was conducted on 23,745 participants and the overall efficacy of the vaccine was found to be more than 70 per cent. “The Indian data was also found to be comparable with overseas clinical studies,” the DCGI said.

“Bharat Biotech’s coronavirus vaccine ‘Covaxin’ is safe and gives a robust immune response,” the DCGI said adding that Covaxin, too, has been approved for restricted use in emergency situations.

Somani also quelled rumours surrounding the Covid-19 vaccines regarding impotency, rubbishing such speculations as “complete nonsense”.

“We will never approve anything if there is even the slightest safety concern. Vaccines are 110 per cent safe. Some side effects like mild fever, pain and allergy are common for every vaccine. It (rumours of impotency) is complete nonsense,” he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav had said, “Covid-19 vaccine might contain something, which can cause harm. Tomorrow, people will say the vaccine was given to kill or decrease the population. You can even become impotent, anything can happen.”

On 31 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people to be careful regarding rumours about vaccines and as responsible citizens refrain from forwarding messages on social media without checking.

“The number of new cases of Covid-19 is decreasing in the country now. We are preparing to run the world’s largest vaccination programme in the next year. In our country, rumours spread quickly. Different people for their personal gains or due to irresponsible behaviour spread various rumours. Maybe rumours will be spread when vaccination begins, some have already begun,” Prime Minister Modi had said.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Singh Guleria lauded the work done by Indian laboratories in making indigenous vaccines. “The research has been done here and it’s truly from the scratch and it is Indian vaccine. It’s a great moment, especially because unlike past where we had to rely on importing various products like PPE or N95; now we have vaccines which are being manufactured in India itself. We do not have to rely on vaccines coming from outside. They are cost-effective and easy to administer between 2 to 8 degrees Centigrade,” he said.

He also said that a vaccine has to go through various stages of study to make sure that it is safe for use. “It is important to understand that when we look at any vaccine, safety is paramount and therefore a vaccine goes through various stages of studying to make sure that it is safe,” Dr Guleria stated in an interview with ANI.

On some concerns being raised by the Opposition, the AIIMs director said, “All the data are being critically looked at by the regulatory authorities and experts and then only a vaccine is given approval. At multiple levels, the safety is ensured and I do not think we should be concerned.”

There are questions being raised on Covaxin of Bharat Biotech which is yet to go for Phase III trials. Dr Guleria responded, “Even as far as Bharat Biotech vaccine is a concern, it is on a traditional platform which has been used for other vaccines also. It is shown to be safe and they have robust data from Phase I and Phase II trials to show that it’s a safe vaccine.”

PROSPECTIVE SURVEILLANCE: OUR WEAPON TO TAME MUTANT COVID STRAIN

January 2, 2021, 4:05 am

The emergence of a new mutant of SARS CoV-2 virus, B.1.1.7, in the UK with suspected increased propensity for transmission by 70% has spurred increased genomic surveillance for Covid-19. Genomic surveillance enables rapid investigation of the evolution and transmission of the virus at the local, regional and international levels. We know that the viruses mutate regularly because the viral replication process, particularly in the RNA viruses, is error prone. Therefore, the RNA viruses such as SARS- CoV-2 accumulate mutations, and currently, it is estimated that it has already undergone more than 4000 mutations. There are apprehensions about the possible impact of these mutations on transmissibility, accuracy of diagnostic tests, pathogenicity, disease severity, immunogenicity (ability to elicit immune response), drug therapy and vaccine development. It is for this reason that the rapid viral sequencing of the SARS CoV-2 strains is vital during the current pandemic.

The genomics epidemiology has progressed tremendously in the last two decades. The gene sequencing of the SARS CoV-2 could be done as early as the start of January 2020, as compared to the past, when virus genome sequences took a long time to analyze. We can now glean insights into evolutionary, genetic and epidemiological aspects of SARS CoV-2 with much greater detail following the recovery of a new strain because of our increased ability to sequence virus genomes.

The benefits of genomic surveillance include the following:

1.It can provide insight into virus biology, transmission and evolution of outbreaks. For example, it could trace the transmission of Avian Influenza Virus -AIV H7/N9 spread across China. Tracking outbreaks is vital in special situations such as hospitals, care homes, schools, restaurants and bars where genomic surveillance can provide evidence to refute or support linked transmission arising out of the premises.

2. The technique can identify molecular markers with the viral phenotypes and help predict the pathogenicity, antigenicity, transmissibility and drug sensitivity of the mutant strains.

3. Gene sequence from the patient samples facilitates the development of rapid molecular diagnostics.

4. Linking the viral genome data with the clinical information of the patient can help decipher the implications of the mutations. For instance, D614, which was the initial emergent strain, caused high viral load among patients, albeit with low disease severity. It’s mutation to D614G changed it to an infection with higher transmissibility and infection with a lower viral load. It soon became the dominant strain all over the world. In case of H7N9 AIV, mutations conferred high pathogenicity to humans and birds, posing serious threat to public health and food supply.

5. Genomics surveillance can also identify the transmission of primarily animal or zoonotic viral infections among human beings with the roots of transmission. Genomic surveillance helped understand the evolutionary origin of the human H7N9 virus in 2013 in China when it confirmed that chickens were the main source of the new virus. The genomic epidemiology can also guide interventions locally and evaluate the outcome of these interventions. We know about the closure of live poultry markets and slaughter of millions of domestic fowl potentially infected with the highly pathogenic Avian influenza virus strain H5N1 in India as well as the recent culling of 17 million Covid-afflicted minks in Denmark following outbreaks in over 200 mink farms. Minks, after infection with Covid, were spreading a mutated form of the virus back to humans.

6. Many current influenza surveillance programs involve genomic sequence-based assessment in order to estimate the emergence risk and to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines. Similarly, evolutionary analysis of the influenza virus genome allows prediction of the antigenic evolution of the virus and informs about influenza vaccine strain selection.

7. The spread of the virus infections across long distances can be identified by genomic sequences as was the case of the spread of the highly pathogenic Asian H5 subtype of AIV which travelled to Europe and America in 2014 with long-distance bird migration.

8. We are also able to measure the effects of the viral mutations on growth in cell culture. This is vital for drug and vaccine development and to study resistance to therapies.

Therefore, the correlation of virus genome with data on human demography, human genetics, international travel, viral infections among animals, wild bird movements and poultry trade has the potential to improve our understanding of the risk of viral infections among human beings as well as the animal kingdom.

Recognising the need to study viral transmission and evolution using whole gene sequencing, there have been global efforts to invest efforts in this field, for example, SARS- CoV-2 Sequencing for Public Health Emergency Response, Epidemiology and Surveillance (SPHERE) in the United States and the Covid-19 Genomics UK (COG – UK) in the United Kingdom, which has sequenced more than 1,35,000 viral samples (nearly half of samples from around the world). In India, a genomic surveillance consortium (INSA- COG) has been formed for laboratory and epidemiological surveillance of SARS CoV-2 strains in India and tasked to follow the new coronavirus detected in recent returnees from the UK.

The Indian government has divided the country into six regions to launch a massive molecular hunt for the UK mutant variant in patients who test positive for Covid-19 and has designated 10 regional genome sequencing laboratories spread across the country to cater to the states in their neighbourhood. 5% of all the positive samples from these labs will be sent for genome sequencing and the data will be sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi for compilation and analysis. In case the mutated virus is detected, it will be isolated and cultured in notified viral repositories. This prospective surveillance will help in the validation of diagnostic assays, testing of vaccines under development as well as link molecular surveillance with clinical specimens and epidemiological surveillance for relevant clinical correlation for this mutation or any other variant mutation detected in the samples. The genome sequencing therefore allows us to establish sentinel surveillance to detect the genomic variants with public health implications early and to pre-empt the variants which have an increased pathogenicity or ability to transmit thus leading to the super spreader events.

The writer is chief of AIIMS Trauma Centre.

India’s Covid-19 recovery rate reaches 96.08%

January 2, 2021, 3:16 am

India recorded 21,822 fresh infections in the last 24 hours, 6% higher than on Thursday. India’s tally has surged to 1,02,66,674, and 1.48 lakh deaths linked to the disease have been recorded so far.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 98,83,461 pushing the national recovery rate to 96.08%, while the Covid-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45%. The Covid-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the 11th consecutive day. There are 2,54,254 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 2.47% of the total caseload.

Delhi recorded 574 fresh coronavirus cases and 13 new fatalities, even as the positivity rate slipped to 0.7%. The infection tally mounted to over 6.25 lakh and the death toll rose to 10,536.

Maharashtra reports 3,509 new Covid-19 cases, 3,612 discharges, and 58 deaths. Maharashtra›s coronavirus tally has reached 19,32,112, including 18,28,546 recoveries. The cumulative toll reached 49,521.

Haryana reported six fatalities linked to the coronavirus on Friday, bringing the death toll to 2,911 even as 286 fresh cases pushed the state›s infection tally to 2,62,611.

Kerala reported 4,991 new Covid-19 cases, 5,153 recoveries, and 23 deaths in the last 24 hours. A total number of active cases now stands at 65,054.

Jharkhand›s coronavirus tally rose to 1,15,113 as 240 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,030.

Odisha›s Covid-19 tally rose to 3,29,866 as 245 more people tested positive for the infection, while three fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 1,876.

Daily Covid recoveries outnumber new cases for 33 days in a row

January 1, 2021, 3:09 am

Daily recoveries of Covid-19 have outnumbered daily new cases in India for the last 33 days successively. The national recovery rate has now crossed 96 percent.

India›s caseload currently stands at 10,281,229, with 21,957 fresh Covid-19 cases. The country›s death toll has mounted to 148,932. With 1,932,112 cases, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus cases, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Maharashtra›s Covid-19 caseload rose to 19,32,112 with 3,509 fresh cases being reported. As many as 58 patients died during the day, taking the death toll to 49,521. On the other hand, 3,612 patients were discharged from hospitals, taking the number of recovered persons to 18,28,546. There are 52,902 active cases in the state.

Gujarat recorded 780 new coronavirus cases, taking its count to 2,45,038, while four more patients died due to the infection. With the addition of 780 new cases, Gujarat›s Covid-19 tally reached 2,45,038, while deaths increased to 4,306. 916 patients were also discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recovered cases to 2,30,893.

Uttar Pradesh reported 971 new cases of the coronavirus infection, taking the contamination tally to 5,85,902 even as 12 people died of Covid-19, raising the death toll to 8,364. The number of active cases stood at 14,260 in the state. Meanwhile, a total of 5,63,278 people have recovered and discharged from hospitals till now, putting UP’s recovery rate at 96.13 percent.

Haryana reported six more coronavirus deaths as 271 fresh cases pushed the state›s infection tally to 2,62,325. So far, 2,905 people have died from the infection in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 227 new Covid-19 cases, while three virus-related deaths took place in the last 24 hours, taking the caseload to 1,20,971 and the total fatalities to 1,883. Of the fresh cases, 132 were from Kashmir and 95 from Jammu. The number of active cases have dropped to 3,009 in the UT and 1,16,079 patients have recovered so far.

Active Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu also continued to decline with the number of people under treatment sliding to 10,299, while the infection count inched toward the 8 lakh-mark. However, the state also added 1,235 fresh infections and 17 more deaths, taking the infection tally to 7,96,475 and the death toll to 11,870.