Covid Live: China to monitor sewage in cities to track Covid variants as cases surge

Covid Live: Biological E Seeks Nod for Bivalent Vax Trials

Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Biological E has sought the drug regulator’s permission to initiate clinical trials for its bivalent Covid-19 vaccine that it claims can offer protection against Omicron and its sub-variants, besides the original SARSCoV-2 variant, a top executive of the company told ET.

Covid News Live: Covid virus lingers in brain, claims study

The SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads throughout the body, including the brain, and lingers for almost eight months, shows an analysis of tissue samples from the autopsies of people who died due to COVID-19. The researchers from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) tested samples from autopsies that were performed from April 2020 to March 2021. They conducted extensive sampling of the nervous system, including the brain, in 11 of the patients. All of the patients died with COVID-19, and none were vaccinated.

How pandemic progressed in India so far

India’s COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, and 50 lakh on September 16. It crossed the grim milestone of four crore on January 25, 2022.

Covid News: Second Covid booster dose not required, ANI quotes govt sources as saying

Based on the current Covid-19 situation in the country, there is no need to administer a second booster dose, government sources told ANI, as the Union Health Ministry data on Tuesday showed that only 134 new coronavirus cases were recorded throughout the nation in the last 24 hours with the daily positivity rate at 0.09 per cent”As of now no second Covid-19 booster dose is required, first we have to complete the first booster drive in the country.””No discussion has been started even in the Immunisation panel National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) regarding the second booster dose. Our first priority is to complete the first booster drive in the country,” said another official source to ANI.

Covid News LIVE: India’s daily Covid positivity was recorded at 0.09 per cent, shows latest Union Health ministry data.

Covid News Live: Jab Update

According to the Union Health ministry’s website, 220.11 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Covid Cases: Active cases decline to 2,582

India’s active cases has declined to 2,582, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. Active cases comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.80 per cent, according to the health ministry website. A decrease of 88 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Covid News Live: Insacog to hold meet this week

The Indian SarsCoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (Insacog), a network of laboratories monitoring genomic variations of the Covid-19 virus, will hold a meeting this week to review data from China on the viral wave that’s gripped the country.

India sees 134 new COVID infections

India saw a single-day rise of 134 in coronavirus infections, with the active cases declining to 2,582, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4.46 crore (4,46,78,956). The overall death toll to date stands at 5,30,707, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Covid News Live: No BF.7 Omicron variant in TN

The genome sequencing report of the six international passengers who had landed at various international airports in Tamil Nadu has reported no BF.7 variant of Omicron. Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma Subramanian yesterday said that the two China-returned passengers, who tested Covid-19 positive, were affected by BA5.2. One passenger each from Muscat, Kuwait, and Bangkok was identified with BA.2 strain of Omicron. Another passenger, who arrived from Muscat and tested positive has the XBB.1 strain of Omicron.

Covid News: Govt hospitals in Uttar Pradesh run out of vaccines, claims report

China state media plays down severity of COVID wave

In an article on Tuesday, People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, cited several Chinese experts as saying the illness caused by the virus was relatively mild for the vast majority of people.”Severe and critical illnesses account for 3% to 4% of infected patients currently admitted to designated hospitals in Beijing,” Tong Zhaohui, Vice President of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, told the newspaper.Kang Yan, head of West China Tianfu Hospital of Sichuan University, said that in the past three weeks, a total of 46 critically ill patients have been admitted to intensive care units, accounting for about 1% of symptomatic infections.

South Korea to require COVID tests for Hong Kong, Macau travellers

– South Korea’s health authorities said on Tuesday it will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travellers from Hong Kong and Macau, after Beijing’s decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies. Effective Jan. 7, travellers from Hong Kong and Macau would be required to submit a negative result from a PCR test, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Why China’s Covid wave is stirring fear

Beijing has admitted the scale of the outbreak has become “impossible” to track following the end of mandatory mass testing last month.The National Health Commission has stopped publishing daily nationwide infection and death statistics.That responsibility has been transferred to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which will only publish figures once a month after China downgrades its management protocols for the disease on January 8.China has only reported 15 Covid deaths since it began unwinding restrictions on December 7, shortly after which it narrowed the criteria by which deaths from the virus are recorded.This has stoked concerns that the wave of infections is not being accurately reflected in official statistics.

Covid News LIVE: China arrivals in UK next week will not face compulsory COVID tests -Independent

Passengers from China who arrive in the United Kingdom next week will not face compulsory COVID-19 tests on arrival, The Independent reported on Monday.Testing at Heathrow Airport will be voluntary and those who test positive will neither be quarantined nor ordered to self-isolate, the report added.Britain last week had said that passengers arriving in Britain from China would require a negative COVID test taken no more than two days prior to departure after a surge in infections in China.

Covid News LIVE: EU offers free COVID vaccines to China to help curb outbreak

The European Union has offered free COVID-19 vaccines to China to help Beijing contain a mass outbreak of the illness, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.The initiative is part of efforts by health commissioner Stella Kyriakides to arrange a European response to the prospect of a wave of infections after Beijing ditched its so-called “zero Covid” policy, the report added, citing EU commission officials, speaking under the condition of anonymity.

Covid News LIVE: China reports 3 COVID deaths for January 2

China reported three new COVID-19 deaths in the mainland for Jan. 2, compared with one death a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. The official death toll now stands at 5,253.

Govt terms news reports which are speculating that the new Omicron sub-variant may be fatal for the brain as misleading and fake.

EU to try again for coordination on China Covid policies

European Union nations will try again on Wednesday to mold a coordinated approach on if and how authorities should check incoming airline passengers from China for any new COVID-19 variants after several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week.Belgium said late Monday it would be checking wastewater from planes coming in from China to see if it yields new clues about any potentially dangerous variants. It said that it would urge visitors from China who do not feel well to take a COVID-19 test.

S.Korea begins Covid-19 testing for arrivals from China

South Korea has started Covid-19 testing for arrivals from China at Incheon International Airport.Under the new restrictions which came into effect from Monday, all arrivals from China are obliged to undergo a PCR test within the first day of their entry, Yonhap news agency reported.

Maharashtra records 8 fresh coronavirus cases, zero death; active tally at 159

Maharashtra on Monday recorded eight fresh coronavirus cases, while no new death linked to the infection was registered in the state, the health department said.

Overall infection rate below 500 per day in India: INSACOG

Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) bulletin on Monday said that the overall infection rate is below 500 per day in India. “In northern part of India, XBB was prevalent, whereas in the eastern part, BA.2.75 was the prevalent sub-lineage. BA.2.10 and other Omicron sub-lineage frequency was lower last week. However, any increase in disease severity or hospitalisation has not been observed over this period,” it said.

Omicron’s XBB most prevalent sub-lineage in India: INSACOG

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) bulletin was released on Monday.According to the bulletin, BA.2.75 and BA.2.10 were also circulating but in lesser extent.“Especially, in north-east India, BA.2.75 is the prevalent sub-lineage. However, any increase in disease severity or hospitalisation has not been observed over this period,” it said.The INSACOG said Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant variant in India. XBB is the most prevalent sub-lineage (63.2 per cent) circulating all over India.