Covid-19: India reports 10,112 new Covid cases in 24 hours; active caseload over 67k

Positivity rate stands at 25.69%.

Early in 2020, on the same day that a frightening new illness officially got the name Covid-19, a team of scientists from the United States and China released critical data showing how quickly the virus was spreading, and who was dying. The study was cited in health warnings around the world and appeared to be a model of international collaboration in a moment of crisis. Within days, though, the researchers quietly withdrew the paper, which was replaced online by a message telling scientists not to cite it. A few observers took note of the peculiar move, but the whole episode quickly faded amid the frenzy of the coronavirus pandemic. What is now clear is that the study was not removed because of faulty research.

For the second consecutive day, Haryana saw a decline in number of new Covid 19 cases being reported in the state. On Sunday, it reported 598 new cases and 863 recoveries. No fatality was reported. Active cases of the state have come down to 5,382. No fatality was reported for the third consecutive day. According to health bulletin, no new case was reported from six districts ie Mahendergarh, Palwal, Kaithal, Nuh , Charkhi Dadri.and Bhiwani.While Gurugram, Faridabad, Hisar, Karnal and Sirsa and Panchkula reported more than 20 cases with Gurugram and Faridabad topping the table with 316 and 63 cases respectively.

Medical experts have warned against mass gatherings like weddings that are becoming a superspreader for Covid cases. According to medical experts form King George's Medical University (KGMU), people have stopped exercising caution and following Covid protocols.

According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

The national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.66 per cent, according to the health ministry website.

At 67,806, the active cases now comprise 0.15 per cent of the total infections.

The number of active cases has increased to 67,806, according to Union health ministry data.

India has reported 10,112 new Covid cases in 24 hours, the Union health ministry data updated on Sunday stated.

Recovery in international travel demand boosted the sharp increase in the passenger numbers, as countries began to ease Covid-19-related border restrictions, market watchers said.

Himachal Pradesh reported 103 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours, the Department of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday. "One death each has been reported from Kangra and Una districts," the press release said. A total of 99 Covid patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

“The pandemic is still not over, and we (states/UTs) must remain cautious against laxity,” Bhushan has warned.

The states are Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 4,42,83,021, while the case fatality rate was recorded at about 1.2%. According to the ministry’s website, 220.6 crore doses of anti-Covid vaccines have so far been administered to people across the country.

India recorded 12,193 fresh Covid cases in a span of 24 hours, with the number of active cases going up to 67,556, the health ministry said on Saturday. The death toll has climbed to 5,31,300 with 42 more fatalities, including 10 reconciled by Kerala, as per the ministry’s data.

Meanwhile, some experts nicknamed XBB.1.16 as Arcturus, after the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. However, the WHO has not named it yet. WHO assigns Greek labels only for variants of concern (VOC), and not for VOIs. "We are not using nicknames for these sub variants, and I would kindly encourage you not to. Please," Van Kerkhove said.

The WHO noted that although there has been a "slight increase" in XBB.1.16-related hospitalisation in India and Indonesia, the levels are "much lower than seen in previous variant waves". Further, "available information does not suggest that XBB.1.16 has additional public health risk relative to XBB.1.5 and the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages,a the WHO said.

So far, 3,648 sequences of the Omicron XBB.1.16 variant have been reported from 33 countries, including India, on open research platform GISAID, the global health body, said. "Following a sustained increase in the prevalence of XBB.1.16 and growth advantage reported from several countries, WHO classifies XBB.1.16 as a VOI," said Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for Covid-19 response at WHO on Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 to a Covid-19 "variant of interest" (VOI) due to its "sustained increase" and "growth advantage" reported from several countries. XBB.1.16 is a descendent lineage of XBB, a recombinant of two BA.2 descendent lineages. XBB.1.16 was first reported on January 9, this year and designated a variant under monitoring (VUM) on March 22.

Climate change affected the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. Young people with a mental illness and without social support are at an increased risk of climate change induced mental ill-health. Covid-19 resulted in a similar increase in psychological distress. Incidents of depression, anxiety and insomnia have increased due to the upheavals that people were experiencing including loss of livelihood and breaking of social bonds.

Covid-19 and the climate crisis, which have caused unprecedented disruptions across the world, had a similar negative impact on young Indians' mental health, showed a study by international researchers, including from India, published on Friday in the journal The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia.

The highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 remains the dominant strain in the US and accounted for about 73.6 per cent of new Covid-19 cases this week, CDC data showed. The World Health Organization is monitoring XBB.1.16, which is contributing to a recent surge of Covid-19 cases in India.

The subvariant XBB.1.16, referred to as "arcturus", has been added by the CDC to its variant tracker, Xinhua news agency reported. The percentage is expected to increase in the coming weeks, and it may become the next dominant coronavirus strain in the country, experts warned.

A new Omicron subvariant is spreading in the United States, and has accounted for nearly 10 per cent of new weekly Covid-19 cases reported across the country, according to data updated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The subvariant XBB.1.16, referred to as "arcturus", has been added by the CDC to its variant tracker, Xinhua news agency reported.

The positivity rate stood at 5.09%. According to the data shared by the Centre, these eight states are reporting an increase in average daily cases over the past two weeks.

“The pandemic is still not over, and we (states/UTs) must remain cautious against laxity at any level, which may nullify the gains made in pandemic management so far,” Rajesh Bhushan warned.

Monitor influenza-like-illnesses and severe acute respiratory infection cases and maintain adequate level of testing.

These are: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.