THE TIMES OF INDIA | Jan 06, 2024, 12:03:11 IST
Covid Cases in India Live Updates: India has recorded 761 fresh cases of Covid-19, while the number of active cases has declined to 4,334, Union health ministry data showed on Friday. Twelve fatalities were also reported, according to the ministry’s data. The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but has now gone up after the emergence of a new variant and the prevailing cold weather conditions. Stay with TOI for all live updates–Read Less
Ahmedabad records 7 new Covid cases
Ahmedabad in the 24 hours ended 7am on Friday added seven new cases — one man and six women. The new cases were recorded from Navrangpura, Sarkhej, Jodhpur and Hatkeshwar, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials said. Four had travelled recently, to Junagadh, Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Canada. With eight patients discharged, there are 57 active ca ses. Of these, two were hospitalized and the r est were in home isolation.
Schools in Karnataka issue Covid advisories, ask ill students to stay at home
A few days into their reopening after Christmas vacation, schools have started sending Covid advisories to parents. Their general request is to keep children home in case they are unwell. Many schools have advised students to wear masks for their safety and the wellbeing of others. Delhi Public School South has sent a detailed guideline on mask care.
774 fresh Covid cases reported
India has recorded a single-day rise of 774 COVID-19 cases while the number of active cases stands at 4,187, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. Two deaths — one each from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat — were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am. The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 but it began to rise again amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1
Karnataka reports 328 cases; no fatalities
Karnataka logged 328 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, taking the active tally to 1,159. The state’s positivity rate stands at 4.55%. No Covid deaths were reported on the day. As many as 1,087 patients in the state are currently under home isolation while 72 have been hospitalised. Nine are in ICU, sources said. Bengaluru Urban reported 163 fresh cases. The city has 628 active Covid cases. Mysuru recorded 76 active cases, Bengaluru Rural 54, Hassan 37, Ballari 35, and Dakshina Kannada 31.
Covid test must for ILI & SARI patients
Karnataka has made Covid test mandatory for those with Influenza Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). The state health department will also launch a helpline on Saturday. Only one in 20 ILI and SARI cases was subjected to Covid testing earlier.
CDC says JN.1 variant accounts for about 62% of COVID cases in US
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that COVID subvariant JN.1 accounts for about 62% of cases in the US as of January 5, according to the agency’s projections. The agency said JN.1, which is an offspring of BA.2.86, is now the most widely circulated variant in the US and globally. It is also the dominant variant in Europe and is rising sharply in Asia, the CDC said.
Doctors in Singapore believe the latest COVID-19 wave has peaked in the country, even as some clinics still face higher than usual patient loads
Underlining the critical nature of the next 15 days in shaping the infection trajectory, task force members reiterated that many individuals from the city went on year-end holidays and have now returned home
The new Maharashtra Covid-19 task force, in its first advisory, has strongly recommended testing for individuals with symptoms such as fever and cold
Tamil Nadu recorded the death of a 42-year-old due to Covid-19 on Friday, and reported 38 new cases of the infection
Starting from mid-December, Maharashtra has witnessed a surge in Covid cases. On Friday, the state logged 146 new cases, bringing the tally of active cases to 931
New AI model could be used to predict Covid-variant waves
An artificial intelligence (AI) model can predict which variants of the Covid-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus will likely bring about fresh waves of the infection, a new research has found. The model can detect around 73 per cent of the variants in each country that will cause at least 1,000 cases per 10 lakh people in the three months, following an observation period of one week, and over 80 per cent after two weeks, researchers said.The team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, and The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Israel, analysed 9 SARS-CoV-2 million genetic sequences across 30 countries, collected by the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID). This was combined with data on vaccination rates, infection rates, and other factors.The initiative “promotes the rapid sharing of data from priority pathogens including influenza, hCoV-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hMpxV as well as arboviruses including chikungunya, dengue and zika,” according to GISAID’s website.
Certain bacteria in the gut can enhance the immune response to the mRNA Covid vaccine, whereas others may weaken it, a study has found. The gut microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that live in our digestive tract. It plays an important role in many aspects of our health, such as digestion, metabolism, and immunity.In the study published in the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, researchers collected stool samples from 68 people living with HIV and 75 healthy individuals before their first mRNA COVID vaccine dose.The team from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden analysed the microbiome composition using a technique called 16S rRNA sequencing, which identifies the types and relative abundance of bacteria in the samples.They also measured the levels of antibodies and immune cells that were produced after the vaccination.
arnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday said he has directed health officials to make Covid test mandatory for those with Influenza Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). The minister also said that a Covid helpline will be launched tomorrow. “More than 7,000 tests are being done everyday and the COVID Positivity Rate is 3.82 per cent. The positivity rate in the state has not come down yet,” the minister said in a statement after a meeting with health department officials here. Stating that neighbouring Kerala has started seeing a downward trend in Covid cases, he said he has asked officials to keep a close watch on those who are Covid positive.
Covid Cases in India: 12 fresh deaths, five were reported from Kerala, four from Karnataka, two from Maharashtra, and one from Uttar Pradesh
Covid Cases in India: Delhi records 48 active covid-19 cases
Covid-19 treatment developer Humanigen files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Drug developer Humanigen has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a court filing, after struggling to get regulatory approval for its COVID-19 treatment. The Burlingame, California-based company, once controlled by convicted pharma executive Martin Shkreli, listed assets worth $521,000 and total debt of $44.1 million, as per the January 3 filing.
Another case of Covid-19 sub-variant, JN.1 has been detected in Odisha, taking the number of such cases in the state to two, director of health services Bijay Kumar Mohapatra said on Thursday. On Wednesday, Odisha had reported the first case of JN.1 variant. The two cases were detected in Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar, while one of the patients has recovered completely and the other is under treatment. Samples that were found to be COVID-positive are being sent for genome sequencing.
Covid 19 US: As Covid cases surge, claiming around 1,500 American lives every week, medical experts seek answers regarding the limited adoption of Paxlovid, a highly potent treatment proven to prevent severe illness and fatalities from the virus.
75 active Covid cases in Gujarat
Ahmedabad in 24 hours ending 7am on Thursday added eight new cases including four men and four women. The new cases were recorded from Thaltej, Navrangpura, Vejalpur, Paldi and Chandlodia among others.
Mask mandates return at some US hospitals as COVID, flu jump
Hospitals in at least four US states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illnesses. Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told WABC TV on Wednesday that mask mandates had resumed at all 11 of the city’s public hospitals, 30 health centers and five long-term care facilities.
High-fat diets found to make immune system changes, enhance risk of Covid
Diets high on fat have been found to affect genes linked to the immune system, brain function, and potentially Covid-19 risk in a new study.
India Covid Cases: Two deaths occurred in patients with co-morbidities
In Kerala, a 39-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and in Karnataka a 65-year-old male with Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis, Portal Vein Thrombosis, diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) succumbed to Covid.
Covid 19 India: A total of 541 cases of JN.1 series variant of Covid-19 have been reported from 12 States till 3rd January (ANI)