India Coronavirus Dispatch: Cases may spike again in Oct-Nov, says panel

New Covid vaccine could protect you at very low doses, Maharashtra first state to administer over 35 million vaccine doses, and more-news relevant to India's fight against the pandemic

Nearly 46,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 45,892 fresh coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking the cumulative caseload to 30.7 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 817 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 405,028. The active caseload is at 460,704, while the total recoveries have surged to 29.8 million. As many as 364.8 million vaccine shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 3.3 million were given on Wednesday. Read more

Covid cases could rise again in Oct-Nov: Expert panel

The chief of the government-appointed National Covid-19 Supermodel Committee—which makes forecasts on the likely spread of the pandemic—said cases could begin climbing again between October and November, a report in ThePrint said. Professor M. Vidyasagar of IIT Hyderabad, who heads the three-member committee, said the time of the next surge may be between 9 October and 28 November. The next wave may not have the impact of the second wave, if the pace of vaccination drive advances, the panel’s previous forecast in May had said. Read more

New Covid vaccine could protect you at very low doses

Researchers are working on a potential mRNA-based Covid vaccine that could offer high levels of protection at very low doses, a report in ThePrint said. The technology, called self-amplifying RNA, or saRNA, works on the same principle as the Messenger RNA or mRNA vaccines, which do not bring any part of the virus into the body. Examples of mRNA shots include those developed by US firms Moderna and Pfizer. The saRNA technology is based on the RNA molecule replicating itself inside the body, which enables the vaccine to be effective at very low doses, the report said. Read more

Maharashtra first state to administer over 35 million vaccine doses

Maharashtra has become the first state to administer 35 million Covid vaccine shots, a report in The Indian Express said. The highest one-day immunisation by the state was noted on July 3 with 811,000 people inoculated. The state has the capacity to vaccinate 1 million people a day. Its daily average in the first week of July is 429,000. Uttar Pradesh follows Maharashtra with 32 million jabs, the report said. Read more

Uttar Pradesh reports Delta plus cases

In a first, Uttar Pradesh has reported cases of the more lethal and infectious Delta plus variant, a report in the Hindustan Times said. The state detected two cases of the variant from Gorakhpur and Deoria. One of the two people has died. The news has generated a considerable stir in the region. The health ministry said 'variants of concern' have been detected in as many as 174 districts across 35 states and Union territories. The highest number of these cases have been from Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal, and Gujarat. Read more