At 90K a day, skyrocketing Covid-19 cases in India could eclipse US

Six months after the start of the pandemic-as the developed world tries to restore some semblance of normalcy-the virus is arriving with a vengeance in India’s vast hinterland

Current Affairs: The novel coronavirus seemed like a distant problem in Boisar, a small factory town about two hours from Mumbai, until Daniel Tribhuvan died. The 35-year-old tutor started feeling feverish in April, while bringing his father home from a chemotherapy appointment in the Indian financial capital. When a test confirmed Tribhuvan was infected, the local health system’s reaction was shambolic. After he checked into a public hospital, the first thing they did was try to pawn him off to a private facility in Mumbai.

The ambulance turned around halfway when they discovered he couldn’t pay. Back at the public hospital, a doctor didn’t see him for three days, and when an elderly man occupying a bed nearby died, his body wasn’t collected for 12 hours. After a week, Tribhuvan’s blood-oxygen levels were dangerously low. He died on May 17, becoming Boisar’s first confirmed fatality from Covid-19.

“I think he would have survived if the system was good,” Samuel Tribhuvan, Daniel’s older brother, said in a recent interview at Boisar’s local administrative office, inside a rundown building that also houses a liquor store and a portrait studio. “This is the worst place where we could get the coronavirus.”..

Covid-19 Factoid: India doubled case count in 29 days, fastest in the world

Total number of cases cross the 1 million mark in Russia while Jharkhand sees a fresh surge in new cases

The global confirmed case count is now at 25.7 million, with 6.8 active cases. More than 856,000 people have lost their lives in the pandemic globally. Roughly 5 per cent of all closed cases in the world have ended up as a fatality. In India, there are now over 3.7 million cases, with 785,996 cases, or roughly 21.2 per cent of the total count. Recovery rate is now at 76.9 per cent. At more than 65,000 deaths, the country’s death rate is now at 1.7 per cent, a marginal decline from 1.8 last week. India’s daily new cases are the biggest contributor to the global tally of confirmed cases.

Here are some data points on the outbreak:

1. India is the worst-performing country in the world

India took just 29 days to double its confirmed cases tally, becoming the fastest country to attain this unfortunate feat in the world. It is followed by Colombia and South Africa. Among the top 10 countries that took the shortest time to double its case count, four -Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Chile- are located in South America.

2. Russia is the latest country to cross 1 million cases

Russia is now the fourth country in the world to report over 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus. However, it took a significantly higher amount of time to reach this milestone, trailing behind India by 46 days. The US was the fastest country to witness its case count rise to 1 million, at just 98 days…Read More

Centre provides over 3 cr masks, 1.28 cr PPEs, 10 cr HCQs to states, UTs

Along with augmenting the Covid-19 facilities, the Centre is also providing medical supplies to the states and Union territories for free

The government has distributed more than 3.04 crore N95 masks and over 1.28 crore personal protection equipment (PPE) kits among the states, Union territories and central institutions for free since March 11, the health ministry said on Thursday. Also, more than 10.83 crore hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets have been distributed among them, it added.

In addition, 22,533 “Make in India” ventilators have been delivered to various states, Union territories and central institutions, the ministry said, adding that the Centre is also ensuring the installation and commissioning of the machines. The central role of the government has been in strengthening the health infrastructure of the states and Union territories to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure its effective management, the ministry underlined.

ALSO READ: LIVE updates: PM Modi unveils ‘fundamental reforms’ for taxpayers

Along with augmenting the Covid-19 facilities, the Centre is also providing medical supplies to the states and Union territories for free. “Most of the products supplied by the Government of India were not being manufactured in the country in the beginning. The rising global demand due to the pandemic resulted in their scarce availability in the foreign markets,” the ministry said…Read More

Indian medical experts hail Oxford trial results for Covid-19 vaccine

From clinicians to pathology experts, doctors in the country feel the Oxford trials have been the ‘most transparent’ one by far

Medical experts in India on Monday hailed the results of Oxford University’s early-stage human trials for a Covid-19 vaccine, with some saying it’s the “most scientifically done” among all such exercises, while others expressing hope that the final trials will “bear fruit”. From clinicians to pathology experts, doctors in the country feel the Oxford trials have been the “most transparent” one by far.

“The Oxford University’s early-stage trial results have been were welcoming. Among all the trials being conducted globally, this one has been the most scientifically done and seems the most reliable one,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine at Apollo Hospital here.

He said the plan and design of the trials and the whole logistics and demographic range of volunteers from 18-55 years has been “done the most scientifically” among all the trials going on globally. Chatterjee said the results have raised “good hope” and it is expected the final results will be in line, but “we need to wait for that before drawing any final conclusion”.,,Read More

70-yr-old Covid-19 patient dies in Guj, state’s toll at 3; new cases emerge

The 70-year-old man died at a government hospital in Bhavnagar

A 70-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district early Thursday morning, a health department officials said. With this, the total number of deaths due to coronavirus inthe state has gone up to three, they said. “The 70-year-old man died at a government hospital in Bhavnagar,” state principal secretary (health) Jayanti Ravi said. Earlier, one patient each from Ahmedabad and Surat had succumbed to the viral infection, she said. Four new COVID-19 cases reported in Lucknow Four new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lucknow, taking the total tally of coronavirus cases in the state to above 40 on Thursday.

A 21-year-old woman, whose parents had tested positive, a 32-year-old man with travel history to Dubai, a 33-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus, confirmed Dr. Sudhir Singh, Incharge, Isolation Ward, King George’s Medical University in Lucknow. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases have risen to 649 in India (including 593 active cases, 42 cured/discharged people) and 13 deaths.

Coronavirus cases rises to 649 in India, 13 dead, The total number of people who have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 in India has risen to 649 in India, including 593 active cases and 42 people who have been cured or discharged from hospitals, according to the recent update by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Thursday morning.