Coronavirus

The Department of Information and Public Relations, on January 19, said that Mizoram reported 1,312 new COVID-19 cases, while one person died, in the last 24 hours. The current positivity rate in the state stands at 16.02%. The total number of cases now in the state has gone up to 1,55,071, while the active caseload stands at 9,012. Notably, the COVID-19 death toll in the state has risen to 574. 

Maharashtra government mandated seven-day institutional quarantine for international passengers arriving in the state from 'at-risk' countries on November 30. The countries designated as at-risk are the European countries, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil, UK, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Israel. Moreover, these passengers have to undergo an RT-PCR test. Reportedly, if any passenger is found positive for the virus,… read-more

Karnataka's health minister, K Sudhakar, announced on November 27 that SDM College of Medical Sciences in the state's Dharwad district has become a Covid-19 cluster, with 281 people on campus testing positive. Schools and institutions within a 500-meter radius of SDM college have been closed and surrounding areas have sanitized. According to reports, eight ambulances at college are on standby, and visitors to the campus have been limited.

The United Kingdom warned on the newly discovered coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa. The variant, known as B.1.1.529, contains a spike protein that differs significantly from the one found in the original coronavirus on which COVID-19 vaccines are based, according to the UK Health Security Agency.  Botswana and Hong Kong have also discovered the variant, and Britain has banned flights from South Africa and five neighboring nations… read-more

Officials from the World Health Organization met on November 25 to examine a novel coronavirus strain that has been spreading in South Africa. "B.1.1529", the new variation, has an abnormally high number of mutations, according to Francois Balloux, head of the UCL Genetics Institute, in a statement released by the Science Media Centre. "It might have developed during an immuno-compromised person's long-term infection, maybe in an untreated… read-more