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Tag: new covid 19 variant

  • WHO says vaccination, not journey curbs, key to battling Omicron

    The World Health Organization (WHO) urged nations to spice up healthcare capability and vaccinate their individuals to battle a surge in COVID-19 circumstances pushed by the Omicron variant, and stated journey curbs may purchase time however alone weren’t the reply.
    Despite shutting its borders to journey from high-risk southern African nations, Australia grew to become the newest nation to report group transmission of the brand new variant, a day after it was present in 5 U.S. states.

    Omicron has gained a foothold in Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Europe and has reached seven of the 9 provinces of South Africa, the place it was first recognized. Many governments have tightened journey guidelines to maintain the variant out.
    “Border controls can buy time but every country and every community must prepare for new surges in cases,” Takeshi Kasai, the WHO’s western Pacific director, informed a media briefing.
    “People should not only rely on border measures. What is most important is to prepare for these variants with potential high transmissibility. So far the information available suggests we don’t have to change our approach.”
    Kasai urged nations to completely vaccinate weak teams and stick with preventive measures comparable to masks sporting and social distancing.

    Omicron has been listed as a “variant of concern” by the WHO and scientists are nonetheless gathering knowledge to ascertain how extreme and contagious it’s simply as elements of Europe have been hit by surges of winter infections by the extra acquainted Delta variant.
    Michelle Groome, a scientist with South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, stated the nation was dealing with an unprecedented rise in infections as a result of Omicron.
    Almost 264 million individuals have been reported to be contaminated by the coronavirus because it was first detected in central China in late 2019 and 5.48 million individuals have died, in response to a Reuters tally.

    ‘Science and speed’
    Vaccination charges fluctuate from nation to nation however there are worrying gaps in poorer nations. Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation and as soon as Asia’s COVID-19 epicentre, has totally inoculated solely about 35% of its inhabitants.
    Australia’s chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, stated Omicron was more likely to grow to be the dominant variant globally inside months, however at this stage there was no proof it was any extra harmful than Delta.
    In the United States, the Biden administration introduced measures to protect towards the virus spreading. From Monday, worldwide air travellersarriving within the United States must have obtained a adverse COVID-19 check inside a day of journey.

    “We’re going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion,” President Joe Biden stated.
    Fewer than 60% of the U.S. inhabitants have been totally vaccinated, one of many lowest charges amongst rich nations.
    Global journey curbs have accelerated with Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Norway and Russia, amongst others, asserting new measures on Thursday.

    Aside from wreaking havoc within the journey business, the clampdown has pounded monetary markets and undermined main economies simply as they have been starting to get well from the lockdowns triggered by Delta.
    Germany stated it could bar the unvaccinated from all however important companies, and laws to make vaccination necessary could be drafted for early subsequent yr.
    Several nations, together with Britain and the United States, have been bringing ahead plans to supply booster photographs, however, like journey bans, they’re controversial.
    Many scientists say the best way to cease the virus spreading is to verify poorer nations have entry to vaccines, to not give blanket booster photographs to individuals in richer nations.

  • WHO to fulfill on Friday to evaluate new Covid-19 variant detected in South Africa

    By: PTI | Geneva, United Nation |
    November 26, 2021 12:05:42 pm
    The World Health Organisation is monitoring the brand new coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 first detected in South Africa and can maintain a “special meeting” on Friday to debate if the closely mutated pressure will turn out to be a variant of curiosity or a variant of concern, a high official mentioned.
    The newest variant is probably the most closely mutated model found to this point. First recognized in South Africa at the beginning of this week, the pressure has already unfold to neighbouring international locations, together with Botswana, the place it has been reportedly detected in totally vaccinated individuals.
    The new variant has been red-flagged by scientists over an alarmingly excessive variety of spike mutations which may make the virus extra proof against vaccines, improve its transmissibility and result in extra extreme COVID-19 signs.

    “There are fewer than 100 whole genome sequences that are available. We don’t know very much about this yet. What we do know is that this variant has a large number of mutations. And the concern is that when you have so many mutations, that can have an impact on how the virus behaves,” Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and COVID-19 Technical Lead on the WHO Maria Van Kerkhove mentioned throughout a digital Q&A session on Thursday.
    She mentioned proper now the researchers had been getting collectively to know the place these mutations and spike protein are and what that doubtlessly could imply for COVID19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

    Kerkhove mentioned WHO colleagues in South Africa are planning to undertake a neutralisation research that may take a number of weeks “for us to understand what impact this variant has on any potential vaccines.”
    Emphasising that a substantial amount of work is underway on the brand new variant, Kerkhove mentioned the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution is discussing this with colleagues in South Africa. “We’re also meeting again tomorrow. We’re calling a special meeting to discuss this, not to cause alarm, but just because we have this system in place, we could bring these scientists together and discuss what does it mean and also can set the timeline for how long it will take for us to get those answers,” she mentioned.

    “So right now, it’s a variant that is under monitoring. The TAG Virus Evolution working group will discuss if it will become a variant of interest or a variant of concern. And if that’s the case, then we will assign it a Greek name. But it is something to watch,” she mentioned.
    It is “good” that a majority of these variants are being detected as a result of which means there’s a system in place that’s working, Kerkhove famous.
    The WHO has mentioned that solely 27 per cent of well being employees in Africa have been totally vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, leaving the majority of the workforce on the frontlines in opposition to the pandemic unprotected.
    After nearly 4 months of a sustained decline, COVID-19 circumstances within the basic inhabitants in Africa have plateaued. For the primary time because the third wave peak in August, circumstances in Southern Africa have elevated, leaping 48 per cent within the week ending on November 21 in contrast with the earlier week.
    To date, greater than 227 million vaccine doses have been administered in Africa. In 39 international locations which supplied information, 3.9 million doses have been given to well being employees.
    “With a new surge in cases looming over Africa following the end-of-year festive season, countries must urgently speed up the rollout of vaccines to health care workers,” mentioned Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
    According to the WHO, vaccine shipments have been on the rise over the previous three months. Africa has acquired 330 million doses from the COVAX Facility, the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team and bilateral agreements since February 2021.
    Of these 83 per cent have been delivered since August alone. As vaccine provide picks up, addressing uptake bottlenecks and accelerating rollout turn out to be extra crucial.
    Kerkhove mentioned that the extra the COVID-19 virus circulates, the extra alternatives the virus has to alter, the extra mutations there can be.
    “So, we need to drive that transmission down so that we reduce the possibility of having more variants emerge. But this is one to watch. I would say we have a concern but I think you would want us to have a concern,” she mentioned.
    She famous that the WHO was monitoring a minimum of 30 sub-lineages of the extremely transmissible Delta variant, which can also be evolving.
    Against the backdrop of the brand new variant being detected in South Africa, Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Emergencies Programme, cautioned that there must be no knee-jerk responses particularly with relation to South Africa, which is selecting up fascinating and vital alerts for “which we’re doing the correct danger evaluation and danger administration.
    He mentioned that previously when there was any point out of any form of variation of the virus, everybody was “closing borders and restricting travel”.
    “It’s really important that we remain open, and we will remain focused on understanding and characterizing the problem and not punishing countries for doing outstanding scientific work and actually being open and transparent about what they’re seeing and what they’re finding,” Ryan mentioned.

    The WHO official mentioned it was actually vital that international locations just like the UK and South Africa, who’re brazenly sharing and being clear about variants, are supported.
    “If we’re going to beat this virus, we need good information. And good information will only come when people feel that they may share that information without being punished for having done so. We have not fully assessed any threat or risk associated with this variation. That remains to be seen and the studies need to be done,” he mentioned.
    Cautioning people who viruses evolve and there are variations, Ryan, nonetheless, added that “it’s not the end of the world and the sky is not falling in.”

  • India information 11,610 new COVID circumstances, 100 extra fatalities; restoration fee at 97.33%

    Image Source : AP India information 11,610 new COVID circumstances, 100 extra fatalities; restoration fee at 97.33%
    With 11,610 new COVID circumstances, India’s tally on Wednesday climbed to 1,09,37,320, whereas the variety of recoveries has surged to 1,06,44,858, in line with the Union well being ministry. The loss of life toll as a result of viral illness has gone as much as 1,55,913 within the nation with 100 extra fatalities reported in a 24-hour interval, the ministry’s knowledge up to date at 8 am confirmed.

    The quantity of people that have recuperated from the illness has climbed to 1,06,44,858, which interprets to a nationwide COVID-19 restoration fee of 97.33 per cent, whereas the case fatality fee stands at 1.43 per cent.

    There are 1,36,549 lively circumstances of the coronavirus an infection within the nation presently, which accounts for only one.25 per cent of its whole caseload, the information acknowledged.

    India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 final yr, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16. It went previous 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19. 

    According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 20,79,77,229   samples have thus far been examined for the viral illness within the nation, together with 6,44,931 on Tuesday.

    Also Read: Coronavirus circumstances proceed to fall in Delhi, lively circumstances now simply 1,019
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  • India efficiently cultures UK coronavirus variant: ICMR

    Image Source : AP India efficiently cultures UK coronavirus variant: ICMR (Representational Image)
    India has efficiently cultured the brand new ‘extra infectious’ coronavirus pressure, which had originated within the United Kingdom, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) mentioned on Saturday. The British Government had just lately introduced that the newly recognized pressure of the virus discovered of their inhabitants is as much as 70 % extra transmissible, following which India sprung into motion.
    The nation put in place a pro-active and preventive technique to detect and comprise the variant. So far, the brand new variant has been detected in 29 UK returnees via genome sequencing.
    “India successfully cultures the new viral strain on the horizon (UK variant of SARS-COV-2). UK-variant of the virus, with all signature changes, is now successfully isolated and cultured at the National Institute of Virology from the clinical specimens collected from UK-returnees,” the apex analysis council mentioned.

    Notably, no nation has but reported profitable isolation and tradition of the UK-variant of SARS-CoV-2. In India, Vero cell traces had been utilized by the scientists of ICMR-NIV to tradition the UK-variant of the virus.
    The new UK Variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon, and Singapore.
    From November 25 to December 23 midnight, about 33,000 passengers had disembarked at varied Indian airports from the UK. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by States and UTs to RT-PCR checks to trace down the mutant coronavirus pressure.
    ALSO READ | India’s indigenous vaccine Covaxin has drawn international consideration: ICMR
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