E-Paper
Rapid testing kits arrive, stimulus hopes rise: Covid-19 news today
The much-awaited Rapid Testing Kits, which use antibody-based blood tests for Covid-19, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning after missing their third deadline
The much-awaited Rapid Testing Kits, which use antibody-based blood tests for Covid-19, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning after missing their third deadline by a day, and will likely be used to test for the coronavirus disease in areas with no or few cases, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. Meanwhile, expectations for a relief and stimulus package for individuals and businesses rose after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, reviewed the Covid-19 impact on the Indian economy and the ongoing national lockdown aimed at limiting its spread.
Rapid kits finally arrive to test Covid-19 immunity
The kits will be used to test people with fever, cough, and shortness of breath in 325 districts that are currently unaffected, starting with those that are in states with a high number of Covid-19 cases, explained the official, who asked not to be named. This will be the first mass testing exercise in these districts.
PM Modi, FM Nirmala Sitharaman meet with stimulus in pipeline
The meeting between the PM and the finance minister comes against the backdrop of demands by industry bodies of a package anywhere between ~14 lakh crore and ~16 lakh crore to revive the economy. There’s been little economic activity since the lockdown was declared on March 25. There has been some easing of restrictions since, and more will be eased on April 20, especially for manufacturing facilities in economic enclaves and businesses focused on rural India, but the lockdown is to continue till May 3.
Covid-19: What you need to know today
The trajectory of Covid-19 infections in India is very different from that in any other country. It’s slower; there haven’t been too many deaths; and, at least anecdotally, the proportion of patients requiring ventilator support is lower than that in many other countries. It isn’t clear why. Nor is it clear that this trend will continue.
Firms rush to meet new PPE norms
The Bureau of Indian Standards’ newly-released list of national specifications for coveralls or body-suits worn by Covid-19 healthcare workers has left some government approved manufacturers scrambling for material that would pass the new tests, even as government-approved laboratories rejected thousands of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits that were donated by China.
One-third of India lives in red zones, Tamil Nadu leads the list
The 170 districts identified as coronavirus disease (Covid-19) hot spots across the country are home to about 37% of India’s population, with Tamil Nadu accounting for the most “red zones” – 22 of its 37 districts – among the states, according to the government’s data.
India begins controlled trials of plasma therapy
Trials using the antibody-rich blood of patients cured of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have begun, with doctors turning to a pool of 1,600 people in India who have recovered from the infection to test their antibodies as a potential cure for those fighting the disease.
Airlines told to give full refund for tickets
The Centre on Thursday ordered domestic and foreign airlines to refund passengers in full for bookings on flights that have been suspended during the extended coronavirus disease (Covid-19) lockdown until May 3 .
Typing error makes man Covid-19 positive in UP’s Amroha
Authorities on Tuesday rushed six ambulances to Nauganva in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha to quarantine eight members of a 68-year-old man’s family and to track down those, who may have in contact with him, after he was wrongly declared Covid-19 positive because of a typographical error, officials said.
Virus spread will decelerate due to lockdown: Niti Aayog member
The rate of spread of Sars-Cov-2, the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease, has slowed sharply in the past month and will decelerate further as a result of the nationwide lockdown, according to Dr Vinod Paul, a member of the government policy think tank NITI Aayog, who heads the empowered group overseeing the Covid-19 medical emergency management plan.
Hydroxychloroquine to be supplied to 55 nations
The Indian government has so far approved the supply of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, either as commercial sales or as grants, to 55 countries as part of the efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, people familiar with the development said on Thursday.
Covid crisis temporary brake, it will improve: Prakash Javadekar
The coronavirus crisis will be just a temporary “brake”, information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, said, explaining that the government is trying to save lives even as it keeps an eye on the economy. From April 20, many sectors will open up, providing livelihoods to many, he added in an interview to Hindustan Times.
After WHO row, US is probing China lab link
US President Donald Trump’s administration is urging an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the US doesn’t rule out that it came from a laboratory researching bats in Wuhan. China’s foreign ministry hit back saying the World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is no evidence that the coronavirus was made in a lab.
Your voice may be able to tell if you have Covid
The rush to understand, predict and head off the Covid-19 outbreak has prompted technology researchers to deploy artificial intelligence to create tools that can determine whether people are infected by analysing the sound of their cough, the way they speak or even breathe.
Patients start infection spread before symptoms set in: Study
People with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) start infecting others two to three days before they develop symptoms of fever and cough, according to a study from China which suggests effective outbreak containment must include contact tracing of people who have been exposed to positive cases two to three days before their symptoms first appeared.
