Coronavirus impact: Durables, drugs, electronics to run out of steam with 70% import dependence, says Crisil

The epidemic has already killed over 2,110 in China alone and infected close to 75,000 there, as 60 million Chinese are suffering from Beijing-ordered shutdown across more than two dozen cities.

Mumbai: The coronavirus epidemic that has stalled large parts of China, if not contained quickly will jeopardise many domestic sectors which are heavily dependent on Chinese inputs warn analysts at Crisil. In terms of shipments from China, imports of solar panels stand at 75 per cent, bulk drugs ingredients 69 per cent, electronics 67 per cent and consumer durables 45 per cent being the worst hit.

The epidemic has already killed over 2,110 in China alone and infected close to 75,000 there, as 60 million Chinese are suffering from Beijing-ordered shutdown across more than two dozen cities....read more

Changes to Coronavirus Diagnostic Criteria Result in Confusion

For the second time in over a week, China has changed its criteria for confirming coronavirus cases, thus resulting in a dramatic decrease in new infections.

The new criteria exclude patients from Hubei Province, where cases are diagnosed using clinical methods, including CT scans and assessment of symptoms. Instead, patients there would be considered as having contracted the virus only when it is confirmed by a specialized nucleic acid test....read more

Over 21% may get infected with COVID-19 if you stay in close contact for two weeks

20th Feb: Coronavirus continues to spread in China; however, it appears to be slowing. Authorities, on Wednesday, reported less than 2,000 new cases for the second straight day. Cases outside China continue to rise though.

Soon after reporting its first two coronavirus cases, Iran reported two deaths. Deaths in mainland China have risen to 2,004; Hong Kong has now reported a second death....read more

Maximum cases in one day outside China: COVID-19

CMAAO Update 20th February on COVID-19 Drop in new cases for 7th straight day, 21% on ship got infected, 20 cases on ship in serious condition, over 4000 likely deaths, 2 deaths in Iran, 1 death in Hong Kong, 150 new cases outside China

COVID-19 virus possibly behaves like SARS; causes mild illness in 82%, severe illness in 15%, critical illness in 3% and death in 2.3% cases (15% of admitted serious cases, 71% with comorbidity); affects all ages but predominantly males (56%) with median age 59 years (2-74 years, less in children below 15); with mean incubation period 2-14 days (3 days based on 1,324 cases); 5.2 days (based on 425 cases), 6.4 days in travellers from Wuhan); mean time to symptoms 5 days, mean time to pneumonia 9 days, mean time to death 14 days, 3-4 reproductive number R0 (flu 1.2 and SARS 2), epidemic doubling time 7.5 days, has origin possibly from bats, spreads via large droplets and predominantly from people having lower respiratory infections and hence, standard droplet precautions are the answer for the public and close contacts and airborne precautions for the healthcare workers dealing with the secretions....read more

The Deeper Meaning of Lord Shiva

Many of us are devout followers of Shiva. But, we worship Him without understanding the deeper meaning of Shiva. In Hindu mythology, Shiva is one of the three forms (trimurtis) of God, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, the Hindu Triumvirate....read more

How Corona Aware Are You

Health Sutras By Dr K K Aggarwal

Driving and drinking do not go together

Healthcare News Monitor

USFDA: Manufacturers’ quality systems in India have matured

ET Healthworld

The US drug regulator, United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA), indicated that the overall adherence to quality framework by Indian manufacturers has improved over the last couple of years. “I think that if you are talking about difference from a few years ago, there has been an increase in maturity of quality systems…,” Dr Sarah McMullen, deputy director, USFDA India office, said on sidelines of BioAsia 2020 when asked about the performance of Indian firms. McMullen added that FDA has been closely collaborating with the Indian drug regulator Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and in many inspections, CDSCO officials join as observers. FDA conducted around 200 inspections last year in India, which supplies approximately 40% of the generics sold in the US. The FDA official said that once pharma manufacturing units receive Form 483, they must respond to authority in “comprehensive thoughtful and realistic” manner within the stipulated time of 15 days, following which they can fix the problem.

Icra revises domestic pharma industry outlook to negative due to coronavirus outbreak

ET Healthworld – PTI

Rating agency Icra on Thursday said it has revised its outlook on Indian pharmaceutical industry to negative from stable due to ongoing lockouts in parts of China following the outbreak of coronavirus. The domestic drug industry is highly dependent on imports, with more than 60 per cent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) requirement being shipped from overseas locations, especially China. In some specific active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), like cephalosporins, azithromycin and penicillin, the dependence is as high as 80 to 90 per cent, ICRA said in a statement. Of the total imports of APIs and intermediates into India, China accounts for 65-70 per cent, it added. The situation is more alarming in case of intermediates of stages prior to APIs and key starting materials (KSMs) which are the building blocks for drugs, wherein, in some cases, China is the exclusive supplier, the rating agency said. For instance, PenG and 7ACA, the key raw materials required for manufacturing cephalosporins are manufactured exclusively in China, it added. Additionally, for some input materials, even if alternate sources are available, China remains the preferred source given the economical rates, Icra said. "The outbreak of the coronavirus in China and the consequent lockout in parts of China have resulted in a shutdown of production units in China. Though majority of the pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in China are located far away from the coronavirus affected sites, there has been a disruption in the supply chain due to the lockouts," Icra noted.

Suspect coronavirus patient admitted hospital, leaves without permission

Hindustan Times

A Kalanaur resident, Gurpreet Singh, in his 20s, reported to and was admitted at the local civil hospital for treatment of fever and flu (symptoms similar to coronavirus), but later left without informing hospital authorities. Medical officer Dr Manjinder Singh Babbar said, “Gurpreet Singh was admitted to the civil hospital and he would have been kept in a separate ward, meant for suspect coronavirus patients, for at least 14 days or till the time he would have been completely cured of fever and flu.” Dr Babbar added that this decision was influenced by the fact that Gurpreet had come home from New Zealand on January 21, and had a transit stop for 15 hours at Beijing in China as part of that journey. Dr Babbar said samples of the patient had been taken and sent to a lab to confirm if he was a victim of coronavirus. “The deputy commissioner has also been informed that the patient absconded from the hospital after admission.”

Kolkata: Woman dies hours after giving birth, husband assaults doctors

The Times of India - Sumati Yengkhom

The husband of a young woman, who died hours after she gave birth to a healthy boy, assaulted the gynaecologist who had delivered the baby at CMRI Hospital on Thursday morning, sparking widespread anger in the medical fraternity, with doctors seeking strict punishment for the accused. Rinki Bhattacharya, 30, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, where ob-gyn Basab Mukherjee conducted a C-section to deliver a boy in the morning. Family members said the mother had appeared quite healthy when they saw her during the evening visiting hour. But the Baguiati resident developed severe respiratory distress around 3am on Thursday and died of a cardiac arrest soon after. Coming barely eight months after the vicious mob assault at NRS Medical College and Hospital on two junior doctors, the single slap on Thursday resounded far widely than just in the corridors of CMRI. News of the assault sent ripples through the medical fraternity. The NRS incident led to protracted protests and a government assurance on a clampdown on such attacks. The CMRI assault has again touched a raw nerve. Rinki had been under Basab Mukherjee’s care since she became pregnant. Accordingly, she was admitted to CMRI, with which the doctor is attached. The baby was delivered a little after 10am on Wednesday. The rest of the day was normal. According to hospital authorities, she suddenly complained of severe respiratory distress around 3am on Thursday and died of a cardiac arrest despite critical care support.