India Coronavirus Dispatch: No testing at protest sites despite big crowds

What next few months for Pfizer vaccine will look like, easy everyday protocols for winter, India is biggest buyer of vaccine doses so far-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

No Covid-19 testing at protest sites despite huge crowds

It has been a week since farmers from across the country launched their protests against the Centre’s farm bills along Delhi’s borders, but none of these protest sites had a single Covid-19 testing camp as on Thursday.

The lone Covid-19 testing camp that was set up by the Delhi government at the Burari site on Saturday was also wrapped up in a day. The sites at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders, on the other hand, haven’t seen any Covid-19 testing camps or medical vans for swab collection from day one. Read more here

The curious case of vaccine efficacy, and the unanswered questions 

Within a year of emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 70 vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials around the world, with a dozen in phase 3 trials at the moment.

Many Covid-19 vaccine candidates are being developed using novel but unproven vaccine technologies. Vaccine developers and health department authorities have continued to insist that safety and efficacy will not be compromised. But it is not clear how safe and efficacious the vaccines that are now on the verge of emergency approval will actually turn out to be. Read more here

Here’s how the next few months will look like with Pfizer vaccine

The UK has become the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use. The government has ordered 40 million doses and the first batch of 800,000 doses is expected to be shipped from Belgium – where the vaccine is being made – in the next couple of days. It will be enough to immunise 400,000 people (two doses per person). Read more here to find out how the next few months will look like for the vaccine. Read more here

At 1,600 mn, India biggest buyer of Covid-19 vaccine doses: Report

India has emerged as the biggest purchaser of confirmed vaccine doses at 1,600 million as countries are securing shots to combat the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which has already killed 1.5 million people globally, a study by the US’ Duke University showed. India has so far registered over 9.57 million cases till now and 139,188 people have died.

The study, ‘Launch and Scale Speedometer’, analysed data up to November 30 on vaccine procurement and manufacturing to track the flow of procurement and better understand global equity challenges. Read more here

Mohalla clinics in Delhi short of hands as staffers test Covid-19 positive

Around 20 mohalla clinics in the national capital are functioning only intermittently owing to a short age of hands -- staff have either tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) or are unwilling to work at the clinics when the cases are surging. Health experts said last month, when intensive care units in hospitals were filled to capacity with Covid-19 patients, these clinics had turned out to be a major boon in delivering health services. Read more here

This winter, stay safe with these easy everyday Covid-fighting protocols

Everybody talks about the ‘new normal’, and how it has changed the way we function. It has been close to a year now, since the pandemic has become our reality. And in this reality, it becomes imperative to remind ourselves time and again that the pandemic is still on, and we need to stay as vigilant as ever. Dr Sanjay Shah, general physician, Fortis Hospital Mulund, reminds us of some safety protocols we need to keep in mind while visiting offices, places of high footfall and transit options. Read more here