The government of India took cognizance of the reports of virus reported from the UK and put in place a proactive and preventive strategy to detect and contain the mutant variant, the ministry said.

NEW DELHI: A total of 29 people have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

These include the 25 cases which were announced till Thursday.

“All the 29 persons are in physical isolation in health facilities,” an official said.

Of the 29, the mutated UK strain was detected in the samples of eight persons at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in New Delhi, two in the  Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, one in the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani (near Kolkata), five in the National Institute of Virology in Pune, three in Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad and 10 were sequenced at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital (NIMHANS) Bengaluru.

Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others, the ministry said.

The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore, so far.

The government of India took cognizance of the reports of virus reported from the UK and put in place a proactive and preventive strategy to detect and contain the mutant variant, the ministry said.

This strategy includes temporary suspension of all flights coming from the UK with effect from the midnight of December 23 till January 7 and mandatory testing of all UK-returned air passengers through RT-PCR test.

The samples of all UK returnees found positive in RT-PCR test will be genome sequenced by a consortium of 10 government labs – INSACOG.

Further, all the international passengers who have arrived in India between December 9 to 22, if symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19, will be subjected to genome sequencing as part of the Centre’s strategy to detect the mutated UK variant in them.

Others will be followed up by the respective state and district surveillance officers and will be tested as per ICMR guidelines (even if asymptomatic) between the fifth and the tenth day, according to the Union Health Ministry’s guidance document on genomic sequencing.

Further, epidemiological surveillance of the passengers, who have arrived in India since November 23 will be conducted in the community through active follow up.

The standard operating protocol for states and UTs to tackle the mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 was issued on December 22, it added.

There are 2,50,183 active coronavirus cases in the country, which accounts for 2.43 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated

NEW DELHI: The number of fresh COVID-19 cases was recorded below 20,000 in India on Saturday, taking the country’s caseload to 1,03,05,788, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 99 lakh, according to the health ministry.

A total of 19,079 people tested positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,49,218 in the country with 224 new fatalities, the ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 99,06,387, pushing the national recovery rate to 96.

12 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stood at 1.45 per cent.

The number of active COVID-19 cases remained below three lakh for the 12th consecutive day.

There are 2,50,183 active coronavirus cases in the country, which accounts for 2.43 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 17,39,41,658 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till January 1, including 8,29,964 on Friday.

The 224 new fatalities include 59 from Maharashtra, 26 from West Bengal, 23 from Kerala and 21 from Delhi.

Of the 1,49,218 COVID-19 deaths reported in the country so far, Maharashtra has accounted for the highest of 49,580, followed by Tamil Nadu (12,135), Karnataka (12,096), Delhi (10,557), West Bengal (9,738), Uttar Pradesh (8,379), Andhra Pradesh (7,108) and Punjab (5,349).

Oxford vaccine gets emergency use approval; Bharat Biotech’s candidate yet to pass muster

NEW DELHI: Healthcare workers across India may be just a few days away from getting shots against Covid-19, as an expert panel of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Friday granted emergency use authorisation to the vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India is its local partner and had already manufactured the vaccine, under the brand name, Covishield.

The official confirmation of the approval, however, is yet to follow. Also, it is not clear under what conditions has the approval been granted or the quantum of vaccines the government will immediately procure from for one of the world’s largest vaccination drives ever.

Sources said data from the vaccine’s late stage clinical trials in the UK and Brazil, safety and immunogenicity data from its bridging trial in India and the approval granted by the UK regulator to the vaccine, were taken into account for making the recommendation. 

“The first vaccine against Covid-19 has been approved in India but the first beneficiaries may be about a week away from getting the actual shots as transportation of the vaccines has to be done under specified conditions,” a top official in the Union ministry of health and family welfare told this newspaper.

The subject expert committee of the CDSCO, which also considered Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s candadate, felt the company needs to present at least an interim analysis of its phase 3 clinical trial. “The panel was of the view that the data from phase 1 and 2 are not sufficient to approve it for wider use in the country,” said a source. 

Kerala has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 5,707 newly recovered cases, 4,913 people recovered in Maharashtra followed by 1,588 in Chhattisgarh.

NEW DELHI: India has crossed a significant milestone in its fight against coronavirus, with the national COVID-19 recovery rate crossing 96 per cent, one of the highest globally, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

“The total recovered cases have crossed 98.6 lakhs (98,60,280), the highest globally. The gap between active cases and recoveries is continuously increasing and stands at 96,02,624,” the ministry highlighted.

Further, the active cases have drastically declined to 2.57 lakh.

The total positive cases of the country are 2,57,656 and now comprise merely 2.51 per cent of the total cases.

“With a high number of COVID patients recovering every day and the sustained fall in the mortality rate, India’s steady trend of registering dipping active cases continues,” the ministry said.

A total of 21,822 new confirmed cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours in the country whereas 26,139 new recoveries were registered in the same period.

It has led to a net decline of 4,616 cases from the total active caseload, the ministry underlined.

Of the new recovered cases, 77.99 per cent are observed to be concentrated in 10 states and UTs.

Kerala has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 5,707 newly recovered cases, 4,913 people recovered in Maharashtra followed by 1,588 in Chhattisgarh.

The ministry said that 79.87 per cent of the new cases are from 10 States and UTs.

Kerala has reported the highest daily new cases at 6,268. It is followed by Maharashtra with 3,537 new cases.

Also, 299 case fatalities have been reported in a span of 24 hours with ten states and UTs accounting for 80.60 per cent of these.

Maharashtra reported maximum casualties with 90 new fatalities.

Kerala and West Bengal both follow with 28 daily deaths.

The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the ninth consecutive day.

NEW DELHI: India’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,02,44,852 with 20,549 new infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 98.34 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 95.99 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll increased to 1,48,439 with 286 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed   The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 98,34,141 pushing the national recovery rate to 95.99 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent.

The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the ninth consecutive day.

There are 2,62,272 active cases of coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 2.56 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past  60 lakh on September 28,  70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to the ICMR, 17,09,22,030  samples have been tested up to December 29 with 11,20,281 samples being tested on Tuesday.

The 286 new fatalities include 68 from Maharashtra, 30 from West Bengal, 28 from Delhi and  24 from Kerala.

A total of 1,48,43 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 49,373 from Maharashtra followed by 12,092 from Tamil Nadu, 12,074  from Karnataka, 10,502  from Delhi, 9,655 from West Bengal, 8,340 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,100 from Andhra Pradesh and  5,322 from Punjab.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

The official said those who returned with the UK returnee will be sent for isolation and they will undergo COVID-19 tests

KOLKATA: A young UK returnee tested positive for new coronavirus strain in Kolkata on Wednesday.

The youth has been admitted to Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. With the trace of new UK strain, State health department convened an emergency meeting.

Health officials said the airline operator has been asked to prepare a list of passengers and flight crews of the aircraft in which the youth the travelled. “We sought the list with the contact number and addresses of the persons present in the flight. We will trace them out and find how many of them are staying in the state,” said a health department official.

The official said those who returned with the UK returnee will be sent for isolation and they will undergo COVID-19 tests.

In a statement, the ministry said the country has reported a trend of sustained decrease in the number of active cases.

NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 active caseload in the country dipped to 2.78 lakh on Sunday, the lowest after 170 days, the Union Health Ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said the country has reported a trend of sustained decrease in the number of active cases.

“India’s present active caseload consists of just 2.74 per cent of India’s total positive cases,” it said.

The total recovered cases stand at 97,61,538.

The gap between recovered and active cases, that is steadily increasing, is nearing 95 lakh and presently stands at 94,82,848, the ministry said.

“The difference in the new recoveries outnumbering new cases has also improved the recovery rate to 95.82 per cent.

The ministry said the daily new caseload dropped below 19,000 after 6 months.

A total of 18,732 were added to the national tally in the last 24 hours.

The new added cases were 18,653 on July 1.

The ministry said 76.52 per cent of the new cases are concentrated in 10 states and UTs.

“Kerala reported the highest daily new cases at 3,527. It is followed by Maharashtra with 2,854 new cases,” it said.

India’s COVID-19 tally of cases climbed to 1,01,87,850 on Sunday.

Scientists have analysed over 2,40,000 SARS-COV-2 genome sequences from 133 countries and identified 86 with escape mutants, or variants with genetic changes that make them resistant to antibodies.

NEW DELHI: Like elsewhere, coronavirus is quietly changing in India, making itself resistant to antibodies. As of now, 19 such variants are already present in the country, researchers associated with multiple government institutions have established.

Scientists attached with the CSIR – Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in Delhi, the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research and Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, analysed over 2,40,000 SARS-COV-2 genome sequences from 133 countries and identified 86 with escape mutants, or variants with genetic changes that make them resistant to antibodies.

Nineteen of these 86 variants were found in India. An escape mutation is one that allows SARS-COV-2 to evade antibodies specific to the spike protein the virus uses to enter human cells.

All vaccines are designed to generate antibodies against the spike protein to try to block the virus’ entry into cells.

The findings come at a time when the government has decided to accelerate genome sequencing to track changes in the pathogen after a variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK had significant structural and behavioural changes, making it 70% more infectious that the original Covid strain.

“There is no need to be alarmed but definitely a need to be cautious,” Vinod Scaria, a scientist with CSIR-IGIB and joint first author of the paper told this newspaper.

“The variations in the virus does not mean that the vaccine will not work against it but is likely to lower its efficacy,” he said.

“During the trials of the vaccine, too, it needs to be analysed whether those who are getting infected are afflicted with the variant virus,” he added.

Scaria said cases of Covid-19 re-infection should also be followed up wi th g enome sequencing.

Waking up to expedite Genome sequencing

Of the more than 1.01 crore Covid-19 positive cases reported in India, only about 6,400 samples have been genome sequenced. In contrast, the UK with 2 million cases has already sequenced 1.57 lakh samples.