India Covid Dispatch: Insurers may hike premiums to offset rising claims

New test predicts who is likely to be infected with severe Covid, doctors urge people to follow preventive measures, and more-news relevant to India's fight against the pandemic

Over 39,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 39,361 fresh coronavirus infections on Monday, taking the cumulative caseload to 31.4 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 416 more deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 420,967. The active caseload is at 411,189, while the total recoveries have surged to 30.5 million. As many as 435 million vaccine shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 1.8 million were given on Sunday. Read more

Insurers may hike premiums to offset rising Covid claims

The health insurance segment is likely to witness a spike in premium in the next couple of months amid a spike in claims and losses due to the pandemic, a report in The Indian Express said. This year, life insurance Covid claims have seen a jump of 4-5 times compared to last year. “As a result, insurance companies have experienced losses, with even big ones that were making profits for 10 years in a row. Health claims have also shot up with the Covid second wave hitting insurers hard,” said an insurance source. “With the third Covid wave expected any time, prices will be rising again for sure," said an official of a PSU general insurer. Read more

28% Indians plan to travel in Aug-Sept: Survey

A new survey has found that as many as 28 per cent of Indians are planning to travel during the August-September period, even as the fear of the third wave of Covid looms large, a report in ThePrint said. According to the survey by LocalCircles, 54 per cent of the respondents also plan to visit family and friends. While daily Covid cases in India have fallen significantly in the last two months, experts have warned that with tourists thronging hill stations and poor adherence to Covid protocols, the third wave is inevitable. Read more

Test predicts who is likely to be infected with severe Covid

Scientists have developed a blood test to anticipate which people infected with Covid are most likely to experience severe symptoms, a report in The Indian Express said. The test could help health care workers prioritise patients for hospitalisation and intensive care. To measure changes in blood biochemistry that occur with severe Covid, the researchers chose a technique called attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which has been tested previously as a Covid diagnostic tool. The study has been published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Analytical Chemistry. Read more

'Covid-19 infections can increase any time': Doctors on third wave

Health experts said that despite a large number of people building immunity against Covid from previous infections or vaccinations, people cannot afford to lower their guard, a report in Hindustan Times said. Experts highlighted the need for following Covid protocol strictly to avoid another crisis. A doctor at AIIMS Delhi said the lifting of restrictions is necessary to resume economic activities at a time when cases are low, but he highlighted the need of following Covid-preventive measures. Read more