Page 129 - Coronavirus

Under China's Covid-19 lockdown, Xinjiang residents complain of hunger

As more infectious variants of the coronavirus creep into China, flare-ups have become increasingly common

'Covid end in sight, deaths at lowest since March 2020,' says WHO

The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that the number of coronavirus deaths worldwide last week was the lowest reported in the pandemic since March 2020, marking what could be a turning point in the years-long global outbreak. At a press briefing in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world has never been in a better position to stop COVID-19. We are not there yet, but the end is in sight, he said, comparing the effort to that made by a marathon runner nearing the finish line. Now is the worst time to stop running, he said. Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap all the rewards of our hard work. In its weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said deaths fell by 22% in the past week, at just over 11,000 reported worldwide. There were 3.1 million new cases, a drop of 28%, continuing a weeks-long decline in the disease in every part of the world. Still, the WHO warned that relaxed COVID testi

Delhi records 142 new Covid-19 cases, no death; positivity rate at 1.29%

Delhi recorded 142 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 1.29 per cent on Wednesday, according to the data shared by the city health department. The national capital recorded no death due to the viral disease for the second consecutive day. The new cases were detected from the 10,986 tests conducted the previous day, the department said in its latest bulletin. With the new cases, Delhi's COVID-19 tally climbed to 20,02,089. The death toll remained unchanged at 26,494, according to the bulletin. The national capital logged 118 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 1.15 per cent on Tuesday. It recorded one death due to Covid and 63 fresh cases of the infection with a positivity rate of 1.83 per cent on Monday. On Sunday, the city logged 137 new Covid cases with a positivity rate of 1.36 per cent and two fatalities. The national capital recorded zero death due to Covid and 137 cases of the infection with a positivity rate of 1.17 per cent on Saturday. On Friday, the city

Mumbai logs 203 new Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths; active tally at 1,461

Mumbai on Wednesday reported 203 new coronavirus cases, while two more patients succumbed to the infection in the city, the local civic body said. With these additions, the overall COVID-19 tally increased to 11,48,502, while the death toll rose to 19,721, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a bulletin. On Tuesday, Mumbai had logged 193 COVID-19 cases, but zero fatalities linked to the infection. As per the bulletin, the new COVID-19 cases were detected after 9,281 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, pushing up their cumulative count to 1,81,97,513. A day ago, 6,691 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the financial capital. Mumbai's tally of recuperated cases rose to 11,27,320 after 314 patients recovered from the viral infection in the last 24 hours, the BMC said. The city has a coronavirus recovery rate of 98.2 per cent and is now left with 1,461 active cases, the bulletin said. Of the 203 new COVID-19 cases, only 11 patients were symptomatic, it said.

Maharashtra sees 881 Covid-19 cases, five deaths; active tally at 5,426

Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 881 coronavirus cases and five fatalities, the health department said in a bulletin. With the fresh additions, the state's COVID-19 tally rose to 81,12,857 and the death toll to 1,48,298. A day earlier, the state recorded 730 infections and four fatalities. Mumbai recorded 203 fresh coronavirus cases. Of the five fatalities, two each were recorded in Mumbai and Thane city, while one death was reported from the Raigad district, it said. Maharashtra's case fatality rate stands at 1.82 per cent. The state is left with 5,426 active cases after 963 patients recovered from coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally of recoveries to 79,59,133, the department said. A total of 28,539 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the number of samples tested so far in Maharashtra to 8,44,38,115. Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Fresh cases: 881, total cases 81,12,857, fatalities 1,48,298, active cases 5,426

Covid may up risk of developing Alzheimer's disease among the older: Study

The findings showed that the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in older people nearly doubled (0.35 per cent to 0.68 per cent) over a one-year period following infection with Covid-19.

Odisha reports 260 new Covid-19 cases; active tally stands at 1,674

Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 13,30,853 on Wednesday as 260 more people, including 29 children, tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said. The toll remained at 9,185 as there were no new deaths. Fifty-three other patients have died due to comorbidities so far, it said. Odisha had recorded 159 infections on Tuesday. The state now has 1,674 active COVID-19 cases, while 353 more people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total recoveries to 13,19,941. The positivity rate was at 1.9 per cent as the new cases were detected after testing 13,826 samples.

Another new Covid variant is spreading: What we know about Omicron BA.4.6

Another new COVID variant is spreading here's what we know about omicron BA.4.6

UK-based novel plastic film can kill Covid virus using just room light

Scientists in the UK have developed a plastic film that can kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which land on its surface with just room light. The self-sterilising film developed by a team at Queen's University Belfast, UK, is less costly to produce, can be readily scaled and used for disposable aprons, tablecloths, and curtains in hospitals. The film is coated with a thin layer of particles that absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and produce reactive oxygen species -- ROS. These kill viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the researchers said. The technology used to create the film also ensures it is degradable -- unlike the current disposable plastic films -- making it environment-friendly, the researchers said. The research, published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, could lead to a significant reduction in the transmission of viruses in healthcare environments but also in other settings that uses plastic films. The researchers tested the film for anti-viral

One in every six MSME loans under ECLG scheme turned into NPAs: Report

The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC) declared that 1.6 million accounts or 16.4 per cent of the total 9.8 million loans disbursed have been converted to NPAs

Data story: India logs 5,108 new Covid cases; death toll at 528,216

India has so far administered 2,156,706,574 vaccine doses

Nasal vaccines for Covid-19: How do they work and what are their benefits?

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), on Tuesday, approved Bharat Biotech's anti-covid vaccine for emergency use. It is the first such vaccine in the country

School learning after Covid-19: Students, teachers try to move on

Marginalised people lost out during online classes; education quality suffered for all: NCERT survey

UP becomes the first state to cross 380 mn mark in Covid-19 vaccine doses

Uttar Pradesh has crossed the 38-crore mark of administering Covid-19 vaccine doses and has become the first state in India to have achieved this figure

17 mn in Europe experienced long Covid; WHO urges nation to find solution

At least 17 million people in the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Region experienced the post-Covid-19 condition, or long Covid, in the first two years of the pandemic

Myanmar reports 299 Covid-19 cases in 24 hrs; tally rises to 617,355

Myanmar confirmed 299 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 617,355

Parl panel pulls up govt for not acting on time during 2nd Covid wave

Many lives could have been saved during the second wave of the Covid pandemic if containment strategies were implemented on time, a parliamentary panel has said while pulling up the government for not being able to anticipate the gravity of the situation. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, in its 137th report presented to Rajya Sabha on Monday, said the second wave was undoubtedly marred by high cases, increased deaths, shortage of oxygen and beds in hospitals, reduced supplies of medicines and other important drugs, disruption of essential health care services, hoarding and black marketing of cylinders and medicines etc. "The committee is of the considered view that had the Government been successful in identification of the more virulent strain of virus in the population at an early stage and suitably implemented its containment strategy, the repercussions would have been less grave and many lives could have been saved," it said. The committee observed that India is o

Delhi reports 118 new Covid cases, no deaths; active tally at 591

The total number of cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 3,68,81,422, according to the health bulletin

17 million in EU may have suffered long Covid-19, says WHO report

New research suggests at least 17 million people in the European Union may have experienced long COVID-19 symptoms during the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic, with women more likely than men to suffer from the condition, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday. The research, conducted for the WHO/Europe, was unclear on whether the symptoms that linger, recur or first appear at least one month after a coronavirus infection were more common in vaccinated or unvaccinated people. At least 17 million people met the WHO's criteria of long COVID-19 with symptoms lasting at least three months in 2020 and 2021, the report said. Millions of people in our region, straddling Europe and Central Asia, are suffering debilitating symptoms many months after their initial COVID-19 infection, said Hans Henri P Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, during a conference in Tel Aviv. The modeling also suggests that women are twice as likely as men to experience long COVID-19, and the ri

Maharashtra records 730 coronavirus cases, 4 deaths; active tally at 5,513

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 730 new coronavirus infections and four pandemic-related deaths, the health department said in a release. The state's COVID-19 case tally rose to 81,11,976, and death toll reached 1,48,293. On Monday, the state had recorded 414 new cases and one fatality. State capital Mumbai recorded 193 cases and zero fatality on Tuesday. Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai cities recorded one fatality each, while Satara district recorded two fatalities. The case fatality rate in the state is 1.82 per cent. The number of active cases in the state stood at 5,513. As many as 1,075 patients recovered from the viral infection since previous evening, taking the total of recovered patients to 79,58,170. The recovery rate in the state is 98.10 per cent. As many as 23,918 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of coronavirus tests conducted in the state to 8,44,09,585. Maharashtra's coronavirus figures: New cases: 730; New deaths: four; Active cases: 5