COVID 19 latest update: Coronavirus vaccine Covaxin works against multiple variants of SARS-COV-2, claims ICMR

For the second day running, Maharashtra reported record number of Covid deaths with its overall toll racing past the 62,000-mark, with a spike in the number of active cases as the state entered a tougher phase of lockdown from tonight, health officials said on Thursday.

Read the full story here: 568 deaths, over 67,000 Covid cases in Maharashtra in last 24 hours

The COVID-19 situation in the country is getting precarious and people are complaining of low oxygen levels in the body even if they feel well. Low oxygen levels can be an early warning sign that medical care is needed. Here are the symptom and signs that a person needs oxygen.

Read the full story here: COVID-19: Symptoms and signs that a person needs oxygen

After the shortage of Remdesivir injections in Bihar, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) in Patna came up with a new theory and directed the doctors to avoid prescribing this injection to corona patients. Dr Vinod Kumar Singh, medical superintendent of NMCH, issued a circular dated April 21, 2021 and said that it is not completely effective for Covid patients -- referring to the fresh guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"The antiviral drug Remdesivir is not suggested for patients admitted in hospitals with Covid 19 regardless of how severely ill they are as there is no evidence that it improves survival of patients," Singh said in a circular. "Hence, we have directed all doctors to avoid prescribing injections called Remdesivir to Covid patients. It creates panic among them," Singh added.

Remdesivir -- an antiviral drug -- does not have any effect in reducing mortality and it is not effective for patients requiring high oxygen support or ventilation, a senior doctor with the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) said on Thursday. G.D. Puri, HoD of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, said that if the drug has to be rationally used, it should be used within the first seven to eight days in Covid-19 patients developing room air hypoxia, meaning oxygen saturation less than 94 per cent.

Remdesivir was the first drug to be approved by the US FDA for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

All those who are above 18 of age can register themselves for COVID-19 vaccine starting from Saturday, April 24 on the government’s CoWin platform -  cowin.gov.in and the Aarogya Setu app. Amid deadly Covid-19 second wave surge, the Centre had on Monday opened vaccinations to everyone above the 18 years of age from May 1, 2021. 

Here's how to book an appointment 

There are multiple myths going around as COVID 19 sees a sharp surge. In such a scenario experts share what one should do if they're COVID positive.

India reported 3,14,835 Covid-19 new cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day spike since the onset of the pandemic early last year, taking the overall infection tally to 1,59,30,965 on Thursday, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.

Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family shared the results of the trails on Twitter stating that 'Covaxin found efficacious against multiple variants of SARS-COV-2, neutralising even the double mutant strain.'

"Efficacy against SARS-Cov-2 has been established. Covaxin has demonstrated an excellent safety record in human clinical trials and in usage under emergency use. Covaxin is now a global innovator vaccine derived from research and development from India. The efficacy data against severe Covid-19 and asymptomatic infections is highly significant, as this helps reduce hospitalizations and disease transmission, respectively," said Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech.

"The protocols for manufacturing, testing and release of inactivated vaccines have been tried, tested and validated across several of our vaccines; these also meet the requirements of WHO, Indian and other regulatory authorities. These protocols have delivered consistent results over a 15-year period with more than 300 million doses supplied globally, with excellent safety and performance record," he added.