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Coronavirus LATEST updates: Maharashtra reported 9,855 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the tally of infections in the state to 21,79,185, a health department official told PTI. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday announced that a seven-day institutional quarantine will be mandatory for those arriving from Brazil even if they have obtained a COVID-19 negative report prior to the journey. Closure of 1.5 million schools due to coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdowns in 2020 impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in India, a UNICEF report has found. The findings, from preliminary research by the team of South African scientists who had identified the variant dubbed 501Y.V2, raise hopes that vaccines modelled on the strain could protect against future mutations A pre-print version of a National Institute of Virology study indicates that the vaccine-induced antibodies can neutralise the UK variant strains and other heterologous strains The Phase 3 trial results assume significance as the company had approached the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for approval to conduct late-stage clinical trials of Covaxin in children aged 5-18 Clinical trial to continue through to final analysis at 130 confirmed cases in order to gather further data and to evaluate the efficacy of COVAXIN in additional secondary study endpoints Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the government has lifted the time restriction to speed up the coronavirus inoculation drive Centre said Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties with 54 deaths followed by Kerala where 16 succumbed to COVID-19. Punjab reported 10 deaths, the third-highest, in a span of 24 hours Maharashtra has reported the highest daily COVID-19 cases at 7,863 on Wednesday. ‘The state alone accounted for a weekly increase of 16,012 cases,’ said the health ministry. Of the 98 new fatalities, 54 were reported in Maharashtra. This was followed by 16 from Kerala and 10 from Punjab. Currently, Maharashtra reports the maximum number of active cases in the country at 80,302. This is followed by Kerala (47,569) and Karnataka (5,964). The health minister was replying to a report by Dainik Bhaskar that said private hospitals can choose any time window to vaccinate people. Health officials in Bhiwandi said they would wait for the postmortem report before linking the death with vaccination. The 29 more private hospitals in Mumbai include — Dr Balabhai Nanavati Hospital, Wockhardt Hospital, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Lilavati Hospitals & Medical Research Centre, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Tata Hospital and others. A total of 1,57,346 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 52,238 from Maharashtra followed by 12,502 from Tamil Nadu, 12,343 from Karnataka and 10,911 from Delhi. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,08,12,044, taking the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 97.07 percent. Of the total 1,11,39,516 COVID-19 infections in the country, there are over 1.70 lakh active cases. More than 1.08 crore patients have recuperated from the viral infection, said the Union health ministry on Wednesday. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses given in the country has crossed 1.54 crore which include 6,09,845 shots administered on Tuesday, the Union health ministry said in its provisional data. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on 16 January with healthcare workers (HCWs) being inoculated against the virus. Vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started from 2 February. The second phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on 1 March for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. A total of 1,54,61,864 vaccine doses have been given, as per the provisional report till 7 pm, the ministry said. These include 67,32,944 HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 26,85,665 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 55,47,426 FLWs (1st dose), 828 FLWs (2nd dose), and 4,34,981 beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 60,020 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities, the ministry said. A total of 6,09,845 vaccine doses were given till 7 pm on Tuesday, the forty-sixth day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination. Out of which 5,21,101 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 88,744 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report, the ministry said, adding final reports would be completed for the day by late night.
Coronavirus updates: Maharashtra reports more than 9,000 new COVID-19 cases today; recovery rate now 93.77%
Coronavirus LIVE updates: As many as 87,627 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the number of samples tested for coronavirus in the state to 1,65,09,506
 "Coronavirus updates: Maharashtra reports more than 9,000 new COVID-19 cases today; recovery rate now 93.77%")
COVID-19 pandemic: SC proposes to lift extension of limitation period
The Supreme Court Wednesday said it proposes to lift the extension of limitation period for filing appeals which was granted by it with effect from March 15 last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation, reports PTI.
The apex court had on March 23 last year invoked its plenary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to extend the limitation period of appeals from courts or tribunals on account of the pandemic.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde on Wednesday told Attorney General K K Venugopal that it proposes to lift the extension of limitation period with effect from 15 March this year and it might give a period of 90 days thereafter for the eventuality if restrictions may be re-imposed due to the pandemic.
Mumbai sees 1,121 new COVID-19 cases; growth rate increases
Mumbai on Wednesday reported 1,121 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the highest in the last two days, while six persons succumbed to the viral infection, the city civic body said.
Mumbai’s cumulative case tally now stands at 3,28,740, while the death toll increased to 11,482, it said, adding that the city has 10,010 active cases.
Mumbai had reported less than 1,000 cases in the last two days in a row. On Tuesday, the city reported only two fatalities, the lowest count in a single day since April 2020.
A total of 734 people were discharged on Wednesday, taking the total number of recoveries in Mumbai to 3,06,373, as per the data shared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Maharashtra reports more than 9,000 new COVID-19 cases, 42 deaths
Maharashtra reported 9,855 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the tally of infections in the state to 21,79,185, a health department official told PTI. While the state recorded more than 9,000 cases after a long time, the death toll rose to 52,280 with 42 fresh fatalities, he said.
As many as 6,559 patients were discharged from hospitals since Tuesday evening, taking the number of recovered patients to 20,43,349. Maharashtra’s recovery rate of COVID-19 cases is 93.77 percent, while the fatality rate is 2.40 percent, the official said.
As many as 87,627 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the number of samples tested for coronavirus in the state to 1,65,09,506. Out of these, 21,79,185 samples have tested positive which meant the positivity rate is 13.20 per cent.
BMC announces mandatory 7-day institutional quarantine for travelers from Brazil
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday announced that a seven-day institutional quarantine will be mandatory for those arriving from Brazil even if they have obtained a COVID-19 negative report prior to the journey, reports PTI.
In a fresh circular, the civic body included Brazil in the list of countries under quarantine rules, citing the latest guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health about international arrivals.
The BMC said this rule will also be applicable to travelers from Maharashtra arriving at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in the city.
Institutional quarantine for seven days and another seven days of home quarantine is already mandatory for persons arriving from the UK, Europe, South Africa and the Middle- East.
In a circular, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation says passengers arriving from Brazil will need to undergo compulsory 7-day institutional (hotel) quarantine even if they possess pre-boarding COVID negative certificates; rule to apply on passengers belonging to Maharasthra. pic.twitter.com/CXicnNyE4O
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2021
Be always ready to combat new and emerging diseases: Venkaiah Naidu tells scientists
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday called upon scientists and researchers to be always ready to combat new and emerging diseases as the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need to be ever vigilant to tackle an outbreak of sudden and unforeseen epidemics and pandemics.
Virtually addressing the Valedictory and Award Session of Global Bio India-2021 from Chennai, he said biotechnology has emerged as the backbone of various industrial sectors in recent times.
Built on four core beliefs of entrepreneurship, innovation, development of local talent, and demonstrating high value-based care, India is in a unique position to transition from the biotech industry to a bio-economy, he said according to an official statement.
Goa: COVID-19 case count rises by 70, recoveries by 42
Goa’s coronavirus caseload went up by 70 to reach 55,143 on Wednesday, a health department official said. The number of recovered patients in the state rose to 53,737 as 42 of them got discharge from hospitals during the day.
The toll remained at 796 as none of the patients succumbed to the infection on Wednesday, he said. There are 610 active cases of coronavirus in the state at present, the official said.
Bengal’s borrowing rises 4% to Rs 49,000 crore till Feb amid pandemic
The market borrowing by West Bengal in the 11 months of the current fiscal rose by four per cent at Rs 49,000 crore amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest available data showed.
The latest RBI data collated by Care Ratings shows that 28 states and two union territories collectively borrowed Rs 7.12 lakh crore so far in the current financial year, which is over 30 percent higher than what these states and union territories borrowed last year.
The West Bengal Finance department officials claimed that borrowings rose by only four per cent because of better financial management in difficult times by prioritising expenses and improvement in revenue with gradual unlocking.
Some states like Madhya Pradesh borrowed higher by 112 per cent, Jharkhand by 113 percent and Sikkim 108 percent.
Rajasthan Guv urges people to take precautions against mutated COVID-19 strain
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Wednesday appealed people to take precautions against the new mutated strain of COVID-19, reports PTI
It is worrisome that Kerala, Maharashtra and other neighbouring states have reported a new strain of coronavirus. The spreading of the virus is not over yet and the new form of coronavirus is more dangerous as it spreads rapidly, Mishra said in a statement.
He urged people to take all precautions and protect themselves by following prescribed measures even after getting vaccinated.
Avoid unnecessary travelling, wear a mask and maintain physical distance, he said in his appeal.
School closure due to COVID-19 impacted 247 mn children in India: UNICEF study
Closure of 1.5 million schools due to coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdowns in 2020 impacted 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in India, a UNICEF report has found. Globally, schools for more than 168 million children have been completely closed for almost a full year, it said.
Kerala reports 2,765 new cases, 15 deaths
Kerala reported 2,765 new COVID-19 cases and 15 more deaths on Wednesday, pushing the caseload to 10,67,393 and toll to 4,241, while 4,031 people
recuperated from the disease, taking the tally to 10,16,515. Health minister K K Shailaja said the state tested 59,646 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 4.64 percent.
i
ICMR says COVAXIN phase 3 data great win for Atmanirbhar Bharat
Results, evaluated by an independent data safety and monitoring board, show that vaccine is well-tolerated & efficacious against SARS-CoV-2
A great win for Atmanirbhar Bharat! India’s indigenously developed #COVAXIN shows 81% interim efficacy in Phase 3 trial. We are now one step closer to winning the fight against COVID-19. #Unite2FightCOVID @MoHFW_India @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @PIB_India @BharatBiotech pic.twitter.com/jVKYy0Tsm1
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) March 3, 2021
Japan considers banning overseas spectators from Tokyo Olympics
Japan is planning on stopping overseas spectators from attending the Tokyo Olympics over fears that the COVID-19 virus will spread. The report comes at a time when Japanese population continues to oppose holding the Games during the pandemic.
The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said a final decision will be made this month following talks between the International Olympic Committee, Tokyo 2020 organisers and the Japanese government.
COVAXIN to undergo further analysis, final testing
The Phase 3 study enrolled 25,800 participants between 18-98 years of age, including 2,433 over the age of 60 and 4,500 with comorbidities. However, the results released today are based on the first interim analysis, which studied 43 cases. Of these 43 cases, 36 cases of COVID-19 were observed in
the placebo group versus 7 cases observed in the BBV152 (COVAXIN) group.
Additional interim analysis is planned for 87 cases, and the final analysis is planned for 130 cases, the company said. All data from the second interim and final analyses will be shared via pre-publication servers as well as submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, it added.
COVAXIN analysis showed medically attended adverse events occurred at low levels
Bharat Biotech said the interim analysis of its vaccine included a preliminary review of the safety database, which showed that severe, serious, and medically attended adverse events occurred at low levels and were balanced between vaccine and placebo groups, the company said.
The trial’s conduct and monitoring are as per good clinical practice guidelines and have been outsourced to IQVIA, it added.
Bharat Biotech vaccine effective against UK strain, says report
Analysis from the National Institute of Virology indicates that vaccine-induced antibodies can neutralise the UK variant strains and other heterologous strains. The aforementioned study, however, is yet to be peer-reviewed and is a pre-print version of the report.
“It is unlikely that the mutation 501Y would be able to dampen the potential benefits of the vaccine in concern,” the study said.
‘Important milestone for fight against COVID’: Bharat Biotech MD on COVAXIN phase 3 trial results
“Today is an important milestone in vaccine discovery, for science and our fight against coronavirus. With today’s results from our Phase 3 clinical trials, we have now reported data on our COVID-19 vaccine from Phase 1, 2, and 3 trials involving around 27,000 participants,” Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said.
Sri Lanka’s plan to bury Muslim Covid-19 victims on islet sparks outcry
A plan by Sri Lanka to bury Muslim coronavirus victims on a remote islet was slammed on Wednesday by locals and the minority community. Colombo banned burials of Covid-19 victims in April, despite expert assurances they would not spread the virus, implementing a policy of forced cremations.
Sri Lanka’s Muslims, who make up 10 percent of its 21 million people, challenged the policy, pointing out that cremations are forbidden under Islamic law. The policy was revoked last week after a visit from Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who urged Colombo to respect Muslims’ religious funeral rites. And on Tuesday, officials proposed burying Muslim virus victims on the remote islet of Iranaitivu, 8.6 miles (13 kilometres) off the country’s northern coast.
Bharat Biotech releases Phase 3 COVAXIN results
Bharat Biotech on Wednesday announced phase-3 trial results for COVAXIN. The company said that the COVID-19 vaccine has demonstrated interim clinical efficacy of 81 percent in those without prior infection after the second dose.
Data from 25,800 participants, received a vaccine or placebo in a 1:1 ratio showed that the vaccine candidate was well tolerated.
Clinical trial will continue through to final analysis at 130 confirmed cases in order to gather further data and to evaluate the efficacy of COVAXIN in additional secondary study endpoints.
COVID-19 recovered people showing faster antibody response to Covishield vaccine: study
Those who have recovered from COVID-19 respond faster to the Covishield vaccine and reach high antibody levels, says a study, leading to hopes that they may not need a second dose and therefore help widen India’s corona immunisation cover.
The study on the immune response to Covishield was carried out by researchers from New Delhi’s CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Max Super Speciality Hospital and Institute of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism as well as the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) in Ghaziabad.
Covishield is inducing a robust immune response. Those who are seropositive at baseline respond faster and reach higher antibody levels, CSIR-IGIB Director Anurag Agrawal, one of the authors of the study, told PTI. Seropositivity is an indicator of the presence of the virus in the serum, or evidence of previous exposure to it.
Govt permits round-the-clock vaccination in private hospitals
The government has lifted the time restriction on receiving COVID-19 vaccine jabs so as to increase the pace of immunisation, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday.
“The government has lifted the time restriction to increase the speed of vaccination. People can now get vaccinated 24×7 according to their convenience. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the value of health as well as the time of citizens,” Vardhan tweeted in Hindi.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a press conference on Tuesday that the timeline of vaccinating the beneficiaries from 9 am to 5 pm has been done away with and it is up to the hospitals to decide whether they want to continue administering the vaccines even after that.
सरकार ने #vaccination की रफ़्तार बढ़ाने के लिए समय की बाध्यता समाप्त कर दी है। देश के नागरिक अब 24x7अपनी सुविधानुसार टीका लगवा सकते हैं।
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) March 3, 2021
PM श्री @narendramodi जी देश के नागरिकों के स्वास्थ्य के साथ-साथ उनके समय की कीमत बखूबी समझते हैं।#VaccineAppropriateBehavior pic.twitter.com/cpKVlXurvL
Cricketer Kapil Dev receives COVID-19 jab
Cricketer Kapil Dev received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Fortis Escorts in Okhla area of New Delhi.
Delhi: Veteran cricketer Kapil Dev received his first dose of #COVID19Vaccine at Fortis Hospital today. pic.twitter.com/Gpn5vMRz39
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2021
‘How coronavirus infection interferes with heart function decoded’
Heart damage in COVID-19 patients is caused by the novel coronavirus infecting cardiac muscle cells, leading to cell death which interferes with the muscle’s contraction, according to a study that may lead to the development of new drugs to treat the viral infection.
While studies since the beginning of the pandemic have linked COVID-19 with heart problems such as reduced ability to pump blood, scientists, including those from the Washington University School of Medicine in the US, said it was unknown until now if these are directly caused by the virus infecting the organ, or due to inflammation elsewhere in the body.
In the current research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Basic to Translational Science, they used stem cells to engineer cardiac tissue and modelled how the coronavirus infected the heart.
The researchers found that viral infection not only kills heart muscle cells but destroys the muscle fibre units responsible for heart muscle contraction.
Mumbai Police to fine at least 1,000 maskless people in each zone per day
In a bid to intensify the crackdown on people not wearing masks, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has asked the city police force to collect fine from at least 1,000 such violators per day in each zone, an official said on Wednesday. Mumbai is divided into 12 police zones and the city police are authorised to collect a fine of Rs 200 from people not wearing masks, as mandated under COVID-19 norms.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri gets inoculated
Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his wife received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Kaushambi on Wednesday.
Delhi: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and his wife Lakshmi Puri took their first dose of #COVID19Vaccine at Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital in Kaushambi. pic.twitter.com/RuqlKdXqpj
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2021
Seychelles bids to reach COVID ‘herd immunity’’ by mid-March
The president of Seychelles says he hopes enough residents will soon be vaccinated against COVID-19 to stop the spread of the virus in the Indian Ocean island nation. Seychelles began vaccinations in January, and by the end of February, about 44 percent of those vaccinated had gotten a second shot.
We are hoping to achieve herd immunity mid-March when we would have vaccinated 70,000 of our people,"" Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan told The Associated Press. “That represents 70 percent because our population is 100,000.
So-called herd immunity is reached when enough people are protected through infection or vaccination to make it difficult for a virus to continue to spread.
The exact threshold for coronavirus is unknown, although some experts suggest that at least 70 percent of a population would need to be protected to hold the virus in check. The emergence of new worrisome versions of the coronavirus, however, is further complicating the picture
No new COVID-19 deaths in 24 states and UTs: Health ministry
Twenty-four states and Union Territories including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan did not report any COVID-19 fatalities in the past 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.
The 24 states and UTs include Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Goa, Bihar, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Daman and Diu & Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Tripura, Nagaland, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Four states, incuding Maharashtra, account for 88.78% of new COVID-19 deaths
Ninety-eight deaths due to the novel coronavirus were reported in a span of 24 hours, said the Union health ministry on Wednesday.
Four states account for 88.78 percent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (54). Followed by Kerala at 16 and Punjab reported 10 deaths in a span of 24 hours.
Maharashtra reports highest daily COVID-19 cases at 7,863
Maharashtra has reported the highest daily COVID-19 cases at 7,863. It is followed by Kerala with 2,938, while Punjab reported 729 new cases.
“Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Karnataka have shown the maximum increase in new cases on a week on week basis,” the health ministry said on Wednesday.
Maharashtra alone accounted for a weekly increase of 16,012 cases.
Maharashtra among six states to account for 85.95% of new COVID-19 cases
Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka continue to report a surge in fresh COVID-19 cases and they account for 85.95 percent of the cases reported in a span of 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry said that 14,989 new cases were registered in a span of 24 hours.
Sikkim governor receives first dose of vaccine
Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad and his wife received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at STNM Hospital in Gangtok on Wednesday.
Governor of Sikkim Ganga Prasad and his wife received their first dose of #COVID19Vaccine at STNM Hospital in Gangtok today. pic.twitter.com/z2CckaIwM9
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2021
Puducherry records 14 new COVID-19 cases; total nears 40,000
Puducherry registered 14 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, pushing the overall infection count to 39,777. No fresh fatality was reported from any of the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam in the past 24 hours.
The toll remained at 669. There were 168 active cases while 38,940 patients recovered and were discharged so far.
India’s active COVID-19 caseload increases by 1,768; total over 1.70 lakh
The active COVID-19 cases in India increased by 1,768 on Wednesday, taking the total to 1,70,126. Day before, the health ministry said in a statement that the country’s total active caseload stood at 1.68 lakh (1,68,358).
Currently, Maharashtra reports the maximum number of active cases at 80,302 or 47 percent. This is followed by Kerala (47,569) and Karnataka (5,964).
Pinarayi Vijayan gets COVID-19 vaccine shot
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan received vaccination against COVID-19 at Thycaud government hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as and when it is available. Together, let us overcome this pandemic through scientific methods,” tweeted Vijayan.
Took the first dose of Covid vaccination today. Vaccines provide immunity to diseases. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as and when it is available. Together, let us overcome this pandemic through scientific methods.#COVID19Vaccine pic.twitter.com/5x5yQzuxxO
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) March 3, 2021
Govt allows hospitals to administer COVID-19 vaccine 24/7: Harsh Vardhan
The government has extended COVID-19 vaccination schedule allowing hospitals to choose any time window to vaccinate people, said Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday.
“The government has removed time constraint to increase the speed of vaccination. People can get vaccinated 24×7 at their convenience. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands the value of both time and health of citizens,” tweeted Vardhan.
सरकार ने #vaccination की रफ़्तार बढ़ाने के लिए समय की बाध्यता समाप्त कर दी है। देश के नागरिक अब 24x7अपनी सुविधानुसार टीका लगवा सकते हैं।
— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) March 3, 2021
PM श्री @narendramodi जी देश के नागरिकों के स्वास्थ्य के साथ-साथ उनके समय की कीमत बखूबी समझते हैं।#VaccineAppropriateBehavior pic.twitter.com/cpKVlXurvL
President Ram Nath Kovind administered COVID vaccine
President Ram Nath Kovind was administered the COVID-19 vaccine at Army R&R Hospital in Delhi.
India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,11,39,516 with 14,989 new infections, while the active cases were recorded above 1.7 lakh after a month, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,57,346 with 98 daily new fatalities.
President Ram Nath Kovind, accompanied by his daughter, was administered the COVID-19 vaccine at the Army R&R Hospital, Delhi, today. pic.twitter.com/xf6VQ6pIwS
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 3, 2021
Study decodes how COVID-19 interfered with heart function
Heart damage in COVID-19 patients is caused by the novel coronavirus infecting cardiac muscle cells, leading to cell death which interferes with the muscle’s contraction, according to a study that may lead to the development of new drugs to treat the viral infection.
While studies since the beginning of the pandemic have linked COVID-19 with heart problems such as reduced ability to pump blood, scientists, including those from the Washington University School of Medicine in the US, said it was unknown until now if these are directly caused by the virus infecting the organ, or due to inflammation elsewhere in the body.
Researchers found that the viral infection not only kills heart muscle cells but destroys the muscle fibre units responsible for heart muscle contraction. An author of the study said, “COVID-19 is causing a different immune response in the heart compared with other viruses, and we don’t know what that means yet.”
No social distancing at vaccination centre in Nagpur, says report
As people gathered in huge numbers at a COVID-19 vaccination facility in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, complaints of social distancing norms being flouted emerged.
“No social distancing is being observed as both registered and non-registered people are waiting together. The registered lot must be given preference,” a person waiting for inoculation told ANI.
Maharashtra: People gather in huge numbers at a #COVID19 vaccination facility in Nagpur
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2021
"There're flaws in NMC's arrangements. No social distancing as both registered & non-registered people waiting. Registered lot must be given preference", says person waiting for inoculation pic.twitter.com/NwHBawZBpz
Goa CM Pramod Sawant gets vaccine shot
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant received his first dose of vaccine against COVID-19 at a primary health centre on Wednesday. The 47-year-old politician is a trained medical doctor and comes under the category of health professionals.
Maharashtra man dies after getting second dose of vaccine; postmortem report awaited
A 45-year-old man died shortly after he was administered the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in a hospital in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Tuesday, officials said.
Sukhdeo Kirdit, employed as the driver of a local doctor, took the shot around 11 am. “He was rushed to IGM Hospital nearby where doctors declared him dead on arrival,” an official said.
Bhiwandi Nizampura Municipal Corporation Health Officer Dr KR Kharat said the cause of Kirdit’s death would be known after the postmortem report comes in, adding that Kirdit’s medical history, records etc. were being checked.
Mumbai Police to fine 1,000 people without masks per day
In a bid to intensify the crackdown on people not wearing masks, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has asked the city police force to collect fine from at least 1,000 such violators per day in each zone, an official said on Wednesday.
Mumbai is divided into 12 police zones and the city police are authorised to collect a fine of Rs 200 from people not wearing masks, as mandated under COVID-19 norms.
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