Covid-19 Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa. The large-scale analysis of Pfizer vaccine effectiveness seems to support early indications that the the vaccine shot effective against Omicron like Delta variant.
The information was shared during a recent meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, which devises COVID-19 management policies for the capital.
The B.1.617.2 or Delta variant was first observed in India in late 2020. It has since spread around the globe.
Some of the patients infected with the Delta plus variant of coronavirus were fully vaccinated
This is Maharashtra's second death from the Delta Plus after an 80-year-old woman from Ratnagiri died last month.
Covid explained: B.1.617.3, a relative of the Delta variant; B.11.318, which contains 14 mutations; Lambda, a variant discovered by Public Health England and classed as a VOI by the WHO; and Kappa or B.1.617.1 are among the variants.
While the constant fall in the number of fresh cases and the TPR is a huge relief for health planners, the fact that the virus is remaining active in the body of the infected for much longer than usual is a big cause for concern.
Regions with high vaccination and strong public health measures, such as Singapore, continue to do well, INSACOG noted.
The variant is also around 40-60 percent more transmissible than its predecessor, Alpha variant, and has already spread to more than 80 countries, including the UK, the US and Singapore.
A person can develop immunity – the ability to resist infection – in two ways: either after being infected with coronavirus or by getting vaccinated.
Globally, cases of the Alpha variant have been reported in 178 countries, territories or areas, while 123 countries reported cases of the Beta variant, 75 countries reported cases of the Gamma variant.
Lambda Covid variant explained: The variant, also known as the C.37 strain, was first detected in Peru in August 2020.
Dr. Siddharth Shiv Jaiswal, MD of NHM Tripura had reconfirmed that 91 per cent of 151 samples sent for genome sequencing test outside the state have found Delta Plus variant of the virus
According to the Union Health Ministry the Kappa Covid variant is not a new variant and it has been present in the country since February.
Genome sequencing of 109 samples done at King George's Medical College revealed 107 cases of Delta Plus variant and two cases of Kappa Variant.
Strict restrictions were imposed on travelers from India and some other countries because of the rise of the contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.
Disagreeing with the presence of cases from the lethal Delta Plus variant of coronavirus, the Delhi Health Minister mentioned that no communication on this matter has taken place between the Delhi government and the Centre.
Results of two studies of blood serum from people who had received Covaxin suggest that the vaccine generates antibodies that effectively neutralise both Alpha and Delta variants of coronavirus.
He would take his colour, brushes and canvas outside to paint and talk with his love. He would stand close to the window and paint, keeping an eye on his muse.
They say the violin mimics the human sound. In his case, it was that of love, of longing. He didn’t know any other way of loving.
Younger people do not have much progressive beliefs; a 2017 survey found that one-third of young people opposed inter-caste marriage.
The pandemic has made it clear that virtual learning is here to stay. In the West, the big question is whether it will dilute the quality of the college experience and education. In India, which grapples with digital divide, the question remains whether this will reach most people at all.
Even after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, many 'informed' individuals in India continue to deny the virus with unscientific claims and unfounded data. The latest? Omicron will end the pandemic.
Across Asia there are deeply entrenched obstacles to a mode of higher education that is liberal in multiple senses – disciplinary and epistemological but also social and political.
The two incidents in the recent past, one in Mon district of Nagaland and the other at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, undermined the core principles democracy and federalism.