Page 82 - Coronavirus

States, UTs to hold mock drills to ensure readiness to deal with Covid-19

A mock drill will be held on Wednesday across a number of health facilities in several states and Union territories to ensure their readiness to deal with any eventuality related to COVID-19, following an advisory by the Centre. The exercise will focus on parameters such as availability of health facilities (covering all districts), capacity of isolation beds, oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds and ventilator-supported beds, and optimal availability of doctors, nurses, paramedics, AYUSH doctors, and other frontline workers, including ASHA and Anganwadi workers. It will also focus on human resource capacity in terms of healthcare professionals trained on COVID-19 management, healthcare professionals trained in ventilatory management protocol for severe cases, healthcare workers trained in operation of PSA plants etc and availability of Advanced and Basic Life Support (ALS/BLS) ambulances, testing equipment and reagents and that of essential drugs among others. Referring to the surge in

What is Covid variant XBB that accounts for more than 18% of US cases?

The XBB subvariant of Covid-19's Omicron variant is fast emerging as the dominant type in India, and now it accounts for more than 18 per cent of cases in the US as well

Two persons returning from abroad test Covid positive at Kolkata airport

Patients are kept in quarantine in Beliaghata ID Hospital

Packed hospitals, crowded crematoriums as Covid-19 roils Chinese towns

Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China's industrial Hebei province, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Beijing. Her mother-in-law had COVID-19 and needed urgent medical care, but all hospitals nearby were full. They say there's no beds here, she barked into her phone. As China grapples with its first-ever national COVID-19 wave, emergency wards in small cities and towns southwest of Beijing are overwhelmed. Emergency rooms are turning away ambulances, relatives of sick people are searching for open beds, and patients are slumped on benches in hospital corridors and lying on floors for a lack of beds. Yao's elderly mother-in-law had fallen ill a week ago with the coronavirus. They went first to a local hospital, where lung scans showed signs of pneumonia. But the hospital couldn't handle serious COVID-19 cases, Yao was told. She was told to go to larger hospitals in adjacent counties. As Yao and her husband drove from hospital to hospit

Covid preventive measures to be implemented step by step, says Karnataka CM

Stressing the need to create awareness with spurt in COVID cases globally and Omicron sub-variant BF.7 infections, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the government will implement preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities. This was discussed at the cabinet meeting held here, earlier today. "The current COVID situation was discussed at the cabinet meeting today, about the need to create awareness among the public about increase in booster dose, testing, making testing compulsory for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, wearing masks in closed places," Bommai said. Speaking to reporters, he said, all these things will be discussed at a high-level meeting later in the day. "We will have to bring in preventive measures step by step, without hampering normal life and economic activities in any way," he said, adding for New Year celebrations there will be certain directions, i

Modelling data foresee low circulation of Covid virus in J&K, says expert

Modelling data from credible agencies do not foresee any major Covid wave in Jammu and Kashmir, a leading pulmonologist said, but advised people to take precautionary measures as models "can go horribly wrong". In a series of tweets, SKIMS Director Dr Parvaiz Koul said, "Modelling data from credible agencies (like from University of Washington) predict a low circulation of the virus for coming weeks in JK (Jammu and Kashmir), but models can go horribly wrong. "So stay calm, observe routine precautions and vaccinate if you haven't, as per the advisories. NO PANIC PLEASE. Safety saves. Better safe than sorry." Koul added that he had been receiving many calls from people about COVID-19 alerts in Jammu and Kashmir. "Receiving many calls for the COVID alerts. Please note that J&K (Jammu and Kashmir) and India as a whole are not experiencing an unusual surge as yet. However since it is winter, the time for circulation of respiratory pathogens in Kashmir, it is in one's interest to be ...

Delhi authorities start taking stock of Covid arrangements in hospitals

Officials on Monday began physically visiting all government hospitals in Delhi to ascertain their preparedness to deal with any eventuality in view of the surge in Covid cases in some countries, authorities said. "We have started physically visiting all government hospitals. An inventory of beds, liquid medical oxygen, ventilators and other equipment is being prepared. It will be ready by Monday evening," East Delhi District Magistrate Anil Banka said. A mock drill will be conducted across all city government hospitals on Tuesday following the Centre's directions. Delhi Health Secretary Amit Singla had on Sunday chaired a meeting with all district magistrates and directed them to visit all hospitals and prepare an inventory of beds and equipment available. Real-time data related to the availability of beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators will be available for the public on a Delhi government portal from Tuesday. An official said testing was also likely to be ramped up soon. At

This city booked most number of Uber services in 2022; Bengaluru is second

Chandigarh among top five cities in terms of fastest average speeds, according to 'How India Ubered in 2022'

About 24 mn people over age 60 yet to receive first Covid jab in China

The vaccination figure fell to "just 42.4 per cent for those aged 80 and over"

Health Minister to hold meeting with Indian Medical Association today

The IMA informed that Mandaviya will hold the meeting via video conferencing at 4 pm regarding the Covid-19 situation and preparedness

North Korean economy down 0.1% in 2021 amid prolonged Covid, sanctions

The country's real gross domestic product (GDP) fell for the second consecutive year, following a 4.5-per cent on-year drop tallied in 2020, according to the data from Statistics Korea

Covid or common cold? What to do if you have symptoms this Christmas

Along with Covid, northern hemisphere countries including the US and the UK are currently seeing or have recently seen large increases in influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold

India reports 196 new Covid infections, active cases rise to 3,428

India logged 196 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases marginally increased to 3,428, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,77,302). The death toll stands at 5,30,695 with two fatalities reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.56 per cent, while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.16 per cent, the ministry said. It said 35,173 tests for detection of Covid have been conducted in the last 24 hours. The active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.80 per cent, the ministry said. An increase of four cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,43,179 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.05

Top headlines: Telcos get green signal, states start mock drills, and more

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

South Korea's new Covid-19 cases fall below 30,000 due to fewer tests

The tally on Monday, which tends to be lower due to fewer tests over the weekend, is down by around 1,000 from a week ago

China's economy is showing increasing strain from the Covid tsunami

Even before the curbs were lifted, China's economy was struggling, with a slump in consumer spending deepening and industrial output growing the slowest since the spring lockdowns

Facing questions over accuracy, China stops releasing Covid-19 cases data

The commission didn't provide a reason for the change in policy, but said that the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention will release Covid-related info for studies and reference

No major mutations, existing strains driving China Covid outbreak: Study

Some global health authorities and governments have expressed concern the outbreak in China could spur the development of dangerous new variants

Statsguru: Covid-19 fears return; vaccination rates still low in India

Around 50 per cent of people over 60 years of age are fully vaccinated. Vaccination is significantly lower for the rest of the country

Covid cases rising in many countries, be vigilant, wear mask: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked people to be vigilant and take precautions against COVID-19, as he noted that the virus is spreading in many countries. In his last 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast of the year, Modi said many people are on a vacation or will go on one during Christmas and New Year and urged them to follow protocols like wearing masks and washing hands to ensure that their enjoyment is not affected adversely by the virus. The central government has stepped up measures against the virus, with the cases on a rise, especially in China where the lifting of zero-Covid policy has caused a spread of the pandemic. Modi has also chaired meetings and his government has written to the states to put in place adequate measures to deal with any spurt. The prime minister said the outgoing year, 2022, has been inspirational to India in many ways. India carved out a special place for itself in the world with its incredible vaccination doses of over 220 crore and the country ...