Page 29 - Coronavirus

Choice of arm for 2nd Covid jab could influence immune response: Research

Getting the second Covid jab on the same arm as the first one or on the opposite arm could influence the body's immune response generated against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, new research from Germany says. Those who got jabbed on the same side, or ipsilaterally, generated more antibodies against the Covid-causing pathogen than those who got jabbed on the opposite side, or contralaterally, the study from Saarland University and other German institutes found. Further, median levels of infection-fighting CD8 T-cells generated in response to the spike-protein of the pathogen were found to be significantly lower in those contralaterally vaccinated. CD8 T-cells destroy virus-infected cells and render protection against severe disease. Consequently, after contralateral vaccination, fewer individuals (43 per cent) were found to have detectable levels of CD8 T-cells than after ipsilateral vaccination (67 per cent), the study published in the journal eBioMedicine said. Individual doses of two-dose

Unusual case of 'blue legs' in long Covid patient seen: Lancet study

An unusual case of a long Covid patient's legs turning blue after 10 minutes of standing has been reported in a study published in The Lancet journal. The study described the case of a 33-year old man who developed a condition called acrocyanosis, which refers to blood pooling in the veins of the legs. A minute after standing, his legs began to redden and became increasingly blue over time, with the veins becoming more prominent, the study from the University of Leeds, UK, said. The colour was seen to become much more pronounced after 10 minutes of standing, with the patient describing a heavy, itchy sensation in his legs. However, his original colour was observed to return two minutes after he resumed a non-standing position. The patient said he had started to experience the discolouration since his COVID-19 infection, the researchers said in the study. "This was a striking case of acrocyanosis in a patient who had not experienced it before his COVID-19 infection," said Manoj Si

Long-term symptoms of Covid-19 can emerge months after infection: Study

Long-term effects of COVID-19 can persist for at least a year after the acute illness has passed, or appear months later, according to a study conducted in the US. The research, published recently in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, is the most comprehensive look yet at how symptoms play out over a year. It expands knowledge of post-COVID-19 conditions, describing trends in more detail than previous research and highlighting significant impacts the epidemic has had on health care system. The study found that for about 16 per cent of the COVID-positive people, symptoms lasted for at least a year, but for others, they appeared for a short time. The team from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and colleagues, assessed symptoms every three months, enabling them to differentiate between symptoms that improve and those that emerge months after the initial infection. "It was common for symptoms to resolve then

WHO classifies EG.5 strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus as 'variant of interest'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the EG.5 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating in different parts of the world, including India, as a "variant of interest" but said it did not seem to pose more of a threat to public health than other strains. EG.5 or Eris variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first reported on February 17 this year, and designated as a variant under monitoring (VUM) on July 19. In its latest risk evaluation on Wednesday, the WHO designated EG.5 and its sub-lineages as a variant of interest (VOI). Variants are broadly categorised into three categories: (1) "variants of interest," (2) "variants of concern" and (3) "variants of high consequence. According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), VOIs are defined as variants with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes that may cause enhanced transmissibility or virulence, reduction in neutralisation by antibodies obtained through natural infection or vaccination. EG.5 is a ..

China expands number of countries for travel by its big-spending tourists

China has increased the number of countries that its big-spending tourists can visit by more than 70 following the lifting of its last COVID-19 travel restrictions. The decision comes as international flights to and from the country gradually return to their pre-pandemic levels. China implemented strict lockdowns and draconian travel controls within the country and closed its borders almost entirely after the virus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019. Those restrictions began to be lifted late last year, but the government has been hesitant to resume issuing passports and allowing in foreign tourists, as well as giving its citizens the ability to travel abroad. The expanded options for travel began on Thursday. "The government agencies in charge will provide businesses in the tourism sector with the necessary guidance for the implementation," the Foreign Ministry said. At this moment, we would like to remind all outbound tourists to be well-prepared befor

'Maharashtra recorded new Omicron sub-variant in May, but nothing to worry'

A new Omicron sub-variant, EG.5.1.1, was detected in Maharashtra in May, but there is no need to worry as it was the only case recorded, a health department official said on Wednesday. Babita Kamlapurkar, state's health surveillance officer, said it is necessary to exercise COVID-19 appropriate behaviour as June, July and August months record a spike in cases. "The variant, EG.5.1.1, was found in May and we have been monitoring it. It is not of any public health importance," Kamlapurkar said. She said only one case was detected in May. She, however, declined to share information on the person who was infected with regards to gender, age, travel history. "There is no reason to worry. The Centre has also said it has been continuously monitoring the variant and there is no need to worry," she said. Kamlapurkar added that regular surveillance of COVID-19 variants is on.

Covid hospitalisations in US are on the rise again, but not like before

Here we go again: COVID-19 hospital admissions have inched upward in the United States since early July in a small-scale echo of the three previous summers. With an updated vaccine still months away, this summer bump in new hospitalizations might be concerning, but the number of patients is far lower than before. A look at what we know: HOW BAD IS THE SPIKE? For the week ending July 29, COVID-19 hospital admissions were at 9,056. That's an increase of about 12 per cent from the previous week. But it's a far cry from past peaks, like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the nearly 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions during the omicron surge of January 2022. It is ticking up a little bit, but it's not something that we need to raise any alarm bells over, said Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It's likely that infections are rising too, but the data is scant. Federal authoritie

Covid-19 new variant 'Eris' emerges in UK, here's how to protect yourself

Another Covid-19 variant 'Eris' has emerged in the United Kingdom. UKHSA says the new variant is not deadlier than the previous one. Read on to know about symptoms and preventions

Marsh India expects growth of 20-25% in next year, says Sanjay Kedia

Marsh India has seen consistent growth year after year, crossed 8,000 corporate clients in India and the total amount of premium placed for the financial year ending March 2023, was Rs 15,000 Cr

New Omicron sub-variant spreads in UK; no reported case in India so far

UK health agency says no indication that EG.5.1 is more severe than the others; WHO advises countries to remain cautious

FIR against ex-Mumbai mayor, 2 others in Covid-19 body bags purchase scam

The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police has filed a case against former city mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar and two civic officials over alleged corruption in the purchase of body bags meant for COVID-19 victims, an official said. The case was registered at the Agripada police station on Friday, he said. The complaint in this regard was filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in July, the police official added. Pednekar belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena. She held the position of mayor from November 2019 to March 2022. The case against Pednekar and the two senior officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was registered under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 420 (cheating) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), he said. The police official did not share any further information regarding the case. When contacted, BJP leader Somaiya said, "We had filed the complaint in connection with the body bag scam in

India records 77 new COVID-19 cases; infection tally stands at 4.49 crore

India has logged 77 fresh COVID-19 cases while the active cases were recorded at 1,553, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The country's death toll has been recorded at 5,31,918, the data updated at 8 am stated. The infection tally has been recorded at 4.49 crore (4,49,95,933) and the national recovery rate has reached 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry website. The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,44,62,462 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

India logs 60 fresh Covid cases, active tally reaches 1,482: Ministry data

India has logged 60 new coronavirus infections while the active cases have slightly increased to 1,482 from 1,474 a day before, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll has been recorded at 5,31,917, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally has been recorded at 4.49 crore (4,49,95,725) and the national recovery rate has been recorded at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,44,62,326 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Pfizer misses revenue estimates as Covid-19 product sales decline

The company has said it expects 2023 to be a low point for COVID product sales following strong demand at the peak of the pandemic before a potential return to growth in 2024

Brain fog, other long Covid symptoms focus of new small treatment studies

The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in U.S. efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions. Monday's announcement from the NIH's USD 1.15 billion RECOVER project comes amid frustration from patients who've struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones. This is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it's a step in the right direction, said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St. Louis, who isn't involved with NIH's project but whose own research highlighted long COVID's toll. Getting answers is critical, he added, because there's a lot of people out there exploiting patients' vulnerability with unproven therapies. Scientists don't yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widel

New Covid-19 wave? Hospitalisations rise in US, CDC rings warning bells

Over 7,100 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospitals in the week of July 15, up from 6,444 the previous week, shows CDC data

Punjab top beneficiary list under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana

Launched in October 2020, ABRY aimed to incentivise employers for the creation of new jobs and the reinstatement of retrenched workers during Covid

Brain function still affected for some even two years after Covid

This is part of a new research conducted by Nathan Cheetham: Senior Postdoctoral Data Scientist, Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King's College in London

Expect sales to rise 25% in FY24 to nearly Rs 1,200 crore, says Aequs

The company supplies components for landing gear, engines, fuselage, and wings to top aerospace companies such as Airbus, Boeing, Safran, and Collins Aerospace

Households in Covid vulnerable districts bought more gold: IIMA study

Households in India's COVID-19 vulnerable districts allocated more gold to their savings portfolio during the pandemic compared to households in other districts, as per a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). The shift towards gold is accompanied by a shift away from other financial assets and cash, as per the IIMA working paper titled 'Gold in household portfolios during a pandemic: Evidence from an emerging economy'. The study, published on IIMA's website on June 30, captured the variation in the intensity of the crisis using two main indicators: COVID-19 cases per 1,000 population, and satellite-based night-time lights intensity. The survey covered 142 districts across 21 states. India is the second-largest consumer of gold (in the form of jewellery) in the world and an average Indian household invests 11 per cent of its overall holdings in the precious metal, as per the study paper. It said addressing geographical inequalities in the availabil