India Coronavirus Dispatch: Freelance hiring surges 22% in January

The nationwide coronavirus reproduction number rises again this week, study finds hospitalised Covid patients on cholesterol drugs less likely to die, and more

Freelance job market sees 22% jump in hiring in January: Report

India's freelance job market saw a 22 per cent surge in hiring in January 2021 compared to the same period last year, said an article in The Indian Express, citing an analysis by job search portal Indeed. The analysis looked at the spike in freelance gigs amid pandemic disruptions. The data showed a two-fold jump in freelance jobs between May and June 2020 from the same period in 2019. After organisations switched to working from home, job search activity was higher and was peaking in April 2020 compared to the pre-pandemic period. Read more here

India’s R-value rises to 1.08 

India’s effective reproduction value (R) for Covid-19 rose to 1.08 this week from 1.06 last week, according to a report in ThePrint. The R-value is a key measure of how quickly the virus is spreading. In simple terms, it is the average number of people who become infected by an infected individual. If the R-value is above 1, the virus will spread quickly. If it is below 1, the virus will slow. Currently, Haryana has the highest R-value among all states—it jumped to 1.37 this week from 1.29 last week. Punjab was second-highest at 1.34 this week compared to 1.32 last week.  Read more here

Hospitalised Covid patients on some cholesterol drugs half as likely to die: Study

Research in the past few months has shown that individuals hospitalised for Covid-19 are less likely to die or require intensive care if they are taking statins, according to a report in ThePrint. Statins are a class of drugs that are normally prescribed to lower cholesterol levels. The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. Read more here

SpiceJet has Rs 299 virus test to convince you to fly again

India's second-biggest airline SpiceJet is offering passengers Covid-19 tests to make extra money while encouraging people to start flying again, a report in Bloomberg said. The airline is offering coronavirus screening to passengers for as little as Rs 299 which is a third of the current price. SpiceHealth, the unit selling the tests, has also set up mobile-testing facilities for the general public in Mumbai and New Delhi. Read more here

High fatality risk after surgery done within 6 weeks of testing positive: Study

A new global study has found that patients are two and a half times more likely to die after surgery within six weeks of testing positive for Covid-19, a report in Hindustan Times said. The study recommended that surgery should be delayed for at least seven weeks following a positive diagnosis. The study took into account 140,231 patients who underwent elective or emergency surgery in 116 countries during October 2020. The findings were published in the journal Anaesthesia. Read more here