Coronavirus India news summary: Saturday 25 July
Coronavirus live India: latest news - 25 July
India coronavirus latest: 05:30 IST on Sunday 26 July (02:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 15,980,425 cases have been detected worldwide, with 643,319 deaths and 9,185,597 people recovered.
In India, there have been 1,337,024 confirmed cases and 31,358 deaths, with 849,432 people recovered from the virus.
Thane hospital loses Covid-19 status for overcharging patients
the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has cancelled the registration of a hospital, Horizon Prime Hospital, for a month and its recognition as a Covid hospital for allegedly charging 56 Covid patients an additional ₹6 lakh, The Hindustan Times reports/ The civic body has stationed a team of two doctors at the hospital around-the-clock to ensure the admitted patients receive proper treatment. The hospital authorities termed the action “unfair”, saying a clarification has been sent to the civic body.
An external audit found 196 patients across the city were overcharged and have sent notices to 15 private Covid hospitals.
Serum Institute seeks permission for Phase II-III clinical trials
The Serum Institute of India (SII), which has partnered with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca for manufacturing the University of Oxford vaccine candidate for COVID-19, has sought permission from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for conducting “phase 2/3 human clinical trials” of the potential vaccine, sources said on Saturday.
The Pune-based drug firm submitted its application to the DCGI on Friday, seeking permission for conducting trials of ‘Covidshield’, The Hindu reports.
Too much emphasis on fever in Covid-19 testing
A study, published in the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Indian Journal of Medical Research, noted that fever was present in only 17% of cases. The study, based on the clinical profile of 144 patients admitted in AIIMS trauma centre and the institution's Jhajjar centre in March-April, also reported that 44% of the hospitalised patients were asymptomatic at the time of hospital admission and remained so throughout.
Kerala cases update
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said Kerala won't go into complete lockdown for now, with representatives preferring to strengthen existing measures, but not go all the way to full lockdown, although some experts are urging taking that step.
Final year students to help in Covid-19 duties in Karnataka
“The target has been set to conduct 30,000 tests per day in Bengaluru alone, but due to shortage of staff, the government is not able to achieve the target. The services of staff from 80 private labs and fever clinics are already being utilised.
Mobile units are also running short of trained manpower. Therefore, the necessary arrangement is being made under the Disaster Management Act,” said Dr Sudhakar in a press statement.
Attention parents: your quick guide to vaccinations in a pandemic
“Vaccinations are of two kinds: primary and optional. The primary vaccines must be given on time. These are the ones administered within the first year,” says Dr P Satheesh, paediatrician and neonatologist based in Visakhapatnam.
“If your area is a containment zone, stay at home and delay it for a few days. If the lockdown is not lifted, consult your doctor to evaluate how long can you wait,” he adds.
The EU recovery deal has global implications
On Friday morning Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron were sipping mineral water on a sunlit terrace overlooking Brussels as negotiations began on a 750 billion-euro ($860 billion) European stimulus package they’d sketched out two months earlier.
By the early hours of Monday, the leaders of Germany and France were refueling on potato chips and wine as they battled to hold the talks together.
“Crunchtime,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, as he joined them for yet another side meeting with Italy’s Giuseppe Conte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
30-year-old Delhi man given first dose of India's first indigenously-developed coronavirus vaccine
A 30-year-old man from Delhi was given the first dose of India's first indigenously-developed coronavirus vaccine on Friday as the phase-I human clinical trial began at AIIMS.
Over 3,500 volunteers have already registered themselves for the trial at AIIMS since last Saturday, of whom the screening of at least 22 people is underway, Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS and the principal investigator of the study, said.
"The first volunteer, a resident of Delhi, was screened two days ago and all his health parameters were found to be within the normal range. He also does not have any co-morbid conditions.
"The first dose of 0.5 ml intramuscular injection was given to him around 1.30 pm. No immediate side-effects have been observed so far. He was under observation for two hours and will be monitored for the next seven days."
Xavi tests positive for Covid-19
Xavi tests positive for Covid-19
The Barcelona legend, now at Al Sadd is in isolation after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister tests positive
The chief minister of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has tested positive for coronavirus.
In a series of tweets on Saturday, the 61-year-old wrote, "My dear countrymen, I was having Covid-19 symptoms and, after a test, my report came back positive. I am following all the guidelines and will quarantine myself based on doctor's advice.”
Chouhan also appealed to colleagues and individuals to take precautions to avoid infection and urged those who had come into contact with him to get tested.
"I appeal to the people of my state to be careful, just a little carelessness invites the coronavirus. I made every effort to avoid the virus but people used to meet me on many subjects," he posted.
Chouhan's diagnosis comes as coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across India, which has recorded more than 1.3 million cases of the virus according to Johns Hopkins University.
Madhya Pradhesh has registered a total of 26,210 cases, including 17,866 recoveries and 791 deaths.
14-year-old sexually assaulted at Delhi Covid-19 centre
A 14-year-old girl in a Covid-19 quarantine centre in India's capital Delhi was allegedly sexually assaulted by another patient within the facility.
The accused, 19, and another man who allegedly filmed the incident have been arrested, police said on Thursday. All three had tested positive with mild symptoms and were in quarantine in India's largest Covid-19 centre - a facility with 10,000 beds.
News of the alleged assault, which took place on 15 July, has just come out. Police told The Indian Express newspaper that they have registered a case against the two men.
Pune’s ‘warrior grandmother’ wields sticks to earn a living
“My parents had taught me to wield sticks since the age of eight. But today, my son in unwell. My second son has epileptic fits while another son has passed away. One of my daughters-in-law has died too, while another has deserted us.
"So, today, despite corona, I must fight and practice my art to earn bread for my grandchildren,” says octogenarian Shantabai Pawar.
Saving both lives and livelihoods
It has been almost four months now and we have become accustomed to living in pandemic times. More than anything else, it is the uncertainty that is most scary. While there is no immediate solution to end this, the wisest way is to stay away from both paranoia and a gung-ho approach.
Paranoia is like slow poison whereas an approach to embrace absolute normalcy carelessly is suicidal, to say the least. Hence, we must strive for a fine balance, ensuring a slow but certain return to normalcy in an extremely calibrated manner.
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe gives some thoughts on living in the pandemic.
Lockdown in Pune is over with many restrictions lifted
The strict ten-day lockdown in Pune came to an end as of 23 July and people are getting back to their normal life.
Indian policewomen wearing mask and face shield walk down the usually busy and bustling Mahatma Gandhi road, deserted due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in Bangalore, India, 24 July 2020. EFE/EPA/JAGADEESH NV
India vaccine trials ongoing
There are currently vaccine trials underway in six Indian cities with two companies, Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila, running phase I and II human clinical trials of Covaxin. A third trial focusing on a drug developed by Oxford University is scheduled to begin soon.
Delhi records over 1,000 cases in 24 hours
The number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi continues to rise with over 1,000 new confirmed caswes reported in the Indian capital on Friday.
India sees record 49,000 new coronavirus cases, drug shortages in places
India reported over 49,000 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus with 740 new deaths on Friday, marking the biggest daily surge in cases even as officials in some states complained of shortages of vital drugs for those hospitalized.
As the number of cases neared 1.3 million in India, local authorities scrambled to procure generic versions of remdesivir, the drug that has shown promise in clinical trials in treating severely-ill patients with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
WHO reports record daily surge in coronavirus cases
(Reuters) The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Friday, with the total rising by 284,196 in 24 hours.
The biggest increases were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. Deaths rose by 9,753, the biggest one-day increase since a record high of 9,797 deaths on 30 April.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 259,848 on 18 July. Deaths have been averaging 5,000 a day in July, up from an average of 4,600 a day in June.
India: Nagaland imposes complete lockdown in Kohima for 7 days
The Nagaland government has decided to impose a week-long complete lockdown in the state's capital Kohima due to pandemic complications.
Coronavirus: animation shows evolution of case numbers in world's worst-affected countries
Tracking the evolution of case numbers in the globe's worst-hit countries
This animated chart shows how Covid-19 case numbers have progressed in the world's worst-hit countries since mid-April:
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
In this guide you’ll find a summary of many of the recommendations and explanations provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other public health authorities, along with answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about the coronavirus.
Coronavirus live news: India
Hello and welcome to our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic as it affects India, including breaking news, stats and figures.
India has now seen over 1.28 million cases of the new disease, and over 30,000 people have lost their lives to the pandemic.