Tag: World Health Organisation (WHO)

Centre may allow mixing of Covishield and Sputnik vaccines; what we know so far

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

India may soon allow individuals to take two shots of different vaccines. The central government may allow individuals to receive a jab of one vaccine followed by a second jab of a different one, reported the Mint. The government may make the move to deal with supply constraints and in light of data from recent studies showing that mixing vaccines produces a greater immune response.

Here is what we know so far.

The proposal

The decision to allow a heterologous vaccination programme was suggested by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), the national working group on COVID-19 vaccines.

NTAGI Chairman N.K. Arora said, “We would allow mixing and matching of some COVID-19 vaccines if a common platform for development is used.”

This would mean that Covishield could be taken in combination with Sputnik, both being adenoviral platform vaccines, while Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could be taken in combination as they are mRNA vaccines.

However, Arora added that the government would still encourage administering two doses of the same vaccine. He also said the primary reason behind the move would be to ease the crisis of vaccine supply.

“People who are not getting the second dose of the same vaccine due to reasons ranging from unavailability of the brand to access may go for mix-and-match. A formal advisory in this regard will soon be released,” he told the Mint.

However, the NTAGI has not made any formal recommendation to the government so far.

Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Parliament that the group has not made any official recommendation over mixing doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Pawar added that the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 has not made any recommendations on the matter either.

The Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had also recommended the opening of a study into the effects of combining Covaxin and Covishield just last week, though no final approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) was given for the same.

What does science say?

Scientists and experts say mixing two COVID-19 vaccines should have no adverse effects, especially when using vaccines from the same platforms. However, more data is needed on the amount of protection, the efficacy and the effectiveness of mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines in such a manner.

Preliminary data from studies being conducted in the UK and Spain over mixed and matched vaccine trials have suggested that combining two different vaccines leads to a stronger immune response, though frequency of adverse events like fever and soreness may increase.

Several countries like Canada have already started a heterologous vaccination programme in order to deal with paucity of vaccine supplies.

While combinations of the Astra-Zeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are being tested in such trials, newer vaccines are not being studied with the same intensity. So far, no studies have been undertaken to monitor and test the effectiveness of mixing Covaxin and other indigenous vaccines.

It was reported earlier in the year that India may soon start its own trials on mixing and matching vaccines, but that has not happened so far.

What does WHO say?

The World Health Organization (WHO), in its interim recommendation, said mixing of recombinant vaccines like Covishield and Sputnik does not require a third dose of either vaccine. It also said the first dose of recombinant vaccine, followed by a second mRNA vaccine, resulted in “higher neutralising antibody levels and T cell-mediated immune response” compared to both doses of the same platform.

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

COVID-19: Delta Plus not yet a variant of concern, says WHO

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

While India has already labelled the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19 as a ‘variant of concern,’ the World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to do so. “At the moment, there is no reason to think that Delta Plus is a new ‘variant of concern.’ We need not panic over every new mutation,” Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO, told NDTV.

Delta Plus or the B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1 lineage, is a further mutation of the Delta variant, or the B.1.617.2 lineage, of the SARS CoV-2 virus. The Delta variant was a massive contributing factor in India’s deadly second wave. First found in India last year, it is now wreaking havoc across the globe, including the UK, the US, and other South-East Asian countries like Indonesia.

The Delta variant was deemed a ‘variant of concern’ by the WHO for its increased transmissibility, higher hospitalisation rates, and higher mortality rates. The variant makes up a significant portion of all the new global COVID-19 cases and is expected to become the dominant variant of the SARS CoV-2 virus.

The Delta Plus variant is a further mutation of the Delta variant. One of the key mutations is K417N. First seen in the Beta variant (B.1.351) and then the Gamma variant (P.1), identified in South Africa and Brazil respectively, the mutation enables the virus to evade antibodies. The mutation was located on the spike protein of the virus.

While clear scientific data is yet lacking, with the Delta Plus variant only making up a small fraction of the caseload around the globe, experts have cautioned against the new variant.

Statements from Dr Swaminathan indicate that the WHO will only be calling the Delta Plus variant — a name that will likely be changed officially — a ‘variant of concern’ when there is adequate data to support the claim.

Dr Swaminathan also added that there was “no logic” to the EU’s refusal to block Covishield in the EU vaccine passport programme. “This was done mostly on a technicality since the AstraZeneca vaccine is available under a different brand in Europe,” Dr Swaminathan said.

Since the interview, nine European countries have added Covishield to their vaccine passport Green Pass lists.

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

COVID-19 variant 1st reported in India threatens to rapidly spread in sub-region: UNHCR

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The highly infectious COVID-19 variant first detected in India threatens to rapidly spread in the sub-region, including among refugees, the UN refugee agency has said as it warned of vaccine shortages in the Asia-Pacific region, including for asylum-seekers. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Andrej Mahecic, at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, said that the fragile health systems in many countries in the Asia and Pacific region have struggled to cope with the recent surge of coronavirus cases.

We are particularly worried about the situation in the Asia and Pacific region, which in the past two months has experienced the largest increase in the number of cases globally, he said. Over this period, there have been some 38 million recorded COVID-19 cases and more than half a million deaths, the UNHCR spokesperson said.

The lack of hospital beds, oxygen supplies, limited Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacities, and scarce health facilities and services have worsened outcomes for those infected with COVID-19, particularly in India and Nepal. The highly infectious variant of the virus which first emerged in India threatens to rapidly spread in the sub-region, including among refugee populations, Mahecic said. The B.1.617 COVID-19 variant, first detected in India, is divided into three lineages — B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2, and B.1.617.3.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that only B.1.617.2 is now a variant of concern, observing that lower rates of transmission have been observed for the other two lineages, making them no longer variants of concern. The B.1.617.2 is now labelled variant Delta and has been reported in 62 countries as of June 1.

With COVID-19 raging in many parts of the world, the UNHCR warned of shortages of vaccines in the Asia-Pacific region, including for refugees and asylum-seekers. UNHCR spokesperson Mahecic said: We urge an immediate and stronger support for the COVAX initiative, a worldwide effort aimed at achieving equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

”This is critical to save lives and curb the impact of the virus, particularly in developing nations. These countries host the vast majority of more than 80 million forcibly displaced people in the world. Yet so far, they have benefited from only a fraction of the world’s COVID-19 vaccines. The UNHCR stressed that no one can be left behind in the global effort against the coronavirus.

”The pandemic will be defeated only when vaccinations become available everywhere on an equitable basis, the agency said. It said that the current delays in vaccine shipments, brought about by limited supplies to COVAX, mean that some of the world’s most vulnerable people remain susceptible to the virus.

The UNHCR is adding its voice to the calls for countries with surplus doses to donate to COVAX, and for manufacturers to boost supplies to the COVAX facility, Mahecic said. The UN refugee agency said that refugees remain especially vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19 as overcrowded settings, coupled with limited water and sanitation facilities, can contribute to increased infection rates and an exponential spread of the virus.

It said that in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, where almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees are living in the single largest and most densely populated cluster of refugee camps in the world, the number of cases has increased considerably in the last two months. As of May 31, there have been over 1,188 cases among the refugees, with more than half of these cases recorded in May alone.

Also Read: US to detail plan for global distribution of 80 million vaccine doses

There is also a worrying increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among refugees and asylum-seekers in Nepal, Iran, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Some refugees, including in Nepal, have already received their first vaccine dose with COVAX-provided supplies while among the Rohingya refugees in the camps in Bangladesh, not a single vaccine has been administered yet, given the scarcity of supplies in the country, the UN refugee agency added.

On Wednesday, India reported 1,32,788 new coronavirus infections, taking the country’s tally to 2,83,07,832, according to the Union Health Ministry. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,35,102 with 3,207 fresh deaths, it said, adding that the active cases were recorded below 20 lakh for the second consecutive day.

Follow our LIVE COVID-19 blog for the latest

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

Only one of three strains of B.1.617 COVID-19 variant first detected in India now a variant of concern: WHO

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said only B.1.617.2, one of the three strains of the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant first detected in India, is a variant of concern now and noted that lower rates of transmission have been observed for the other two lineages. The B.1.617 variant was first detected in India and was divided into three lineages – B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3.

In the COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update published on Tuesday, WHO said available findings for lineages B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 were initially used to designate B.1.617 a global Variant of Concern (VOC) on May 11 this year. Since then, it has become evident that greater public health risks are currently associated with B.1.617.2, while lower rates of transmission of other lineages have been observed, WHO said.

The UN health agency said that in order to reflect this updated information, B.1.617 has been delineated. B.1.617.2 remains a VOC and labelled variant Delta we continue to observe significantly increased transmissibility and a growing number of countries reporting outbreaks associated with this variant. Further studies into the impact of this variant remain a high priority for WHO.

The Delta variant has now been reported in 62 countries around the world as of June 1, the update said. It added that the B.1.617.1 strain has been reclassified to a Variant of Interest (VOI) and labelled variant Kappa. While Kappa is also demonstrating increased transmissibility (in specified locations), global prevalence appears to be declining. This variant will continue to be monitored and reassessed regularly. The B.1.617.3 lineage is ”no longer classified as either a VOI or VOC relatively few reports of this variant have been submitted to date.

On Monday, the WHO announced the new naming system for key COVID19 variants and the labels are based on the Greek alphabet (i.e. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc), making them simple, easy to say and remember. The labels do not replace existing scientific names, which convey important scientific information & will continue to be used in research. The naming system aims to prevent calling #COVID19 variants by the places where they are detected, which is stigmatising & discriminatory, WHO said in a tweet.

WHO said that as the global public health risks posed by specific COVID19 variants becomes better understood and evolves, it will continue to update the list of global VOIs and VOCs. This is necessary to adjust to the emergence of new variants, their changing epidemiology (e.g., the incidence of some variants is rapidly declining), and our understanding of their phenotypic impacts as new evidence becomes available and is shared.

Also Read: WHO approves Sinovac COVID shot in second Chinese milestone

Variants no longer classified as VOCs or VOIs will continue to be monitored as part of the overall evolution of SARS-CoV-2, and may be reassessed pending new evidence indicating an increased public health risk, WHO said. The update further said that India reported the highest numbers of new COVID-19 cases in the past week at 1,364,668, a 26 per cent decrease compared to the previous week. Other countries reporting the highest numbers of new cases are Brazil (420,981 new cases; 7 per cent decrease), Argentina (219,910 new cases; 3 per cent increase), the United States of America (153,587 new cases; 18 per cent decrease), and Colombia (150,517 new cases; 40 per cent increase).

The South-East Asia Region reported over 1.5 million new cases and over 29,000 new deaths, a 24 per cent and an 8 per cent decrease respectively compared to the previous week. Case incidence continued to follow a sharp decline for a third consecutive week, and death incidence decreased for the first time since early March 2021, primarily driven by trends reported in India, the update said.

In the South-East Asia Region, the highest numbers of new deaths were reported from India (26,706 new deaths; 1.9 new deaths per 100,000; an 8 per cent decrease), Indonesia (1057 new deaths; 0.4 new deaths per 100,000; a 15 per cent decrease), and Nepal (1010 new deaths; 3.5 new deaths per 100,000; a 22 per cent decrease). Globally, the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to decrease, with over 3.5 million new cases and 78,000 new deaths reported globally in the past week; a 15 per cent and 7 per cent decrease respectively, compared to the previous week, the update said.

The European and South-East Asia Regions reported the largest decline in new cases and deaths in the past week, while case incidence increased in the African and Western Pacific regions. Although the number of global cases and deaths continued to decrease for a fifth and fourth consecutive week respectively, case and death incidences remain at high levels and significant increases have been reported in many countries in all regions, the WHO update said.

Follow our LIVE COVID-19 blog for the latest

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

India supports call for detailed studies on origins of coronavirus

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

India on Friday supported the renewed global call for a comprehensive study by the WHO into the origins of coronavirus, days after US President Joe Biden asked American intelligence agencies to ”redouble” their efforts in investigating the emergence of the pandemic amid growing controversy about origins of the virus from a laboratory in China.

In March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) came out with a report on the origins of the virus but it had failed to meet the expectations of the US and several other leading countries.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the follow-up of the WHO report and further studies deserve the understanding and cooperation of all. ”The WHO convened global study on the origin of COVID-19 is an important first step. It stressed the need for next phase studies as also for further data and studies to reach robust conclusions,” he said.

Also Read: WH adviser: ‘Get to bottom’ of virus origins

Bagchi was responding to media queries on the issue. ”The follow up of the WHO report and further studies deserve the understanding and cooperation of all,” he said. President Biden had on Wednesday ordered the US intelligence agencies to ”redouble” their efforts in investigating the emergence of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and report back to him in 90 days.

COVID-19 was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Follow our LIVE COVID-19 blog for the latest

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

WHO reminds Serum Institute of its COVAX commitments amidst devastating COVID-19 outbreak, soaring demand in India

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that once the devastating COVID-19 outbreak in India recedes, the Serum Institute of India will need to get back on track and catch up on its delivery commitments to COVAX, the global initiative to supply coronavirus vaccines to nations around the world.

During a daily virtual press briefing on Monday, the World Health Organisation Director-General said that the surge in COVID-19 cases around the world has compromised the global vaccine supply and there is already a shortfall of 190 million doses to COVAX by the end of June.

COVAX, the global COVID vaccine equity scheme, has so far delivered 65 million doses to 124 countries and economies but it is dependent on countries and manufacturers honouring their commitments. Once the devastating outbreak in India recedes, we also need the Serum Institute of India to get back on track and catch up on its delivery commitments to COVAX, Ghebreyesus said.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF said the devastating surge in coronavirus cases in India has impacted vaccine supplies to the COVAX facility. Among the global consequences of the situation in India, a global hub for vaccine production, is a severe reduction in vaccines available to COVAX.

Soaring domestic demand has meant that 140 million doses intended for distribution to low- and middle-income countries through the end of May cannot be accessed by COVAX. Another 50 million doses are likely to be missed in June, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement. A note to editors in the UNICEF statement said that shortfall numbers are based on delays related to shipments from the Serum Institute of India (SII) only. Other delays related to the original COVAX delivery schedule are expected to be made up by the end of June.

There is currently no timetable to resolve SII-related delays, the note said. UNICEF said the COVAX facility will deliver its 65 millionth dose in the coming days when it should have been at least its 170 millionth.

G7 leaders gather in the UK next month, and as a deadly second wave of COVID-19 will likely continue to sweep across India and many of its South Asian neighbours, the shortfall will be near 190 million doses. The UNICEF Executive Director said in addition to vaccine nationalism, limited production capacity and lack of funding is the reason why the roll-out of COVID vaccines is so behind schedule.

While expressing concern over the surge in coronavirus cases in India, Fore said the UN has issued repeated warnings of the risks of ”letting down our guard and leaving low- and middle-income countries without equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. We are concerned that the deadly spike in India is a precursor to what will happen if those warnings remain unheeded. While the situation in India is tragic, it is not unique.

Cases are exploding and health systems are struggling in countries near like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Maldives and far, like Argentina and Brazil, Fore said, warning that the cost for children and families will be incalculable. The longer the virus continues to spread unchecked, the higher the risk of more deadly or contagious variants emerging, she said, adding that the clearest pathway out of this pandemic is a global, equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

While COVAX — led by the WHO, Vaccine Alliance Gavi and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations with UNICEF as implementing partner — represents such a pathway, Fore voiced her concern that COVAX is undersupplied. Earlier this month, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said it was not possible to ramp up production overnight since vaccine manufacturing is a specialised process. The SII has received total orders of over 26 crore doses from the Government of India, of which more than 15 crore doses have been supplied.

In a tweet last week, Poonawalla said that the SII is doing our best to ramp up production & launch new vaccines on priority for India. Fore cited new data analysis provided by life sciences research facility Airfinity that indicates that G7 nations and Team Europe’ group of European Union Member States could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they shared just 20 per cent of their available supply over June, July and August.

The WHO chief said Pfizer has committed to providing 40 million doses of vaccines with COVAX this year, but the majority of these would be in the second half of 2021. Moderna also has signed a deal for 500 million doses with COVAX, but the majority has been promised only for 2022.

As per the pact which included funding to support manufacturing increase, the SII is contracted to provide COVAX with the SII-licensed and manufactured AstraZeneca (AZ)-Oxford vaccine (known as COVISHIELD) to 64 lower-income economies participating in the Gavi COVAX AMC (including India), alongside its commitments to the Government of India, the WHO had said.

Last year, it was announced that the collaboration among SII, Gavi and the Gates Foundation would accelerate manufacturing and delivery of up to an additional 100 million doses of future vaccines for low- and middle-income countries in 2021.

India’s COVID-19 death toll on Tuesday climbed to 2,78,719 with a record 4,329 fresh fatalities, while the single-day rise in cases stood at 2.63 lakh, the lowest in 28 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Click here: For LIVE COVID Blog

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

Long working hours are a killer, WHO study shows

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Working long hours is killing hundreds of thousands of people a year in a worsening trend that may accelerate further due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization said on Monday. In the first global study of the loss of life associated with longer working hours, the paper in the journal Environment International showed that 745,000 people died from a stroke and heart disease associated with long working hours in 2016.

That was an increase of nearly 30 percent from 2000. ”Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard,” said Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.

”What we want to do with this information is promote more action, more protection of workers,” she said.

The joint study, produced by the WHO and the International Labour Organization, showed that most victims (72 percent) were men and were middle-aged or older. Often, the deaths occurred much later in life, sometimes decades later, than the shifts worked.

It also showed that people living in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region — a WHO-defined region that includes China, Japan, and Australia — were the most affected.

Overall, the study – drawing on data from 194 countries – said that working 55 hours or more a week is associated with a 35 percent higher risk of stroke and a 17 percent higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease compared with a 35-40 hour working week.

The study covered the period 2000-2016, and so did not include the COVID-19 pandemic, but WHO officials said the surge in remote working and the global economic slowdown resulting from the coronavirus emergency may have increased the risks.

”The pandemic is accelerating developments that could feed the trend towards increased working time,” the WHO said, estimating that at least 9 percent of people work long hours.

WHO staff, including its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, say they have been working long hours during the pandemic and Neira said the UN agency would seek to improve its policy in light of the study.

Also Read: Why more countries are looking at four-day work-week option

Capping hours would be beneficial for employers since that has been shown to increase worker productivity, WHO technical officer Frank Pega said. ”It’s really a smart choice not to increase long working hours in an economic crisis.”

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

Fully vaccinated people not required to wear masks: CDC

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

In the biggest indication that the United States is fast returning to pre-pandemic life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said fully vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks. The recommendation holds true for both indoors and outdoors, the CDC said.

Following the announcement on Thursday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared before reporters at the Rose Garden of the White House without wearing masks. ”I think it’s a great milestone. A great day. It’s been made possible by the extraordinary success we’ve had in vaccinating so many Americans so quickly,” Biden said.

Referring to the latest CDC guidelines, Biden said fully vaccinated people are at very, very low risk of contracting COVID-19. Therefore, if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. But if you’ve not been vaccinated, or if you’ve been getting a two-shot vaccine and you’ve only had your first shot but not your second, or you haven’t waited the full two weeks after your second shot, you still need to wear a mask,” the President said.

He said 250 million vaccine shots have been given in 114 days. ”We are seeing the results. Cases are down in 49 of 50 states. New York Times has reported that hospitalisations are the lowest they’ve been since April of 2020, over a year ago, right after the start of the pandemic. Deaths are down 80 percent and also at their lowest level since April of 2020,” Biden said.

He said that the virus tragically rages in other countries. ”In less than four months, we’ve gone from 5.5 percent to nearly 60 percent of the adults in America with at least one shot in their arm. We’ve gone from stagnation to an economy that is growing faster than it has in nearly 40 years. We’ve gone from an anemic job creation to a record for job creation for a new administration,” Biden added.

In its latest guidelines, the CDC said fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

Those travelling within the United States need not get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel. The CDC said the vaccines are effective at preventing the COVID-19 disease, especially severe illness and death. The vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading COVID-19, it said.

Also Read: Maharashtra extends lockdown till June 1: Know the restriction revisions

The guidance applies to COVID-19 vaccines currently authorised for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines. It can also be applied to COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorised for emergency use by the World Health Organization. This includes AstraZeneca/Oxford, the CDC said.

Also Read: Eli Lilly inks pacts for COVID-19 drug Baricitinib with Torrent Pharma, Dr Reddy’s, MSN Labs

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

Explained: What we know about the Indian variant as coronavirus sweeps South Asia

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

India has recorded the world’s sharpest spike in coronavirus infections this month, with political and financial capitals New Delhi and Mumbai running out of hospital beds, oxygen and medicines.

Scientists are studying what led to the unexpected surge, and particularly whether a variant of the novel coronavirus first detected in India is to blame. The variant, named B.1.617, has been reported in 17 countries, raising global concern. Here are the basics:

WHAT IS THE INDIAN VARIANT?

The B.1.617 variant contains two key mutations to the outer “spike” portion of the virus that attaches to human cells, said senior Indian virologist Shahid Jameel.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the predominant lineage of B.1.617 was first identified in India last December, although an earlier version was spotted in October 2020.

On May 10, the WHO classified it as a “variant of concern,” which also includes variants first detected in Britain, Brazil and South Africa. Some initial studies showed the Indian variant spreads more easily.

“There is increased transmissibility demonstrated by some preliminary studies,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, said, adding it needs more information about the Indian variant to understand how much of it is circulating.

ARE VARIANTS DRIVING THE SURGE IN CASES?

It’s hard to say.

Laboratory-based studies of limited sample size suggest potential increased transmissibility, according to the WHO.

The picture is complicated because the highly transmissible B.117 variant first detected in the UK is behind spikes in some parts of India. In New Delhi, UK variant cases almost doubled during the second half of March, according to Sujeet Kumar Singh, director of the National Centre for Disease Control. The Indian variant, though, is widely present in Maharashtra, the country’s hardest-hit state, Singh said.

Prominent US disease modeller Chris Murray, from the University of Washington, said the sheer magnitude of infections in India in a short period of time suggests an “escape variant” may be overpowering any prior immunity from natural infections in those populations.

“That makes it most likely that it’s B.1.617,” he said. But Murray cautioned that gene sequencing data on the coronavirus in India is sparse, and that many cases are also being driven by the UK and South African variants.

Carlo Federico Perno, Head of Microbiology and Immunology Diagnostics at Rome’s Bambino Gesù Hospital, said the Indian variant couldn’t alone be the reason for India’s huge surge, pointing instead to large social gatherings.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for allowing massive political rallies and religious festivals which have been super-spreader events in recent weeks.

Also Read: WHO classifies Indian Covid strain as ‘variant of concern’ at global level

DO VACCINES STOP IT?

One bright spot is that vaccines may be protective. White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said that preliminary evidence from lab studies suggest Covaxin, a vaccine developed in India, appears capable of neutralizing the variant.

Public Health England said it was working with international partners but that there is currently no evidence that the Indian variant and two related variants cause more severe disease or render the vaccines currently deployed less effective.

“We don’t have anything to suggest that our diagnostics, our therapeutics and our vaccines don’t work. This is important,” said Van Kerkhove at WHO.

Follow our LIVE COVID-19 blog for the latest           

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

COVID-19: No data to show double mutant variant is resistant to vaccination, says WHO’s Soumya Swaminathan

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

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

There is no available data so far which suggests that the double mutant strain of coronavirus is resistant to vaccines, said Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on May 10.

Swaminathan’s remarks came a day after sections of the Indian media reported her as saying that the double mutant is potentially resistant to the available vaccines.

Clarifying her view, the top WHO official told CNBC TV-18 that there is “no data” which suggests that the B.1.617 variant of coronavirus is capable of evading the immunity provided through the vaccines.

“All available vaccines reduce the severity of infection,” Swaminathan told the news channel, adding that even if a person contracts COVID-19 after getting vaccinated, the infection is mild in most cases.

On being asked whether the double mutant has driven India’s second pandemic wave, Swaminathan said the interim data suggests the role of B.1.617 in the sharp spike in caseload. However, there is “not enough data” to completely establish the link.

“For now, it seems to be more contagious, causing more infections – but we do not have enough data. We look forward to that data coming out from India,” she said.

The WHO scientist also refrained from predicting when the peak of second-wave in India could be seen. A number of states which first showed an increase “will now plateau”, but other states will rise, she said.

On vaccines, Swaminathan said she supports India’s demand for the patent waiver.

“Lifting patent-related restrictions is important. It is a first step, but certainly not enough. Vaccines are complex and difficult to manufacture as compared to simple drugs,” she said, adding that technology transfer is equally crucial.

“Vaccines take long time to develop. That’s why in addition to the waiver of patent we need technology transfer. That’s the only way to scale up. It should be done in a transparent manner. The doses coming out of such agreement should be prioritised for COVAX and not private purchase,” she said.

Notably, COVAX is the initiative headed by WHO and Gavi vaccine alliance to supply the anti-COVID jabs to the low-income countries.

Swaminathan further told CNBC TV-18 that countries which have vaccinated a significant section of the population should not lower their guard.

Even if 60 percent is vaccinated, around 40 percent of the population is still vulnerable to infection, she explained.

On the vaccination drive of India, Swaminathan said the country should be lauded for initially vaccinating the priority groups – healthcare workers and other frontline workers.

Also Read: Pfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to US children as young as 12

The WHO Chief Scientist, however, added that “countries need to have a forecast on vaccine supply”.

Around 150 countries around the world have begun the use of vaccines in their battle against COVID-19. While the approved vaccines have proven clinical efficacy, data emerging from the ongoing imminusation drives also show real-world efficacy, Swaminathan said, adding that “over 90 percent real-world efficacy” was seen in Israel – where more than half the population is vaccinated.

Follow our LIVE COVID-19 blog for the latest

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