NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair on Thursday afternoon a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation and its related aspects in the county

In the last six months, India reported four cases of the BF.7 Omicron sub-variant, which is driving the current surge of infections in China.

Sources said there are currently 10 different variants of Covid-19 in the country, with the latest being BF.7.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment, and management of the pandemic.

He urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behavior and get vaccinated against Covid-19.Emphasizing that the pandemic is not over yet, he asked officials to be fully geared up to challenge and step up surveillance.

Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases globally, the central government briefed all states to conduct genome sequencing of samples, the additional chief secretary of Health Manoj Agarwal informed on Wednesday.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), the central government briefed all states on the increasing trend of Covid-19 variants in parts of the world and asked them to ensure that whole genome sequencing is done in all states,” he said.

There has been an alarming surge in Covid cases in China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the United States. The spike is being blamed on the new Omicron sub-variant BF.7, which has also been detected in four Indian states. 

NEW DELHI:   Nearly 250 deaths due to rabies were reported in the country this year from 18 states, with Karnataka reporting the highest number of 32 deaths, followed by 24 deaths each from Maharashtra and West Bengal, the Union Health Ministry told the Lok Sabha on Friday. 

While Tamil Nadu reported 22 deaths, followed by 21 deaths each from Kerala and Telangana, both Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh recorded 19 deaths each, followed by Delhi and Bihar. Both the states reported 18 deaths each due to rabies, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said in a written reply.

The ministry said that some deaths have occurred in persons who had been administered post-exposure prophylaxis in Kerala and were sent for repeat quality testing at Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli. 
“All the tested batches have been reported to be conforming to required quality standards,” Pawar said in reply to a question on the testing of samples and quality of vaccines that lead to deaths in Kerala, despite being administered to the victims.

The deaths of at least six victims, who had taken the anti-rabies vaccine, had triggered a major debate in Kerala over the efficacy of the vaccine. The state reported nearly 2 million dog bites. The central government had dispatched a team following the furore. The minister said that as per information provided by the Kerala government, all vaccines and immunoglobulin batches had been tested for quality before delivery.

Pawar said the ministry had launched the National Rabies Control since the 12th Five-Year Plan for prevention and control of rabies. The National Rabies Control Program has been implemented in the entire country (Except in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep).

The minister said various initiatives had been taken, including procurement of an Anti-Rabies Vaccine for animal bite victims through the National Free Drug Initiative, capacity building through training of medical officers and health workers and strengthening surveillance of human rabies and dog bite cases.
She said that all the vaccines are tested for standard quality and released by Central Drugs Laboratory, Kasauli.

On what steps the government is taking to ensure the availability of vaccines in the country, the minister said that  all manufacturers have been asked to ensure that the manufacturing of anti-rabies vaccines is carried out with total capacity and the first preference may be accorded to meet domestic requirements including government institution supplies in the country.

United Nations: As the world population touched 8 billion on Tuesday, India was the largest contributor to the milestone, having added 177 million people, while China, whose contribution to the next billion in the global population is projected to be in the negative, the UN said.

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by next year.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), in a special graphic to mark the global population reaching eight billion, said Asia and Africa has driven much of this growth is expected to drive the next billion by 2037, while Europe’s contribution will be negative due to declining population.

The world added a billion people in the last 12 years. UNFPA said that as the world adds the next billion to its tally of inhabitants, China’s contribution will be negative.

“India, the largest contributor to the 8 billion (177 million) will surpass China, which was the second largest contributor (73 million) and whose contribution to the next billion will be negative, as the world’s most populous nation by 2023,” UNFPA said.

The UN said that it took about 12 years for the world population to grow from 7 to 8 billion, but the next billion is expected to take about 14.5 years (2037), reflecting the slowdown in global growth.

World population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and is expected to remain at that level until 2100.

For the increase from 7 to 8 billion, around 70 per cent of the added population was in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

For the increase from 8 to 9 billion, these two groups of countries are expected to account for more than 90 per cent of global growth, the UN said.

Between now and 2050, the global increase in the population under the age 65 will occur entirely in low income and lower-middle-income countries, since population growth in high-income and upper-middle income countries will occur only among those aged 65 or more, it said.

The World Population Prospects 2022, released in July this year said that India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared with China’s 1.426 billion.

India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.

According to UNFPA estimates, 68 per cent of India’s population is between 15-64 years old in 2022, while people aged 65 and older were seven per cent of the population.

The report had said that the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020.

The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.

China is expected to experience an absolute decline in its population as early as 2023, the report had said.

At the launch of the report in July, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin had said that countries where population growth has slowed must prepare for an increasing proportion of older persons and, in more extreme cases, a decreasing population size.

“China provides a clear example. With the rapid ageing of its population due to the combined effects of very low fertility and increasing life expectancy, growth of China’s total population is slowing down, a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades,” Liu said.

The WHO pointed out that China has one of the fastest growing ageing populations in the world.

“The population of people over 60 years in China is projected to reach 28 per cent by 2040, due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates,” the WHO said.

In China, by 2019, there were 254 million older people aged 60 and over, and 176 million older people aged 65 and over.

In 2022, the two most populous regions were both in Asia: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population) and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent).

China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions.

More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050, the report added.

MUMBAI: The new variants of Omicron, XXB and BQ.1, have not led to any significant rise in coronavirus infections and hospitalisations in Maharashtra, experts have said.

The symptoms caused by these strains of the virus are mild, they noted. Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, said many of the new patients are asymptomatic.

“Many people have incidental covid-19. In other words, they are visiting the hospital for other health conditions and test positive for the coronavirus infection.

Symptoms such as the loss of smell and taste, observed prominently in earlier infections, have not been noticed in many patients.

Many of them report cold and cough, which is why there isn’t a lot of testing or self-isolation, Dr Mathew added.

She, however, stressed that vaccination against coronavirus was still important. “One should be careful so that the risk of infecting others decreases,” she said.

As per the state health department, 17 per cent more covid-19 cases were recorded during October 10 to 16 against the preceding week (October 3-9).

The rise was noticed mainly in Thane, Raigad and Mumbai, all densely-populated districts.

The department had also cautioned that coronavirus cases could rise during winter and the festive season, citing new variants which have greater immune evasive ability.

Dr Vasanthapuram Ravi, Virologist, Head, R&D, TATA Medical and Diagnostics (and Chairman of Karnataka Genomic Surveillance Committee) said the new strain of virus and the disease genotype were no different from Omicron in terms of severity and asymptomatic status.

“It is a hybrid of two Omicron variants, 3.75 and BJ1, due to which it has a novel mutation in the spike proteins which makes it escape the antibodies generated by vaccines.This is why it is causing infections even in vaccinated people,” he said.

But there is not much to worry due to its lessened severity though testing is still important, he added.

If a patient tests positive for Omicron, he or she can get treatment for Omicron infection, Dr Ravi said.

But if the test is negative for Omicron (despite symptoms) then one needs to immediately consult a physician in case there is a presence of a new variant or another virus like flu virus or RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), he added.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), in a statement, said it was keeping a close watch on the emergence and evolution of XBB and XBB.1 and any new sub-lineages.

But Indian patients infected with Omicron sub-lineage XBB of covid-19 have mild disease, it went on to add.

Dr Laxman Jessani, Consultant, Infectious Diseases at Apollo hospitals in Navi Mumbai, said the chances of hospitalisation and ICU admissions are low as the infections are mostly mild.

He too said that there was no significant rise in cases in the last few weeks.

“High-risk groups and elderly people should avoid going out to prevent getting infected, especially in crowded places,” he said, adding that wearing a mask is a must.

Mumbai :The number of cases of XBB subvariant of Omicron in Maharashtra has reached 36, the health department said on Saturday, adding that in most of these cases patients recovered in home isolation.

The experts on the state government’s COVID-19 Task Force, however, expressed concern about rising cases of `long COVID’ at a recent meeting, it said.

Pune district has reported 21 XBB cases to date, followed by 10 in Thane, two in Nagpur and one each in Akola, Amravati and Raigad.
Two of the XBB patients were in the 11-20 age group, 13 in the 21-40 segment, 14 in the 41-60 category and seven were over 60. The patients comprised 22 males and 14 females.

“Nine of the 36 patients had some symptoms, while others displayed mild symptoms or were asymptomatic. A total of 32 patients recovered in home isolation and the rest four had to be hospitalised as a precautionary measure or due to lack of necessary conditions for home isolation,” the release said.

No “atypical” symptoms were found in any of these 36 patients and none of them required oxygen or ventilatory support, it added.

Barring two of the 36 patients, all had been vaccinated, and five had taken the booster dose as well. Six XBB patients had been diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier.

Against the backdrop of the XBB detections, a meeting of the State COVID-19 Task Force was held on October 24.

“After studying the XBB variant found in Maharashtra, Singapore and elsewhere, (it has been observed that) even if the infections increase, the new variant seems mild and most patients could be treated in home isolation. Minimal number of patients may need hospitalization,” the release said.

However, experts on the task force expressed concerns about ‘long COVID’.

“Incidence of conditions such as diabetes, brain fog and heart diseases seem to be increasing. Therefore, monitoring and follow-up of COVID-recovered patients is necessary,” the release said.

The experts instructed that it would be beneficial to wear masks in hospitals and clinics by health workers and others.

‘Long COVID’ is the term used for mid- and long-term effects that persist after a person recovers from the initial coronavirus infection.

New Delhi, Oct 20: The Delhi government on Thursday issued an order withdrawing the Rs 500 fine for not wearing masks in public places in the national capital.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had in a meeting last month decided to stop levying the penalty after September 30 amid a decline in COVID-19 cases in the national capital.

NEW DELHI: India is reporting higher childhood cancer deaths as compared to some of the developed countries like the UK and Canada due to various reasons, mainly delayed diagnosis, lack of access to treatment, shortage of skilled workforce, lack of beds, and need of equipment, said a latest first-of-its-kind comprehensive report

The report by the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO)-India, said childhood cancers (0-14 years) comprise four per cent of all reported cancers in the ICMR-NCDIR’s national cancer registry programme.

According to Dr Prashant Mathur, Director, NCDIR, they found barriers in providing timely and optimal treatment to children with cancers in the country. 

“Delayed diagnosis and treatment could lead to higher rates of deaths and poor survival,” Mathur said, adding that the study is the first of its kind comprehensive report covering 26 states and four union territories in India to assess infrastructure, facilities, drug availability, finances, skills, training, research and barriers towards optimal childhood cancer care services.

The report, ‘A situational analysis of childhood cancer care services in India 2022,’ said the age-adjusted incidence rate (AAR) of childhood cancer (0-14 years) worldwide is 140.6 per million person-years. 

In India, New Delhi shows the highest AARpm among boys (203.1) and girls (125.4), while in southern India, Chennai ranks second among boys (146.7) and third among girls (52.7) in childhood cancer incidence.

In the northeast, the AARpm was the highest in Aizawl among boys and girls (133.9 and 91.4, respectively). The study found a higher incidence in males compared to females.

The study said nearly 49 percent of paediatric cancers in India remain undiagnosed. “Delayed diagnosis and treatment lead to poorer outcomes. Inadequate/incomplete treatment prolongs the disease and its associated complications. These children are unable to attain optimal growth and development,” he added.

The study, based on a survey in 137 tertiary level hospitals, and 92 secondary level hospitals, said the most common primary sites of pediatric cancers include blood, bone, and brain.

Some of the most common malignancies include leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system (CNS), tumours of the bone and soft tissue and “blastomas” that affect different solid organs. 

He added that the current cancer control initiatives are more tuned to deal with adult cancers. “A childhood cancer policy is the need of the hour,” he said, adding that there is a need to create awareness among doctors who deal with children, other health professionals, parents and society. 

The report found that the lack of essential infrastructure for diagnosing and treating childhood cancer – seen equally in both public and private hospitals – is one of the significant causes of treatment abandonment, ranging between 10-63 per cent.

The report also said that the proportion of children affected might be higher owing to “missed cases” due to low coverage, lack of awareness, delayed diagnosis and a fledgling electronic referral system.

A Brief Look at the Study

Childhood cancer care services were provided at over one-third (39.1%) of the secondary level hospitals, which was higher for private (56.5%) than public (32.8%) hospitals

Dedicated paediatric oncology departments were available in less than half of the public and private tertiary hospitals.

At public tertiary hospitals, less than half of the hospitals had a pediatric oncologist (48%), pediatric Oncosurgeon (14.2%), pediatric intensivist (38.9%), medical oncologist (46.7%) and palliative care physician (37.6%).

In secondary-level public hospitals, treatment was mainly through pediatric medicine departments.

Shortage of hospice care services at tertiary hospitals and medical social services at secondary hospitals 

Over three-quarters (76.6%) of the public tertiary hospitals adopted a multidisciplinary team approach for childhood cancer treatment, compared to 35% of the private hospitals.

Availability of a dedicated pediatric oncology department at tertiary hospitals: public – (41.6%); private- (48.6%); charitable- (64%)

39.1% of secondary-level hospitals provide childhood cancer care services.

Less than 50% of the tertiary hospitals provided hospice care, play therapy and parental support groups

Less than half of the public tertiary hospitals, palliative care drugs, antineoplastic drugs, and targeted therapies were available in stock

Drugs for palliative care, antineoplastic drugs and targeted therapies were available, free of cost, at less than 50% of the public tertiary hospitals.

The most commonly adopted financing mechanism was comprised of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme at public tertiary level hospitals (81.8%) and secondary level public hospitals (61.9%)

Most paediatric cancer care centres in India are in urban areas, leading to delayed access by the rural population.

Less than 35% of the public and charitable tertiary level hospitals provide Haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)

Over two-thirds of public tertiary hospitals had referral linkages with lower-tier non-childhood cancer-speciality treating facilities, versus 45.7% of private hospitals

Over 80% of the tertiary hospitals had facilities for CT scans, MRI and ultrasonograms; however, the availability of bone scans and PET scans was lower, especially in public sector hospitals

NEW DELHI: India logged 5,108 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,45,10,057, while the active cases dipped to 45,749, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll climbed to 52,82,16 with 19 fatalities, which includes 12 deaths reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.10 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 98.71 per cent, the ministry said.

The daily positivity rate stood at 1.44 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.70 per cent.

A total of 89.02 crore COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far and 3,55,231 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

As many as 215.67 crore total vaccine doses, including 94.57 crore second dose and 18.70 crore precaution doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

A total of 19,25,881 doses were administered in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 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.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

It crossed the four-crore mark on January 25 this year.

NEW DELHI: India saw a single-day rise of 4,417 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in last three months, taking the tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,44,66,862, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday,

Active Covid cases have further declined to 52,336, while the death toll has climbed to 5,28,030 with 23 fatalities, including one death reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am showed.

India had reported 3,714 new cases in a span of 24 hours on June 6. Active cases comprises 0.12 per cent of the total infections while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.69 per cent, the health ministry said.

A decline of 1,638 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.06 per cent, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,38,86,496, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

According to the ministry, 213.72 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.

India’s Covid-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 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.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crores on May 4, three crore on June 23 last year and four crores on January 25 this year.