Page 21 - Coronavirus

A year in politics: A recap of all key global events that shaped 2023

From geopolitical conflicts to historic political shifts, 2023 has been a year of significant milestones. Dive into the key political events that left an indelible mark on the world stage

Serum Institute of India to apply for licence of JN.1 Covid variant vaccine

Covid cases in India: On Friday, India recorded 640 fresh Covid-19 infections and the number of active cases now stands at 2,997

3 persons, including a 6-month baby, test positive for Covid-19 in Bengal

Three persons including a six-month-old baby tested positive for COVID-19 in West Bengal, officials said on Friday. However, it was yet to be ascertained whether the trio were infected by the new JN.1 strain of COVID-19, they said. The child, a resident of neighbouring Bihar, is undergoing treatment at the Medical College and Hospital Kolkata (MCHK) while the other two are admitted at two separate private hospitals, they said. "These were suffering from high fever, cough and cold. and underwent RT-PCR and tested positive for COVID-19," the officer of the private hospital said. When contacted a senior official of the West Bengal Health Department said that they were "keeping a tab" on this. "The state health department never said that COVID-19 has been eradicated. We have to realise that this is going to stay. As of now, we have not come across any such case. However, our department is very much vigilant," the official told PTI. The state health department will continue its ...

Amid rising Covid-19 cases, govt not planning mask mandate or vaccine shots

On Thursday, India reported 358 new cases of Covid-19, of which 300 cases were from Kerala; Insacog said no traces of widespread infection were found yet

JN.1 outbreak: As new cases rise, 10 things you must know about new variant

JN.1 Covid variant: On Friday, a new Covid-19 case was reported in Noida, the first in many months. The patient, a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida, works at a multinational firm in Gurugram

Kerala records 265 fresh Covid-19 cases, one death in last 24 hours

Kerala reported 265 fresh COVID-19 infections and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Friday. Of the 328 coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 265 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 2,606, as per the website. With one death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,060. The number of people who were cured, discharged, or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 275. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,689 till date. The state reported 300 new COVID-19 infections and three deaths due to the disease on Thursday. On Tuesday, Health Minister Veena George reassured the people of the state that despite the rise in COVID cases in Kerala, there is no cause for alarm. The hospitals are adequately equipped

Noida reports first Covid-19 case in months as man tests positive

A Noida resident has tested positive for Covid, in a first case of the infection in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar after several months, officials said. The patient is a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida but works at a multinational company in Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma said on Thursday. "His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited," Sharma said. District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurugram office after returning. "The patient is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own," Kumar said, adding that this is the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far. CMO Sharma said testing for the virus had come down in the district this year. People can get themselves tested for Covid at primary and community health centres here and the district hospital, he added. The

Number of fresh Covid cases in Singapore jumped to 965 in past week

The number of fresh COVID-19 cases in Singapore jumped to 965 in the past week, up from 763 the previous week. The number of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) went up from 23 to 32 in the same period. These are the highest numbers of new weekly hospitalisation and ICU admission for COVID-19 patients in 2023, TODAY newspaper reported on Thursday. Most COVID-19 patients here are infected by JN.1, a sublineage of the coronavirus' Omicron subvariant BA.2.86. With the JN.1 variant, winter conditions in the northern hemisphere and more people choosing not to wear masks have fueled the increase in COVID-19 cases, TODAY, citing experts, reported. Based on the available international and domestic data, there is no clear indication now that BA.2.86 or JN.1 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH). The estimated number of COVID-19 cases from December 10 to 16 was also the highest recorded for

6 deaths reported as Covid cases rise to 2,669, Kerala tops list: Govt

Karnataka forms sub-committee to oversee Covid preparation

Cutting pollution to Covid level may stop glaciers from disappearing: Study

Reducing air pollution to levels similar to those during the COVID-19 pandemic could protect the Himalayan glaciers and prevent them from disappearing by the end of the century, a study by an international research team from India, Germany and the UK has found. Analysing the situation during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the team found that cleaner air during the period ensured that less soot was deposited on the glaciers, resulting in 0.5 to 1.5 milimeter (mm) less snow melting per day. The rapid retreat of glaciers and the loss of snow cover already pose a threat to the sustainable water supply of billions of people in Asia who live in the catchment areas of rivers such as the Indus, Ganges and Yangtze, according the researchers. If emissions of air pollutants such as soot could be reduced to at least the level of the lockdowns, snowmelt could be reduced by up to half, they said. The study, published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, found that a switch to clean

India records 594 fresh Covid-19 cases, active caseload rises to 2,669

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday held a meeting to review the sudden jump in Covid-19 cases and deaths in several parts of the country

3 deaths, 300 fresh Covid cases in Kerala; active cases in state at 2,341

Kerala reported 300 fresh COVID-19 infections and three deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Thursday. Of the 358 COVID infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 300 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 2,341, as per the Ministry website. With the three deaths reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,059. The number of people who were cured, discharged or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 211. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,414 till date. On Tuesday, state Health Minister Veena George said that despite the increase in COVID cases in Kerala, there was nothing to be concerned about as the hospitals were well-prepared to handle the virus infection.

Does Covid prefer gut now? Virus detection in wastewater prompts debate

The evidence is extremely limited and theoretical, and there's no data suggesting that more people are experiencing severe digestive illnesses from Covid

Bengal to continue Covid surveillance activity, no cases so far: Official

The West Bengal Health Department will continue its surveillance of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) cases, in accordance with central guidelines, amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the country, a senior official said on Wednesday. Representatives of the department participated in a high-level review meeting with states chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya earlier in the day. "We will continue our surveillance activity as per the guidelines of the health ministry. At present, there is not a single COVID-19 case in our state. However, we are ready with the infrastructure," the official told PTI. In the meeting, Mandaviya reiterated that Covid was not over yet and urged the states to monitor emerging cases, symptoms and case severity to plan appropriate public health response. Mandaviya asked all the states to remain alert, increase surveillance and ensure adequate stock of medicines, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, ...

Markets fall amidst profit booking, Covid concerns; sensex down 931 points

Profit booking after the good run was cited as the primary reason for the market rout

2 Covid-related deaths reported in Karnataka; 92 active cases in state

Two Covid-19 related deaths and 20 fresh cases were reported in Karnataka, according to a Health bulletin issued on Wednesday. The bulletin stated that the deceased - both male aged 44 and 76 - died on December 16 and December 17 respectively in Bengaluru. One of them was asymptomatic while the other patient complained of breathlessness. Earlier in the day, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a 64-year-old man died in the city due to Covid-19 infection five days ago. Asked if the cause of death was the new subvariant JN.1 of the SARS CoV-2 virus, he said it was not known so far. The person, who had comorbidities, was a resident of Chamarajpet and died on December 15, the Minister told reporters. In the last 24 hours, a total of 808 tests were done across various districts in the state, out of which 407 were RT-PCR and 401 were Rapid Antigen Tests. The covid positivity rate in the state stood at 2.49 per cent while the case fatality rate stood at 10 per cent, it .

Mock drills in hospitals every three months even as the pandemic is over

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asks hospitals to be prepared for Covid, as India reports 341 fresh cases

Covid New Variant: Everything you need to know about JN.1 found in Kerala

Karnataka, Kerala's neighbouring state, has instructed senior citizens to wear masks. State health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday said an order would be issued accordingly

21 new cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 found in 3 states: NITI Aayog

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday reviewed the Covid-19 situation and preparedness of public health systems in view of rising Covid cases

India records 614 new coronavirus infections, active cases at 2,311

India recorded 614 new coronavirus infections, the highest since May 21, while the active cases have increased to 2,311, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll was recorded at 5,33,321 with three deaths reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The country's Covid case tally is 4.50 crore (4,50,05,978). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,70,346, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far.