India Coronavirus Dispatch: Situation remains grim in national capital

Covid may impact vision of some patients, ethical dilemma of denying vaccine to trial participants, UP artisans start selling online-news relevant to India's fight against the pandemic

Delhi still in the weeds of Covid-19 with 777 deaths in seven days

Although the number of daily deaths due to Covid-19 dipped below the 100 mark for the first time in over a week, the situation remains grim in the national capital. For example, in this period, the city also reported 7,546 new cases.

In addition, a major mismatch has erupted between the number of deaths due to Covid-19 and the number of funerals conducted in the city according to protocols for victims of the disease. The municipal corporation has said over 10,300 such funerals were performed until November 23 – while the official death toll was around 8,500. Read more here

If a vaccine is approved, will it be ethical to deny it to clinical trial participants?

Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine trial analysis that found the drug was 95% successful against the novel coronavirus was conducted with 170 people confirmed to have the disease. Of them, however, 162 people were in the placebo group and only eight were in the vaccine arm.

On November 20, Pfizer said it was asking the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for its vaccine candidate. Once an EUA is granted, would it be ethical to deprive the vaccine to those who participated in the trial but received the placebo instead of the real thing? Read more here 

Some patients face vision loss, blurry eyesight post-Covid. Doctors can’t confirm the link yet

Doctors say there are no large-scale studies so far to conclusively prove a connection between Covid-19 and vision problems, but many recovered patients have been reporting eye issues. A possible explanation offered for this phenomenon is that Covid infection has been linked to thrombosis or the emergence of clots in the body’s circulatory system. But, doctors urged caution and advise early intervention. Read more here 

14% of symptomatic people traced in Delhi door-to-door survey not tested for Covid-19

Fourteen per cent of the people found symptomatic during the Delhi government’s door-to-door survey over the past week were not tested for Covid-19. The Delhi government’s door-to-door survey for Covid-19 began Thursday last week. It was supposed to end Wednesday but it has now been extended following requests from some districts. Read more here 

As Covid-19 impact continues, UP artisans are selling their goods online

The UP government's 'One District One Product' (ODOP) scheme is helping artisans move online. Launched in January 2018, ODOP is the state government's flagship programme. The objective is to preserve, develop and promote local arts, crafts, and traditional skills of communities spread across each district of Uttar Pradesh. The programme identifies small, local businesses and facilitates their training to enable them to improve their product quality and increase efficiency. Additionally, the programme aims to add to incomes and local employment, thus preventing migration due to the lack of employment opportunities. The programme also aims to revive traditional crafts. Read more here 

Explained: Takeaways from Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine error

After trial results of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, it has now emerged that a mistake in dosing led to the 90% efficacy report. What questions does this raise about this vaccine, and about trials in general? Read more here