<p>In the ongoing United Kingdom's COVID-19 inquiry, cabinet minister Michael Gove said that COVID-19 may have been “man-made” and further admitted the country was not prepared to deal with the pandemic.<br />
<br />
Speaking in the inquiry, the former chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said, “We were not well prepared as we should have been ideally. I think that is true.”<br />
<br />
“Again, it’s in the nature of the fact that the virus was novel and, indeed, I think this probably goes beyond the remit of the Inquiry this, a significant body of judgement that believes that the virus itself was man-made and that presents sort of challenges as well,” he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/health-and-wellness/another-covid-like-scare-from-china-experts-tell-wion-what-exactly-it-is-662463">Another Covid-like scare from China? Experts tell WION what exactly it is</a></p>

<p>In the inquiry, the legal counsel Hugo Keith KC said that it was not included in the terms of reference to look at the “somewhat divisive issue” of how the pandemic started.&nbsp;Gove said that it was “important to recognise that the virus presented a new series of challenges”.<br />
<br />
Michael Gove further said that he “admired” the way Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon handled the pandemic but added that the Scottish government wished to highlight differences for political means.<br />
<br />
He said that he felt Scotland wanted to “exaggerate the impact of a mistake or error in order to feed a broader political mission”.</p>

<h2><strong>WHO should examine Covid's possible origins</strong></h2>

<p>UK's Downing Street has stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) needs to investigate all possible origins of coronavirus.<br />
<br />
While appearing at the COVID-19 inquiry, Michael Gove claimed that there was a “significant body of judgment that believes that the virus itself was man-made”.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Covid-19 pandemic's aftermath looms over India; 10 sudden deaths reported in India's Gujarat</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/covid-19-pandemics-aftermath-looms-over-india-10-sudden-deaths-reported-in-indias-gujarat-653401/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Later, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said, “The government’s view is that the WHO needs to continue to examine all possibilities. We think there is still work to be done. But it is for the WHO to investigate.”<br />
<br />
He stated that it was the “long-standing position of the government” that the WHO needs to “consider all possible avenues and to come to a conclusion”.<br />
<br />
“I don’t think it is quite that people have differing views about the origins of COVID-19,” he said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


In the ongoing United Kingdom's COVID-19 inquiry, cabinet minister Michael Gove said that COVID-19 may have been “man-made” and further admitted the country was not prepared to deal with the pandemic.

In the ongoing United Kingdom's COVID-19 inquiry, cabinet minister Michael Gove said that COVID-19 may have been “man-made” and further admitted the country was not prepared to deal with the pandemic. Speaking in the inquiry, the former chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said, “We were not well prepared as we should have been ideally. I think that is true.” “Again, it’s in the nature of the fact that the virus was novel and, indeed, I think this probably goes beyond the remit of the Inquiry this, a significant body of judgement that believes that the virus itself was man-made and that presents sort of challenges as well,” he added. Also read: Another Covid-like scare from China? Experts tell WION what exactly it is In the inquiry, the legal counsel Hugo Keith KC said that it was not included in the terms of reference to look at the “somewhat divisive issue” of how the pandemic started. Gove said that it was “important to recognise that the virus presented a new series of challenges”. Michael Gove further said that he “admired” the way Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon handled the pandemic but added that the Scottish government wished to highlight differences for political means. He said that he felt Scotland wanted to “exaggerate the impact of a mistake or error in order to feed a broader political mission”. WHO should examine Covid's possible origins UK's Downing Street has stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) needs to investigate all possible origins of coronavirus. While appearing at the COVID-19 inquiry, Michael Gove claimed that there was a “significant body of judgment that believes that the virus itself was man-made”. Watch: Covid-19 pandemic's aftermath looms over India; 10 sudden deaths reported in India's Gujarat Later, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said, “The government’s view is that the WHO needs to continue to examine all possibilities. We think there is still work to be done. But it is for the WHO to investigate.” He stated that it was the “long-standing position of the government” that the WHO needs to “consider all possible avenues and to come to a conclusion”. “I don’t think it is quite that people have differing views about the origins of COVID-19,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19 may be 'man-made', says UK's Michael Gove in inquiry

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<p>The World Health Organization (WHO) has examined an alarming situation in China as the nation saw a sudden surge of respiratory illnesses among children. The UN health body has asked China to provide disease data, but Beijing on Friday (Nov 24) claimed that no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The cases among children came as a scare as the world is still recovering from the effects of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which killed millions and left a million others with symptoms of long Covid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first known case of Covid was reported in China towards the end of 2019, but the exact origin of the virus was never identified in the absence of lack of proper and accurate data.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-is-closely-monitoring-chinas-influenza-outbreak-amid-mild-covid-scare-662356">India is 'closely monitoring' China's influenza outbreak amid mild Covid scare</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>When the virus started to spread, it was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020. After an uncontrolled spread of the virus, the outbreak became a pandemic in a few weeks time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Health experts have often said that the Covid pandemic was not a one-off thing, something like that may happen again and the world should be prepared for it. But no one said exactly when.</p>

<p>And the recent reports of an increase in "influenza-like illness" in China since mid-October have scared people globally.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What do we know about the respiratory illness in China?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The WHO said Thursday (Nov 23) that Chinese authorities had responded, advising "that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning".&nbsp;</p>

<p>China's National Health Commission told reporters last week that the respiratory illness spike was due to the lifting of the Covid measures and the circulation of known pathogens, namely influenza and common bacterial infections that affect children, including mycoplasma pneumonia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To know more about the situation WION reached out to health experts.&nbsp;<strong>Dr Sushila Kataria</strong>, who is the Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Medanta in Gurugram, said that the recent cases in China prompted concerns "reminiscent of the events in November and December 2019".&nbsp;</p>

<p>She said that the Chinese government has clarified that these cases are attributed to known pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, including the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, some Covid&nbsp;cases, and some mycoplasma cases.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Given that the incidence of pneumonia typically increases during winter, it is hoped that this surge is seasonal," Dr Kataria said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-another-pneumonia-epidemic-alarms-who-nearly-four-years-since-covid-was-first-detected-661753">China: Another pneumonia 'epidemic' alarms WHO nearly four years since Covid was first detected</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<h2><strong>What are the common symptoms?&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p><strong>Dr Himanshu Batra</strong>, who is a consultant in Pediatrics at HCMCT Manipal Hospital in New Delhi's Dwarka, said that pneumonia is a respiratory infection of the lungs. The common symptoms of pneumonia are fever, fast breathing, poor appetite, vomiting, and coughing, which may produce greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are some cases of atypical pneumonia, fever gradually increases, and coughing is prominent. Experts then go for a chest X-ray and a few blood tests.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Batra said that what is happening in China is that a lot of children are getting hospitalised because of pneumonia. "The organism they have identified looks like it is Mycoplasma pneumonia," he said, further adding that it is usually seen mostly in children who are "more than five years old, school-age children, not in small infants and younger children".&nbsp;</p>

<p>WHO has urged people to take preventative measures, including getting vaccinated, keeping distance from sick people and wearing masks.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Dr Ritesh Yadav</strong>,&nbsp;consultant in Internal Medicine at Paras Health in Gurugram, responded to the WHO process, as he said: "The WHO routinely seeks clarity on infectious clusters worldwide, yet public appeals indicate potential concerns over transparency."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch this report:</strong>&nbsp;</p>

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<h2><strong>What are the risks? Will it wreak havoc in India?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The WHO report stated that the Chinese government has ruled out the presence of any new viruses or bacteria. While reacting to the report, Dr Kataria said that "there is no immediate risk of the situation spreading globally or reaching India. While there is a sense of reassurance, it is important to remain cautious".&nbsp;</p>

<p>She also said that in India, there may be an increase in influenza cases and it is advised to "prioritise influenza vaccination". She also suggested consistently practising cough etiquette to mitigate potential risks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Kataria added, "Vigilance remains crucial despite the current understanding of the situation."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Dr Yadav </strong>said that&nbsp;despite concerns, "restraint is crucial before sounding alarm bells".&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said that "as we await official confirmation, taking proactive measures remains paramount".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The prospect of a similar seasonal trend in India necessitates caution which includes: mask-wearing, vaccination for the vulnerable, maintaining distance, hand hygiene, and home isolation for the unwell," Dr Yadav added.&nbsp;</p>


The World Health Organization (WHO) has examined an alarming situation in China as the nation saw a sudden surge of respiratory illnesses among children. The UN health body has asked China to provide disease data, but Beijing on Friday (Nov 24) claimed that no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has examined an alarming situation in China as the nation saw a sudden surge of respiratory illnesses among children. The UN health body has asked China to provide disease data, but Beijing on Friday (Nov 24) claimed that no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected. The cases among children came as a scare as the world is still recovering from the effects of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which killed millions and left a million others with symptoms of long Covid. The first known case of Covid was reported in China towards the end of 2019, but the exact origin of the virus was never identified in the absence of lack of proper and accurate data. Also read: India is 'closely monitoring' China's influenza outbreak amid mild Covid scare When the virus started to spread, it was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020. After an uncontrolled spread of the virus, the outbreak became a pandemic in a few weeks time. Health experts have often said that the Covid pandemic was not a one-off thing, something like that may happen again and the world should be prepared for it. But no one said exactly when. And the recent reports of an increase in "influenza-like illness" in China since mid-October have scared people globally. What do we know about the respiratory illness in China? The WHO said Thursday (Nov 23) that Chinese authorities had responded, advising "that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning". China's National Health Commission told reporters last week that the respiratory illness spike was due to the lifting of the Covid measures and the circulation of known pathogens, namely influenza and common bacterial infections that affect children, including mycoplasma pneumonia. To know more about the situation WION reached out to health experts. Dr Sushila Kataria, who is the Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Medanta in Gurugram, said that the recent cases in China prompted concerns "reminiscent of the events in November and December 2019". She said that the Chinese government has clarified that these cases are attributed to known pathogens such as bacteria and viruses, including the influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, some Covid cases, and some mycoplasma cases. "Given that the incidence of pneumonia typically increases during winter, it is hoped that this surge is seasonal," Dr Kataria said. Also read: China: Another pneumonia 'epidemic' alarms WHO nearly four years since Covid was first detected What are the common symptoms? Dr Himanshu Batra, who is a consultant in Pediatrics at HCMCT Manipal Hospital in New Delhi's Dwarka, said that pneumonia is a respiratory infection of the lungs. The common symptoms of pneumonia are fever, fast breathing, poor appetite, vomiting, and coughing, which may produce greenish, yellow or even bloody mucus. There are some cases of atypical pneumonia, fever gradually increases, and coughing is prominent. Experts then go for a chest X-ray and a few blood tests. Dr Batra said that what is happening in China is that a lot of children are getting hospitalised because of pneumonia. "The organism they have identified looks like it is Mycoplasma pneumonia," he said, further adding that it is usually seen mostly in children who are "more than five years old, school-age children, not in small infants and younger children". WHO has urged people to take preventative measures, including getting vaccinated, keeping distance from sick people and wearing masks. Dr Ritesh Yadav, consultant in Internal Medicine at Paras Health in Gurugram, responded to the WHO process, as he said: "The WHO routinely seeks clarity on infectious clusters worldwide, yet public appeals indicate potential concerns over transparency." Watch this report: × What are the risks? Will it wreak havoc in India? The WHO report stated that the Chinese government has ruled out the presence of any new viruses or bacteria. While reacting to the report, Dr Kataria said that "there is no immediate risk of the situation spreading globally or reaching India. While there is a sense of reassurance, it is important to remain cautious". She also said that in India, there may be an increase in influenza cases and it is advised to "prioritise influenza vaccination". She also suggested consistently practising cough etiquette to mitigate potential risks. Dr Kataria added, "Vigilance remains crucial despite the current understanding of the situation." Meanwhile, Dr Yadav said that despite concerns, "restraint is crucial before sounding alarm bells". He said that "as we await official confirmation, taking proactive measures remains paramount". "The prospect of a similar seasonal trend in India necessitates caution which includes: mask-wearing, vaccination for the vulnerable, maintaining distance, hand hygiene, and home isolation for the unwell," Dr Yadav added.

Another Covid-like scare from China? Experts tell WION what exactly it is

During Monday's hearings into how Britain handled the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted as saying that instead of imposing a second national lockdown, the government should "just let people die."

UK PM Rishi Sunak said, "just let people die" suggest Vallance's diary of Covid-19 | Latest News

<p>Acclaimed director Shonali Bose has tested positive for COVID-19. Bose, who has directed Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar's movie <em>The Sky Is Pink,</em> shared the news on Instagram.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Bose is an ardent social media user and often shares updates about her life on the platform. On Sunday, the director shared her health update, revealing that her condition is dire and&nbsp;is feeling worse than she has in years.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-tiger-3-advance-booking-day-1-salman-khans-film-earns-over-rs-10-million-655352">Tiger 3 advance booking day 1: Salman Khan's film earns over Rs 10 million</a><br />
<br />
She wrote in the caption of her IG post, ''This is me right this very minute. Feeling worse than I have felt in years. COVID! Would you believe it’s still around? I’m gobsmacked. 102-3 fever, the works. Feeling absolutely rotten! And so irritated to have got COVID again! God knows which strain this even is.”</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzQKkvnxuy7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Shonali Bose (@shonalibose_)</a></p>
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<p>This is the second time Shonali has contracted COVID-19. She previously contracted the virus in 2022 after attending a wedding in Goa, India.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/anushka-sharma-adorably-wishes-virat-kohli-on-his-birthday-shares-his-rare-bowling-record-655367">Anushka Sharma adorably wishes Virat Kohli on his birthday; shares his rare bowling record</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Shonali Bose's work front</strong><br />
<br />
Director, writer, and film producer, Shonali is known for her films like <em>Amu, </em>starring Konkona Sen Sharma,<em> Margarita with a Straw,</em> starring Kalki Koechlin, and <em>The Sky Is Pink</em> starring Priyanka Chopra.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Shonali got her breakthrough in 2005 with <em>Amu</em>, the movie based on her novel of the same name. The film garnered immense praise and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Most recently, Shonali directed the <em>Raat Rani</em>' episode of the anthology film<em> Modern Love: Mumbai </em>which starred Fatima Sana Shaikh as Lali and Bhupendra Jadawat as a security guard.&nbsp;</p>


Acclaimed director Shonali Bose has tested positive for COVID-19. Bose, who has directed Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar's movie The Sky Is Pink, shared the news on Instagram.

Acclaimed director Shonali Bose has tested positive for COVID-19. Bose, who has directed Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar's movie The Sky Is Pink, shared the news on Instagram. Bose is an ardent social media user and often shares updates about her life on the platform. On Sunday, the director shared her health update, revealing that her condition is dire and is feeling worse than she has in years. Tiger 3 advance booking day 1: Salman Khan's film earns over Rs 10 million She wrote in the caption of her IG post, ''This is me right this very minute. Feeling worse than I have felt in years. COVID! Would you believe it’s still around? I’m gobsmacked. 102-3 fever, the works. Feeling absolutely rotten! And so irritated to have got COVID again! God knows which strain this even is.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shonali Bose (@shonalibose_) × This is the second time Shonali has contracted COVID-19. She previously contracted the virus in 2022 after attending a wedding in Goa, India. Anushka Sharma adorably wishes Virat Kohli on his birthday; shares his rare bowling record Shonali Bose's work front Director, writer, and film producer, Shonali is known for her films like Amu, starring Konkona Sen Sharma, Margarita with a Straw, starring Kalki Koechlin, and The Sky Is Pink starring Priyanka Chopra. Shonali got her breakthrough in 2005 with Amu, the movie based on her novel of the same name. The film garnered immense praise and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English. Most recently, Shonali directed the Raat Rani' episode of the anthology film Modern Love: Mumbai which starred Fatima Sana Shaikh as Lali and Bhupendra Jadawat as a security guard.

Feeling absolutely rotten! The Sky is Pink director Shonali Bose contracts COVID-19

Should governments kill the old people to save the young? During the Wuhan virus pandemic, then-British PM Boris Johnson reportedly said that the virus is nature's way of dealing with the old. Some members of his party believed the govt should let the old get covid and protect the young.

Gravitas: Should governments kill the old people to save the young?

<p>India's Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently cited a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and issued a cautionary message to individuals who have previously suffered severe bouts of COVID-19. He advised that such individuals should avoid overexerting themselves for a year or two to reduce the risk of heart attacks and cardiac arrests.</p>

<p>The backdrop for this advisory is a concerning increase in deaths due to heart-related issues, particularly in Gujarat. This issue became more apparent during the Navratri Garba&nbsp;events. Several incidents prompted the state health minister, Rushikesh Patel, to hold a meeting with medical experts, including cardiologists, to delve into the causes and potential remedies for these heart-related fatalities.</p>

<p>Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the public and reporters at&nbsp;the closing ceremony of Sansad Khelmahotsava, 2023, a sports carnival organised for the youth of Bhavnagar Lok Sabah constituency, saying, "The ICMR has conducted a detailed study. As per this study, those who have suffered from severe COVID-19 infection should not overexert themselves. They should stay away from hard workouts, running, and strenuous exercises for a short time, say a year or two, so as to avoid heart attacks."</p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh Governor and former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel also expressed concern over this issue during a recent visit to the area.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-whats-leading-to-heart-attack-deaths-during-navratri-at-garba-events-and-how-to-avoid-it-650600">Explained | What's leading to heart attack deaths during Navratri at garba events and how to avoid it?</a></strong></p>

<p>The rise in heart attacks among the youth in recent months has become a significant cause for worry. Among the heart attack victims were a Class 12 student, Veer Shah from Kheda district, 28-year-old Ravi Panchal from Ahmedabad, and 55-year-old Shankar Rana from Vadodara. These occurrences have raised questions and concerns regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19, its treatment, and the impact on individuals' heart health.</p>

<p>To address the rising concerns, the state Health and Family Welfare Department made it mandatory for garba event organisers to have an ambulance and a medical team on-site during the Navratri festivities, ensuring immediate aid for participants.</p>

<p>The ICMR's study highlights the importance of taking precautions, especially for those who have faced severe COVID-19 infections, to prevent adverse health outcomes. As this issue continues to be a focal point of discussion and concern, individuals are advised to prioritise their well-being and heed expert advice to reduce the risk of heart-related issues post-recovery from the virus.</p>

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India's Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently cited a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and issued a cautionary message to individuals who have previously suffered severe bouts of COVID-19.

India's Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently cited a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and issued a cautionary message to individuals who have previously suffered severe bouts of COVID-19. He advised that such individuals should avoid overexerting themselves for a year or two to reduce the risk of heart attacks and cardiac arrests. The backdrop for this advisory is a concerning increase in deaths due to heart-related issues, particularly in Gujarat. This issue became more apparent during the Navratri Garba events. Several incidents prompted the state health minister, Rushikesh Patel, to hold a meeting with medical experts, including cardiologists, to delve into the causes and potential remedies for these heart-related fatalities. Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the public and reporters at the closing ceremony of Sansad Khelmahotsava, 2023, a sports carnival organised for the youth of Bhavnagar Lok Sabah constituency, saying, "The ICMR has conducted a detailed study. As per this study, those who have suffered from severe COVID-19 infection should not overexert themselves. They should stay away from hard workouts, running, and strenuous exercises for a short time, say a year or two, so as to avoid heart attacks." Uttar Pradesh Governor and former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel also expressed concern over this issue during a recent visit to the area. Also read: Explained | What's leading to heart attack deaths during Navratri at garba events and how to avoid it? The rise in heart attacks among the youth in recent months has become a significant cause for worry. Among the heart attack victims were a Class 12 student, Veer Shah from Kheda district, 28-year-old Ravi Panchal from Ahmedabad, and 55-year-old Shankar Rana from Vadodara. These occurrences have raised questions and concerns regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19, its treatment, and the impact on individuals' heart health. To address the rising concerns, the state Health and Family Welfare Department made it mandatory for garba event organisers to have an ambulance and a medical team on-site during the Navratri festivities, ensuring immediate aid for participants. The ICMR's study highlights the importance of taking precautions, especially for those who have faced severe COVID-19 infections, to prevent adverse health outcomes. As this issue continues to be a focal point of discussion and concern, individuals are advised to prioritise their well-being and heed expert advice to reduce the risk of heart-related issues post-recovery from the virus. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Heart attack deaths linked to severe COVID-19 cases? India's health minister issues warning

<p>The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has subsided, but its impact can still be seen as long Covid. However, scientists now suggest that symptoms that last for a long time could be because of "long colds", which are just as common as long Covid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London found that people experience long-term symptoms even after respiratory infections that test negative for Covid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the aftereffects of Covid, coughing, stomach pain and diarrhoea were among some of the most common symptoms of a long cold as they used to last for more than four weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, in the latest research, published in The Lancet's EClinicalMedicine journal, it is said that in some of cases, people may suffer long-term effects from colds, flu or pneumonia.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/world-food-price-index-mostly-stable-in-september-sugar-prices-hit-13-year-high-due-to-el-nino-fao-643378">World food price index 'mostly stable' in September; Sugar prices hit 13-year high due to El Nino: FAO</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The researchers said, "Our findings suggest that there may be long-lasting health impacts from other respiratory infections that are going unrecognised, although we do not yet have evidence that these symptoms have a similar duration to long Covid."&nbsp;</p>

<p>To carry out the study, experts analysed data from over 10,000 people who were taking part in the Covidence UK study into coronavirus in the population.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study said that researchers included participants — 12.9% with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 4.6% with non-Covid acute respiratory infections (ARI).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Researchers found that both types of infection were associated with increased prevalence and severity of most symptoms and decreased health-related quality of life compared with no infection.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italy-plans-for-possible-evacuations-from-super-volcano-near-naples-643296">Italy gets ready for possible evacuations from super volcano near Naples</a></strong></p>

<p>The study said that participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection had increased odds of problems with taste and smell and lightheadedness or dizziness compared with participants with non-Covid ARIs.</p>

<p>Professor Adrian Martineau, who is from Queen Mary University of London, told the PA news agency that the results showed that 22% of people with Covid suffered prolonged symptoms after infection, as did 22% of those who had an infection that was not Covid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Martineau, who also worked on the study, said there was a "similar risk of prolonged symptoms" irrespective of whether it was caused by Covid or non-Covid infection.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Snakebite cases on the rise in rural India&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>Lead author Giulia Vivaldi from the Queen Mary University of London, said: "Our findings shine a light not only on the impact of long Covid on people's lives, but also other respiratory infections. A lack of awareness – or even the lack of a common term – prevents both reporting and diagnosis of these conditions."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"As research into long Covid continues, we need to take the opportunity to investigate and consider the lasting effects of other acute respiratory infections. These 'long' infections are so difficult to diagnose and treat primarily because of a lack of diagnostic tests and there being so many possible symptoms. There have been more than 200 (symptoms) investigated for long Covid alone," Vivaldi added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The researchers have also said that more studies are requited for a better understanding of long-Covid.&nbsp;</p>

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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has subsided, but its impact can still be seen as long Covid. However, scientists now suggest that symptoms that last for a long time could be because of "long colds", which are just as common as long Covid.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has subsided, but its impact can still be seen as long Covid. However, scientists now suggest that symptoms that last for a long time could be because of "long colds", which are just as common as long Covid. Researchers at the Queen Mary University of London found that people experience long-term symptoms even after respiratory infections that test negative for Covid. In the aftereffects of Covid, coughing, stomach pain and diarrhoea were among some of the most common symptoms of a long cold as they used to last for more than four weeks. Meanwhile, in the latest research, published in The Lancet's EClinicalMedicine journal, it is said that in some of cases, people may suffer long-term effects from colds, flu or pneumonia. Also read: World food price index 'mostly stable' in September; Sugar prices hit 13-year high due to El Nino: FAO The researchers said, "Our findings suggest that there may be long-lasting health impacts from other respiratory infections that are going unrecognised, although we do not yet have evidence that these symptoms have a similar duration to long Covid." To carry out the study, experts analysed data from over 10,000 people who were taking part in the Covidence UK study into coronavirus in the population. The study said that researchers included participants — 12.9% with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 4.6% with non-Covid acute respiratory infections (ARI). Researchers found that both types of infection were associated with increased prevalence and severity of most symptoms and decreased health-related quality of life compared with no infection. Also read: Italy gets ready for possible evacuations from super volcano near Naples The study said that participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection had increased odds of problems with taste and smell and lightheadedness or dizziness compared with participants with non-Covid ARIs. Professor Adrian Martineau, who is from Queen Mary University of London, told the PA news agency that the results showed that 22% of people with Covid suffered prolonged symptoms after infection, as did 22% of those who had an infection that was not Covid. Martineau, who also worked on the study, said there was a "similar risk of prolonged symptoms" irrespective of whether it was caused by Covid or non-Covid infection. Watch: Snakebite cases on the rise in rural India × Lead author Giulia Vivaldi from the Queen Mary University of London, said: "Our findings shine a light not only on the impact of long Covid on people's lives, but also other respiratory infections. A lack of awareness – or even the lack of a common term – prevents both reporting and diagnosis of these conditions." "As research into long Covid continues, we need to take the opportunity to investigate and consider the lasting effects of other acute respiratory infections. These 'long' infections are so difficult to diagnose and treat primarily because of a lack of diagnostic tests and there being so many possible symptoms. There have been more than 200 (symptoms) investigated for long Covid alone," Vivaldi added. The researchers have also said that more studies are requited for a better understanding of long-Covid. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

People may experience 'long colds' after respiratory illness, not only Covid: Study

<p>Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the 2023 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday (Oct 2) for their work that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.</p>

<p>Karikó is a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US. Weissman is a Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prize is one of the most prestigious in the scientific world and is selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute medical university. The award also comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million).&nbsp;The announcement was made by Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Assembly in the Swedish capital city Stockholm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” said the award-giving body.&nbsp;</p>

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The 2023 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NobelPrize?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NobelPrize</a> in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. <a href="https://t.co/Y62uJDlNMj">pic.twitter.com/Y62uJDlNMj</a></p>
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) <a href="https://twitter.com/NobelPrize/status/1708780262883017166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>About the scientists</strong></h2>

<p>Kariko was senior vice president and head of RNA protein replacement at BioNTech until last year but since then, has been acting as an adviser to the company.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Weissman is a professor in vaccine research at the Perelman School.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They&nbsp; found a way, through nucleoside base modifications, to stop the immune system from launching an inflammatory attack against lab-made mRNA, which was seen as a major obstacle against any therapeutic use of the technology.</p>

<p>Karikó&nbsp;and Weissman, back in 2005, showed how adjustments to nucleosides – the molecular letters that write the mRNA’s genetic code – can keep the mRNA under the immune system’s radar.</p>

<p>“This year’s Nobel Prize recognizes their basic science discovery that fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with the immune system and had a major impact on society during the recent pandemic,” said Rickard Sandberg, member of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute.</p>

<p>“Together they have saved millions of lives, prevented severe COVID-19, reduced the overall disease burden and enabled societies to open up again,” he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The secretary of the Nobel Assembly said that both scientists were “overwhelmed” by the news when contacted shortly before the announcement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As of June 2023, about 1.5 billion people across the world had received mRNA shots, developed by German biotech firm BioNTech and drugmaker Pfizer, as per Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), COVID-19 vaccines helped save almost 20 million lives globally in the first year of the pandemic alone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year’s medicine prize went to Swedish scientist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/swedens-svante-paabo-wins-nobel-medicine-prize-522006">Svante Paabo</a> for his groundbreaking research in human evolution by sequencing the genome of Neanderthal DNA and discovering the previously unknown hominin Denisova.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Upcoming Nobel prizes</strong></h2>

<p>The Nobel prize in medicine kicks off this year’s awards with the physics prize to be announced on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday.</p>

<p>The Swedish king will present the prizes at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the 2023 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday (Oct 2) for their work that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman won the 2023 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday (Oct 2) for their work that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. Karikó is a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US. Weissman is a Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovations. The prize is one of the most prestigious in the scientific world and is selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute medical university. The award also comes with 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1 million). The announcement was made by Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Assembly in the Swedish capital city Stockholm. “The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” said the award-giving body. BREAKING NEWS The 2023 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/Y62uJDlNMj — The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 2, 2023 × About the scientists Kariko was senior vice president and head of RNA protein replacement at BioNTech until last year but since then, has been acting as an adviser to the company. Meanwhile, Weissman is a professor in vaccine research at the Perelman School. They found a way, through nucleoside base modifications, to stop the immune system from launching an inflammatory attack against lab-made mRNA, which was seen as a major obstacle against any therapeutic use of the technology. Karikó and Weissman, back in 2005, showed how adjustments to nucleosides – the molecular letters that write the mRNA’s genetic code – can keep the mRNA under the immune system’s radar. “This year’s Nobel Prize recognizes their basic science discovery that fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with the immune system and had a major impact on society during the recent pandemic,” said Rickard Sandberg, member of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute. “Together they have saved millions of lives, prevented severe COVID-19, reduced the overall disease burden and enabled societies to open up again,” he added. The secretary of the Nobel Assembly said that both scientists were “overwhelmed” by the news when contacted shortly before the announcement. As of June 2023, about 1.5 billion people across the world had received mRNA shots, developed by German biotech firm BioNTech and drugmaker Pfizer, as per Reuters. According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), COVID-19 vaccines helped save almost 20 million lives globally in the first year of the pandemic alone. Last year’s medicine prize went to Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for his groundbreaking research in human evolution by sequencing the genome of Neanderthal DNA and discovering the previously unknown hominin Denisova. Upcoming Nobel prizes The Nobel prize in medicine kicks off this year’s awards with the physics prize to be announced on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Swedish king will present the prizes at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Nobel prize in medicine: Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman awarded for mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

Two years after they were first rolled out, experts are still gaining new insights on the COVID-19 vaccine's effects on women's health, from mRNA in breast milk to changes in menstrual cycles. In this episode, we explore the need for gender-inclusive medical research.

Gravitas: What Do We Truly Know About Covid Vaccines? The Unseen Consequences on Women's Health

Scientists across the world are issuing warnings about a new potential pandemic called 'Disease X'. They say this disease could be 20 times deadlier than the Wuhan Virus. Priyanka Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: 'Disease X' could be 20 times deadlier than the Wuhan virus

Studies carried out in India have shown that a woman is far more likely to pursue formal employment herself if her mother-in-law is employed. According to the study, when the mother-in-law works, daughter-in-laws are 70% more likely to work in urban households and 50% more likely to work in rural areas.

How Covid-19 boosted women workforce | Details

<p>&nbsp;As COVID-19 has turned into a recurring and familiar health issue, healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are now preparing for a potential new pandemic called "Disease X." The healthcare experts have issued a caution that the new virus can be as devastating as was the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920.</p>

<p>Health experts are now sounding the alarm around "Disease X," after the World Health Organization coined the term. The experts have issued a warning that this potential new pandemic can lead to 20 times more fatalities compared to the coronavirus.</p>

<p>In 2020, the world saw the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which tragically claimed the lives of more than 2.5 million people worldwide.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to the Daily Mail Kate Bingham, who was chairperson of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce from May to December 2020, said that she believed Disease X can turn out to be considerably more perilous than COVID-19.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-early-signs-of-nipah-virus-in-children-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention-639429">Early signs of Nipah virus in children: Symptoms, treatment and prevention</a></p>

<h2><strong>Disease X can lead to 50 million fatalities</strong></h2>

<p>Based on estimates by experts, Disease X carries the potential to lead to around 50 million fatalities. "Let me put it this way: the 1918-19 flu pandemic killed at least 50 million people worldwide, twice as many as were killed in World War I. Today, we could expect a similar death toll from one of the many viruses that already exist," she said while speaking to the Daily Mail.</p>

<p>Bingham emphasised that “the world will have to prepare for mass vaccination drives and deliver the doses in record time."</p>

<p>She stated that although 25 virus families were identified by the scientists encompassing thousands of individual viruses, she feels that experts need to discover millions of viruses as of yet and they carry the potential to evolve into pandemics.</p>

<p>"In a sense, we got lucky with COVID-19, despite the fact that it caused 20 million or more deaths across the world. The point is that the vast majority of people infected with the virus managed to recover. Imagine Disease X is as infectious as measles with the fatality rate of Ebola [67%]. Somewhere in the world, it's replicating, and sooner or later, somebody will start feeling sick," Bingham said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas | Another deadly bat virus is here: Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, should you be scared?</strong></p>

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<p>As per Bingham, the increase in outbreaks can be attributed to the growing trend of more people gathering in urban areas. She further emphasised that the increase has also taken place because of the continual destruction of millions of acres of natural habitat every year.</p>

<p>"This reason is particularly important because around three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals and then leap from species to species until they can, in certain circumstances, infect human beings," she said.</p>

<p>According to her, one of the initial actions required is to allocate the necessary financial resources, which mainly means putting "the money on the table." " The monetary cost of inaction is seismic. After all, even Covid-19 - a milder virus than Disease X - managed to leave us holding a bill for $16 trillion in both lost output and public health expenditure," Bingham said.&nbsp;</p>

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As COVID-19 has turned into a recurring and familiar health issue, healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are now preparing for a potential new pandemic called "Disease X.

As COVID-19 has turned into a recurring and familiar health issue, healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are now preparing for a potential new pandemic called "Disease X." The healthcare experts have issued a caution that the new virus can be as devastating as was the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920. Health experts are now sounding the alarm around "Disease X," after the World Health Organization coined the term. The experts have issued a warning that this potential new pandemic can lead to 20 times more fatalities compared to the coronavirus. In 2020, the world saw the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which tragically claimed the lives of more than 2.5 million people worldwide. Speaking to the Daily Mail Kate Bingham, who was chairperson of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce from May to December 2020, said that she believed Disease X can turn out to be considerably more perilous than COVID-19. ALSO READ | Early signs of Nipah virus in children: Symptoms, treatment and prevention Disease X can lead to 50 million fatalities Based on estimates by experts, Disease X carries the potential to lead to around 50 million fatalities. "Let me put it this way: the 1918-19 flu pandemic killed at least 50 million people worldwide, twice as many as were killed in World War I. Today, we could expect a similar death toll from one of the many viruses that already exist," she said while speaking to the Daily Mail. Bingham emphasised that “the world will have to prepare for mass vaccination drives and deliver the doses in record time." She stated that although 25 virus families were identified by the scientists encompassing thousands of individual viruses, she feels that experts need to discover millions of viruses as of yet and they carry the potential to evolve into pandemics. "In a sense, we got lucky with COVID-19, despite the fact that it caused 20 million or more deaths across the world. The point is that the vast majority of people infected with the virus managed to recover. Imagine Disease X is as infectious as measles with the fatality rate of Ebola [67%]. Somewhere in the world, it's replicating, and sooner or later, somebody will start feeling sick," Bingham said. WATCH | Gravitas | Another deadly bat virus is here: Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, should you be scared? As per Bingham, the increase in outbreaks can be attributed to the growing trend of more people gathering in urban areas. She further emphasised that the increase has also taken place because of the continual destruction of millions of acres of natural habitat every year. "This reason is particularly important because around three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals and then leap from species to species until they can, in certain circumstances, infect human beings," she said. According to her, one of the initial actions required is to allocate the necessary financial resources, which mainly means putting "the money on the table." " The monetary cost of inaction is seismic. After all, even Covid-19 - a milder virus than Disease X - managed to leave us holding a bill for $16 trillion in both lost output and public health expenditure," Bingham said. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

'Disease X' likely to prove 20 times deadlier compared to COVID-19, hints expert

"Batwoman" Shi Zhengli, one of China's most well-known virologists, has issued a warning, stating that there is "highly likely" to be another coronavirus in the future.

China: World must be prepared for a disease like Covid-19, warns study

<p>The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months.</p>

<p>The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at COVIDTests.gov starting September 25, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service.</p>

<p>Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said.</p>

<p>Federal officials said that will help guard against supply chain issues that sparked some shortages of at-home COVID tests made overseas during past surges in coronavirus cases.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Biden agrees to meet nine months after Netanyahu's election win</strong></p>

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<p>Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said the website will remain functional to receive orders through the holidays and “we reserve the right to keep it open even longer if we're starting to see an increase in cases”.</p>

<p>“If there is a demand for these tests, we want to make sure that they're made available to the American people for free in this way,” O'Connell said. “But, at this point, our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they're going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving."</p>

<p>The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said.</p>

<p>The initiative follows four previous rounds where federal officials and the US Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide.</p>

<p>It is also meant to complement ongoing federal efforts to provide free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities which are already distributing 4 million per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date, the department said.</p>

<p>O'Connell said manufacturers would be able to spread out the 200 million tests they will produce for federal use over 18 months. That means that, as demand for home tests rises via the website or at US retailers when COVID cases increase around the country, producers can focus on meeting those orders — but that they will then have an additional outlet for the tests they produce during period when demand declines.</p>

<p>“We've seen every winter, as people move indoors into heated spaces, away from the outside that, over each of the seasons that COVID's been a concern, that we have seen cases go up," O'Connell said.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-predicts-trump-to-become-gop-nominee-as-his-support-soars-to-51-638195"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Biden predicts Trump to become GOP nominee as his support soars to 51%</strong></a></p>

<p>She added that also “there's always an opportunity or chance for another variant to come” but “we're not anticipating that”.</p>

<p>“That's not why we're doing this,” O'Connell said. "We're doing this for the fall and winter season ahead and the potential for an increase in cases as a result.”</p>

<p>HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the "Biden-Harris administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the US supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing”.</p>

<p>“These critical investments will strengthen our nation's production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus," Becerra said in a statement.</p>

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The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months.

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months. The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at COVIDTests.gov starting September 25, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service. Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said. Federal officials said that will help guard against supply chain issues that sparked some shortages of at-home COVID tests made overseas during past surges in coronavirus cases. Watch: Biden agrees to meet nine months after Netanyahu's election win × Dawn O'Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said the website will remain functional to receive orders through the holidays and “we reserve the right to keep it open even longer if we're starting to see an increase in cases”. “If there is a demand for these tests, we want to make sure that they're made available to the American people for free in this way,” O'Connell said. “But, at this point, our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they're going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving." The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said. The initiative follows four previous rounds where federal officials and the US Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide. It is also meant to complement ongoing federal efforts to provide free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities which are already distributing 4 million per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date, the department said. O'Connell said manufacturers would be able to spread out the 200 million tests they will produce for federal use over 18 months. That means that, as demand for home tests rises via the website or at US retailers when COVID cases increase around the country, producers can focus on meeting those orders — but that they will then have an additional outlet for the tests they produce during period when demand declines. “We've seen every winter, as people move indoors into heated spaces, away from the outside that, over each of the seasons that COVID's been a concern, that we have seen cases go up," O'Connell said. Also read: Biden predicts Trump to become GOP nominee as his support soars to 51% She added that also “there's always an opportunity or chance for another variant to come” but “we're not anticipating that”. “That's not why we're doing this,” O'Connell said. "We're doing this for the fall and winter season ahead and the potential for an increase in cases as a result.” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the "Biden-Harris administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the US supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing”. “These critical investments will strengthen our nation's production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus," Becerra said in a statement. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Covid winter surge scare: Americans can order tests online again, Biden earmarks $600mn

<p><strong>COVID-19 vaccines in UK:</strong> The COVID-19 vaccine rules are changing in England. Those&nbsp;who are at most risk will be offered another jab this autumn.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the NHS England website, residents of older adult care homes and people bound to stay indoors have already started receiving their Covid&nbsp;vaccinations from September 11.</p>

<p>Following advice from medical experts, adults aged 65 and above will be offered the vaccine automatically.</p>

<p>Furthermore, the NHS will contact those who are eligible.</p>

<p>This booster roll-out in the UK comes after the new Covid variant BA.2.86 was first detected on August 18. The same booster rollout has also been brought by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Who is eligible for the autumn Covid booster?</strong></h2>

<p>Residents in care homes for older adults and people bound to stay home</p>

<p>All adults aged 65 years and over</p>

<p>People aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group</p>

<p>Frontline health and social care workers</p>

<p>Individuals aged 12 to 64 in contact with people with weakened immune systems</p>

<p>Those aged 16 to 64 who are carers and staff working in care homes for older adults</p>

<p>Pregnant women</p>

<p><strong>Others can check their eligibility on the NHS website.</strong></p>

<p>The government added that the annual COVID-19 flu vaccine will also be made available to these groups at the same time whenever possible.</p>

<h2><strong>How can I book my Covid booster?</strong></h2>

<p>People can now book their Covid jabs through the NHS website or app from September 18. They can also book their slots by calling 119.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government hopes that many people will be vaccinated by October 31.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the UK, approval has recently been granted for a new Pfizer jab that targets the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5.</p>

<p>In total, four different vaccines are in use across the country: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sanofi/GSK and Novavax.</p>

<p>Till May 2023, almost 176 million Covid vaccines had been given across the country.</p>

<h2><strong>How long after having COVID-19 can one take the vaccine?</strong></h2>

<p>According to medical experts, one should wait at least a month after a positive test, even if you do not have any symptoms.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One should not take a vaccine if he/she has&nbsp;a severe illness, like a high fever.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;vaccine does not infect people with COVID-19 and will not cause any positive test results.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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COVID-19 vaccines in UK: The COVID-19 vaccine rules are changing in England. Those who are at most risk will be offered another jab this autumn. According to the NHS England website, residents of older adult care homes and people bound to stay indoors have already started receiving their Covid vaccinations from September 11.

COVID-19 vaccines in UK: The COVID-19 vaccine rules are changing in England. Those who are at most risk will be offered another jab this autumn. According to the NHS England website, residents of older adult care homes and people bound to stay indoors have already started receiving their Covid vaccinations from September 11. Following advice from medical experts, adults aged 65 and above will be offered the vaccine automatically. Furthermore, the NHS will contact those who are eligible. This booster roll-out in the UK comes after the new Covid variant BA.2.86 was first detected on August 18. The same booster rollout has also been brought by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Who is eligible for the autumn Covid booster? Residents in care homes for older adults and people bound to stay home All adults aged 65 years and over People aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group Frontline health and social care workers Individuals aged 12 to 64 in contact with people with weakened immune systems Those aged 16 to 64 who are carers and staff working in care homes for older adults Pregnant women Others can check their eligibility on the NHS website. The government added that the annual COVID-19 flu vaccine will also be made available to these groups at the same time whenever possible. How can I book my Covid booster? People can now book their Covid jabs through the NHS website or app from September 18. They can also book their slots by calling 119. The government hopes that many people will be vaccinated by October 31. In the UK, approval has recently been granted for a new Pfizer jab that targets the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.5. In total, four different vaccines are in use across the country: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sanofi/GSK and Novavax. Till May 2023, almost 176 million Covid vaccines had been given across the country. How long after having COVID-19 can one take the vaccine? According to medical experts, one should wait at least a month after a positive test, even if you do not have any symptoms. One should not take a vaccine if he/she has a severe illness, like a high fever. The vaccine does not infect people with COVID-19 and will not cause any positive test results. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

COVID-19 booster shots in UK: Check who is eligible for vaccine and how to book it

UK is on alert over the fast-spreading Covid-19 variant BA.2.86, also called 'Pirola'. The mutated Covid-19 variant pirola is contributing to a spike in cases across scotland and the rest of UK. As of this week, there have been at least 37 cases recorded in England, which is an increase of over three infections from the previous week. Molly Gambhir brings you a report.

Gravitas: Pirola Outbreak: Is the UK prepared?

<p>World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged China to offer more information on the origins of coronavirus. He told the Financial Times on Sunday (September 17) that the health agency is ready to send a second team to probe the matter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We're pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral meetings — to urge Beijing to cooperate," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the newspaper.</p>

<p>Ever since the virus spread was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020, several claims and counterclaims have been made over its origin. Many assumed that it spread in a live animal market before spreading throughout the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/summer-2023-was-hottest-on-record-since-1880-confirms-nasa-636886">Summer 2023 was hottest on record since 1880, confirms NASA</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The outbreak became a pandemic in just a few weeks that year in March, and caused havoc on mankind, killing millions of people and leaving many more reeling with long-Covid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The virus, to some extent, has subsided and now the health authorities and pharmaceutical companies around the world are racing to update vaccines to battle newer developing coronavirus types.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ghebreyesus has long pressed China to provide information concerning the origins of COVID-19, claiming that until this happens, all hypotheses remain open.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sea-ice-around-antarctica-recedes-to-historically-low-levels-scientists-636821">Sea ice around Antarctica recedes to historically low levels: Scientists</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Human trafficking: Why is it hard to combat? | Dark World&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>CIA and Covid controversy</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Allegations have been made against the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in which several of their analysts were paid to change their views on the origins of Covid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by Sky News, Stanford University Professor Dr Jayanta Bhattacharya said that the entire world needs "absolute transparency" on the CIA Covid origins allegations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bhattacharya said: "What was the CIA’s role – what role did they have and why was there any interest in covering up that fact? If these allegations are correct, that the CIA actually paid off its own analyst to not tell the public or at least not even tell the president that the CIA thought that the virus was as a result of laboratory work – it’s just shocking."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This is something the entire world deserves to know; we need absolute transparency in this. This is not a question of national security anymore – this is a question of human rights – it’s a question of honesty," Bhattacharya added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged China to offer more information on the origins of coronavirus. He told the Financial Times on Sunday (September 17) that the health agency is ready to send a second team to probe the matter.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged China to offer more information on the origins of coronavirus. He told the Financial Times on Sunday (September 17) that the health agency is ready to send a second team to probe the matter. "We're pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral meetings — to urge Beijing to cooperate," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the newspaper. Ever since the virus spread was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020, several claims and counterclaims have been made over its origin. Many assumed that it spread in a live animal market before spreading throughout the world. Also read: Summer 2023 was hottest on record since 1880, confirms NASA The outbreak became a pandemic in just a few weeks that year in March, and caused havoc on mankind, killing millions of people and leaving many more reeling with long-Covid. The virus, to some extent, has subsided and now the health authorities and pharmaceutical companies around the world are racing to update vaccines to battle newer developing coronavirus types. Ghebreyesus has long pressed China to provide information concerning the origins of COVID-19, claiming that until this happens, all hypotheses remain open. Also read: Sea ice around Antarctica recedes to historically low levels: Scientists Watch: Human trafficking: Why is it hard to combat? | Dark World × CIA and Covid controversy Allegations have been made against the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in which several of their analysts were paid to change their views on the origins of Covid. As quoted by Sky News, Stanford University Professor Dr Jayanta Bhattacharya said that the entire world needs "absolute transparency" on the CIA Covid origins allegations. Bhattacharya said: "What was the CIA’s role – what role did they have and why was there any interest in covering up that fact? If these allegations are correct, that the CIA actually paid off its own analyst to not tell the public or at least not even tell the president that the CIA thought that the virus was as a result of laboratory work – it’s just shocking." "This is something the entire world deserves to know; we need absolute transparency in this. This is not a question of national security anymore – this is a question of human rights – it’s a question of honesty," Bhattacharya added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WHO again asks China for 'full access' to determine Covid's origins: Report

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the World battles various sub-variants of the disease with the origins of the virus being still a mystery. A whistleblower in the CIA has told Congress the agency bribed its own analysts to say COVID-19 did not originate in a Wuhan lab.

Whistleblower: CIA bribed analysts to avoid Wuhan origin theory

Alarms are ringing in India over yet another deadly virus. The southern state of Kerala has reported four cases of the Nipah virus out of which two succumb to the infection. Now Nipah is a zoonotic virus which means it is transmitted to people from animals. It mainly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs and horses. Though the infection does not spread as quickly as COVID-19 the case fatality rate or the proportion of deaths among those who test positive is very high as per the World Health Organization.

India: Kerala government strengthens measures to stop the spread of Nipah virus

<p>The newly launched social media platform Threads is facing widespread criticism for&nbsp;blocking terms related to COVID-19 and vaccines on the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Developed by Facebook's parent company Meta, the platform's decision to block coronavirus-related&nbsp;searches on its service comes at a time when COVID-19 hospitalisation numbers are on the rise&nbsp;in the United States, as per the data shared by the&nbsp;Centers&nbsp;for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The search functionality temporarily doesn’t provide results for keywords that may show potentially sensitive content," a Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying by <em>CNN</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"People will be able to search for keywords such as ‘COVID’ in future updates once we are confident in the quality of the results.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Currently, users are getting a black screen and a pop-up linking to the CDC website when they type terms related to "Covid" or "long Covid" on the revamped search engine that was rolled out last week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Apart from&nbsp;“coronavirus,” “vaccines” and “vaccination”, words such as&nbsp;&nbsp;“sex,” “nude,” “gore,” “porn" are also blocked on the social media platform's search engine, according to<em> The Washington Post</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company has been enveloped in controversy&nbsp;since the beginning of the pandemic for gatekeeping data related to the origins of the virus, as well as allowing COVID-19-related misinformation to spread on the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, the decision to temporarily block search results related to Covid came on the same day as when the&nbsp;Food and Drug Administration (FDA)&nbsp;approved COVID-19 vaccines with formulations that more closely target currently circulating variants, as infections are once more on the rise.</p>

<p>A panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet tomorrow (September 12) to offer clinical recommendations about who should receive the updated vaccines.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/threads-vs-x-the-rivalry-intensifies-as-threads-gets-a-web-version-wion-628098"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Threads vs X: The rivalry intensifies as Threads gets a web version | WION</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>Threads becomes a dud&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Threads, dubbed a "Twitter/X&nbsp;killer" by a significant portion of the internet community, had an impressive opening but since then, the platform has seen its popularity take a massive&nbsp;dip. As per data, both active users and time spent on the app - two major metrics to gauge a platform's popularity, were down significantly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Similarweb data, over 100 million users had signed up for the app within a week of its release on July 5. The app reached a peak of 49 million users who engaged with the platform on a daily basis. However, by August 7, the metric had fallen to 10.3&nbsp;million active users.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/twitter-threatens-legal-action-against-metas-threads-unraveling-battle-for-social-media-supremacy-612886"><strong>Also read | X&nbsp;threatens legal action against Meta's Threads, unraveling battle for social media supremacy</strong></a></p>

<p>Even Zuckerberg admitted there has been a drop in numbers as Meta seeks to compete against X.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet," he told employees during an internal company town hall.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The newly launched social media platform Threads is facing widespread criticism for blocking terms related to COVID-19 and vaccines on the platform. Developed by Facebook's parent company Meta, the platform's decision to block coronavirus-related searches on its service comes at a time when COVID-19 hospitalisation numbers are on the rise in the United States, as per the data shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The newly launched social media platform Threads is facing widespread criticism for blocking terms related to COVID-19 and vaccines on the platform. Developed by Facebook's parent company Meta, the platform's decision to block coronavirus-related searches on its service comes at a time when COVID-19 hospitalisation numbers are on the rise in the United States, as per the data shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The search functionality temporarily doesn’t provide results for keywords that may show potentially sensitive content," a Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNN. "People will be able to search for keywords such as ‘COVID’ in future updates once we are confident in the quality of the results.” Currently, users are getting a black screen and a pop-up linking to the CDC website when they type terms related to "Covid" or "long Covid" on the revamped search engine that was rolled out last week. Apart from “coronavirus,” “vaccines” and “vaccination”, words such as “sex,” “nude,” “gore,” “porn" are also blocked on the social media platform's search engine, according to The Washington Post. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company has been enveloped in controversy since the beginning of the pandemic for gatekeeping data related to the origins of the virus, as well as allowing COVID-19-related misinformation to spread on the platform. Moreover, the decision to temporarily block search results related to Covid came on the same day as when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID-19 vaccines with formulations that more closely target currently circulating variants, as infections are once more on the rise. A panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet tomorrow (September 12) to offer clinical recommendations about who should receive the updated vaccines. Watch | Threads vs X: The rivalry intensifies as Threads gets a web version | WION Threads becomes a dud Threads, dubbed a "Twitter/X killer" by a significant portion of the internet community, had an impressive opening but since then, the platform has seen its popularity take a massive dip. As per data, both active users and time spent on the app - two major metrics to gauge a platform's popularity, were down significantly. According to Similarweb data, over 100 million users had signed up for the app within a week of its release on July 5. The app reached a peak of 49 million users who engaged with the platform on a daily basis. However, by August 7, the metric had fallen to 10.3 million active users. Also read | X threatens legal action against Meta's Threads, unraveling battle for social media supremacy Even Zuckerberg admitted there has been a drop in numbers as Meta seeks to compete against X. "Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We're not there yet," he told employees during an internal company town hall. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Threads under fire for blocking searches about COVID-19, vaccines

As the number of hospitalizations from the virus rises in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved revised Covid vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna, putting the shots on course to reach Americans within days.

US FDA approves updated Covid-19 booster shots

<p>US President Joe Biden flouted the COVID-19 guidelines on Wednesday (September 6) by not wearing a mask, despite being exposed to the virus as his wife Jill Biden tested positive for it&nbsp;earlier in the week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I've been tested again today, I’m clear across the board. But they keep telling me, because this has to be 10 days or something, I got to keep wearing it,"&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;said in his opening remarks on a dockworkers deal to a small audience.</p>

<p>"But don’t tell them I didn’t have it on when I walked in, alright?" he added with a grin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hours earlier, his aides had said the US president would obey US masking guidelines following his wife's positive diagnosis, including wearing one around others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, it wasn't the first instance in the week that Biden had broken his government's guidelines. The Democrat leader was criticised on Tuesday after he removed his mask while&nbsp;draping the Medal of Honor around the neck of an octogenarian Vietnam War veteran at the White House.</p>

<p>The 80-year-old president was later blasted as disrespectful after he hastily exited the East Room before the ceremony had even concluded.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-tests-covid-negative-all-set-to-visit-india-for-g20-632768"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;US President Joe Biden tests Covid negative, all set to visit India on Sept 7 for G20 Summit</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Biden's departure was to avoid COVID-19 exposure</strong></h2>

<p>Explaining the abrupt departure of the president, White House Press Secretary&nbsp;Karine Jean-Pierre offered a rather lousy excuse, saying it was to "minimise" COVID-19 exposure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“He left when there was a pause in the programme in order to minimise his close contact with attendees who are who are about to participate in a reception,” Jean-Pierre said.</p>

<p>"And as you all reported that, noticed that he left when there was a pause in the programme because, again, he wanted to minimise certainly his impact on folks who were there.”</p>

<p><strong>G20 Summit 2023: President Joe Biden to kick off India visit on September 7</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>G20 still on for Biden</strong></h2>

<p>Despite the controversy, Biden will be travelling to the Indian capital city of New Delhi for the G20 Summit after testing negative for Covid, the White House confirmed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"On Thursday, the President will travel to New Delhi to attend the G20 leader's summit. On Friday, President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi and on Saturday and Sunday, he will participate in the official sessions of the G20 summit,” US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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US President Joe Biden flouted the COVID-19 guidelines on Wednesday (September 6) by not wearing a mask, despite being exposed to the virus as his wife Jill Biden tested positive for it earlier in the week.

US President Joe Biden flouted the COVID-19 guidelines on Wednesday (September 6) by not wearing a mask, despite being exposed to the virus as his wife Jill Biden tested positive for it earlier in the week. "I've been tested again today, I’m clear across the board. But they keep telling me, because this has to be 10 days or something, I got to keep wearing it," Biden said in his opening remarks on a dockworkers deal to a small audience. "But don’t tell them I didn’t have it on when I walked in, alright?" he added with a grin. Hours earlier, his aides had said the US president would obey US masking guidelines following his wife's positive diagnosis, including wearing one around others. However, it wasn't the first instance in the week that Biden had broken his government's guidelines. The Democrat leader was criticised on Tuesday after he removed his mask while draping the Medal of Honor around the neck of an octogenarian Vietnam War veteran at the White House. The 80-year-old president was later blasted as disrespectful after he hastily exited the East Room before the ceremony had even concluded. Also read | US President Joe Biden tests Covid negative, all set to visit India on Sept 7 for G20 Summit Biden's departure was to avoid COVID-19 exposure Explaining the abrupt departure of the president, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered a rather lousy excuse, saying it was to "minimise" COVID-19 exposure. “He left when there was a pause in the programme in order to minimise his close contact with attendees who are who are about to participate in a reception,” Jean-Pierre said. "And as you all reported that, noticed that he left when there was a pause in the programme because, again, he wanted to minimise certainly his impact on folks who were there.” G20 Summit 2023: President Joe Biden to kick off India visit on September 7 G20 still on for Biden Despite the controversy, Biden will be travelling to the Indian capital city of New Delhi for the G20 Summit after testing negative for Covid, the White House confirmed. "On Thursday, the President will travel to New Delhi to attend the G20 leader's summit. On Friday, President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi and on Saturday and Sunday, he will participate in the official sessions of the G20 summit,” US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Joe Biden flouts COVID-19 guidelines, laughs off wearing masks despite exposure to virus

<p>Lockdowns and strict lockdowns because of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been waning but the fear of coronavirus, which is behind the deadly COVID-19 pandemic is far from gone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Covid virus and its various mutations have impacted humans immensely, and a new study has highlighted that the virus also commonly leaps from us to white-tailed deer, and it is probably evolving even more rapidly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40706-y">study</a> titled - Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer - was published in Nature Communications. In some regions of the United States, the virus may currently be widespread among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asian-hornet-may-have-established-presence-in-uk-threatening-native-bees-632386">Asian Hornet may have established presence in UK, threatening native bees</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The study mentioned that the researchers have detected that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA from November 2021 to March 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Deer-to-deer transmission thereafter continued for 2–8 months and spread across a vast area, the study said, further adding that the development of SARS-CoV-2 is three times faster in white-tailed deer than it is in humans.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The newly established Bayesian phylogenetic approaches revealed that it is also influenced by different mutational biases and selection pressures.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-mysterious-and-unique-new-species-of-marine-bacteria-study-632383">Scientists discover mysterious and unique new species of marine bacteria</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Given that our animal models using viruses with origins in white-tailed deer did not show any significant phenotypic alterations, the long-term impact of this increased evolutionary pace is yet unknown.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Although SARS-CoV-2 has just recently begun to spread among white-tailed deer populations, any future modifications could have a significant negative impact on both humans and cattle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by Science Alert, study co-author Andrew Bowman, who is a veterinary epidemiologist at Ohio State University, "We generally talk about interspecies transmission as a rare event, but this wasn't a huge sampling, and we're able to document 30 spillovers. It seems to be moving between people and animals quite easily."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;HPV: The STI that impacts 1 in 3 men worldwide&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>Bowman said: "And the evidence is growing that humans can get it from deer – which isn't radically surprising. It's probably not a one-way pipeline."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We expanded across Ohio to see if this was a localized problem – and we find it in lots of places, so it's not just a localized event," Bowman says.</p>

<p>"Some of the thought back then was that maybe it's just in urban deer because they're in closer contact with people," he adds. "But in rural parts of the state, we're finding plenty of positive deer."</p>

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Lockdowns and strict lockdowns because of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been waning but the fear of coronavirus, which is behind the deadly COVID-19 pandemic is far from gone.

Lockdowns and strict lockdowns because of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been waning but the fear of coronavirus, which is behind the deadly COVID-19 pandemic is far from gone. The Covid virus and its various mutations have impacted humans immensely, and a new study has highlighted that the virus also commonly leaps from us to white-tailed deer, and it is probably evolving even more rapidly. The study titled - Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer - was published in Nature Communications. In some regions of the United States, the virus may currently be widespread among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Also read: Asian Hornet may have established presence in UK, threatening native bees The study mentioned that the researchers have detected that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA from November 2021 to March 2022. Deer-to-deer transmission thereafter continued for 2–8 months and spread across a vast area, the study said, further adding that the development of SARS-CoV-2 is three times faster in white-tailed deer than it is in humans. The newly established Bayesian phylogenetic approaches revealed that it is also influenced by different mutational biases and selection pressures. Also read: Scientists discover mysterious and unique new species of marine bacteria Given that our animal models using viruses with origins in white-tailed deer did not show any significant phenotypic alterations, the long-term impact of this increased evolutionary pace is yet unknown. Although SARS-CoV-2 has just recently begun to spread among white-tailed deer populations, any future modifications could have a significant negative impact on both humans and cattle. As quoted by Science Alert, study co-author Andrew Bowman, who is a veterinary epidemiologist at Ohio State University, "We generally talk about interspecies transmission as a rare event, but this wasn't a huge sampling, and we're able to document 30 spillovers. It seems to be moving between people and animals quite easily." Watch: HPV: The STI that impacts 1 in 3 men worldwide × Bowman said: "And the evidence is growing that humans can get it from deer – which isn't radically surprising. It's probably not a one-way pipeline." "We expanded across Ohio to see if this was a localized problem – and we find it in lots of places, so it's not just a localized event," Bowman says. "Some of the thought back then was that maybe it's just in urban deer because they're in closer contact with people," he adds. "But in rural parts of the state, we're finding plenty of positive deer." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

COVID-19 in animals: SARS-CoV-2 evolving rapidly in free-ranging white-tailed deer

<p>A new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, BA.2.86 (nicknamed 'Pirola' on social media) has been reported in the United States and some other nations. It is said to be highly mutated from more recent versions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added it to it watch list after it was added to the WHO's SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring list.</p>

<p>Covid may have subsided, but the fear among people still resides with the emergence of variants and sub-variants of the deadly virus. The first known case of Covid was reported in China towards the end of 2019, and when it started to spread, it was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020.</p>

<p>The outbreak became a pandemic just a few weeks later, and caused havoc on mankind, killing millions of people and leaving many more reeling with long-Covid.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-map-claiming-regions-beyond-its-border-is-aggression-shows-beijings-character-630176">China's map claiming regions beyond its border, including India, shows Beijing's 'aggressive character'</a></strong></p>

<p>Different variants such as Delta and Omicron, led to deadly Covid waves, and experts have raised concerns over this new variant also. As per reports, seven confirmed cases of the 'Pirola' variant were reported by CDC as of August 19.</p>

<p>The variant has been detected in other countries as well, such as Denmark, Israel, South Africa, Portugal and the United Kingdom.</p>

<h2><strong>What is 'Pirola' variant of COVID-19?</strong></h2>

<p>BA.2.86 (or the Pirola) has caused concerns among some virologists as according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's August 23 risk assessment, some said that it has a large number of mutations, and it may be able to bypass immunity from the vaccine or recent infection with a different variant.</p>

<p>A report by The Wall Street Journal mentioned that the positive cases include people who haven't travelled recently. It indicates that there is community transmission. Concerns have also been raised as the variant has also been detected in wastewater in the US.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/geetika-srivastava-appointed-as-indias-1st-female-diplomat-to-head-mission-in-pakistan-630121">Geetika Srivastava appointed as India's 1st female diplomat to head mission in Pakistan</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, &nbsp;one case of BA.2.86 was detected in Washtenaw County, and reportedly impacted an older adult who showed "mild" symptoms that didn't immediately require hospitalisation. So far there's no update on the health of the person.</p>

<p>The WSJ report stated that scientists are not aware of the origin of the variant as it contains so many mutations. But they believe it developed over months in an immunocompromised person with a chronic infection.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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A new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, BA.2.86 (nicknamed 'Pirola' on social media) has been reported in the United States and some other nations. It is said to be highly mutated from more recent versions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added it to it watch list after it was added to the WHO's SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring list.

A new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, BA.2.86 (nicknamed 'Pirola' on social media) has been reported in the United States and some other nations. It is said to be highly mutated from more recent versions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added it to it watch list after it was added to the WHO's SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring list. Covid may have subsided, but the fear among people still resides with the emergence of variants and sub-variants of the deadly virus. The first known case of Covid was reported in China towards the end of 2019, and when it started to spread, it was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020. The outbreak became a pandemic just a few weeks later, and caused havoc on mankind, killing millions of people and leaving many more reeling with long-Covid. Also read: China's map claiming regions beyond its border, including India, shows Beijing's 'aggressive character' Different variants such as Delta and Omicron, led to deadly Covid waves, and experts have raised concerns over this new variant also. As per reports, seven confirmed cases of the 'Pirola' variant were reported by CDC as of August 19. The variant has been detected in other countries as well, such as Denmark, Israel, South Africa, Portugal and the United Kingdom. What is 'Pirola' variant of COVID-19? BA.2.86 (or the Pirola) has caused concerns among some virologists as according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's August 23 risk assessment, some said that it has a large number of mutations, and it may be able to bypass immunity from the vaccine or recent infection with a different variant. A report by The Wall Street Journal mentioned that the positive cases include people who haven't travelled recently. It indicates that there is community transmission. Concerns have also been raised as the variant has also been detected in wastewater in the US. Also read: Geetika Srivastava appointed as India's 1st female diplomat to head mission in Pakistan According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, one case of BA.2.86 was detected in Washtenaw County, and reportedly impacted an older adult who showed "mild" symptoms that didn't immediately require hospitalisation. So far there's no update on the health of the person. The WSJ report stated that scientists are not aware of the origin of the variant as it contains so many mutations. But they believe it developed over months in an immunocompromised person with a chronic infection. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

What is 'Pirola' variant of COVID-19? Experts say it may bypass immunity from vaccine

As the country nears full reopening after three years of pandemic isolation, state media said on Sunday that North Korea has allowed residents who were stranded abroad due to the government's strict COVID-19 restrictions to return home.

North Korean state media: Four-year period of sealed borders end

<p>Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative country, is slashing the tourist fee to boost its economy by attracting as many visitors as possible. It is all set to halve the $200 daily fee from September this year, in a bid to revive the country’s tourism sector still reeling after COVID-19.</p>

<p>Bhutan ended its Covid restrictions two years ago but introduced a tourist fee of $200 per visitor per night under its "Sustainable Development Fee" programme. It justified the increase by saying that the money would go to offset the carbon generated by visitors.</p>

<h2><strong>New tourist fee model in Bhutan</strong></h2>

<p>As reported by Reuters, the new rate of $100 per night would come into effect from September and last for four years.</p>

<p>A government statement issued Friday (August 25) said, “This is in view of the important role of the tourism sector in generating employment, earning foreign exchange ... and in boosting overall economic growth."</p>

<h2><strong>Bhutan’s long-term goals</strong></h2>

<p>Bhutan is working to completely overhaul its tourism sector. It wants to increase the contribution of tourism to its $3 billion economy to 20 per cent from the current 5 per cent.</p>

<p>Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism, said the halving of the fee could boost arrivals in the September-December peak tourist period, which includes many religious and cultural events in the mainly Buddhist country.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Bhutan-China: New Tango? | Bhutan moving away India's embrace?&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>In June, the government relaxed regulations for tourists seeking to stay longer in the country, yet there has not been a rapid increase in arrivals.</p>

<p>According to Dhradhul, Bhutan has welcomed over 56,000 tourists since January. However, around 42,000 of them are Indian nationals, subject to a fee of just 1,200 Indian rupees ($14.5) per day.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bhutans-latest-comments-on-doklam-region-raise-concerns-for-india-576921"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Bhutan PM’s latest comments on Doklam dispute resolution raise concerns in India</strong></a></p>

<p>The tourism sector in Bhutan employs approximately 50,000 locals. It used to generate about $84 million annually in foreign exchange before the pandemic struck.</p>

<h2><strong>Why Bhutan charges tourist fee?</strong></h2>

<p>In an effort to protect the integrity of its mountains, Bhutan has refrained from permitting mountain climbing, underscoring its long-standing concern about the consequences of mass tourism.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Consequently, the tourist fee has restricted the influx of visitors to those willing to spend more, thus forming only a small fraction of the volume seen in neighbouring Nepal.</p>

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Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative country, is slashing the tourist fee to boost its economy by attracting as many visitors as possible. It is all set to halve the $200 daily fee from September this year, in a bid to revive the country’s tourism sector still reeling after COVID-19.

Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative country, is slashing the tourist fee to boost its economy by attracting as many visitors as possible. It is all set to halve the $200 daily fee from September this year, in a bid to revive the country’s tourism sector still reeling after COVID-19. Bhutan ended its Covid restrictions two years ago but introduced a tourist fee of $200 per visitor per night under its "Sustainable Development Fee" programme. It justified the increase by saying that the money would go to offset the carbon generated by visitors. New tourist fee model in Bhutan As reported by Reuters, the new rate of $100 per night would come into effect from September and last for four years. A government statement issued Friday (August 25) said, “This is in view of the important role of the tourism sector in generating employment, earning foreign exchange ... and in boosting overall economic growth." Bhutan’s long-term goals Bhutan is working to completely overhaul its tourism sector. It wants to increase the contribution of tourism to its $3 billion economy to 20 per cent from the current 5 per cent. Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism, said the halving of the fee could boost arrivals in the September-December peak tourist period, which includes many religious and cultural events in the mainly Buddhist country. Watch: Bhutan-China: New Tango? | Bhutan moving away India's embrace? × In June, the government relaxed regulations for tourists seeking to stay longer in the country, yet there has not been a rapid increase in arrivals. According to Dhradhul, Bhutan has welcomed over 56,000 tourists since January. However, around 42,000 of them are Indian nationals, subject to a fee of just 1,200 Indian rupees ($14.5) per day. Also read: Bhutan PM’s latest comments on Doklam dispute resolution raise concerns in India The tourism sector in Bhutan employs approximately 50,000 locals. It used to generate about $84 million annually in foreign exchange before the pandemic struck. Why Bhutan charges tourist fee? In an effort to protect the integrity of its mountains, Bhutan has refrained from permitting mountain climbing, underscoring its long-standing concern about the consequences of mass tourism. Consequently, the tourist fee has restricted the influx of visitors to those willing to spend more, thus forming only a small fraction of the volume seen in neighbouring Nepal. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Bhutan halves tourist fee to $100 per night in bid to boost economy

<p>A study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that vaccination (at least a single dose) before <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-is-the-covid-19-scare-coming-back-heres-what-you-should-know-627516">coronavirus (COVID-19)</a> infection provided around 60 per cent&nbsp;protection against post-discharge mortality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study is focused on factors related to post-discharge one-year mortality among hospitalised COVID-19 patients. It found a higher chance of dying within one year after discharge in males, those more than 40 years of age, those with comorbidities and those who had moderate-severe COVID-19 disease to begin with.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Similar trends were seen in participants, 18-45 years of age," the study added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study mentioned that the results are related to the patients who had been hospitalised during their initial Covid infection. Hence, they cannot be generalised to all Covid patients.</p>

<p>The study has been conducted by National Clinical Registry for Covid team which&nbsp;evaluated the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/indian-boy-gets-stuck-in-elevator-does-homework-to-stay-calm-during-two-hour-ordeal-627636">Indian boy gets stuck in elevator, does homework to stay calm during two-hour ordeal</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>"National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 study team has conducted nested matched case-control analyses to evaluate the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality," it said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>National Clinical Registry is maintained by ICMR for Covid at 31 centres across the country. The registry is used for contacting all hospitalised Covid patients periodically by telephone till one year after discharge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ICMR says on its site that documentation and description of the cases infected by Covid and their course of illness is imperative for obtaining useful information regarding the illness. Reports have mentioned that data collected till February 2023 was included in this analysis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the study, "It was observed that of the 14,419 participants contacted at least once in one year after discharge from hospital, 942 (6.5%) all-cause mortality was reported. A nested matched case-control analysis was conducted to evaluate the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;UNICEF: 2 million kids affected by Niger Crisis&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/passenger-on-board-indigo-flight-vomits-blood-mid-air-627795">Passenger on board IndiGo flight vomits blood mid-air</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>Is the COVID-19 scare coming back?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>A new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected, sparking global concerns among scientists as it has a large number of mutations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that they are tracking the new, highly mutated lineage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The new variant, called BA.2.86, has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared to its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that vaccination (at least a single dose) before coronavirus (COVID-19) infection provided around 60 per cent protection against post-discharge mortality.

A study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that vaccination (at least a single dose) before coronavirus (COVID-19) infection provided around 60 per cent protection against post-discharge mortality. The study is focused on factors related to post-discharge one-year mortality among hospitalised COVID-19 patients. It found a higher chance of dying within one year after discharge in males, those more than 40 years of age, those with comorbidities and those who had moderate-severe COVID-19 disease to begin with. "Similar trends were seen in participants, 18-45 years of age," the study added. The study mentioned that the results are related to the patients who had been hospitalised during their initial Covid infection. Hence, they cannot be generalised to all Covid patients. The study has been conducted by National Clinical Registry for Covid team which evaluated the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality. Also read: Indian boy gets stuck in elevator, does homework to stay calm during two-hour ordeal "National Clinical Registry for COVID-19 study team has conducted nested matched case-control analyses to evaluate the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality," it said. National Clinical Registry is maintained by ICMR for Covid at 31 centres across the country. The registry is used for contacting all hospitalised Covid patients periodically by telephone till one year after discharge. ICMR says on its site that documentation and description of the cases infected by Covid and their course of illness is imperative for obtaining useful information regarding the illness. Reports have mentioned that data collected till February 2023 was included in this analysis. According to the study, "It was observed that of the 14,419 participants contacted at least once in one year after discharge from hospital, 942 (6.5%) all-cause mortality was reported. A nested matched case-control analysis was conducted to evaluate the factors related to one-year post-discharge mortality." Watch: UNICEF: 2 million kids affected by Niger Crisis Also read: Passenger on board IndiGo flight vomits blood mid-air × Is the COVID-19 scare coming back? A new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected, sparking global concerns among scientists as it has a large number of mutations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that they are tracking the new, highly mutated lineage. The new variant, called BA.2.86, has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared to its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Covid jabs before infection provided 60% protection against post-discharge mortality: Study

<p>After a hiatus of three years post the extensive COVID-19 curbs, the first North Korean international commercial flight landed in Beijing on Tuesday (August 22). This comes after North Korea reinstated its international commercial flight operations, marking a significant shift in its stringent border policies, media reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The resumption of international travel came as North Korea's state airline, Air Koryo, successfully landed at Beijing's Capital Airport at approximately 9:17 am local time (0117 GMT), the first flight since early 2020. The flight's departure from the North Korean capital took place at&nbsp;around 8:30 am local time (2330 GMT), as per Flightradar24.</p>

<p>The flight designated as JS151 was seen as having arrived by an arrivals board observed by an AFP reporter at the airport.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-air-defence-intercepts-and-downs-two-attack-drones-near-moscow-627704">Russian Air Defence intercepts and downs two 'attack drones' near Moscow</a></p>

<h2><strong>China gives nod for flights resumption</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>

<p>China announced on Monday (August 21) that it has granted approval for the resumption of commercial flights between Beijing and the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-thermonuclear-war-over-camp-david-summit-and-us-south-korea-drills-627702">North Korea threatens 'thermonuclear war' over Camp David summit and US-South Korea drills</a></p>

<p>During a regular press briefing, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said, "During the summer and autumn flight season... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo."&nbsp;</p>

<p>As Air Koryo was set to return to the Chinese skies on August 21, there was an abrupt cancellation of flights.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>North Korea's diplomatic engagements</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Foreign officials from China and Russia attended a military parade in Pyongyang, marking the first visit by foreign dignitaries in years.&nbsp;Additionally, North Korea allowed a delegation of athletes to participate in a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan. These developments signify a departure from North Korea's isolationist policies that had been in place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Beijing's fruit diplomacy turns sour as China bans imports of Taiwanese mangoes</strong></p>

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<p>Looking ahead, Air Koryo is reportedly scheduled to operate two flights between Vladivostok, Russia, and Pyongyang on coming Friday (August 25) and Monday (August 28).&nbsp;</p>

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After a hiatus of three years post the extensive COVID-19 curbs, the first North Korean international commercial flight landed in Beijing on Tuesday (August 22).

After a hiatus of three years post the extensive COVID-19 curbs, the first North Korean international commercial flight landed in Beijing on Tuesday (August 22). This comes after North Korea reinstated its international commercial flight operations, marking a significant shift in its stringent border policies, media reports said. The resumption of international travel came as North Korea's state airline, Air Koryo, successfully landed at Beijing's Capital Airport at approximately 9:17 am local time (0117 GMT), the first flight since early 2020. The flight's departure from the North Korean capital took place at around 8:30 am local time (2330 GMT), as per Flightradar24. The flight designated as JS151 was seen as having arrived by an arrivals board observed by an AFP reporter at the airport. Also Read | Russian Air Defence intercepts and downs two 'attack drones' near Moscow China gives nod for flights resumption China announced on Monday (August 21) that it has granted approval for the resumption of commercial flights between Beijing and the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. Also Read | North Korea threatens 'thermonuclear war' over Camp David summit and US-South Korea drills During a regular press briefing, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said, "During the summer and autumn flight season... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo." As Air Koryo was set to return to the Chinese skies on August 21, there was an abrupt cancellation of flights. North Korea's diplomatic engagements Foreign officials from China and Russia attended a military parade in Pyongyang, marking the first visit by foreign dignitaries in years. Additionally, North Korea allowed a delegation of athletes to participate in a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan. These developments signify a departure from North Korea's isolationist policies that had been in place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch | Beijing's fruit diplomacy turns sour as China bans imports of Taiwanese mangoes × Looking ahead, Air Koryo is reportedly scheduled to operate two flights between Vladivostok, Russia, and Pyongyang on coming Friday (August 25) and Monday (August 28). WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

North Korea's first international commercial flight lands in Beijing after 3-year COVID-19 hiatus

<p>A new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected, sparking global concerns among scientists as it has a large number of mutations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that they are tracking the new, highly mutated lineage.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What do we know about BA.2.86?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The new variant, called BA.2.86, has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared with its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first was reported in Israel, with the variant since being detected in Denmark and the US, but so far, it is not clear whether or not the new variant spreads faster or causes more serious illness than previous versions. UK-based media outlets reported that the new variant has been detected in London.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The WHO has classified BA.2.86 strain as a "variant under monitoring" and the health agency added that it needs more data to analyse the threat it may pose. The WHO said that there are only four known sequences of the variant.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The potential impact of the BA.2.86 mutations are presently unknown and undergoing careful assessment," the WHO said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by the news agency AFP, Francois Balloux, who is a professor of computational systems biology at University College London, said the attention attracted by the new variant was warranted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a comment published Friday (August 18), Balloux added that "BA.2.86 is the most striking SARS-CoV-2 strain the world has witnessed since the emergence of Omicron".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The professor referred to the variant that exploded onto the global stage in the winter of 2022, causing a surge in Covid cases. He said: "Over the coming weeks we will see how well BA.2.86 will be faring relative to other Omicron subvariants."&nbsp;</p>

<p>He stressed though that even if BA.2.86 caused a major spike in infections, "we are not expecting to witness comparable levels of severe disease and death than we did earlier in the pandemic when the Alpha, Delta or Omicron variants spread".&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said: "Most people on earth have now been vaccinated and/or infected by the virus." Balloux highlighted that even if people were reinfected with the new variant, "immune memory will still allow their immune system to kick in and control the infection far more effectively".&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Stems from 'earlier branch' of Covid&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Another scientist, Dr S Wesley Long, who is a medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital, said that BA.2.86 stems from an "earlier branch" of the coronavirus. Dr Long explained that that's why it differs from the variant targeted by current vaccines.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by the Reuters news agency, he said it remains to be seen whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reuters report also quoted Dr Eric Topol, a genomics expert and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, as saying that many countries have drastically reduced testing of patients and their efforts to analyse the genomes of the viruses causing new COVID cases. In that situation, the trajectory of BA.2.86 "doesn't look good right now," given the speed at which new cases are being identified.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Topol said that its many mutations make BA.2.86 "radically different in its structure" compared to earlier variants and according to him, the main question is whether BA.2.86 will turn out to be highly transmissible.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Rise in Covid cases globally&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a new strain of Covid is also spreading throughout China over the summer. As per the report, it accounts for over 70 per cent of infections but its public health risk remains low.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on its WeChat account on Saturday that the "proportion of the EG.5 variant among circulating strains of the coronavirus grew from 0.6 per cent in April to 71.6 per cent in August" and also added that it has become the "dominant strain in most provinces in China and is likely to continue this trend".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"EG.5's prevalence is mainly due to its enhanced ability to escape immunity, reducing the neutralising ability of antibodies produced by previous infections," it added.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Will vaccines protect against new variants?</strong></h2>

<p>A majority of people worldwide are vaccinated now. Long said, "The vaccine is still going to provide you great defense against illness and death."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Experts have suggested that Covid booster shots now being developed have been designed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moderna said preliminary trial data suggest its latest version of the vaccine shows promise against Eris and a related variant called Fornax, which has begun to circulate in the US.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Pfizer Inc, its updated Covid shot showed neutralising activity against the Eris subvariant in a study conducted on mice.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected, sparking global concerns among scientists as it has a large number of mutations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that they are tracking the new, highly mutated lineage.

A new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected, sparking global concerns among scientists as it has a large number of mutations. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that they are tracking the new, highly mutated lineage. What do we know about BA.2.86? The new variant, called BA.2.86, has more than 30 amino acid changes to its spike protein compared with its next closest ancestor, the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron. The first was reported in Israel, with the variant since being detected in Denmark and the US, but so far, it is not clear whether or not the new variant spreads faster or causes more serious illness than previous versions. UK-based media outlets reported that the new variant has been detected in London. The WHO has classified BA.2.86 strain as a "variant under monitoring" and the health agency added that it needs more data to analyse the threat it may pose. The WHO said that there are only four known sequences of the variant. "The potential impact of the BA.2.86 mutations are presently unknown and undergoing careful assessment," the WHO said. As quoted by the news agency AFP, Francois Balloux, who is a professor of computational systems biology at University College London, said the attention attracted by the new variant was warranted. In a comment published Friday (August 18), Balloux added that "BA.2.86 is the most striking SARS-CoV-2 strain the world has witnessed since the emergence of Omicron". The professor referred to the variant that exploded onto the global stage in the winter of 2022, causing a surge in Covid cases. He said: "Over the coming weeks we will see how well BA.2.86 will be faring relative to other Omicron subvariants." He stressed though that even if BA.2.86 caused a major spike in infections, "we are not expecting to witness comparable levels of severe disease and death than we did earlier in the pandemic when the Alpha, Delta or Omicron variants spread". He said: "Most people on earth have now been vaccinated and/or infected by the virus." Balloux highlighted that even if people were reinfected with the new variant, "immune memory will still allow their immune system to kick in and control the infection far more effectively". Stems from 'earlier branch' of Covid Another scientist, Dr S Wesley Long, who is a medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital, said that BA.2.86 stems from an "earlier branch" of the coronavirus. Dr Long explained that that's why it differs from the variant targeted by current vaccines. As quoted by the Reuters news agency, he said it remains to be seen whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination. Reuters report also quoted Dr Eric Topol, a genomics expert and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, as saying that many countries have drastically reduced testing of patients and their efforts to analyse the genomes of the viruses causing new COVID cases. In that situation, the trajectory of BA.2.86 "doesn't look good right now," given the speed at which new cases are being identified. Topol said that its many mutations make BA.2.86 "radically different in its structure" compared to earlier variants and according to him, the main question is whether BA.2.86 will turn out to be highly transmissible. Rise in Covid cases globally The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that a new strain of Covid is also spreading throughout China over the summer. As per the report, it accounts for over 70 per cent of infections but its public health risk remains low. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on its WeChat account on Saturday that the "proportion of the EG.5 variant among circulating strains of the coronavirus grew from 0.6 per cent in April to 71.6 per cent in August" and also added that it has become the "dominant strain in most provinces in China and is likely to continue this trend". "EG.5's prevalence is mainly due to its enhanced ability to escape immunity, reducing the neutralising ability of antibodies produced by previous infections," it added. Will vaccines protect against new variants? A majority of people worldwide are vaccinated now. Long said, "The vaccine is still going to provide you great defense against illness and death." Experts have suggested that Covid booster shots now being developed have been designed to target the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5. Moderna said preliminary trial data suggest its latest version of the vaccine shows promise against Eris and a related variant called Fornax, which has begun to circulate in the US. According to Pfizer Inc, its updated Covid shot showed neutralising activity against the Eris subvariant in a study conducted on mice. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: Is the COVID-19 scare coming back? Here's what you should know

<p>US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday (August 17) that it was keeping an eye on a new, highly mutated lineage of virus that causes COVID-19. The lineage is named BA.2.86. It has reportedly been detected in the United States, Israel as well as in Denmark. The CDC has said this on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).</p>

<p>"As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC's advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same," the agency said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">CDC is tracking a new lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. This lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel. CDC is gathering more information and will share more about this lineage as we learn it.</p>
— CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1692326710262304890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a post on X that it was considering BA.2.86 as a "variant under monitoring". It said it was monitoring it due to large number of mutations it carries. The agency said further that only a few sequences of the variant have been reported from a handful of countries.</p>

<p>The new lineage, which has 36 mutations from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 COVID variant "harkens back to an earlier branch" of the virus, explained Dr. S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist. Dr Long was quoted by Reuters.</p>

<p>He said it remains to be seen whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination.</p>

<p>Reuters quoted \virologist Jesse Bloom, who said that early analysis indicated that the new variant "will have equal or greater escape than XBB.1.5 from antibodies elicited by pre-Omicron and first-generation Omicron variants."</p>

<p>Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is the strain that's targetted by vaccines in upcoming Covid booster shots.</p>

<p>Bloom's slides note that the most likely scenario is that BA.2.86 is less transmissible than current dominant variants, so never spreads widely, but more sequencing data is needed.</p>

<p>"My biggest concern would be that it could cause a bigger spike in cases than what we have seen in recent waves," Dr. Long said. "The boosters will still help you fight off COVID in general."</p>

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US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday (August 17) that it was keeping an eye on a new, highly mutated lineage of virus that causes COVID-19.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday (August 17) that it was keeping an eye on a new, highly mutated lineage of virus that causes COVID-19. The lineage is named BA.2.86. It has reportedly been detected in the United States, Israel as well as in Denmark. The CDC has said this on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). "As we learn more about BA.2.86, CDC's advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 remains the same," the agency said. CDC is tracking a new lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19. This lineage is named BA.2.86, and has been detected in the United States, Denmark and Israel. CDC is gathering more information and will share more about this lineage as we learn it. — CDC (@CDCgov) August 18, 2023 × Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a post on X that it was considering BA.2.86 as a "variant under monitoring". It said it was monitoring it due to large number of mutations it carries. The agency said further that only a few sequences of the variant have been reported from a handful of countries. The new lineage, which has 36 mutations from the currently-dominant XBB.1.5 COVID variant "harkens back to an earlier branch" of the virus, explained Dr. S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist. Dr Long was quoted by Reuters. He said it remains to be seen whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination. Reuters quoted \virologist Jesse Bloom, who said that early analysis indicated that the new variant "will have equal or greater escape than XBB.1.5 from antibodies elicited by pre-Omicron and first-generation Omicron variants." Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is the strain that's targetted by vaccines in upcoming Covid booster shots. Bloom's slides note that the most likely scenario is that BA.2.86 is less transmissible than current dominant variants, so never spreads widely, but more sequencing data is needed. "My biggest concern would be that it could cause a bigger spike in cases than what we have seen in recent waves," Dr. Long said. "The boosters will still help you fight off COVID in general." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US: CDC keeps eye on new lineage of virus that causes Covid

<p>COVID-19 showed the world how a pandemic can shatter the healthcare system, and leave it in an abysmal state. Even the world's best healthcare facilities collapsed when the coronavirus was on a rampage. The Covid surge in 2021 and 2022 exposed the weak leadership of several governments, but it also emerged as a lesson for how to tackle such unprecedented situations in the future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What are the ways that can help the world more efficiently in future? The answer is to focus on the bottom of the pyramid, like rural, underdeveloped, remote areas, where healthcare facilities are not up to the mark, and regions where there is a lack of resources.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To understand it better, WION got in touch with an India-based startup&nbsp;<strong>Curebay</strong>, which aims to enhance the rural healthcare infrastructure in the rural areas of the eastern state of Odisha.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Covid impacted urban and rural areas differently. When people were isolated in cities, the situation in remote areas was rather disparate. People in rural areas dealt with multi-dimensional issues in every state when the virus spread. Lack of information, doctor consultation, and vaccine storage are among a few major issues that the governments faced.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not just Covid, a report revealed that more than 60 per cent of people from rural areas chose to "migrate" out of their state in order to avail treatment for major diseases. The study by Transform Rural India and Sambodhi Research Pvt. Ltd. found that the majority of people used government-run secondary-level facilities (around 60 per cent), about 22 per cent went to a private facility, mostly hospitals, and just over five per cent consulted a private medical practitioner.</p>

<p>The study titled, 'State of Healthcare in Rural India-2023', had 6,478 respondents, 75 per cent men and 25 per cent women, across six regions - north, south, northeast, east, central and west.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-new-study-reveals-menstrual-discs-are-better-than-tampons-pads-for-heavy-flow-623532">New study reveals menstrual discs are better than tampons, pads for heavy flow</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>These are the reasons why we need programmes like Curebay.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Priyadarshi Mohapatra, founder, CureBay was asked about his Skype ID while consulting a doctor during the peak of the pandemic when everything was shut down.</p>

<p>That triggered a chain of thought: "If this is what I am going through, living in Gurgaon, which is such a good healthcare facility, then what would be a billion people living in this country in remote locations going through?"</p>

<p>Mohapatra said a billion people in this country are dependent on public healthcare infrastructure for their basic medical needs. And everybody has sort of left it for the government to solve.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said the "government has done a phenomenal job in creating a very large network of physical healthcare distribution" in the form of district headquarters, hospitals, sub-centres and the Asha, Anganwadi.&nbsp;But what public healthcare could not solve is the provider-patient ratio.</p>

<p><img alt="CureBay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="817b5c42-9159-4cea-86f5-b52cf4f07220" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/CureBay.png" /></p>

<p>Weighing in on the pandemic and its impact, Mohapatra said that in the urban regions, "India is pretty much ready."</p>

<p>He added, "I think our healthcare infrastructure that is present in urban areas is fairly solid. And we have shown it. Like many other countries literally you know crumbled under pressure during the pandemic. India stood up on its own. But I think where India really lagged in providing the service and our infrastructure got a little bit exposed was the rural and semi-urban markets."&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Rural India and healthcare facilities&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The patient journey in these remote areas is difficult and the options available to them are very sub-optimal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rural India is dangerously becoming antibiotic-resistant in the absence of prescription and the course, because most of the time, the pharmacist hands over medicines to them without knowledge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mohapatra said it's not that they are not aware, it's because they want to avoid travel as it's a commercial burden on them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sometimes, due to a lack of information and other challenges, patients from rural India end up in places where the quality of healthcare is very inferior, even those that are not authorised. Sometimes at the risk of losing an organ.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="CureBay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d8a432a8-725f-43f9-ba7d-358d8f6dd593" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/CureBay%20%282%29.png" /></p>

<h2>So, how will this start-up solve this problem?&nbsp;</h2>

<p><strong>A hybrid model:&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Part 1:</strong> A platform has been designed for the care continuum and aggregated the physical healthcare system, which is doctors, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and even medtech devices on that platform, so that the ecosystem can collaborate in real-time and deliver healthcare outcomes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The E-centres employ certified nurses. Either ANM (Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery) or GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) as nurse. Also somebody with a degree in pharmacology and a qualified pharmacist.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mohapatra said that a lot of people walk into the centres asking how to take benefits of the government schemes and the staff members guide them and assist them without any commercial benefit.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Part 2:</strong> Part two of the model was physical centres, E-clinics. These centres were designed on the principle of being extremely asset-like and designed for assisted healthcare. These centres had two trained and certified healthcare professionals, one nurse and one pharmacist. They gave access to tech platforms, a few medical-grade devices, and a few point-of-care devices.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Curebay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e58f6a80-30aa-4ff0-a36d-ce1e328854ea" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Curebay%20%283%29.png" /></p>

<h2><strong>How does this work?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>The staff will first do a preclinical screening of the patient and within 10 minutes they will speak to a doctor. After that, the staff pick up the prescription and the e-prescription and follow the next steps (tests, etc). The staff at e-centres also ensure that the medicines are delivered to the patient on time, at the best price.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>How do staff members reach remote areas?</strong></h2>

<p>This programme has an interesting concept of 'Swasthya Mitra' — a way to connect the community because primary health care is about community health care not about clinical health care.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Every clinic has 4 to 5 people who are very local and stay in those areas. They are made 'Swasthya Mitras'. They are provided with a technology platform by which they can go to people and a lot of services can be delivered right at the door. This is also providing employment opportunities.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Curebay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cbbb8e64-8110-439b-bac6-531bd470a85b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Curebay%20%284%29.png" /></p>

<h2><strong>What are the challenges?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>WION also spoke to <strong>Dr Shilpa Bhatte, MBBS, MD and the Chief Programme Officer of CureBay</strong> to know the challenges faced by the doctors when they see the patients and make the diagnosis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Shilpa Bhatte said that the biggest and the basic challenge for a rural health care model is for people in rural remote areas to realise that first of all, they need to seek care for whatever they are going through.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She also said that lack of awareness is a big issue. She said that they might be having access to cable TV and the internet, but that does not mean they are aware that they need to take care of themselves.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dr Bhatte said that people in rural areas need to understand that taking unprescribed medicines for a month or so for chronic diseases or non-communicable diseases will not cure them, and can only be controlled and managed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-breastfeeding-beyond-infancy-extending-the-benefits-and-addressing-stigmas--world-breastfeeding-week-2023-623108">Breastfeeding beyond infancy: Extending the benefits and addressing stigmas</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>"I&nbsp;think there are a lot of myths and misconceptions around how these newer diseases can be controlled or treated, I think that's another challenge over there, the understanding of what a patient journey is. And do you think you are able to understand their problems because sometimes it's not easier when you are not seeing them in person," she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The virtual consultation is definitely a challenge, but then she stated that the team designs the programme in a way that all the resources are optimally utilised. She said, "Our training focuses on observation of a patient, inspection, examination and then giving a diagnosis."&nbsp;</p>

<p>She added that the doctors who are virtually examining the patients will depend on the nurse and the pharmacist to check all the vitals, all the other point-of-care measurements and whatever little time in taking history.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Curebay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dc0cea19-a82e-486c-b5f5-236c5dfd49b0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Curebay%20%285%29.png" /></p>

<h2><strong>What are the urgent actions?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Mohapatra said that first and foremost we need to take the urban myth out of our mind that rural customers are not willing to pay. He said that "rural customers are absolutely willing to pay if you get the right service at the right price. Today there is no knowledge arbitrage. They are as informed as you and me. They know what are the best services. What prices are available? You need to bring those high-quality services to them at the right price. They are willing to pay."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The other thing you need to do is build trust with them. You cannot do one camp and then disappear," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


COVID-19 showed the world how a pandemic can shatter the healthcare system, and leave it in an abysmal state. Even the world's best healthcare facilities collapsed when the coronavirus was on a rampage.

COVID-19 showed the world how a pandemic can shatter the healthcare system, and leave it in an abysmal state. Even the world's best healthcare facilities collapsed when the coronavirus was on a rampage. The Covid surge in 2021 and 2022 exposed the weak leadership of several governments, but it also emerged as a lesson for how to tackle such unprecedented situations in the future. What are the ways that can help the world more efficiently in future? The answer is to focus on the bottom of the pyramid, like rural, underdeveloped, remote areas, where healthcare facilities are not up to the mark, and regions where there is a lack of resources. To understand it better, WION got in touch with an India-based startup Curebay, which aims to enhance the rural healthcare infrastructure in the rural areas of the eastern state of Odisha. Covid impacted urban and rural areas differently. When people were isolated in cities, the situation in remote areas was rather disparate. People in rural areas dealt with multi-dimensional issues in every state when the virus spread. Lack of information, doctor consultation, and vaccine storage are among a few major issues that the governments faced. Not just Covid, a report revealed that more than 60 per cent of people from rural areas chose to "migrate" out of their state in order to avail treatment for major diseases. The study by Transform Rural India and Sambodhi Research Pvt. Ltd. found that the majority of people used government-run secondary-level facilities (around 60 per cent), about 22 per cent went to a private facility, mostly hospitals, and just over five per cent consulted a private medical practitioner. The study titled, 'State of Healthcare in Rural India-2023', had 6,478 respondents, 75 per cent men and 25 per cent women, across six regions - north, south, northeast, east, central and west. Also read: New study reveals menstrual discs are better than tampons, pads for heavy flow These are the reasons why we need programmes like Curebay. Priyadarshi Mohapatra, founder, CureBay was asked about his Skype ID while consulting a doctor during the peak of the pandemic when everything was shut down. That triggered a chain of thought: "If this is what I am going through, living in Gurgaon, which is such a good healthcare facility, then what would be a billion people living in this country in remote locations going through?" Mohapatra said a billion people in this country are dependent on public healthcare infrastructure for their basic medical needs. And everybody has sort of left it for the government to solve. He said the "government has done a phenomenal job in creating a very large network of physical healthcare distribution" in the form of district headquarters, hospitals, sub-centres and the Asha, Anganwadi. But what public healthcare could not solve is the provider-patient ratio. Weighing in on the pandemic and its impact, Mohapatra said that in the urban regions, "India is pretty much ready." He added, "I think our healthcare infrastructure that is present in urban areas is fairly solid. And we have shown it. Like many other countries literally you know crumbled under pressure during the pandemic. India stood up on its own. But I think where India really lagged in providing the service and our infrastructure got a little bit exposed was the rural and semi-urban markets." Rural India and healthcare facilities The patient journey in these remote areas is difficult and the options available to them are very sub-optimal. Rural India is dangerously becoming antibiotic-resistant in the absence of prescription and the course, because most of the time, the pharmacist hands over medicines to them without knowledge. Mohapatra said it's not that they are not aware, it's because they want to avoid travel as it's a commercial burden on them. Sometimes, due to a lack of information and other challenges, patients from rural India end up in places where the quality of healthcare is very inferior, even those that are not authorised. Sometimes at the risk of losing an organ. So, how will this start-up solve this problem? A hybrid model: Part 1: A platform has been designed for the care continuum and aggregated the physical healthcare system, which is doctors, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and even medtech devices on that platform, so that the ecosystem can collaborate in real-time and deliver healthcare outcomes. The E-centres employ certified nurses. Either ANM (Auxiliary Nursing and Midwifery) or GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) as nurse. Also somebody with a degree in pharmacology and a qualified pharmacist. Mohapatra said that a lot of people walk into the centres asking how to take benefits of the government schemes and the staff members guide them and assist them without any commercial benefit. Part 2: Part two of the model was physical centres, E-clinics. These centres were designed on the principle of being extremely asset-like and designed for assisted healthcare. These centres had two trained and certified healthcare professionals, one nurse and one pharmacist. They gave access to tech platforms, a few medical-grade devices, and a few point-of-care devices. How does this work? The staff will first do a preclinical screening of the patient and within 10 minutes they will speak to a doctor. After that, the staff pick up the prescription and the e-prescription and follow the next steps (tests, etc). The staff at e-centres also ensure that the medicines are delivered to the patient on time, at the best price. How do staff members reach remote areas? This programme has an interesting concept of 'Swasthya Mitra' — a way to connect the community because primary health care is about community health care not about clinical health care. Every clinic has 4 to 5 people who are very local and stay in those areas. They are made 'Swasthya Mitras'. They are provided with a technology platform by which they can go to people and a lot of services can be delivered right at the door. This is also providing employment opportunities. What are the challenges? WION also spoke to Dr Shilpa Bhatte, MBBS, MD and the Chief Programme Officer of CureBay to know the challenges faced by the doctors when they see the patients and make the diagnosis. Dr Shilpa Bhatte said that the biggest and the basic challenge for a rural health care model is for people in rural remote areas to realise that first of all, they need to seek care for whatever they are going through. She also said that lack of awareness is a big issue. She said that they might be having access to cable TV and the internet, but that does not mean they are aware that they need to take care of themselves. Dr Bhatte said that people in rural areas need to understand that taking unprescribed medicines for a month or so for chronic diseases or non-communicable diseases will not cure them, and can only be controlled and managed. Also read: Breastfeeding beyond infancy: Extending the benefits and addressing stigmas "I think there are a lot of myths and misconceptions around how these newer diseases can be controlled or treated, I think that's another challenge over there, the understanding of what a patient journey is. And do you think you are able to understand their problems because sometimes it's not easier when you are not seeing them in person," she said. The virtual consultation is definitely a challenge, but then she stated that the team designs the programme in a way that all the resources are optimally utilised. She said, "Our training focuses on observation of a patient, inspection, examination and then giving a diagnosis." She added that the doctors who are virtually examining the patients will depend on the nurse and the pharmacist to check all the vitals, all the other point-of-care measurements and whatever little time in taking history. What are the urgent actions? Mohapatra said that first and foremost we need to take the urban myth out of our mind that rural customers are not willing to pay. He said that "rural customers are absolutely willing to pay if you get the right service at the right price. Today there is no knowledge arbitrage. They are as informed as you and me. They know what are the best services. What prices are available? You need to bring those high-quality services to them at the right price. They are willing to pay." "The other thing you need to do is build trust with them. You cannot do one camp and then disappear," he added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Future-ready for pandemics: How an Indian medtech startup is transforming rural healthcare

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