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"There are still limited sequences available to analyze, but this sub-variant seems to have a few mutations on the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. So that's a key part of the virus that attaches itself to the human receptor. So we have to watch that," she said.

.@doctorsoumya explains what we know about the emergence of a potential Omicron sub-variant [referred as BA.2.75] ⬇️#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Eoinq7hEux

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 5, 2022

Dr Soumya further said, "It is still too early to know if this sub-variant has properties of additional immune invasion or indeed of being more clinically severe. We don't know that. So we have to wait and see, and of course, we are tracking it, and the WHO committee -- the Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution -- is constantly looking at the data from around the world. And at any time, if there is an emergence of a virus that looks very different from a previous one enough to be called a separate variant of concern, then the committee will do that."

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus too mentioned the new variant detected in India while underlining the statistic that globally, reported cases had increased nearly 30 per cent over the past two weeks.

He listed several factors causing this increase in the number of cases. First, he lamented that testing had reduced dramatically in many countries. Second, he said that new treatments, especially promising new oral antivirals, are still not reaching low- and low-middle-income countries. Third, as the virus evolves, vaccine protection does wane. Decreasing immunity, Dr Tedros said, underscores the importance of boosters, especially for the most at-risk. 

Lastly, the WHO chief said, "Each wave of the virus leaves more people with the long-COVID or post-COVID conditions. This obviously impacts individuals and their families, but it also puts an extra burden on health systems, the wider economy and society-at-large. These challenges require action at a global, national and local level."

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"A fever with no known cause has been sweeping the country since late April... Six people died (one of whom tested positive for the BA.2 Omicron subvariant),"  it stated.

As per KCNA news agency, 187,800 people are presently being treated in isolation after an unidentified fever "explosively spread nationwide" since late April.

It also added that approximately 350,000 people had shown signs of the fever, including 18,000 who reported such symptoms on Tuesday alone. So far, around 162,200 of them have been treated, but it is unclear how many have tested positive for COVID-19.

Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, visited the anti-virus command centre on Tuesday to examine the situation and responses after declaring the "gravest state emergency" and directing a nationwide lockdown on Thursday. 

KCNA added that he "criticised that the simultaneous spread of fever with the capital area as a centre demonstrates that there is a vulnerable point in the epidemic prevention system we have already established."

Kim emphasised the importance of actively isolating and treating feverish people, developing scientific treatment methods and tactics "at lightning speed," and bolstering medication supply measures.

Following the media reports, the health authorities attempted to organise testing and treatment systems and bolster disinfection work. 

Meantime, following Reuters, White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday stated that the US has no plans to share Covid-19 vaccines with North Korea. The spokesperson stated that North Korea had repeatedly refused vaccine donations from the COVAX global vaccine sharing project. The US does not currently have plans to share vaccines with the DPRK; it continues to support international efforts to provide critical humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable North Koreans.

Also Read: Kim Jong Un announces strict lockdown after country confirms first COVID cas

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10 updates: 

1) On Tuesday, Beijing authority closed gyms, theatres, and tourist sites just a day after announcing mass testing in the city's most populated district, Chaoyang, who flocked to supermarkets to stock up on food and essentials amid fears of stricter curbs, as per reports. 

2) Shanghai, the financial hub of China, reported 52 new Covid-19 deaths on Monday, double the day before, which reported 51, the city government stated on Tuesday. New 16,900 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the city.   

3) Now, questions are raised about China's low Covid death toll, despite the ongoing surge in Shanghai, as per AFP reports. Despite nearly 200,000 symptomatic cases and over 470,000 asymptomatic cases since the pandemic, China has recorded fewer than 5,000 deaths from Covid-19.

4) About Europe, Italy witnessed a receding Covid wave, with eth daily Covid-19 cases decreasing drastically. As per the health ministry, Italy registered 24,878 Covid-19 cases on Monday, against 52,263 on Sunday. On Monday, new 93 deaths were reported. 
 
5) In France, the new Covid-19 cases stood at 13,984 on Monday, as per reports. Earlier the week, the number of the new cases in France witnessed a huge surge due to the mutated strain omicron. 

6) German cases rose by 1,36,798 to reach 24,337,394 on Monday, as per reports. The total death in Germany stood at 134,489. It is unclear whether the cases were reported within 24 hours or the backlog cases. 

7) In Hong Kong, the daily cases dropped after the globe's deadliest outbreaks; the second phase of the three-phased Covid unlock plan will begin in the second half of next month, the official informed media.

8) Malaysia logged 2,478 new Covid-19 cases at midnight on Monday following the health ministry, bringing the tally to 4,433,551. 

9) Following the latest health ministry data, India saw a slight drop in new Covid-19 cases, with 2,483 cases registered in the last 24 hours. Assam added a backlog of 1,347 deaths; now, the country's overall Covid death tally is 5,23,622. On Monday, the country reported new 2,541  Covid-19 cases. 

10) According to government data, the active caseload in India is currently 15,636. Following the health ministry statement, the active case rate is 0.04 per cent, and the recovery rate is currently 98.75 per cent.

Also Read: Beijing goes on high alert for Covid; mass testing, lockdowns begin

Also Read: Shanghai reports three deaths due to COVID-19 since latest lockdown

Also Read: Seven more deaths due to Covid-19 in China's Shanghai, total rises to 10

The Ministry stated that more than 192.17 crores (1,92,27,23,625) vaccine doses had been provided to states/UTs through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and the direct state procurement category.

It also claimed that more than 20.16 crore (20,16,91,220) balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available to administer with the States/UTs.

Following the Ministry, the Union Government is committed to accelerating and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

On January 16, 2021, the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination began. The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on June 21, 2021. 

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has been providing the States and UTs with Covid Vaccines for free.

In the new phase of the COVID19 vaccination campaign, the Union Government will procure and supply (at no cost) to states and UTs 75 per cent of universal vaccines manufactured in the country by vaccine manufacturers.

The vaccination drive has been accelerated by the availability of more vaccines and advanced visibility of vaccines available to states and UTs, allowing them to better plan and streamline the vaccine supply chain.

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Following the city authority, the first death due to the virus was reported on Monday. The total now stands at 10, despite the scale of the outbreak. 

Beijing claims that its zero-Covid policy of tight lockdowns, mass testing, and lengthy quarantines has prevented deaths and public health disasters in much of the world.

However, many have questioned the data by the officials, citing the country's population and poor vaccination rate. On Sunday, Shanghai health officials reported that nearly two-thirds of its adults over the age of 60 had received two Covid vaccines, with just about 40 per cent receiving a booster.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong has reported 9,000 deaths due to Covid-19 since the Omicron variant surged in January. 

On Tuesday, following the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, the seven victims, aged 60 to 101 years old, had underlying medical issues such as heart disease and diabetes.

The commission stated that the patients were severely ill after admission to the hospital and died after inadequate rescue measures, with the immediate cause of death being underlying conditions. The country also reported 20,000 new Covid-19 cases; the majority are asymptomatic.

Since March, Shanghai's 25 million people have been confined to their homes as daily caseloads have surpassed 25,000, a modest number by international standards but nearly unheard of in China.

Food shortages, spartan quarantine conditions, and heavy-handed enforcement have inundated social media, with footage of rare protests flowing quicker than the government can delete it.

After the virus first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the country's zero-tolerance attitude to Covid had limited new cases to an approach. 

However, in recent weeks, the officials have scrambled to contain cases spanning multiple regions, driven mainly by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. 

Also Read: India reports 1,247 fresh COVID cases, witnesses 43% drop from Monday

Also Read: Shanghai reports three deaths due to COVID-19 since latest lockdown

Also Read: Omicron increases risk of Upper Airway Infections among children, leading to cardiac arrest: Study

The infection on Tuesday was almost 43 per cent less than Monday. On Monday, India witnessed a spike of 2,075 cases in 24 hours, causing concerns; it was the first time in nearly a month. 

The daily death reported was too less than reported on Monday; however, the government warned that the count is high as Kerala's reconciled records of unregistered past deaths.

Experts cautioned against following the trends as the hospitalisation and deaths rates remain unchanged. 

Coronavirus cases have drastically decreased in the county following a horrible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which pushed the total daily past the 3-lakh level in January. However, the rising infection rate in neighbouring China and numerous European countries has created a new threat.

The World Health Organisation has issued an alert about a highly transmissible XE strain, of which two cases were identified earlier this month by government officials in Mumbai and Gujarat.

Also read: India reports 90% surge in everyday Covid-19 cases with 214 deaths in last 24 hours

Also read: Centre blames Kerala for India's sudden Covid spike, told to report data daily

Also read: Omicron increases risk of Upper Airway Infections among children, leading to cardiac arrest: Study

Croup is a type of respiratory illness, known medically as laryngotracheitis, in babies and young children. It is characterised by barking cough, and noisy breathing. In severe cases, it can dangerously constrict breathing.

The study, published last week in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, also found that Omicron causes UAI in younger children with the mean age of hospitalised children falling from about four years and five months during the pre-Omicron period to about two years and one month during the Omicron period. The researchers conducted the study to determine if cases of UAI among children increased when Omicron became the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant in the US.

About 384 had upper airway infection. Severe disease, defined as requiring invasive ventilation, vasopressors, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or death, occurred in 81 children.

The proportion of children with a pediatric complex chronic condition was not significantly different in the pre-Omicron period compared with the Omicron period, they said. Overall, 21.1 per cent of children hospitalised with both COVID-19 and UAI developed severe disease requiring measures like inserting a tube into the lungs to assist with breathing, known as intubation.

“Children with severe UAI are at risk of cardiac arrest from rapid-onset upper airway obstruction. They may require therapies typically provided in intensive care units, including frequent administration of nebulised racemic epinephrine, helium-oxygen mixtures, and intubation,” the authors of the study noted. Nebulised racemic epinephrine is typically reserved for patients in the hospital setting with moderate-to-severe respiratory distress.

“While the rate of SARS-CoV-2 pediatric UAI is not overwhelmingly high, understanding this new clinical phenotype and the potential for acute upper airway obstruction may help guide therapeutic decision-making,” they said. The Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 became dominant in the US the week ending December 25, 2021.

The highly transmissible variant is known to cause lower severity disease than the Delta variant, the researchers noted. This may be because Omicron replicates less efficiently in lung cells and more efficiently in the conducting airways, they said.

The researchers acknowledged some limitations of this analysis, including that children who are still hospitalised are not represented in the study, and the frequency of severe disease observed in the Omicron period may be underestimated.

Also read: Covid-19 booster shots available for all adults from April 10 at private vaccinations centres

Also read: India reports 90% surge in everyday Covid-19 cases with 214 deaths in last 24 hours

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Through its social media, the city informed that the three people deteriorated into severe cases after going into hospital and died after all efforts to revive them proved ineffective.

The city added that the people who died were two women aged 89 and 91 and an older adult aged 91. Additionally, they all had underlying health issues such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

China's largest city Shanghai has been stewed under a patchwork of lockdown restrictions this year due to the country's worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic's inception. 

As per the municipal health commission, the eastern business hub posted 22,248 new domestic cases on Monday, out of which 2,417 were symptomatic.

China, the country first detected the coronavirus in late 2019, has reduced new cases to a trickle thanks to a zero-Covid policy of mass testing, travel restrictions, and targeted lockdowns.

But the country has failed to prevent the outbreak of the Covid-19 in the multiple regions, largely due to the spread of the Omicron variant. 

The country last reported new Covid deaths on March 19, when two people died in the northeastern province of Jilin, the first in more than a year.
 

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The ISS examination commenced from the beginning of 2021 until the end of January 2022, revealing the inoculation campaign also averted nearly 500,000 hospitalisations and around 55,000 admissions to intensive care.

Due to Covid-19 emergence in the country in February 2020, Italy reported nearly 161,032 deaths, the second-highest toll in the European country after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. To date, the country has reported 15.4 million cases. 

Nearly 79 per cent of Italians have been fully vaccinated, and 65 per cent received booster shots, as per the Our World in Data. 

The ISS study revealed that 72 per cent of lives saved due to vaccination were those aged 80 and nearly 19 per cent were in the 70-79 age group. About 7 per cent were aged 60-69, and 3 per cent were under 60 years. 
 
The results were estimated using data on vaccine effectiveness and weekly vaccination numbers to examine their impact on the weekly total of cases, hospitalisations, ICU admissions, and fatalities.

The methodology was initially created for flu vaccines but has previously been used in other countries for SARS-CoV-2 research, according to the public body in its statement.
 

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The new order stated that, unlike the booster doses announced for healthcare workers, frontline staff and those over the age of 60, most adults would have to pay for the booster doses. 

The government, in its statement, stated that the ongoing free vaccination programme via government vaccination centres for the first and second doses and precaution dose to the healthcare workers, frontline workers, and the 60+ population would continue. Also, it would be quickened. 

It further added closely 96 per cent of the 15 and above population in the nation have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. At the same time, nearly 83 per cent has received both shots. 

The decision to allow the booster doses to all the adults comes as infections advance in many countries. For many Indians, it was impossible to travel abroad without a third shot. 

Vaccination is not considered complete in countries such as Israel without booster doses.

Infection of Covid-19 in the nation has dropped, with 1,109 new cases in the last 24 hours and 43 deaths, despite concern across the globe regarding the new mutations and XE variant. 

India's overall number of infections now stands at 4.3 crore, with 5.21 lakh deaths.

Also Read: Explained: What is XE variant of Covid? What are the symptoms?

Also Read: India confirms first case of new Omicron variant XE in Mumbai

Also Read: Globally 490 million covid-19 cases reported, New variant XE raise new concerns

The patients with the new variants of the virus don't have any severe symptoms so far. The new mutant may be more transmissible than any strain of Covid-19, the World Health Organisation had said last week.

The new ‘XE’ variant of Covid-19 appears to be about 10 per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). So far, BA.2 was deemed to be the most contagious of all the Covid-19 variants.

This is significant as till now the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron was considered to be the most contagious strain of the novel coronavirus. Currently, the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron is spreading to different areas across the globe. It is behind most of the fresh Covid-19 infections being reported in the United States.

What is XE variant?

XE is a combination or recombinant of both sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2) of Omicron. The recombinant variant appears to be, as per the WHO, 10% more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron. “Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10 percent as compared to BA.2, however, this finding requires further confirmation,” says the WHO.

WHO’s warning on XE:

The WHO on 1 April issued a report on its findings about XE. “The XE recombinant was first detected in the United Kingdom on 19 January and >600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since," the WHO research shows. Earlier, the UN health agency had issued warnings against Omicron, Delta recombinant virus, saying with both Omicron and Delta circulating in a massive scale, this was highly expected.

How fast can the XE variant spread: The XE variant appears to be more transmissible than previous strains of the coronavirus, the WHO said. “Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of around 10 per cent “as compared to BA.2,” it added.

What are the symptoms of XE variant: Some of the symptoms to watch out for include - fever, sore throat, scratchy throat, cough and cold, skin irritation and discolouration, gastrointestinal distress, etc.

Are vaccines effective against XE variant: Covid-19 vaccines will reduce severe illness, hospitalisations, and death, even if they do not offer full protection against the new variant. Scientists are currently investigating how protected fully vaccinated people will be against the XE variant.

How to stay safe from the XE variant:

·         Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.

·         Keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre from others.

·         Avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces at all costs.

·         Open windows to improve ventilation in indoor spaces.

·         Wash your hands regularly with soap, use sanitizer when you can't wash hands.

·         Get vaccinated- get both the jabs if you still have not received them. Get the booster shot if you are eligible. 

Of the 376 samples tested in Mumbai, one turned positive for the XE variant and the other for the Kappa variant, India Today reported.

Of 230 samples, 228 samples are of Omicron variant and the remaining were 1 kappa variant and 1 XE variant. As per the report, the condition of the patients infected with the new strains of the virus were not serious.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), the new ‘XE’ variant of Covid-19 appears to be about ten per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron. The WHO has also warned that BA.2, which is a subvariant of the Omicron strain, is the most dominant strain of the virus, being 86 per cent of all sequenced cases attributed to it.

Also read: Globally 490 million Covid-19 cases reported, New variant XE raise new concerns

While XE only accounts for a small fraction of the cases, it’s extremely high transmissibility could mean that it becomes the most dominant strain in the near future.

The new mutant XE was first detected in the United Kingdom (UK) on January 19. “The XE recombinant (BA.1-BA.2), was first detected in the UK on January 19 and less than 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since,” noted WHO in a report published earlier this week.

“Early-day estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of 10 percent as compared to BA.2, however, this finding requires further confirmation,” WHO said about the XE variant.

According to the global health body, until significant differences in characteristics, such as severity and transmission, are noted in the XE mutant, it will continue to be classified as part of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Also read: WHO explains new variant amid growing fear of XE strain

The University's Centre for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) declared that the present global caseload stood at 491,352,180 cases on Monday morning. The total death recorded stands at 6,152,703. The US remains to register the highest cases of at 81,832,612, followed by India with a total of 43,028,863 cases.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that the number of fresh Covid cases across the world between March 21 and March 27 has dropped by 14 per cent compared to the previous week. And another development, a new variant of the Covid-19 XE, has been detected. According to WHO, the variant has more transmissibility than the Omicron variant. 

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China remains to record the highest surge in Covid-19 cases, with the country recording 13,000 cases on Sunday, the highest since the first wave peak in Wuhan. Shanghai is under lockdown, reporting the most number of cases. As per reports, the entire city of around 25 million people is restricted, with another round of mass testing planned. 

The UK has witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron BA.2 variant. The total cases reported are 21,379,545 cases as of now—hospitalisation and death rates are rising in Britain, the UK with 166,168 deaths as of now. The XE variant is the recombinant variant (BA.1-BA.2) initially detected in the UK in January, as per WHO.

Also Read: WHO explains new variant amid growing fear of XE strain

Germany records 41,129 fresh cases; the total stands at 21,668,677 cases. Around 23 new deaths. On Monday, the death toll rises to 130,052, as per the Robert Koch Institute. German reported being the highest European nation to witness the surge in Covid-19 cases in March. 

In South Korea, certain restrictions were eased, enabling fully vaccinated travellers to enter without quarantine; the country saw a surge of 127,190 cases in a single day on Monday, bringing the total to 14,001,406. Two hundred eighteen more deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of people who have died due to the virus to 17,453. The increase in South Korea in recent weeks has also drawn international attention.

The number of Covid cases in France continues to rise. According to Reuters, the government reported a total of 132,114 new Covid cases on Sunday. An increase in Italy, in addition to France, has been causing concern across Europe.

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As per the statement, the millions who received Covaxin, the vaccine certificates issued still stand valid as there's no impact on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. 

The UN health agency, on Saturday, stopped the supply of Covaxin under the Covax facility, citing deficiencies in manufacturing practices.

The suspension was announced following the WHO post-emergency use listing inspection that took place between March 14 and 22. The inspection stressed the need for process and facility improvements to address recently discovered good manufacturing practice (GMP) deficiencies.

Bharat Biotech has announced reducing Covaxin production to accommodate pending facility maintenance, process, and facility optimization activities.

It added that these upgrades were overdue because all existing facilities had been repurposed for the manufacture of Covaxin, with continuous production over the previous year to meet the public health emergency of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, specific highly sophisticated equipment needed to improve process stringency was unavailable. It is important to highlight that the quality of Covaxin has never been questioned.

As a result, there will be a disruption in Covaxin supplies. The company urged that it is diligently working to further improvements and upgrades to ensure that the production of Covaxin continues to meet the ever-increasing global regulatory requirements. It also added that patient safety is a primary consideration for any new vaccine; there can be no compromises in meeting operational excellence objectives. 

The WHO also stated that the risk assessment shows no change in the risk-benefit ratio, with no issues regarding vaccine safety and efficacy.

The statement read that the data available to WHO indicate the vaccine is effective and no safety concern exists. Countries should refer to the respective sage recommendation to continue vaccination with alternative sources of COVID19 vaccines. 

Also Read: Line two metres apart: China officials warn residents over daily covid cases surge

Also Read: From Maharashtra to Delhi: States that have lifted Covid-19 restrictions

Also Read: Delhi to scrap fine for not wearing masks in public places: Report

Following the new information on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website, the viruses are constantly changing due to genetic selection. The mutation causes minor genetic alternation, and due to recombination, it causes major genetic changes. When an error in the viral genome is incorporated, a mutation occurs. Recombination occurs when co-infecting viruses exchange genetic information, resulting in creating a new virus, as per an expert from W. Robert Fleischmann, Jr's Medical Microb logy. 

Another recombinant variant that had recently raised concerns was Deltacron, which was said to be a combination of Delta and Omicron, both of which were thought to be highly infectious.

Listed below are the five points WHO stated in its latest report regarding the XE variant: 

1) As per WHO, the XE strain is a recombinant of variant BA.1 and BA.2 sublineages of Omicron. 

2) It was primarily detected in the United Kingdom on January 19, and more additional 600 series have been registered and confirmed. The WHO stated that early estimates indicate a community growth rate advantage of around 10 per cent, compared to BA.2. However, further confirmation of this finding is required. 

3) In its recent finding, the WHO stated that the XE comes under the Omicron variant until significant differences in transmit and disease characteristics, including severity, may be reported. 

4) It further added that the WHO monitors and assesses the public health risk associated with recombinant variants and other SARS-CoV-2 variants and will provide updates as new evidence becomes available.

5) According to the WHO, Omicron is the dominant strain worldwide, with 99.7 per cent of fresh samples belonging to the variant.

In the middle of the finding, it may be cited that the BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant is also highly transmissible, due to which in Europe and China, the cases were spiked in March. 
 

Also Read: Line two metres apart: China officials warn residents over daily covid cases surge

Also Read: From Maharashtra to Delhi: States that have lifted Covid-19 restrictions

Also Read: Delhi to scrap fine for not wearing masks in public places: Report

On Thursday, the city government lengthened the existing lockdown in eastern districts, while western areas of the city were shut down as planned.

As per new official guidelines, many people in China's most populous city will now be compelled to stay at home for as long as it takes to control the outbreak, even dispose of the garbage or walk their pets.

Non-essential businesses, including restaurants and shopping malls, have also closed. Public transportation in the city has also been suspended.

The lockdown, which began on Monday and was supposed to last ten days, was placed to prevent an outbreak of the highly transmissible Omicron variant that began roughly a month ago. East of Shanghai's Huangpu River would be closed for five days before reopening, while western districts closed for five days.

However, the city government stated that it would ease the curbs in Shanghai's east in stages instead.

That shows that many districts are presently under lockdown, including office towers of the Lujiazui district, China's answer to Wall Street, and factories, including Volkswagen's joint venture with SAIC Motor and U.S. automaker Tesla's plant.

As per the global standards, China's outbreak is minor. However, Shanghai reports three out of every four local asymptomatic cases across the country, emerging as the testbed for the national government's treatment of COVID - a "dynamic clearance" method that seeks to test for, trace, and centrally quarantine all positive cases. 

Officials stated that the city's daily sum of infections eased for the second day in a row on Friday. With 4,144 locally transmitted new asymptomatic cases and 358 symptomatic cases reported on Thursday, the previous day's figures were 5,298 and 355. 

On the other hand, some people are sceptical of the daily tally, wondering how swiftly positive instances are recorded in the system.

Shanghai publishes a daily list of addresses where cases have been discovered. Still, several residents claim their housing compounds were only listed days after their neighbours tested positive - or not listed at all.

The city authority of Shanghai has not immediately responded to a request for a statement on the scepticism over case numbers. 

During the lockdown, the residents must do nucleic acid testing by healthcare workers in hazmat suits. They are only allowed to leave their apartments for examinations, which will happen in or near their housing complexes.

Officials have asked the residents to line up two metres apart for testing amid public concerns over contagion risks. 

The Shanghai New International Expo Center, which usually organises trade fairs such as the Shanghai Autoshow, has been converted into the city's largest central quarantine centre, with over 15,000 beds, according to media reports. 

Also Read: Ivermectin fails to reduce risk of hospitalisation for COVID-19

Also Read: China's COVID-19 cases almost doubled, records worst outbreak since 2020

Also Read: Omicron BA.2: ‘Variant of concern’ spreading rapidly globally

Despite a lack of strong, convincing evidence, Ivermectin has become popular as an alternative for COVID-19 treatment. The new study is one of the largest to reveal no advantage. 

Researchers in Brazil compared over 1,300 patients who were given either Ivermectin or a placebo and found no difference between the two groups.

The researcher added that in this randomised trial, the administration of Ivermectin did not result in a lower incidence of medical admission to a hospital or longer emergency department observation for COVID-19 among outpatients at high risk for serious illness.

Previously during the pandemic, lab research on cells showed Ivermectin might be useful. However, human studies were inconclusive.

Research on Ivermectin is still on, but there are many effective vaccines and COVID-19 treatments, with robust examinations in humans showing they work drastically to reduce COVID-19 risk. 

Top health institutions, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have released a statement strongly against the use of Ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment. 

Last August, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy clearly stated that Ivermectin is not an alternative treatment for COVID-19. It is not a recommended medicine for the prevention of COVID-19.

The drug, commonly used in an animal-grade formulation for livestock and pets, is also FDA-approved in a human formulation to treat parasitic infections and skin conditions such as scabies.

Some studies cited by ivermectin supporters as showing benefits of the drug in combating COVID-19 have been retracted for flawed or fabricated data and analysis. In contrast, many randomised tests have shown no advantages.

Also read: Why is India still recommending Ivermectin for Covid treatment?

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Also read: Centre urges chemists to ensure adequate stock of essential medicines amid rise in COVID cases

Europe, the US and some Asian countries are currently witnessing a record number of cases, meanwhile, the Indian government, earlier this week, directed the states to take possible actions so that another possible Covid wave can be averted in the country.

Helix, a San Diego-based genomics firm, has been watching the BA.2 variant since it first popped up in the US in early January.

WHO said in a recent statement “initial data suggest that BA.2 appears inherently more transmissible than BA.1, which currently remains the most common Omicron sublineage reported.”  As per the UN Health agency data, in the last 30 days of more than 400,000 sequences sampled, 99.9% are Omicron, and 75 per cent correspond to the BA.2 variant.

Dr Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau in New York, and a spokesperson for the American Society of Infectious Diseases, was quoted by Fox News sayi/, "BA.2 is more contagious but not more severe than BA.1.” The epidemiologist warned that areas that did not experience predominate cases of BA.1 are more likely to see BA.2 infections in significant numbers. “Almost nobody gets a second BA 1 or 2 infection,” Glatt told Fox News.  Glatt also said preventative measures could be taken to avoid being infected by this latest variant and told Fox News, “Being boosted and vaccinated are still the best ways to prevent serious illness from BA.2.”

Omicron BA.2 in part of Asia, India

Regarding its severity, WHO said, we do not see an increase in severity with BA.2. However, with huge numbers of cases you will see increase hospitalisations and we have seen this in country after country. 

On Thursday, the digit of domestically transmitted asymptomatic cases, which China does not identify as confirmed cases, increased to 1,742 from 1,206 the day before.

However, the digits are minimum following the international standards; parts across the country have been pulling out the stops to try to contain the outbreak. 

The major commercial hub of Shanghai registered 57 new local symptomatic infections on March 17, along with another 203 domestically transmitted asymptomatic cases, up from eight and 150 respectively a day earlier, amid the ongoing city-wide testing initiative. 

On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping indicated that the country would not be let go of its dynamic-clearance policy to contain the outbreak. 

"Victory comes from perseverance," Xi stated at a Politburo standing committee meeting, state media reported; however, he requested China to draw up more effective measures and minimise the economic impact. 

As of March 17, China registered 126,234 cases with confirmed symptoms, including domestic and international cases. There were no additional deaths, bringing the total number to 4,636.

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The National Health Commission said in a statement, of those, 165 were in the northeastern province of Jilin. That marks the highest daily count for the province since China contained its first national outbreak in early 2020.

The Reuters report added an uncompromising response to a spike in local Covid-19 cases in the financial hub of Shanghai is testing the resolve of residents, with a wave of school closures and other draconian measures causing disruptions throughout the city.

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Thursday it was not the time to lift a ban on flights from nine countries including the United States and Britain, with plans to reopen the city only after the government controls a deepening coronavirus outbreak.

The global financial hub has some of the most draconian restrictions in place to combat a surge in coronavirus cases that has seen the city suffer the most deaths globally per million people in the week to March 7, according to the Our World in Data publication.

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Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said she expects Covid-19 to become a seasonal illness that ebbs and flows with the weather.

After all, the other coronaviruses that cause the common cold are known to strike during the winter months and settle down in the warmer months.

The same is true with other respiratory infections, like influenza, strep throat, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These viruses spread year-round but typically spike in the winter.

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India registered a further decline in daily infections with 22,270 new cases and 325 deaths in the last 24 hours in view of Covid-19 cases stabilizing in the country. With this, the total caseload touched 4,28,02,505 and death toll reached 5,11,230, according to Union Health Ministry data on Saturday.

Active cases stood at 2,53,739, accounting for 0.59% of the total infections, as per Health Ministry data. In the last 24 hours, active cases declined by 38,353. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,20,37,536. The national Covid-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.21 per cent.
 

The daily Covid-19 positivity rate on February 19 was registered at 1.80 per cent and the rolling average of weekly positivity rate is at 2.50 per cent.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, as many as 12,54,893 new Covid-19 tests were conducted across the country, pushing the total tests to 75.81 crore. Meanwhile, India has administered a total of 36,28,578 doses in the last 24 hours, which brings the total tally of doses administered to 1,75,03,86,834, under the ongoing nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.

A report released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) read among the total 190 samples, 180 were found infected with Omicron (94.74 per cent). Also, three with Delta (1.58 per cent), one with Delta (0.53 per cent) and six with other strains of coronavirus (3.16 per cent),  citing test results of the ninth round of genome sequencing in the city.

Notably, 23 of the 190 patients from Mumbai whose swab samples were sent for genome sequencing died, and 21 of them were infected with Omicron, read the report. 

In the most recent round of genome sequencing, which took place at the end of December, 248 of the 280 samples collected from BMC's jurisdiction tested positive for Omicron, while the remaining had other coronavirus variants.

Following the release of the ninth round of genome sequencing, the BMC examined 282 samples, out of which 190 were from Mumbai, and the remaining were from other parts of Maharashtra. 

As per BMC, out of 190 patients, 39 per cent (74 patients) were between 61 to 80 years age group. Followed by 22 per cent (41 patients) between 41 to 60 years, 19 per cent (36 patients) in 21 to 40 years. Also, 12 per cent (22 patients) in 81 to 100 years and 9 per cent (17 patients) in 0 to 18 age groups. Among the 190 infected patients, 13 were below the age group of 18. Out of which 11 were infected with Omicron. 

106 of the 190 patients required hospitalisation. Five had only received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 50 had received both doses, and 51 had not received any dose, as per BMC.

The civic body added only nine of the 106 patients required oxygen support, while 11 were admitted to the intensive care unit.

Out of 23 deaths, 21 patients were above 60 years of age and suffering from co-morbidities. Fifteen were unvaccinated. Also, after seven days of infection, 22 patients died. 

Despite a significant decrease in daily cases, the civic body urged citizens to continue practising COVID-19-compliant behaviour in the release.

Genome sequencing is a scientific process that aids in differentiating two variants of the same virus. It makes determining the best course of treatment for infected patients easier.

On Monday, Mumbai reported 192 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily count since December 13, 2021, and two new fatalities linked to the infection, while 350 more patients were discharged following recovery, according to the BMC.

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For unaware, long COVID is frequently identified many weeks after a COVID-19 infection. According to WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove, any long-term repercussions commonly occur 90 days after the initial infection's symptoms have subsided. The long-term consequences might last a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years. We have no idea what that is yet.

Live Q&A on #COVID19 and Omicron sub-variant BA.2 with Dr @mvankerkhove and @DrAbdiMahamud. #AskWHO https://t.co/NVQMa8HHk7

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 8, 2022

Van Kerkhove further noted the severity of the virus's long-term consequences, explaining that it affects all organs of the body, various organs of the body, not all organs at the same time, and ranges in severity from individuals not being able to catch their breath to people being unable to exercise. Some studies have also linked the risk of heart disease to post-COVID symptoms.

When most people think of COVID, they think of an upper respiratory condition; however it is actually a systemic disease. According to WHO official Dr. Abdi Mahamud, it literally affected every area of the cardiovascular system one year later. 

"When we look at COVID as a respiratory infection, we perceive a danger and a problem." Of course, that is the point of entrance, but because of the vessels, it affects every region of your body. It is capable of causing vasculitis," Abdi added.

Noting that much more research on extended COVID is required, WHO authorities stated, "we need solid research on this." The organisation said they need good treatment, clinical care for dealing with the short- and long-term impacts, and we need to ensure that there is effective rehabilitation."

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With the new numbers, the country's total caseload has been pushed to 42,586,544, and the death toll stands at 5,07,981. The daily positivity rate lowered to 3.48 per cent. 

Active cases now dropped to 1.43 per cent, and the recovery rate rose to 93.37 per cent. On Friday, Delhi reported 977 new Covid-19 cases, the fewest since December 29, and 12 more deaths, while the positivity rate fell to 1.73 per cent. As a result, the national capital's case count increased to 18,49,596, and the death toll rose to 26,047.

A new study on Friday showed that the efficacy of the booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines wane substantially in four months.

On Friday, India recorded a decrease in daily Covid-19 cases, with 58,077 cases reported in the previous 24 hours. According to Union Health Ministry data, the caseload has now reached 42,536,137. A total of 657 deaths were recorded, bringing the total number of deaths to 507,177.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reported that 1,511,321 samples were tested for Covid-19 on Friday, for a total of more than 740 million tests to date. 

According to a recent update from the Union Health Ministry, India's daily tally of coronavirus disease has decreased significantly. On Friday, the case count was the lowest since January 5, when 58,097 infections were recorded. Meanwhile, on Thursday, there were 67,084 cases, 1,241 deaths, and 1,67,882 active cases.

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Overall, 1,50,407 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, the total number of discharges in the country now stands at 41,331,158. The general recovery rate is approaching 97%. According to the Health Ministry's update, the number of active cases dropped further to 6,97,802.

The case count was the lowest on Friday since January 5, when 58,097 infections were recorded. Meanwhile, on Thursday, 67,084 cases, 1,241 deaths, and 1,67,882 active cases were recorded on Thursday.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 1,511,321 samples were tested for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, with a total testing figure of more than 740 million so far.

According to the Union Health Ministry's recent update, India saw a significant drop in its daily tally of coronavirus disease. The case count was the lowest on Friday since January 5, when 58,097 infections were recorded. Meanwhile, on Thursday, 67,084 cases, 1,241 deaths, and 1,67,882 active cases were seen on Thursday.

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Following the latest update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as many as 1,67,882 patients were cured in the last 24 hours and 1,241 died due to the coronavirus infection. As per the latest numbers, the recoveries and deaths stand at 4,11,80,751 (96.95 per cent) and 5,06,520, respectively.

The daily positivity rate currently is at 4.44 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate stands at 6.58 per cent. 

The government confirmed that over 1.71 crore vaccines had been administered against the viral disease ever since the nationwide drive was launched in January 2021. In the last 24 hours, over 46 lakh doses were administered. 

According to the ministry, over 74.61 crore samples have been tested since the pandemic began in the country. Approximately 15 lakh samples were examined in the last 24 hours.

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The FabiSpray has been developed to treat adult patients suffering from Covid and are at a high risk of disease progression. This includes the non-vaccinated patients, the adults and older age patients, and patients with comorbidities. 

Earlier, the company received manufacturing and marketing approval for FabiSpray from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) as a part of the accelerated approval process. 

The Chief Commercial Officer of Glenmark, Robert Crockart, said on the recent development, as a leading pharmaceutical player, they must be an integral part of India's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He added they are confident that nasal spray will provide patients with a much-needed and timely treatment option.

As per Glenmark, the FabiSpray is intended to kill the Covid-19 virus in the upper airways. The nasal spray has proven antimicrobial properties. 

The company further explained that when it is spread over the nasal mucosa, it acts as a physical and chemical barrier against the virus and prevents it from incubating and spreading to the lungs. 

The Phase 3 trials of the spray in India demonstrated a 94 per cent reduction in viral load in 24 hours and a 99.9 per cent reduction in 48 hours. Covid patients found the spray to be safe and tolerable.

Dr Monika Tandon, Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said, "The results from this Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial are encouraging," said Tandon adding that the demonstration of reduction in the viral load has a significant positive impact on both the patient and the community. She said NONS is a helpful option in India's fight against Covid-19 in the current scenario, with new emerging variants exhibiting high transmissibility.

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World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist and technical lead on Covid-19 Dr Maria Van Kerkhove in a recent press briefing stressed that the pandemic is far from over and future variants will be in some way more virulent than Omicron is now.

“Omicron will not be the last variant you will hear us speaking about. The next variant of concern will be more fit and what we mean by that is it will be more transmissible because it will have to overtake what is currently circulating. The big question is whether or not future variants will be more or less severe,” said Maria Van Kerkhove.

What are potential future scenarios on #COVID19 and #Omicron? WHO's Dr @mvankerkhove explains. ⬇ pic.twitter.com/joaHlgmLKi

— World Health Organization Philippines (@WHOPhilippines) February 6, 2022

She further warned that the next variant could more easily evade immunity, rendering vaccines less effective. “We do not want to be in that situation. So, we want to make sure that we reduce the spread,” she said.

“We expect that with the right interventions, the circulation of Covid-19 will be low. But even within those circulations, there will be flare-ups among people who are not protected by the vaccine or those who have waning immunity,” added Dr Van Kerkhove.

While omicron appears to have peaked in some countries, it’s gaining ground in others, WHO officials said.

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Dr Van Kerkhove has cautioned that there is “no guarantee” the coronavirus will get weaker as it evolves and that although the world might hope that’s the case, “we can’t bank on it.”

The Delta variant that was first detected in India in October 2020 was labelled a variant of concern by the WHO. It spread 50 per cent faster than the Alpha variant, which was 50 per cent more contagious than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, more commonly known as the coronavirus.

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Six months later, the Delta strain ravaged the country, causing a record-breaking number of daily cases and claiming lives. By June 2021, it caused a fresh surge in cases in the UK, Israel, Russia, Australia and several other parts of the world.

Omicron after being detected in South Africa in late November 2021 was tagged as a variant of concern and replaced Delta as the dominant strain in a much shorter interval. Omicron, though milder is at least two to four time more transmissible than the Delta variant. It also possesses an enhanced ability to evade vaccines, on top of a reinfection rate five times that of Delta.

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Abdi Mahamud, the WHO's incident manager, stated that 130 million cases and 500,000 deaths had been registered worldwide since Omicron was declared a variant of concern in late November. It has since surpassed Delta as the dominant Covid variant because it is more transmissible, despite causing less severe illness.

Mahamud, during a live interaction on the WHO's social media channels, said, "In the age of effective vaccines, half a million people dying, it's really something." He added that everyone claims that Omicron is milder; however, they missed the point that half a million people died were detected with the variant. He said it's 'beyond tragic.'

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, said the number of known Omicron cases is 'astounding,' and the actual number is much higher. She added the current number makes the previous peaks look almost flat. She said we are still in the middle of this pandemic as many countries have not passed their peak of Omicron yet. 

Van Kerkhove expressed grave concern that the number of deaths had risen for several weeks in a row. This virus is still dangerous, she said.

In the weekly Covid-19 epidemiological update released late Tuesday, WHO reported nearly 68,000 new deaths in the last week. The weekly number of new Covid cases dropped by 17 per cent to almost 19.3 million.

Last week, the WHO's Europe region accounted for 58 per cent of new confirmed cases and 35 per cent of new deaths. The Americas accounted for 23 per cent of new cases and 44 per cent of new deaths.

As per the report, the pandemic is currently "characterised by the continued rapid global spread of the Omicron variant," with the variant now detected "in almost all countries."

WHO said, Omicron accounted for 96.7 per cent of samples sequenced and uploaded to the GISAID global science initiative in the last 30 days. Delta now accounts for only 3.3% of the total. According to the report, there is a lack of data on the efficacy of vaccines against Omicron.

The report however read, the available estimates show the primary series, Covid-19 vaccines provide less protection against the Omicron variant for all outcomes (severe disease, symptomatic disease, and infection) than other variants of concern that have previously been observed. It adds that booster shots 'substantially' improve efficacy.

According to the report, Covid-19 has killed over 5.7 million people since it emerged in China in December 2019, with over 392 million cases recorded. Globally, nearly 10.25 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered.

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India logged 71,365 fresh Covid-19 cases, pushing the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,24,10,976 in the last 24 hours. The death toll climbed to 5,05,279 with 1,217 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The country saw a total of 1,72,211 discharges in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery rate at around 96.7 per cent and total recoveries data reached to 4,10,12,869. The total active cases of Covid-19 in India have declined to 8,92,828 (2.11 per cent) the ministry data showed.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, as many as 15,71,726 new Covid-19 tests were conducted across the country and the weekly positivity rate currently stands at 7.57 per cent. The daily positivity rate is reported to be 4.54 per cent.
 

Meanwhile, under the ongoing nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive, 170.87 (1,70,87,06,705) crore vaccine doses have been administered so far.