Testing will continue to play a distinct role in the post-vaccine world: Dr. Harsh Mahajan

by Dr. Harsh Mahajan Founder and Chief Radiologist, Mahajan Imaging, Senior Vice President, NATHEALTH Over the past few months, the impact and implications of Covid-19 have permeated nearly all aspects of our life. Most of us have been closely tracking daily case and fatality numbers in our state and country, keeping tabs on the evolving regulations and guidelines, and watching in dismay as the pandemic causes India’s growing economy to stumble. We collectively breathed a sigh of relief as case counts in the country started to decline, and as we began to settle into what is being called the “new normal”. Yet, things are still quite far from normal. .... read more

The COVID year: Opportunities in Adversity

In the face of adversities, human beings always rise to the occasion and create opportunities! Lets hear the personal experiences of finding opportunity in adversities from our guests today.Just click on www.facebook.com/drkkaggarwal or https://perfecthealthmela.com/vevent2/hall1a.php

CMAAO Coronavirus Facts and Myth Buster: COVID-19 Vaccines (Part 2)

With input from Dr Monica VasudevVaccines in Late-Stage Development,Vaccines that are in, or have completed, phase 3 clinical trials in the United States are mentioned below. On December 18, 2020, the US FDA granted EUA for the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in individuals aged 18 and older, after its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted to recommend (20 yes, 0 no, 1 abstention) the EUA on December 17. On December 11, 2020, the FDA granted EUA for the BNT-162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients 16 years of age and above, after its VRBPAC voted to recommend (17 yes, 4 no, 1 abstention) the EUA on December 10. .... read more

CMAAO Coronavirus Facts and Myth Buster: COVID-19 Vaccines (Part 3)

With input from Dr Monica Vasudev COVID-19 Vaccines (Source: Medscape; Reproduced for educational purposes) Investigational Vaccines Some investigational vaccine candidates are in various stages of development and clinical testing.. Vaccine : INO-4800 (Inovio Pharmaceuticals) DNA-based, 2 doses Remarks: Stable at room temperature for over a year; frozen shipment not needed; interim results from phase 1 human trial (n = 40): favorable safety and immunogenicity; expanded to include older participants. Phase 2/3 trial (INNOVATE) ongoing; phase 2 to evaluate 2-dose regimen (1 mg or 2 mg) vs placebo in 400 participants .... read more

Science behind kalpvas

The month of Magh is observed as Kalpvas where for one month, people from all over gather, do sun worship (Vitamin D), eat sesame (high in calcium) and do tulsi or basil pooja (high fertility and high in calcium). The significance is to gather one year’s vitamin D quota. For getting vitamin D, we need to expose .... read more

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De- learning of COVID-19 management

Healthcare News Monitor

Covid vaccine: We are no way inferior to Pfizer, says Bharat Biotech CMD

livemint.com

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, which received emergency approval for its coronavirus vaccine only in "clinical trial mode", virtually addressed a press conference at 5 pm on Monday. Dr Krishna Ella, the founder and chairman of Bharat Biotech, has hailed the decision of the Indian drug regulator to approve Covaxin for emergency restricted use and termed it as a giant leap for innovation and novel product development in India. .... read more

Zydus Cadila gets DCGI approval for Phase Ill trial of ZyCoV-D

expresspharma.in

Zydus Cadila announced that it will be starting Phase III clinical trials of it plasmid DNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19, ZyCoV-D after getting permission from the DCGI. The company will now be initiating Phase III clinical trial in around 30,000 volunteers. ZyCoV-D was found to be safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in the Phase I/II clinical trials. The Phase II study of the vaccine ZyCoV-D had been conducted in over 1000 healthy adult volunteers as part of the adaptive Phase I/II dose-escalation, multi-centric, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study. The vaccine was found to be safe and elicit a strong immunogenic response. The trial has reviewed by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and reports were submitted to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) regularly for the update on safety outcome.

Vaccines bring greater hope

hindustantimes.com

India formally approved the coronavirus vaccines developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca (and made by Serum Institute of India in India) and Bharat Biotech for emergency roll-out on Sunday. The decision comes at a time of growing urgency as a mutant new strain threatens to make the pandemic harder to control. While the two doses will in no doubt improve India’s vaccination drive, the approvals by the Drugs Controller General of India leave several unanswered questions. It has chosen to green-light Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, albeit with some riders, despite the fact that the candidate has not yet demonstrated how effective it is in preventing disease, and more importantly, its safety performance — according to latest company disclosures — has only been judged in limited numbers, that too over a short duration.

New US dietary guidelines: No candy, cake for kids under 2

indianexpress.com

Parents now have an extra reason to say no to candy, cake and ice cream for children before their second birthday. The first U.S. government dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers, released December 2020, recommend feeding only breast milk for at least six months and no added sugar for children under age 2.