Symptomatic but negative? Must retest: Health minister to states

NEW DELHI: Amid a record single-day surge of over 95,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, the Centre has again urged all states and Union Territories to mandatorily retest all those found to be symptomatic negative in rapid antigen tests (RAT). The retests are to be done through the more reliable RT-PCR method to ensure a positive case does not go undetected. The Centre’s advisory came even as around 60% of the total new cases were reported from just five states. Maharashtra alone contributed 23,577 and Andhra Pradesh had 10,418 cases on Wednesday. Health ministry sources said the Centre was keen on ensuring more testing, particularly in states with a high positivity rate, but also pointed to the laxity that has crept into public behaviour. They said only widespread use of masks would help reduce incidence of the disease. ....read more

Chemical Mediators Causing Cytokine Strome in Viral Infections

Cytokine storm creates a havoc in the body! Understand all about chemical mediators leading to a cytokine storm in viral infections as our guests talk about it today at 7:00 PM on MEDtalks with Dr K K Aggarwal. Just click on www.facebook.com/drkkaggarwal or https://perfecthealthmela.com/vevent/general-webinar.php

CMAAO Coronavirus Facts and Myth Busters: Corona Virology

With input from Dr Monica Vasudev1079: Update on Covid-19IMA-CMAAO Webinar on “Understanding the molecular biology of coronavirus proteins” 5th September, 2020, 4-5pm,Participants: Dr KK Aggarwal, President CMAAO, Dr RV Asokan, Hony Secretary General IMA, Dr Ramesh K Datta, Hony Finance Secretary IMA, Dr Jayakrishnan Alapet, Dr S Sharma ,Faculty: Dr Pavithra Venkatagopalan, PhD Coronavirus studies, Director, Care Health Diagnostic Center, Chennai Key points from the discussionLife has three main domains: Bacteria and Archaea, which are single-celled; everything else - from yeast to humans - comes under Eukarya. ....read more

World COVID Meter 10th September: Acute manageable immunogenic thrombogenic inflammatory viral disease pandemic

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, 22M August 19, 23M August 21, 24M August 27, 25M August 30, 26M September 3, 27M September 7, 28M September 10 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: 28,014,741,Deaths: 907,299,Recovered:20,091,717,ACTIVE CASES 7,015,725,Currently Infected Patients 6,955,087 (99%) in Mild Condition ....read more

Why do we close our eyes for meditation?

Whenever we pray, think of God, undertake an internal healing procedure, kiss someone, or meditate, we automatically close our eyes. It is a common Vedic saying that the soul resides in the heart and all the feelings are felt at the level of heart. Most learning procedures in meditation involve sitting in an erect, straight posture, closing the eyes, withdrawing from the world and concentrating on the object of concentration. Yoga Sutra of Patanjali describes pratihara (withdrawal of senses) as one of the eight limbs of yoga - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratihara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. ....read more

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Redefining stroke in the current scenario

Healthcare News Monitor

Covid-19: Indian sites await DCGI nod to restart Oxford vaccine trial

Business Standard

Even as late-stage trials for the UK arm of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine have been suspended after a study participant suffered a ‘potentially unexplained illness’, India will wait until the country’s drug regulator gives the go-ahead to restart the trials, observed investigators here. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) V G Somani will take a call after he receives data from the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in the UK as well as India. According to sources close to the development, around 100 participants were administered the first shot of the vaccine (Covishield) here. The safety data is being analysed by the DSMB. Unless the DSMB gives its consent, the second shot of the vaccine will not be administered.

Coronavirus vaccine: Serum Institute halts trials in India after drug regulator’s notice

scroll.in

The Serum Institute of India on Thursday said that it will stop phase three trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine and review the situation till they begin again in the United Kingdom. “We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts them,” the institute said in a statement on Thursday. “We are following DCGI’s instructions and will not be able to comment further on the same. You can connect with DCGI for more updates on this front.” The Serum Institute of India is developing the vaccine in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Oxford University. On Wednesday, the Serum Institute of India said that its trials of the coronavirus vaccine will continue, even as United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca has suspended it. Following this, on the same day, the Drugs Controller General of India issued a notice to the Serum Institute of India, asking why the trials were not suspended till patient safety is established.

‘Suicide happens suddenly’ and other myths busted by WHO, doctor

The Indian Express

World Suicide Prevention Day 2020: In India, more than 1,00,000 people commit suicide every year, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). As per the official data, a total of 1,34,516 suicides were reported in 2018, an increase of 3.6 per cent from 2017. And yet, more often than not, people hesitate to talk about the issue openly nor manage to recognise and address suicidal intent in a person. To build more awareness, let us bust some common myths about suicide: Myth: People who talk about suicide do not commit it If people communicate ideas revolving around death, others tend to trivialise it. It is also seen as a plea for attention and is not taken seriously, Dr Sharmila Banwat, consultant clinical psychologist, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital, told indianexpress.com. The fact is that people who talk about suicide may be reaching out for help or support, mentions World Health Organisation (WHO) in a document titled Preventing Suicide.

Coronavirus vaccine India: Covaxin to be available by early 2021, says AIIMS doctor

timesofindia

Even as Oxford Universitys vaccine candidate, AZD1222, one of the most promising ones in the race hit a pause after safety concerns, Indian authorities raised hopes that all is not lost. Indias homegrown vaccine candidate, Covaxin, which is currently in its second phase of testing will most probably be cleared for public use in the early months of 2021, according to a leading doctor from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. If this timeline is true, it might give us a clearer view of Indias fight against the pandemic. With high surges in the number of daily infections, one of the biggest in the world, vaccine inoculation might be one of the ways to defeat the wave of COVID-19. Speaking at a recent briefing, Sanjay Rai, Professor, Community Medicine, and Principal Investigator for Covid-19 vaccine trial at AIIMS announced that phase II trials for COVAXIN will wrap by October and soon enough, be pushed into phase III, making way for public use by early 2021