Omicron LIVE Updates: Glenmark Launches India's First Covid Nasal Spray for Treating Adults; WHO Says New Variant Likely to be Deadlier

Daily COVID-19 cases in Kerala which saw a slight increase a day ago, again decreased with the state on Wednesday recording 23,253 fresh infections which raised the total caseload to 63,46,631. The southern state had reported 29,471 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

Researchers in Canada have developed a computer model that simulates many variables affecting the transmission of COVID-19 to suggest the best ways to slow the spread of variants. The model created by researchers at the University of Waterloo takes raw data already in use to forecast case numbers and hospitalisations, and then adds other factors, such as vaccination rates, mask use and lockdowns, and the number of breakthrough infections.

Night curfew imposed due to Covid-19 has now been lifted. Further, all social/ religious/ cultural/ political & other congregations including weddings & funerals are permitted to 50% of the capacity, both in indoor & outdoor areas: State Cabinet

Combining the antiviral remdesivir or molnupiravir with the experimental drug brequinar blocks the reproduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes Covid-19, in lung cells and in mice, according to a study. The research, published recently in the journal Nature, suggests that these drugs are more potent when used in combination than individually. Though they have not yet been tested in clinical trials, the combinations of drugs identified in the study have the potential to become very promising COVID-19 treatments, the researchers said. “Identifying combinations of antivirals is really important, not only because doing so may increase the drugs’ potency against the coronavirus, but combining drugs also reduces the risk of resistance, said study principal investigator Sara Cherry, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, US.

Glenmark received manufacturing and marketing approval from India’s drug regulator for Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) as part of accelerated approval process. Phase 3 trial in India met the key endpoints and demonstrated reduction of viral load of 94% in 24 hours and 99% in 48 hours. NONS was safe and well tolerated in COVID-19 patients. Glenmark to market NONS under the brand name FabiSpray.

The global case count amounted to 400,244,031, with 5,761,208 deaths worldwide, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US reported 77,025,027 cases and 908,262 deaths, both the highest counts around the world, accounting for more than 19 per cent of the global cases and more than 15 per cent of the global deaths, Xinhua news agency reported.

India recorded the world’s second largest caseload of 42,339,611, followed by Brazil with 26,776,692 cases as well as the world’s second largest death toll of 634,057.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Tuesday announced that the city will be unlocked by the end of February as coronavirus cases decline but added that masks and social distancing would still have to be followed. “There is good news for Mumbaikars. Mumbai will be unlocked by the end of this month. We have made up our minds, but it is essential for the people to wear masks and observe social distancing,” Pednekar said.

Mumbai is also now free of containment zones in slums and chawls and only one building remains sealed to check the spread of infection. On January 7 this year, Mumbai had reported the highest-ever 20,971 cases. According to municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, the third wave started on December 21, 2021.

Canadian lawmakers expressed increasing worry Tuesday about the economic effects of disruptive demonstrations after the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada became partially blocked by truckers protesting vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions. The blockade at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, prevented traffic from entering Canada while some U.S.-bound traffic was still moving, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said, calling the bridge one of the most important border crossings in the world.” It carries 25% of all trade between Canada and the United States.

West Bengal on Tuesday reported 736 new COVID19 cases, which pushed the tally to 20,07,249, the health department said in its bulletin. Thirtytwo more people died of the infection including nine in Paschim Bardhaman, five in the city and four in North 24 Parganas which raised the toll to 20,884, the bulletin said At least 1,559 people recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,70,356 . The discharge rate stood at 98.16 per cent and the fatality rate at 1.04 per cent.

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 6,107 new coronavirus cases, 329 less than the day ago, and 57 fresh deaths linked to the infection, while 16,035 more patients recovered from the disease, the state health department said. With these additions, the overall tally of COVID-19 cases increased to 78,16,243, while the death toll jumped to 1,43,155, the department said in a bulletin.

As per the bulletin, the number of recovered cases in Maharashtra increased to 75,73,069 after 16,035 patients were discharged during the day, leaving the state with 96,069 active cases.On Monday, the state had recorded 6,436 new cases and 24 fatalities.

Delhi recorded 12 coronaviruslinked deaths in a day, while the number of fresh infections stood at 1,114 as the positivity rate dipped to 2.28 per cent, according to data shared by the city Health Department on Tuesday. With this, the national capital’s case count increased to 18,46,198 and the death toll climbed to 26,010, the latest health bulletin stated.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said there has been 5.33 lakh deaths so far from the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. He also informed that insurance claims worth Rs 808 crore have been paid under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package’ (PMGKP) insurance scheme, launched on March 30, 2020, to families of 1,616 healthcare workers who died while being involved in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Replying to a supplementary question asked by Congress MP K C Venugopal related to Covid deaths in Rajya Sabha, Mandaviya said health is a state subject and the related data is collected by the states and then reported to the central government.

He said the World Health Organisation has issued guidelines on collecting the data on COVID-19 deaths. Based on these guidelines, the Centre has created a platform and asked the states to submit the data on COVID-19 deaths on it, he added.

More than 5 crore adolescents in the 15-18 age group have been administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. In a tweet, Mandaviya said, “Young India is fighting the pandemic with full vigour. Great going, my young friends!” With the administration of more than 55.78 lakh vaccine doses in a span of 24 hours, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country have exceeded 170.21 crore (1,70,21,72,615), according to provisional reports till 7 am.

The COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents in the 15-18 age group commenced from January 3.