No proof of relapse, reinfection among recovered: ICMR

PUNE: Members of the Indian Council of Medical Research’s surveillance and clinical group told TOI on Wednesday that there has been no evidence so far of repeat Covid-19 infections, or relapses, in recovered patients. The members were asked about possible relapses after some members of Covid-19 task forces in states said there may have been cases of infection emerging again in recovered patients. On Tuesday, state health minister Rajesh Tope too said he had heard of incidents of recovered patients complaining of breathlessness and other problems and added that he has asked state task force members to seek directions from ICMR. ....read more

CMAAO Coronavirus Facts and Myth Buster: COVID Asian Update Part 2

1053: Update on COVID-19 Minutes of Virtual Meeting of CMAAO NMAs on “Asian countries update – part 2”Participants: Member NMAs ,Dr KK Aggarwal, President CMAAO; Dr Yeh Woei Chong, Singapore Chair CMAAO; Dr Alvin Yee-Shing Chan, Hong Kong; Dr Marie Uzawa Urabe, Japan; Dr Sajjad Qaisar, Pakistan; Dr Prakash Budhathoky, Nepal Invitees: Dr Russell D’Souza, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, Australia; Dr S Sharma, Editor IJCP Group ....read more

World COVID Meter 19th August: Acute immuno-inflammatory manageable virus disease with significant post viral phase, 213 Countries Affected

Cases: 1M April 2, 2M April 15, 3M April 27, 4M May 8, 5M May 20, 6M May 30, 7M June 7, 8M June 15, 9M June 22, 10M June 29th, 11M July 4, 12M July 8, 13M July 13, 14M July 17, 15M July 23, 16M July 25, 17M July 29, 18M August 1, 19M August 6, 20M August 10, 21M August 16 Ground Zero: Wuhan - in live animal market or cafeteria for animal pathogens: 10th January; Total cases are based on RT PCR, 67% sensitivity Coronavirus Cases: 22,304,094,Deaths: 784,307,Recovered: 15,044,682,ACTIVE CASES 6,475,105 ....read more

Is it necessary to take a dip in Ganga to remove your sins?

Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati, the trio Sangam in Allahabad, is believed to be the holiest place in the country where taking a dip can wash away all past sins. After death, ashes are also submerged in Ganga water with an assumption that the past sins will be removed. In Vedic era, what was the intention of the rishis and munis while making this ritual? In mythology, moon represents cool mind and Ganga represents the positive flow of thoughts. And sea turmoil indicates the disturbed state of mind. Hanuman ki samudra yatra indicates the meditative journey through the flow of thoughts. Samudra manthan represents the journey of the mind during meditation. ....read more

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When to reconfirm a rapid antigen COVID 19 test with RTPCR test

Healthcare News Monitor

Drug makers eye e-pharmacy for real time distribution data

Financial Express

Drug dispensing and distribution by pharmaceutical manufacturers are poised for a change after Amazon pharmacy’s debut in the country. As part of planning steps, a few drug manufacturers are looking to enter the e-pharmacy space along with the brick-and-mortar outlets. They have two paths to follow — developing their own platform or a possible acquisition of an existing e-commerce platform. This may help manufacturers in getting real time data about distribution and supply chain of drugs, which is not fully transparent as of now. According to reports, there are over 50-odd e-pharma platforms employing over 30,000 people in the country. Online pharmacies fall into two main categories, which include independent online pharmacies or online branches of brick-and-mortar pharmacies. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen a surge in people seeking out e-pharmacies as an alternative than visiting a traditional pharmacy.

AstraZeneca gets DCGI nod to import and market Olaparib film coated tablets

Express Pharma

AstraZeneca Pharma India informed that it has received import and market permission in Form CT-20 (marketing authorisation) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Olaparib film-coated tablets 100 mg and 150 mg – additional indication. Through this approval, Olaparib film-coated tablets 100 mg and 150 mg is additionally indicated as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and homologous recombination repair gene mutations (germline and/or somatic) who have progressed following a prior new hormonal agent. The receipt of this import and market permission paves way for the launch of Olaparib film-coated tablets 100 mg and 150 mg (Lynparza) in India for the specified additional indication, subject to the receipt of related statutory approvals and licenses

Suicides Among Doctors Were Too Common in India. Then the Pandemic Came.

Science the wire

Bengaluru: As India groans under the weight of COVID-19, another underreported crisis has come to the fore. In the last two months, nearly ten doctors have reportedly died by suicide in different institutions across the country. Most of them were younger than 30 years. The latest addition to this unfortunate list was Mohit Singhla, a research officer in the paediatrics department of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi – the third doctor to have died thus at this hospital in this period. Suicide among doctors is a complex, multi-factoral issue that has been plaguing the country for decades now. Studies from across the world indicate that suicide rates among doctors are higher than in the general population. According to the 2019 World Health Statistics, there are 10.6 suicides per one lakh people every year, although in India there are 16.3. And while studies that compare suicide rates among doctors with that of the general population in India are lacking, “there is no reason why it should be any different,” Soumitra Pathare, director of the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Pune, told The Wire Science.

Bengaluru doctor making apps for ISIS arrested by NIA

Wion

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested doctor for his alleged links with the banned terrorist outfit Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and offshoot of ISIS. He has been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). 28-year-old Abdur Rahman who is a doctor by profession was arrested from his residence in Basavangudi in Bengaluru. The NIA has said that he is in contact with the Islamic State. He was working as an Ophthalmologist at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore. During interrogation, Rahman confessed that he was conspiring with Jahanzaib Sami and other Syria-based ISIS operatives on secure messaging platforms to further ISIS activities, NIA said in a statement.