Tag: coronavirus

Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence protests after being locked out of his lab

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab.

Virologist Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since Zhang published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval. The move shows how the Chinese state continues to pressure and control scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.

News of Zhang’s protest spread widely on Chinese social media, attracting public attention. In an online statement, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhang’s lab was being renovated and was closed for “safety reasons.” It added that it had provided Zhang’s team an alternative laboratory space.

In response, Zhang wrote online that his team wasn’t offered an alternative lab until after they were notified of their eviction, and that the lab offered didn’t meet safety standards for conducting their research, leaving his team in limbo.

When Zhang tried to enter his lab over the weekend, guards barred him from entering. In protest, he sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, pictures from the scene posted online show.

“I won’t leave, I won’t quit, I am pursuing science and the truth!” he wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that was later deleted. “The Public Health Center are refusing to let me and my students go inside the laboratory office to take shelter.”

Zhang said it was “inconvenient” for him to speak when an AP reporter reached him by phone on Tuesday, saying there were other people listening in. But in an email to collaborator Edward Holmes seen by AP, Zhang confirmed he was sleeping outside his lab after guards barred him from entering.

An AP reporter was blocked by a guard at an entrance to the compound where Zhang’s lab is located. A staff member at the National Health Commission, China’s top health authority, said by phone that they were not the main department in charge and referred questions to the Shanghai government. The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zhang’s ordeal started when he and his team sequenced the virus on Jan. 5, 2020 and wrote an internal notice warning Chinese authorities of its potential to spread. At the time, Zhang had not yet made the sequence public. The next day, Zhang’s lab was ordered temporarily shut by China’s top health official, and Zhang came under pressure by Chinese authorities.

Foreign scientists soon learned that Zhang and other Chinese scientists had sequenced the virus but had not yet been permitted to publish them, prompting public calls for publication. In response, Zhang published his sequence of the coronavirus on Jan. 11, 2020, despite a lack of government permission.

The move allowed health authorities around the world to begin testing for the virus, revealing that it was spreading outside China’s borders and triggering the development of test kits, vaccinations and disease control measures. Zhang was later awarded prizes in recognition.

But Zhang’s publication of the sequence also prompted additional scrutiny of his lab, according to Holmes, Zhang’s collaborator and a virologist at the University of Sydney. Zhang was removed from a post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and barred from collaborating with some of his former partners, crippling his research.

“Ever since he defied the authorities by releasing the genome sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19 there has been a campaign against him,” Holmes said. “He’s been broken by this process and I’m amazed he has been able to work at all.”

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19: India logs 1,226 cases of JN.1 variant, highest from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A total of 1,226 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been reported in the country so far with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh recording the highest number of cases till now, according to INSACOG on Thursday.Da ta compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed that 17 states and UTs have detected the presence of the variant.

Karnataka has detected 234 cases of JN.1 sub-variant followed by Andhra Pradesh (189), Maharashtra (170), Kerala (156), West Bengal (96), Goa (90), Tamil Nadu (88) and Gujarat (76). Rajasthan recorded 37 JN.1 cases, Telangana 32, Chhattisgarh 25, Delhi 16, Uttar Pradesh 7, Haryana five, Odisha three, and Uttarakhand and Nagaland one each, according to the data accessed by PTI.

The Centre has asked the states and Union Territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country.

The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance with the detailed operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 shared with them by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The states have also been asked to regularly monitor and report district-wise cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) from all health facilities for early detection of a rising trend of Covid cases.

The World Health Organisation has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” (VOI) given its rapidly increasing spread but said it poses “low” global public health risk.

The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a VOI as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19: India reports 682 cases of JN.1 from 12 states till Jan 7

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The number of cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 reported from 12 states till January 7 rose to 682, official sources said on Monday. They said 199 cases have been reported from Karnataka, 148 from Kerala, 139 from Maharashtra, 47 from Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 30 from Andhra Pradesh, 30 from Rajasthan, 26 from Tamil Nadu, 21 from Delhi, three from Odisha, two from Telangana and one from Haryana.

Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as the majority of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating mild illness, officials said. The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country.

States have been urged to ensure effective compliance with the detailed operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They have asked to monitor and report district-wise cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness in all health facilities regularly for early detection of rising trend of cases.

The WHO has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly increasing spread but said it poses a “low” global public health risk. The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

54% of families in Karnataka have at least one member with COVID, viral symptoms, survey shows

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Karnataka, which has been grappling with Covid, has at least 54% of households having one or more persons unwell with viral or flu-like symptoms, a survey by LocalCircles shows.

Respondents were asked about the number of people in their family who currently have one or more Covid/flu/viral fever symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache, joint pain, body ache, respiratory issues. Out of 3,783 responses, 23% indicated that “four or more individuals” in their household have one or more Covid/viral fever symptoms; 23% said “two-three members”; 8% hinted at one person, and 46% stated no one.

In August, a similar survey was conducted in Karnataka, in which 33% of households were found to have one or more individuals down with Covid or viral symptoms compared to 54% this time around.

A few weeks ago, the Union Health Ministry sent an advisory to local authorities to maintain surveillance of “trends of influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI)” leading to the state government stepping up vigilance. The states were asked to monitor “increase in respiratory illness predominantly due to usual causes like influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, SARSCoV-2”. In addition, the states were asked to review hospital preparedness in terms of the availability of beds, masks, oxygen cylinders, antibiotics and ventilators.

A total of 15 deaths have been reported in the state since December 15, out of which, three patients were infected with JN.1 sub-variant.

Health officials said most of the Covid deaths in Karnataka were due to presence of comorbidities. Experts have stressed that there is no need to panic in the state as the infectious JN.1 variant seems to be affecting those who are elderly or have comorbidities.

With the majority of individuals with viral or Covid-like symptoms not undertaking the RT-PCR test, LocalCircles decided to conduct a citizen survey in Karnataka to estimate the magnitude of illnesses.

The LocalCircles survey received over 3,000 responses from residents of Karnataka. 62% respondents were men while 38% respondents were women.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India reports 511 cases of JN.1 variant of COVID-19 till Jan 2

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India has reported 511 cases of JN.1 variant of COVID-19 till January 2. Eleven states have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus.

Karnataka has reported the highest number of cases at 199 followed by Kerala (148), Goa (47). Gujarat has added 36 cases, Maharashtra (32), Tamil Nadu (26), Delhi (15), Rajasthan (4), Telangana (2) and one each from Odisha and Haryana, according to the data by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

The INSACOG’s data showed 279 Covid cases recorded in the country in December had the presence of JN.1, while 33 such cases were detected in November 2023.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly-increasing spread, but said it poses a “low” global public health risk. The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.

However, in recent weeks, JN.1 cases continued to be reported from multiple countries and its prevalence has rapidly increased globally. The Centre has asked states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19: India records 628 fresh cases, active caseload at 4,054

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054, according to Union Health Ministry data.

The total fatalities were recorded at 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh) with one new death reported from Kerala in the previous 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The country’s Covid case tally is currently at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore).

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has risen to 4,44,71,860 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81%, according to the health ministry website.

The case fatality rate stands at 1.19%.

According to the ministry website, 220.67 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India reports 63 cases of subvariant JN.1, health officials monitoring situation

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A total of 63 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been reported in India till Sunday, December 24, official sources said on Monday. This includes 34 cases from Goa, nine cases from Maharashtra, eight cases from Karnataka and six from Kerala, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Telangana, they added.

According to Union Health Ministry data, the country recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054. The total fatalities were recorded at 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh) with one new death reported from Kerala in the previous 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said last week that the scientific community in India is closely investigating the new Covid sub-variant and stressed the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems.

Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as 92% of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating a mild illness, officials had said.

There is also no increase in hospitalisation rates and COVID-19 is an incidental finding in those hospitalised due to other medical conditions, they had said.

In a letter to the states and Union territories last week, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant underlined the critical COVID-19 control-and-management strategies considering the upcoming festive season and advised them to put in place the requisite public health measures to minimise the risk of increase in the transmission of the disease.

The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance of the detailed operational guidelines for a revised Covid surveillance strategy shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The states have been asked to monitor and report district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) from all health facilities regularly for an early detection of a rising trend of cases.

The country’s Covid case tally is currently at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has risen to 4,44,71,860 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81%, according to the health ministry website.

The case fatality rate stands at 1.19%. According to the ministry website, 220.67 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered.

The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) sub-variant of Covid emerged in August in Luxembourg. It is a descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS COV2.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

As COVID-19 cases rise, WHO asks countries to strengthen surveillance

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries in South-East Asia to strengthen surveillance in view of the increasing cases of respiratory diseases, including due to COVID-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza.

The WHO also urged people to take protective measures.

“The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response.

“For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing, and ensure sharing of data,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia.

WHO has classified JN.1 as a variant of interest following its rapid global spread. In recent weeks, JN.1 was reported in multiple countries, and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing globally.

Considering the limited available evidence, the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low at the global level, Singh said.

It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in COVID-19 cases amid surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

“As people travel and gather for festivities during the holiday season, spending a lot of time together indoors where poor ventilation facilitates transmission of viruses that cause respiratory diseases, they must take protective measures and seek timely clinical care when unwell,” said Dr Khetrapal Singh.

The regional director also emphasised on the importance of vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza, especially for people at high risk.

“All WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect against severe diseases and deaths from all variants including JN.1,” she said.

In May, following sustained decline in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations and deaths, and high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV2, WHO declared that COVID-19 no longer constituted a public health emergency of international concern.

While considerable progress has been made in establishing and strengthening a global system to detect and rapidly assess risks posed by SARS-CoV2, testing and reporting of COVID-19 cases has decreased.

With COVID-19 continuing to circulate at high levels globally, countries must strengthen surveillance, sequencing, and reporting to effectively manage respiratory diseases and to protect people’s health, the regional director said.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India logs 656 new COVID-19 cases, active case tally now 3,742

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India saw a single-day rise of 656 COVID infections while the active cases have increased to 3,742, according to Union health ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll was recorded at 5,33,333 with one new death reported from Kerala in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The country’s COVID case tally is 45 million (4,50,08,620).

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 44.47 million and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81%, according to the health ministry’s website.

The case fatality rate stands at 1.19%.

According to the ministry’s website, 2.2 billion doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in the country so far.

Also read: New COVID-19 strain JN.1 mild, high vaccination rate eases concerns: Max Healthcare

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19 cases on the rise in India — what we know so far

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India recorded 614 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours. This is the highest number the country has reported since May 21 this year. 

The focus now remains on the JN.1 COVID variant, which has infected 21 persons so far, as per NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V.K. Paul. According to media reports, 19 of the infected are from Kerala and one each from Maharashtra and Kerala. 

There has been a steep rise in active cases from 115 on December 6 to 614 on December 20. Over the past two weeks, 16 deaths related to COVID-19 were recorded. The last 24 hours have witnessed three deaths. 

As per the latest Health Ministry data, India now has 2,311 active cases with the overall death toll to date at 5.33 lakh and the COVID cases tally at 4.50 crore.

This comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday (December 19) classified JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI). It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages. The WHO defines a VOI as one that has genetic changes which could increase its transmissibility and ability to evade vaccines.

“Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low,” WHO added.

JN.1 differs with an additional mutation in the spike protein. This variant has been found in many countries around the world, including in China and the United States.

Health experts are assuring the public to remain calm as the infection is mild and available treatments are effective. They’re calling for adherence to existing precautionary measures. As it happens with most respiratory viruses, including the influenza viruses, the circulating viruses continue their mutation.

 “However, the government’s steps should not be over-interpreted by citizens, and there is no reason to be worried. We humans live in a world inhabited by viruses, which are many folds higher than humans on this planet,” Chandrakant Lahariya, a senior consultant physician told PTI.

Paul highlighted that about 91-92% of those infected are opting for home-based treatment.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday, December 20, reviewed the COVID-19 situation in India and the preparedness of public health systems in view of rising cases. “It is important to be on alert and be prepared against new and emerging strains of the coronavirus,” he said.

“No increase in hospitalisation rates has been witnessed due to COVID-19. The cases that have been hospitalised were due to other medical conditions and COVID was an incidental finding,” Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said.

Also Read:Covid sub-variant JN.1 detected in 21 cases across three states: NITI Aayog Member V K Paul

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow