***CORONA VIRUS UPDATES***

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ICMR says rapid tests for COVID-19 in containment zones first

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said the rapid antibody based blood test for COVID-19 will be deployed by this Wednesday in clusters or containment zones and hot spots showing high incidence of confirmed cases.

Raman R Gangakhedkar, head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division of the ICMR speaking to The Hindu said that over all testing for COVID-19 using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a laboratory technique combining reverse transcription of RNA into DNA, is increasing and that India will be approaching full capacity soon.

"At the same time, we are expecting delivery of Rapid Test kits (blood based) for use in response to COVID-19 situation. By Wednesday this should be up and running," he said, adding, "We aim to start rapid antibody based blood test in clusters (with containment zones), and in large migration gatherings/evacuees centres."

 

 

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Advisory&StrategyforUseofRapidAntibodyBasedBloodTest.pdf

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Global COVID-19 tally tops 1.2 million 

The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases has reached 1.27 million and as many 69,456 individuals have lost their lives due to COVID-19, according to according to Johns Hopkins University.

The five countries with most cases as of Sunday: 

1) United States: 337,274 
2) Spain: 131,646 
3) Italy: 128,948 
4) Germany: 100,123 
5) France: 93,780 

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Anti-parasitic drug kills COVID-19 within 48 hrs in lab grown cells: Study

Researchers have found that an anti-parasitic drug already available around the world can kill the novel coronavirus grown in cell cultures within 48 hours, an advance that may lead to the development and trial of a new clinical therapy for COVID-19.

According to the study, published in the journal Antiviral Research, the drug, Ivermectin, stopped the virus, SARS-CoV-2, from growing in cell culture within 48 hours.

"We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it," said study co-author Kylie Wagstaff from Monash University in Australia.

 

 

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More than 300 Tablighi Jamaat members test positive for COVID-19 in Pakistan's Punjab

Over 300 Tablighi Jamaat members have tested positive for the novel corona virus till Sunday in Pakistan's Punjab province, amid efforts by authorities to track down and quarantine thousands of people who attended the massive congregation of the Islamic group in March.

Authorities have placed the entire city of Raiwind that houses headquarters of the Pakistani faction of the Jamaat under quarantine and completely restricted the mobility of people within or outside the city.

According to the data released by the primary and secondary health care corona monitoring room on Sunday, over 300 preachers of the Tablighi Jamaat at quarantine centres in different parts of Punjab province have so far been tested positive for COVID-19. Most of them belong to Lahore's Tablighi Jamaat Markaz that has been turned into quarantine centre.

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Boris Johnson hospitalized for COVID-19 tests ten days after testing positive 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to the hospital for the novel coronavirus-related tests, Downing Street said Sunday, after ten days of testing positive for the virus.

"On the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement, adding that the tests were part of a "precautionary step" due to Johnson's lingering symptoms.

The 55-year-old announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on 27 March, describing a cough and a fever in a video posted to Twitter. In an update on Friday, Johnson said that he continued to experience a temperature.

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12 fresh COVID-19 cases in West Bengal bring state tally to 80

As many as 12 people tested positive for COVID-19 in West Bengal on Sunday, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 80, the Union ministry of health and family welfare said in its website.

Till Saturday, the state had registered 68 corona virus cases. The Union health ministry website mentioned three deaths due to the contagion in the state.

The West Bengal health department had earlier mentioned seven deaths due to the disease, though the state government had confirmed only three.

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AIIMS Director says India between Stage 2 and Stage 3

Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS says there has been localised community spread in certain pockets. He said, We are somewhere between stage 2 and stage 3.

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Tiger at New York zoo tests positive

The 4-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia - and six other tigers and lions that have also fallen ill - are believed to have been infected by a zoo employee who wasn't yet showing symptoms, the zoo said. The first animal started showing symptoms March 27, and all are doing well and expected to recover, said the zoo, which has been closed to the public since March 16 amid the surging coronavirus outbreak in New York.

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30 active COVID-19 cases in Bhubaneswar 

Odisha Health and Family Welfare department on Monday informed that the state capital Bhubaneswar has about 30 active coronavirus positive cases.

As the COVID-19 cases surged in the state in the last three days, the health and family welfare department informed that most infections are connected to the first cases confirmed in Surya Nagar and Bomikhal.

The department also mentioned that almost all the cases of Bomikhal involved a single family. Meanwhile, both the clusters sealed and put under active surveillance.

 

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Mumbai's Wockhardt Hospital declared containment zone after 26 nursing staffers, 3 doctors test positive

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai a containment zone after 26 nurses and three doctors tested positive for the novel coronavirus over a week. 

Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said a team has been set up under the executive health officer to probe how infection spread among so many in a hospital setting. "It is unfortunate that such a big cluster of cases have come from a medical facility. They should have taken precautions," he said.

The nurses have alleged serious infection control lapses, which the hospital has refuted. Hospital authorities claimed the staff were exposed to a cardiac patient with no history of travel or COVID-19 symptoms, who later tested positive. But nurses have circulated a letter saying two contacts of a COVID-19 patient were admitted to the general ICU, where the staff were on duty without protective gear. It was the same ICU where the cardiac patient was brought later. Both contacts had tested positive.

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All life insurance companies will process COVID-19 death claims: LIC

Life Insurance Council Monday announced that all life insurers, both public and private, are committed to process any death claim pertaining to COVID-19 at the earliest.

The Council also confirmed that the clause of 'Force Majeure' will not apply in case of COVID-19 death claims. This step was taken to reassure customers who had reached out to individual life insurance companies seeking clarity on this clause in their contract as well as to dispel rumours to the contrary. All life insurance companies have also communicated to their customers individually in this regard.

Secretary General , Life Insurance Council, said, "The spiraling global and local impact of COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the fundamental need for life insurance in every household. The life insurance industry is taking every measure to ensure that the disruption caused to policyholders, due to the lockdown is minimal, by providing them uninterrupted support digitally, be it for honoring death claims related to COVID-19 or for servicing their policy. We reiterate that all life insurance companies stand by their customers in these difficult times and the customer should not be swayed by misinformation or misrepresentation."

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2 premium South Mumbai hospitals declared containment zones

Two Hospitals in South Mumbai Wockhardt Hospital and Jaslok Hospital have been declared as containment zones as several staff members have tested positive for Covid19 staff. Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai Central has 26 nurses and 3 doctors who have tested positive. Jaslok Hospital too has 10 Covid-19 positive staffers, including six nurses.