India Coronavirus Dispatch: Kerala accounts for about half of fresh cases

Is vaccinating people who have recovered worthwhile, foreign diplomats keen on New Delhi's vaccine offer, over 11,000 new infections reported-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

IN NUMBERS: 11,067 new infections reported

About 11,067 new coronavirus infections were recorded during the past 24 hours nationwide, taking the cumulative caseload to 10,858,371, according to a report in the Scroll. Ninety four deaths were reported, taking the total death toll to 155,252. The total recoveries have surged to 10.5 million. The national recovery rate has climbed to 97.27 per cent. About 6.6 million healthcare workers have been inoculated since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Read more here

Kerala is an outlier

The only state in India where daily cases are still on the rise is Kerala. In the week ended February 7, nearly half the cases reported in the country were from Kerala, according to a report in Hindustan Times. The state's proportion in the nationwide daily fresh cases is rising fast. It was 15 per cent on December 1, 2020 and 25 per cent on January 1, 2021. Maharashtra, the state with the second-highest number of confirmed Covid-19 infections, has a 20 per cent share in the country’s fresh cases now, compared to 40 per cent last June. Read more here

Inoculating people recovered from Covid-19 is wasteful: Experts

Virologists and health experts believe inoculating people who have recovered from Covid-19 is a wasteful exercise as antibodies developed from natural infection are more effective and longer-lasting than those gained from vaccines, according to a report in the Outlook. Scientific evidence from some respiratory viral diseases such as chickenpox and influenza suggest that natural antibodies work better than vaccine-derived ones. Besides, few cases of Covid-19 reinfection have been reported globally. The experts believe the vaccines should be prioritised for those who need them the most. Read more here

Vaccination programme to turn focus to elderly and those with comorbidities soon

India's health officials have signalled that the nationwide vaccination campaign will turn its attention to the two priority groups among the general public after the deadline of March 6 for frontline workers, according to a report in The Telegraph. The two priority groups are those above the age of 50 and those with comorbidities. However, the officials did not specify a start date for the priority groups. The health ministry is also yet to inform the priority groups how potential beneficiaries need to register for the shots. Read more here

3,000 foreign diplomats express interest in India's vaccines

After India offered to inoculate diplomatic missions based out of the country, about 3000 foreign diplomats and their eligible family members have taken the government up on the offer, according to a report in WION. About 115 missions and 39 international organisations have expressed interest in the offer. A decision is yet to be taken on when the vaccination begins. India manufacturers about 60 per cent of the world's vaccines by volume and has supplied Covid-19 vaccines to 18 countries around the world, both as gifts and through commercial contracts. It has gifted 5.6 million doses and commercially supplied 10 million doses. Read more here