US President Donald Trump has championed the cause of hydroxychloroquine. The anti-malarial pill that's now being stocked up by many countries. With a long way to go for a vaccine.

US President Donald Trump has championed the cause of hydroxychloroquine. The anti-malarial pill that's now being stocked up by many countries. With a long way to go for a vaccine. It's being considered as a plan B. Also read: Amid coronavirus outbreak, China's economy contracts, job losses mount But a trial conducted to test the drug in Brazil turned fatal. Instead of saving lives. The drug's usage is taking lives. Research has emerged that there is no evidence that it cures the infection and the drug is known to have side-effects on a patient's heart. Also read: Germany approves first trial of COVID-19 vaccine candidate It is currently considered the next best thing to a vaccine for COVID-19. Anti-malarial pill hydroxychloroquine has been touted as the go-to drug. American president Donald Trump called it "the biggest game-changer in the history of medicine. But any hopes of it becoming one are crashing down. Red flags are being raised by one research study after another. The drug is not just failing to save lives but is endangering them even further. Starting with the US where a study showed higher death rates of those taking the drug compared to those who did not take it. A study in France too proved that hydroxychloroquine doesn't reduce deaths or admissions to ICUs. A research trial in Brazil even proved fatal. Two patients got high doses of the drug and developed dangerous heart problems. A known side-effect of hydroxychloroquine that led to their deaths. Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro has been a major Trump ally on this drug. Echoing Donald Trump's extravagant claims, he had ordered the Brazilian army to stock up on it. But now the fundamental safety of administering the drug is being questioned. The signs have been ominous right from the beginning. Even as President Trump went to town with it, his food & drug authority chief Stephen Hahn's inhibitions were clear. He was reluctant to approve the drug without clinical trials. Same were the sentiments of America's COVID-19 taskforce chief Dr Anthony Fauci too. The trials to study the drug's efficacy in treating COVID-19 are turning dangerous. None of the results of the studies conducted so far have been peer-reviewed. In the meanwhile, the drug itself has become a political matter. Is hydroxychloroquine risking people's lives? It's a drug that can be widely used. It's also a drug with serious side effects, especially to the heart. Its efficacy is the subject of a debate that is far from settled.

Will Trump's 'game-changing' hydroxychloroquine complicate battle against COVID-19?

The coronavirus has re-shaped the human perception of a lot of things. Food is no exception. The pandemic has changed our eating habits. More people are rejecting meat.

The coronavirus has re-shaped the human perception of a lot of things. Food is no exception. The pandemic has changed our eating habits. More people are rejecting meat. Not too soon after the virus outbreak, a rumour flared up on social media. People said the Wuhan virus is caused by eating meat. Fuelling this rumour was the belief that bats passed the coronavirus to humans. Let's for once assume that the bat theory is correct, does it mean that non-vegetarians are at a higher risk? The answer is no. Experts have clarified this. Meat is safe. As long as it is thoroughly cleaned and properly cooked. There is a rising demand for plant-based protein. No points for guessing why. The stigma attached to meat is driving this demand. Meat substitute companies are reporting an increase in sales by up to 70 per cent. Davide Yeung's Green Mondy group is one of them, he said: "Coronavirus is not the first, and sadly, it also won't be the last unless we overhaul our food system." Another trend is the focus on healthy eating. The coronavirus has made millions of people health-conscious. Purchasing habits show that people are picking more fruits and vegetables. There is also a growing interest in immunity-building food. Finally, the elephant in the room. The pandemic has got us cooking. Most people are not just eating healthy, but also eating at home. Experts say this trend is here to stay. This, however, is not good news for the restaurant industry. In India alone, Rs 4,23,865 crores are at stake as are 700,000 jobs. These are unprecedented times for the food industry. Supplies are stretched. Lockdowns are in place--- with no word on when they will end. What will the food sector look like once restrictions are eased? No one knows. What about the consumers? Once out of the lockdown, you may choose to head straight for fried chicken or add the finishing touches to your blog on turning vegan. Whatever be your choice, make sure it's an informed one. Eating meat, or not eating meat will not save you. Eating right and clean--definitely will.

Mythbuster: Is meat the real reason for the coronavirus spread?

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 25 lacs worldwide on Wednesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinas-faulty-test-kits-deal-a-body-blow-to-indias-fight-against-wuhan-virus-293858">Also read: China's faulty test kits deal a body blow to India's fight against Wuhan virus</a> 
 
COVID-19 has now infected 2,563,384 &nbsp;people worldwide and 177,415 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-treatment-chloroquine-and-hydroxychloroquine-can-cause-heart-problems-292401">COVID-19 treatment: Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can cause heart problems</a>

Around 681,477 people of that tally have recovered.

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. 
 
COVID19 - CONTINENT WISE DATA:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Europe has listed 1,234,340 cases and 109,381 deaths to date,&nbsp;</li>
	<li>US and Canada together have 841,584 cases with 44,982 deaths,</li>
	<li>Asia 174,020 cases with 7,191 deaths,&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Middle East 133,221 cases with 5,784 deaths,</li>
	<li>Latin America and the Caribbean 109,739 cases with 5,377 deaths,&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Africa 24,409 cases with 1,195 deaths</li>
	<li>Oceania 7,927 cases with 91 deaths</li>
</ul>

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

The coronavirus death toll in the United States -- the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic -- has climbed by 2,751 in the past 24 hours, the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University showed Tuesday.

The US has recorded more than 800,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Baltimore-based university, with 44,845 deaths.

Nearly 40,000 new cases were reported between Monday at 8:30 pm local time, and Tuesday at the same time, the university said.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 25 lacs worldwide on Wednesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read: China's faulty test kits deal a body blow to India's fight against Wuhan virus COVID-19 has now infected 2,563,384 people worldwide and 177,415 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus surpassed 25 lacs worldwide on Wednesday as COVID-19 spreads across Europe, North America and South Asia. Also read: China's faulty test kits deal a body blow to India's fight against Wuhan virus COVID-19 has now infected 2,563,384 people worldwide and 177,415 people have been killed due to this pandemic. COVID-19 treatment: Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can cause heart problems Around 681,477 people of that tally have recovered. A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. COVID19 - CONTINENT WISE DATA: Europe has listed 1,234,340 cases and 109,381 deaths to date, US and Canada together have 841,584 cases with 44,982 deaths, Asia 174,020 cases with 7,191 deaths, Middle East 133,221 cases with 5,784 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 109,739 cases with 5,377 deaths, Africa 24,409 cases with 1,195 deaths Oceania 7,927 cases with 91 deaths The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to North America. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. The coronavirus death toll in the United States -- the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic -- has climbed by 2,751 in the past 24 hours, the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University showed Tuesday. The US has recorded more than 800,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Baltimore-based university, with 44,845 deaths. Nearly 40,000 new cases were reported between Monday at 8:30 pm local time, and Tuesday at the same time, the university said.

Global coronavirus cases pass 2.5 million; death toll rises to 177,415

Microsoft co-founder&nbsp;Bill Gates on Wednesday in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended his leadership and proactive measures the government took to flatten the curve.&nbsp;

''We commend your leadership and the proactive measures you and your government have taken to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 infection rate in India, such as adopting a national lockdown expanding focused testing to identify hot spots for isolation, quarantining, and care, and significantly increasing health expenditures to strengthen the health system response and promote R&amp;D and digital innovation,'' Gates wrote in the letter.

''Grateful to see that you’re seeking to balance public health imperatives with the need to ensure adequate social protection for all Indians,'' he added.

Gates also lauded the Modi government for fully utilising&nbsp;its exceptional digital capabilities.

''I’m glad your government is fully utilizing its exceptional digital capabilities in its COVID-19 response and has launched the Aarogya Setu digital app for coronavirus tracking, contact tracing, and to connect people to health services,'' he added.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended his leadership and proactive measures the government took to flatten the curve.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Wednesday in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended his leadership and proactive measures the government took to flatten the curve. ''We commend your leadership and the proactive measures you and your government have taken to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 infection rate in India, such as adopting a national lockdown expanding focused testing to identify hot spots for isolation, quarantining, and care, and significantly increasing health expenditures to strengthen the health system response and promote R&D and digital innovation,'' Gates wrote in the letter. ''Grateful to see that you’re seeking to balance public health imperatives with the need to ensure adequate social protection for all Indians,'' he added. Gates also lauded the Modi government for fully utilising its exceptional digital capabilities. ''I’m glad your government is fully utilizing its exceptional digital capabilities in its COVID-19 response and has launched the Aarogya Setu digital app for coronavirus tracking, contact tracing, and to connect people to health services,'' he added.

Bill Gates commends PM Modi's leadership, proactive measures amid COVID-19

Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has submitted a list of recommendations to both the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease the financial burden faced by various sectors due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

Some of the key recommendations included blanket credit guarantee for MSME loans, one-time loan restructuring for sectors hit hard by COVID-19 and raising of moratorium and relief for the NBFC sector, sources said.

As per the RBI's norms, restructuring of loans is prohibited and resolution of default cases are dealt as per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Based on the representation made by various industry associations, a detailed and comprehensive list of suggestions have been submitted to the government and the RBI for addressing problems faced by various sectors including MSME in general and banking sector in particular, sources said.

It is for the regulator and the government to take an informed decision on those suggestions depending on their assessment and keeping in mind prudential norms, sources added.

However, the IBA in its meeting last week was of the view that this is an extraordinary situation and response to this should be extraordinary.

Bankers believed that some safety net has to be created for both industry and banks for survival first, sources said, adding, revival would follow.

Various estimates indicate a drastic reduction in GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal due to the impact of COVID-19 and consequent lockdown.

As per the World Bank's latest assessment, India is expected to grow 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent. Similarly, the IMF projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as the global economy hits the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Earlier this month, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had said that the IBA will request for raising the loan moratorium period from the existing three months to 5-6 months depending on the evolving situation.

Kumar, who is also the chairman of the IBA, had said that there was also demand government guarantees against loans to certain risk-prone sectors to revive credit flow in the economy post lockdown.&nbsp;

Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has submitted a list of recommendations to both the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease the financial burden faced by various sectors due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has submitted a list of recommendations to both the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease the financial burden faced by various sectors due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Some of the key recommendations included blanket credit guarantee for MSME loans, one-time loan restructuring for sectors hit hard by COVID-19 and raising of moratorium and relief for the NBFC sector, sources said. As per the RBI's norms, restructuring of loans is prohibited and resolution of default cases are dealt as per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Based on the representation made by various industry associations, a detailed and comprehensive list of suggestions have been submitted to the government and the RBI for addressing problems faced by various sectors including MSME in general and banking sector in particular, sources said. It is for the regulator and the government to take an informed decision on those suggestions depending on their assessment and keeping in mind prudential norms, sources added. However, the IBA in its meeting last week was of the view that this is an extraordinary situation and response to this should be extraordinary. Bankers believed that some safety net has to be created for both industry and banks for survival first, sources said, adding, revival would follow. Various estimates indicate a drastic reduction in GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal due to the impact of COVID-19 and consequent lockdown. As per the World Bank's latest assessment, India is expected to grow 1.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent. Similarly, the IMF projected a GDP growth of 1.9 per cent for India in 2020, as the global economy hits the worst recession since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Earlier this month, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had said that the IBA will request for raising the loan moratorium period from the existing three months to 5-6 months depending on the evolving situation. Kumar, who is also the chairman of the IBA, had said that there was also demand government guarantees against loans to certain risk-prone sectors to revive credit flow in the economy post lockdown.

Double moratorium period to 6 months, provide credit guarantee for MSME loans: IBA to RBI

Germany's vaccines regulator on Wednesday said in a statement that it has approved live human testing of a potential vaccine against the COVID-19 virus developed by German biotech company BioNTech.

Germany's vaccines regulator on Wednesday said in a statement that it has approved live human testing of a potential vaccine against the COVID-19 virus developed by German biotech company BioNTech. The trial, only the fourth worldwide of a preventive agent targeting the virus behind the global pandemic, will be conducted on 200 healthy people aged between 18 and 55 in the first stage, and on further people, including those at higher risk from the disease, in a second stage, according to a Reuters report. BioNTech said it was developing the vaccine candidate, named BNT162, together with its partner, pharma giant Pfizer. Tests of the vaccine were also planned in the United States, once regulatory approval for testing on humans had been secured there. (With inputs from Reuters)

Germany's vaccines regulator approves first trial of COVID-19 vaccine candidate

The total COVID-19 cases in India stand at 19,984 and 69% of these positive cases of the total case were asymptomatic, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Tuesday.

The council also informed that around four lakh samples have been collected to date.&nbsp;

“There is only one study that suggests there are 80% cases. Secondly, in the case of asymptomatic, where the symptoms are not very clear, the chances of a patient coming and reporting the case, too, becomes low. I am now saying for the first time that if we look at the number of tests done, so far 31% belong to symptomatic category and the rest 69% would fall under asymptomatic…we can say that for every single case detected there would be two cases that may be termed as asymptomatic," aid Dr R R Gangakhedkar, ICMR head of epidemiology and communicable diseases.

Experts believe that there is a chance that some asymptomatic people may have been carriers of the virus for a while without knowing. However, the numbers are very high in this scenario, otherwise, it would have lead to a higher number of positive cases. The officials also believe that if more testing was needed in such a scenario, the protocols will be revised accordingly.

All cases, even with very mild and mild symptoms, are identified through surveillance and contact tracing. The asymptomatic cases have been divided into three categories: purely asymptomatic, pre-asymptomatic and asymptomatic. The experts explained their pre-emptive approach and told that even in case of mild symptoms, the tests are conducted and taken care of.&nbsp;

As of now, according to data provided by ICMR, over four lakh samples have been tested, out of which 18,601 cases were tested positive.

The total COVID-19 cases in India stand at 19,984 and 69% of these positive cases of the total case were asymptomatic, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Tuesday.

The total COVID-19 cases in India stand at 19,984 and 69% of these positive cases of the total case were asymptomatic, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Tuesday. The council also informed that around four lakh samples have been collected to date. “There is only one study that suggests there are 80% cases. Secondly, in the case of asymptomatic, where the symptoms are not very clear, the chances of a patient coming and reporting the case, too, becomes low. I am now saying for the first time that if we look at the number of tests done, so far 31% belong to symptomatic category and the rest 69% would fall under asymptomatic…we can say that for every single case detected there would be two cases that may be termed as asymptomatic," aid Dr R R Gangakhedkar, ICMR head of epidemiology and communicable diseases. Experts believe that there is a chance that some asymptomatic people may have been carriers of the virus for a while without knowing. However, the numbers are very high in this scenario, otherwise, it would have lead to a higher number of positive cases. The officials also believe that if more testing was needed in such a scenario, the protocols will be revised accordingly. All cases, even with very mild and mild symptoms, are identified through surveillance and contact tracing. The asymptomatic cases have been divided into three categories: purely asymptomatic, pre-asymptomatic and asymptomatic. The experts explained their pre-emptive approach and told that even in case of mild symptoms, the tests are conducted and taken care of. As of now, according to data provided by ICMR, over four lakh samples have been tested, out of which 18,601 cases were tested positive.

More of asymptomatic positive cases in India, says ICMR

US President Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the trade deal with China if Beijing did not honour its provisions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that originated in the country. While China has reported 82,788 novel coronavirus cases, including 4,632 fatalities, the US-registered over 824,600 cases and more than 45,290 deaths -- the highest in the world.

China and the US in January signed Phase-1 of the trade deal as the world's two top economic powers move forward to end their bitter tit-for-tat two-year tariff war that had rattled markets and weighed on the global economy.

The deal, which calls on China to buy USD 200 billion worth of US products, is set to move ahead as planned. However, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in a report said China could invoke a clause in the agreement that allows for fresh trade consultations between the two countries "in the event of a natural disaster or other unforeseeable events". "If that happens, we'll do a termination and we'll do what I can do better than anybody," Trump told reporters on Tuesday during his daily White House press conference on coronavirus.

The president was responding to a question as to how confident he is that the Chinese are not going to invoke the natural disaster clause mentioned in the trade deal.

"There is nobody ever been tougher on China than me," Trump said, reiterating that China had been ripping the US off for years till he was elected as the president.

"Take a look, USD 200 billion, USD 300 billion, USD 400 billion, USD 500 billion a year. How did they ever let a thing like this happen? Now, if you look at this last year, the deficit went way down to the world," he said.

Trump launched the trade war with China in 2018, demanding Beijing to reduce the massive trade deficit, which was USD 375.6 billion in 2017. The two countries so far have imposed additional tariffs on nearly USD half-trillion worth of goods.

The US has imposed tariffs on more than USD 360 billions of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated with tariffs on over USD 110 billions of American products. "Now it's much different. But a lot of things are happening. Great things were happening except all of these sudden out of nowhere came the invisible enemy. We think we know where it came from, and we'll be talking about that probably a lot, but came the invisible enemy. There's nobody tougher than me on China," Trump said.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the trade deal with China if Beijing did not honour its provisions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that originated in the country.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to terminate the trade deal with China if Beijing did not honour its provisions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that originated in the country. While China has reported 82,788 novel coronavirus cases, including 4,632 fatalities, the US-registered over 824,600 cases and more than 45,290 deaths -- the highest in the world. China and the US in January signed Phase-1 of the trade deal as the world's two top economic powers move forward to end their bitter tit-for-tat two-year tariff war that had rattled markets and weighed on the global economy. The deal, which calls on China to buy USD 200 billion worth of US products, is set to move ahead as planned. However, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in a report said China could invoke a clause in the agreement that allows for fresh trade consultations between the two countries "in the event of a natural disaster or other unforeseeable events". "If that happens, we'll do a termination and we'll do what I can do better than anybody," Trump told reporters on Tuesday during his daily White House press conference on coronavirus. The president was responding to a question as to how confident he is that the Chinese are not going to invoke the natural disaster clause mentioned in the trade deal. "There is nobody ever been tougher on China than me," Trump said, reiterating that China had been ripping the US off for years till he was elected as the president. "Take a look, USD 200 billion, USD 300 billion, USD 400 billion, USD 500 billion a year. How did they ever let a thing like this happen? Now, if you look at this last year, the deficit went way down to the world," he said. Trump launched the trade war with China in 2018, demanding Beijing to reduce the massive trade deficit, which was USD 375.6 billion in 2017. The two countries so far have imposed additional tariffs on nearly USD half-trillion worth of goods. The US has imposed tariffs on more than USD 360 billions of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated with tariffs on over USD 110 billions of American products. "Now it's much different. But a lot of things are happening. Great things were happening except all of these sudden out of nowhere came the invisible enemy. We think we know where it came from, and we'll be talking about that probably a lot, but came the invisible enemy. There's nobody tougher than me on China," Trump said.

Trump threatens to terminate trade deal if China does not honour it citing coronavirus crisis

Residents of the New York's Westchester County on Monday sued the World Health Organization, accusing it of gross negligence in covering up and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents of the New York's Westchester County on Monday sued the World Health Organization, accusing it of gross negligence in covering up and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three residents of Westchester County accused the WHO of failing to quickly declare a pandemic, monitor China’s response to the original outbreak, provide treatment guidelines, advise members on how to respond including through travel restrictions, and coordinate a global response. The lead plaintiffs in the suit — Richard Kling, a doctor, Steve Rotker, and Gennaro Purchia — claim they were “injured and damaged by WHO’s negligent conduct.” President Trump last week had frozen funds to the United Nations health agency over "mismanaging" the crisis and not acting fast enough as the disease spread worldwide. The US is the biggest single contributor to the United Nations' health agency. Trump had said the virus could have been contained if the WHO had accurately assessed the situation in China, where the virus broke out. World Health Organization(WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,55, said that there "is nothing hidden from the US from day one" while adding that "there is no secret in WHO". The US has been hit the hardest with the virus with 787,901 confirmed cases and over 42,364 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

New York residents sue World Health Organization over coronavirus response

A recent study of COVID-19 infections from families who visited a restaurant with a central air conditioning system has suggested that coronavirus can spread within centrally air-conditioned spaces.

One family came to a restaurant in Guangzhou from Wuhan, the initial hotspot of COVID-19 in China and one of them was carrying the virus unknowingly.&nbsp;

Days later, nine others who dined at the restaurant started showing symptoms of coronavirus. The virus travelled through the air conditioner duct at the restaurant and infected three families sitting in the vicinity of each other who never engaged with the other.

According to the expert, the humidity of a building may also affect the spread of infections like COVID-19.

Considering the potential use of air filtration systems, the experts found the majority of viruses, including coronavirus, are too small to capture bugs like SARS-CoV-2 and "no filter system is perfect."&nbsp;

According to experts, the use of Window ACs does not pose any additional risk of coronavirus infection, especially at a time when people are isolated inside their homes with no outside contact.

A recent study of COVID-19 infections from families who visited a restaurant with a central air conditioning system has suggested that coronavirus can spread within centrally air-conditioned spaces.

A recent study of COVID-19 infections from families who visited a restaurant with a central air conditioning system has suggested that coronavirus can spread within centrally air-conditioned spaces. One family came to a restaurant in Guangzhou from Wuhan, the initial hotspot of COVID-19 in China and one of them was carrying the virus unknowingly. Days later, nine others who dined at the restaurant started showing symptoms of coronavirus. The virus travelled through the air conditioner duct at the restaurant and infected three families sitting in the vicinity of each other who never engaged with the other. According to the expert, the humidity of a building may also affect the spread of infections like COVID-19. Considering the potential use of air filtration systems, the experts found the majority of viruses, including coronavirus, are too small to capture bugs like SARS-CoV-2 and "no filter system is perfect." According to experts, the use of Window ACs does not pose any additional risk of coronavirus infection, especially at a time when people are isolated inside their homes with no outside contact.

Central air conditioning could raise risks of coronavirus infection

Even as&nbsp;the number of people in hospital and intensive care continued to decline,&nbsp;France&nbsp;on Tuesday reported 531 deaths from COVID-19 in 24 hours.

The daily tally brought&nbsp;France's total epidemic death toll to 20,796, top health official Jerome Salomon told reporters.

There were 30,106 infected people in hospital, he said -- a daily decline of 478 in an encouraging downward trend.

There were also 250 fewer people in intensive care -- a crucial marker of epidemic decline -- for a total of 5,433, Salomon said.

This represented the 13th day of decline in a row.

The total tally included 12,900 people who died in hospital and 7,896 in old age and other care homes.

Salomon said the epidemic remained active in&nbsp;France, adding "we must remain fully mobilised."

France&nbsp;has been in lockdown since March 17 in a bid to slow the spread of the epidemic. President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that the lockdown will be progressively lifted from May 11.

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Even as the number of people in hospital and intensive care continued to decline, France on Tuesday reported 531 deaths from COVID-19 in 24 hours. The daily tally brought France's total epidemic death toll to 20,796, top health official Jerome Salomon told reporters.

Even as the number of people in hospital and intensive care continued to decline, France on Tuesday reported 531 deaths from COVID-19 in 24 hours. The daily tally brought France's total epidemic death toll to 20,796, top health official Jerome Salomon told reporters. There were 30,106 infected people in hospital, he said -- a daily decline of 478 in an encouraging downward trend. There were also 250 fewer people in intensive care -- a crucial marker of epidemic decline -- for a total of 5,433, Salomon said. This represented the 13th day of decline in a row. The total tally included 12,900 people who died in hospital and 7,896 in old age and other care homes. Salomon said the epidemic remained active in France, adding "we must remain fully mobilised." France has been in lockdown since March 17 in a bid to slow the spread of the epidemic. President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that the lockdown will be progressively lifted from May 11. (With inputs from AFP)

France reports 531 new coronavirus deaths, total toll 20,796

Russia's opposition has called for an online protest next week to press the Kremlin for financial aid for people struggling under the coronavirus lockdown, reported news agency AFP.

During an online Youtube rally next Tuesday, Moscow councillors Yulia Galyamina, Ilya Azar and their allies also plan to seek an amnesty for prisoners and oppose President Vladimir Putin's plan to change the constitution in a move that could allow him to stay in power until 2036, the report added.

Putin has been forced to defer a key vote on the proposed amendment.

"We demand that the president and the Russian government adopt emergency measures to save people during the crisis," the organisers said in a manifesto posted on Galyamina's Facebook page.

The organisers invited supporters to send them "virtual" placards that will be shown live during the protest.

The fall in oil price and coronavirus pandemic has hit the country's economy and left many Russians without jobs.&nbsp;

The Russian President&nbsp;has urged Russians to stay home and told their employers to continue paying their salaries but given the companies little tangible support.

Anger is growing due to lack of support from the government for ordinary people and for small and medium-sized businesses.

Some are also concerned that many medics and clinics complain of protective gear shortages.

Russia on Tuesday reported 52,763 coronavirus cases and 456 fatalities, and Putin has warned that the peak has not yet passed.

(With inputs from AFP)

Russia's opposition has called for an online protest next week to press the Kremlin for financial aid for people struggling under the coronavirus lockdown, reported news agency AFP.

Russia's opposition has called for an online protest next week to press the Kremlin for financial aid for people struggling under the coronavirus lockdown, reported news agency AFP. During an online Youtube rally next Tuesday, Moscow councillors Yulia Galyamina, Ilya Azar and their allies also plan to seek an amnesty for prisoners and oppose President Vladimir Putin's plan to change the constitution in a move that could allow him to stay in power until 2036, the report added. Putin has been forced to defer a key vote on the proposed amendment. "We demand that the president and the Russian government adopt emergency measures to save people during the crisis," the organisers said in a manifesto posted on Galyamina's Facebook page. The organisers invited supporters to send them "virtual" placards that will be shown live during the protest. The fall in oil price and coronavirus pandemic has hit the country's economy and left many Russians without jobs. The Russian President has urged Russians to stay home and told their employers to continue paying their salaries but given the companies little tangible support. Anger is growing due to lack of support from the government for ordinary people and for small and medium-sized businesses. Some are also concerned that many medics and clinics complain of protective gear shortages. Russia on Tuesday reported 52,763 coronavirus cases and 456 fatalities, and Putin has warned that the peak has not yet passed. (With inputs from AFP)

Russian opposition calls for online protest against lockdown

India is under a nationwide lockdown until may 3rd to curb COVID-19. While most have been ordered to stay indoors and work from home, essential service-providers continue to venture out of their homes to fulfil needs that cannot be met from within four walls.

Health workers, grocery stores, pharmacies are some of the services which are exempt from the lockdown, and so is the Indian media, and they too find themselves vulnerable to this infection.

Media professionals, be it, reporters, camera crew, photojournalists and more,&nbsp;are stepping out of their homes to bring you the news about this deadly pandemic. As Indians are confined to their homes amid the nationwide lockdown, they rely on independent media to inform them about the latest updates about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, more than 170 media professionals were tested at a medical camp in Azad Maidan in Mumbai and 53 were found positive for COVID-19. The positive cases are employed across print and electronic media and have been reporting from the ground since the pandemic gripped the nation in March this year. Reports say that most of those who tested positive are asymptomatic

A majority of these positive cases are from TV&nbsp;channels and had been reporting from Dharavi, one of the virus&nbsp;hotspots in Mumbai.

They have now been placed under quarantine In another instance, a journalist who attended senior Congress leader Kamal Nath's final news conference as Madhya Pradesh chief minister also tested positive for COVID-19. In Tamil Nadu, one reporter and a sub-editor with a TV&nbsp;channel tested positive while an indian-origin journalist died in a New York hospital.

Even in New Delhi, journalists covering the pandemic on the ground will be tested for the infection

While most radio jockeys and print media professionals are working from home, some have no choice but to venture out with masks and gloves. Despite precautions, these media professionals expose themselves to the infection.

India is under a nationwide lockdown until may 3rd to curb COVID-19. While most have been ordered to stay indoors and work from home, essential service-providers continue to venture out of their homes to fulfil needs that cannot be met from within four walls.

India is under a nationwide lockdown until may 3rd to curb COVID-19. While most have been ordered to stay indoors and work from home, essential service-providers continue to venture out of their homes to fulfil needs that cannot be met from within four walls. Health workers, grocery stores, pharmacies are some of the services which are exempt from the lockdown, and so is the Indian media, and they too find themselves vulnerable to this infection. Media professionals, be it, reporters, camera crew, photojournalists and more, are stepping out of their homes to bring you the news about this deadly pandemic. As Indians are confined to their homes amid the nationwide lockdown, they rely on independent media to inform them about the latest updates about the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, more than 170 media professionals were tested at a medical camp in Azad Maidan in Mumbai and 53 were found positive for COVID-19. The positive cases are employed across print and electronic media and have been reporting from the ground since the pandemic gripped the nation in March this year. Reports say that most of those who tested positive are asymptomatic A majority of these positive cases are from TV channels and had been reporting from Dharavi, one of the virus hotspots in Mumbai. They have now been placed under quarantine In another instance, a journalist who attended senior Congress leader Kamal Nath's final news conference as Madhya Pradesh chief minister also tested positive for COVID-19. In Tamil Nadu, one reporter and a sub-editor with a TV channel tested positive while an indian-origin journalist died in a New York hospital. Even in New Delhi, journalists covering the pandemic on the ground will be tested for the infection While most radio jockeys and print media professionals are working from home, some have no choice but to venture out with masks and gloves. Despite precautions, these media professionals expose themselves to the infection.

Mediapersons find themselves vulnerable to coronavirus amid lockdown

After showing symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus, Egyptian doctor Ahmed Negm went into self-isolation in an old apartment, but before long he was hounded out by fearful neighbours. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-transparent-china-is-about-the-virus-the-better-for-all-german-chancellor-merkel-293640">Also read | More transparent China is about the virus, the better for all, says German Chancellor Merkel</a> 
 
While health workers in many countries are getting cheers and applause for risking their lives in the gruelling battle against the disease, in some parts of the world they face suspicion and hostility. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/amid-coronavirus-pandemic-us-benchmark-wti-oil-collapses-to-001-a-barrel-293678">Also read |&nbsp;Amid coronavirus pandemic, US benchmark WTI oil collapses to $0.01 a barrel</a>

Though they are regularly hailed by the North African nation's government and media as Egypt's "white (coated) army", many health personnel have complained of being shunned and mistreated by others in society.&nbsp;

Negm had already tested negative for the virus but, mindful of the fact that he had frequently dealt with suspected cases, decided to go into confinement as a precaution.

As the 31-year-old sealed himself off from the outside world, rumours swirled around his neighbourhood in the northeastern province of Ismailia that he was infected and avoiding treatment.

He was even reported to the police.

Despite explaining his situation to them, the doctor faced continued harassment, snide remarks and pleas from some of his neighbours to leave the area because "there were many children and elderly."

Eventually, Negm moved out.

"People are gripped by panic but they're taking it too far to a point where it feels like a stigma," he told AFP.

"It's as if we have become outcasts."

Egypt's health workers, like those elsewhere, have been stretched thin by the virus, grappling with long hours, soaring caseloads and a high risk of catching the disease themselves.

Medical staff in several hospitals in Cairo and other provinces have been infected.&nbsp;

Four doctors have died out of 43 who fell ill, according to the country's doctors union.

Health workers account for some 13 percent of Egypt's total confirmed COVID-19 cases, which have risen above 3,000 including more than 200 fatalities, according to the World Health Organization.

- 'Worthless apology' -&nbsp; 
 
Even after death, one doctor who had caught the virus was targeted by fearful villagers who protested against her burial in Daqahliya province in the Nile Delta.

Authorities dispersed the hours-long demonstration and arrested 23 people as part of an investigation into what the public prosecutor described as "an act of terror".&nbsp;

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli deplored the "disgraceful" act and urged healthcare workers to "pay no heed".

A nurse in the same province who had tested positive for the virus said she and other infected healthcare workers were contacted by strangers after their names and contact details were widely shared on social media.

"Many called to support and pray for us … but others accused us of spreading the virus and of being the source of infection," she said, wearing a mask, her voice quivering in a video posted online.

"We're exhausted. Have mercy on us. Our spirits have been destroyed."

Dina Abdelsalam, a doctor in Ismailia province, said her neighbours publicly smeared her because she works at a hospital which receives suspected coronavirus cases.

After recently moving to a new apartment to keep away from her family as a precaution, she said she was startled by her neighbours shouting in the street, accusing her of "bringing the disease" to the area.

The police intervened and her neighbours eventually apologised.

But for Abdelsalam their apology was "worthless" after they treated her like a "suspected (criminal)".

"We (medics) are suffering," she said in an online video, "and you are making it worse."

- 'Grievously detrimental' -

Other doctors from Cairo, the northern city of Alexandria and elsewhere have complained on Facebook of being refused taxi rides or food delivery due to fears of contagion.

Such treatment of healthcare workers "can make an already challenging situation far more difficult," the WHO representative in Egypt, Jean Jabbour, told AFP.&nbsp;

"Targeting essential providers ... will weaken our fight against COVID-19 and can prove grievously detrimental for the entire nation."

And as complaints surged, local media reported that lawmakers are mulling criminalising the "bullying" of medical workers.

At the same time many Egyptians appeared in recent online videos to be ignoring rules on social distancing aimed at reducing the risk of contagion in the country of 100 million people.

"They are taking it out on us instead of abandoning habits that will more likely expose them to the disease," said pharmacist Heba al-Feky, who was recently forced out of a taxi for being a health worker.&nbsp;

After showing symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus, Egyptian doctor Ahmed Negm went into self-isolation in an old apartment, but before long he was hounded out by fearful neighbours.

After showing symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus, Egyptian doctor Ahmed Negm went into self-isolation in an old apartment, but before long he was hounded out by fearful neighbours. Also read | More transparent China is about the virus, the better for all, says German Chancellor Merkel While health workers in many countries are getting cheers and applause for risking their lives in the gruelling battle against the disease, in some parts of the world they face suspicion and hostility. Also read | Amid coronavirus pandemic, US benchmark WTI oil collapses to $0.01 a barrel Though they are regularly hailed by the North African nation's government and media as Egypt's "white (coated) army", many health personnel have complained of being shunned and mistreated by others in society. Negm had already tested negative for the virus but, mindful of the fact that he had frequently dealt with suspected cases, decided to go into confinement as a precaution. As the 31-year-old sealed himself off from the outside world, rumours swirled around his neighbourhood in the northeastern province of Ismailia that he was infected and avoiding treatment. He was even reported to the police. Despite explaining his situation to them, the doctor faced continued harassment, snide remarks and pleas from some of his neighbours to leave the area because "there were many children and elderly." Eventually, Negm moved out. "People are gripped by panic but they're taking it too far to a point where it feels like a stigma," he told AFP. "It's as if we have become outcasts." Egypt's health workers, like those elsewhere, have been stretched thin by the virus, grappling with long hours, soaring caseloads and a high risk of catching the disease themselves. Medical staff in several hospitals in Cairo and other provinces have been infected. Four doctors have died out of 43 who fell ill, according to the country's doctors union. Health workers account for some 13 percent of Egypt's total confirmed COVID-19 cases, which have risen above 3,000 including more than 200 fatalities, according to the World Health Organization. - 'Worthless apology' - Even after death, one doctor who had caught the virus was targeted by fearful villagers who protested against her burial in Daqahliya province in the Nile Delta. Authorities dispersed the hours-long demonstration and arrested 23 people as part of an investigation into what the public prosecutor described as "an act of terror". Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli deplored the "disgraceful" act and urged healthcare workers to "pay no heed". A nurse in the same province who had tested positive for the virus said she and other infected healthcare workers were contacted by strangers after their names and contact details were widely shared on social media. "Many called to support and pray for us … but others accused us of spreading the virus and of being the source of infection," she said, wearing a mask, her voice quivering in a video posted online. "We're exhausted. Have mercy on us. Our spirits have been destroyed." Dina Abdelsalam, a doctor in Ismailia province, said her neighbours publicly smeared her because she works at a hospital which receives suspected coronavirus cases. After recently moving to a new apartment to keep away from her family as a precaution, she said she was startled by her neighbours shouting in the street, accusing her of "bringing the disease" to the area. The police intervened and her neighbours eventually apologised. But for Abdelsalam their apology was "worthless" after they treated her like a "suspected (criminal)". "We (medics) are suffering," she said in an online video, "and you are making it worse." - 'Grievously detrimental' - Other doctors from Cairo, the northern city of Alexandria and elsewhere have complained on Facebook of being refused taxi rides or food delivery due to fears of contagion. Such treatment of healthcare workers "can make an already challenging situation far more difficult," the WHO representative in Egypt, Jean Jabbour, told AFP. "Targeting essential providers ... will weaken our fight against COVID-19 and can prove grievously detrimental for the entire nation." And as complaints surged, local media reported that lawmakers are mulling criminalising the "bullying" of medical workers. At the same time many Egyptians appeared in recent online videos to be ignoring rules on social distancing aimed at reducing the risk of contagion in the country of 100 million people. "They are taking it out on us instead of abandoning habits that will more likely expose them to the disease," said pharmacist Heba al-Feky, who was recently forced out of a taxi for being a health worker.

Virus turns health workers in Egypt into 'outcasts'

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said his government will conduct COVID-19 test on mediapersons in the national capital, after 53 scribes tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mumbai.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said his government will conduct COVID-19 test on mediapersons in the national capital, after 53 scribes tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mumbai. Responding to a tweet in which a person requested the CM to arrange mass COVID-19 test for mediapersons in Delhi on the lines of the one carried out in Mumbai, Kejriwal said, "Sure. We will do that." However, the chief minister did not elaborate. We will ensure food security for all Delhiites throughout the period in which people will face the economic impact of Corona https://t.co/Uu5hDWWgFQ — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 21, 2020 × Kejriwal further said that the Delhi government will provide ration to 30 lakh people who don't have ration cards and added, that the state government will also procure 60 new ambulances in wake of coronavirus outbreak: Arvind Kejriwal. There are 1,603 active cases of COVID-19 in Delhi; 47 people have died of coronavirus. Out of 1,397 samples taken, 78 people were found infected with COVID-19 on Monday.

Delhi govt will conduct COVID-19 test on mediapersons in national capital: CM

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that the "worst" of the novel coronavirus has yet to come.

"Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us," Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing. "Let's prevent this tragedy. It's a virus that many people still don't understand."

WHO chief also said there were no secrets at the UN agency after being blasted by the United States for allegedly downplaying the initial COVID-19 outbreak in China. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
"We have been warning from day one that this is a devil that everyone should fight," Tedros told a virtual briefing in Geneva. 
&nbsp; 
The virus, which emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has so far infected more than 2.4 million people globally and killed more than 165,000, according to an AFP tally. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
The United States has by far the highest death toll of any country, at more than 40,000 fatalities, and President Donald Trump has faced criticism over his handling of the pandemic. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that the "worst" of the novel coronavirus has yet to come. "Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us," Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that the "worst" of the novel coronavirus has yet to come. "Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us," Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing. "Let's prevent this tragedy. It's a virus that many people still don't understand." WHO chief also said there were no secrets at the UN agency after being blasted by the United States for allegedly downplaying the initial COVID-19 outbreak in China. "We have been warning from day one that this is a devil that everyone should fight," Tedros told a virtual briefing in Geneva. The virus, which emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has so far infected more than 2.4 million people globally and killed more than 165,000, according to an AFP tally. The United States has by far the highest death toll of any country, at more than 40,000 fatalities, and President Donald Trump has faced criticism over his handling of the pandemic. (With inputs from AFP)

'Worst' of the coronavirus is still to come, says WHO chief

The government has issued a fresh list of services that will be allowed in areas from April 20. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad shared the list of what will remain open across the country effective April 20.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Have a look at the list of Public Utilities that will remain functional with effect from 20th April. 
 
Restrictions of containment zones will apply. 
 
Together we all can fight against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaFightsCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaFightsCorona</a> <a href="https://t.co/mkLH3J5tt9">pic.twitter.com/mkLH3J5tt9</a>
— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/1252466814140813312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Here is a list of what will be open in the country after April 20:

<ul>
	<li>All health services (including AYUSH) to remain functional</li>
	<li>All agricultural and horticultural activities to remain fully functional</li>
	<li>Operations of the fishing (marine or inland) aquaculture industry to remain functional</li>
	<li>Plantation activities such as tea, coffee and rubber plantations to remain functional with a maximum of 50 per cent workers</li>
	<li>Animal husbandry activities to remain fully functional</li>
	<li>The financial sector to remain functional</li>
	<li>The social sector to remain functional</li>
	<li>MNREGA works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and face mask</li>
	<li>Public utilities to remain functional</li>
	<li>Movement of loading and unloading of goods or cargo (inter and intra) state is allowed</li>
	<li>Online teaching or distance learning to be encouraged</li>
	<li>Supply of essential goods is allowed</li>
	<li>Commercial and private establishments will be allowed to operate</li>
	<li>Industries or industrial establishments (both government and private) will be allowed to operate</li>
	<li>Construction activities will be allowed to operate</li>
	<li>Private vehicles for emergency services, including medical and veterinary care and for procuring essential commodities and all personnel travelling to the place of work in exempted categories as per the instructions of State/UT local authority are allowed</li>
	<li>Offices of the government of India and offices of the state and UT governments will remain open</li>
</ul>

These relaxations will not be applicable in the containment zones in the country, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad clarified.

The government has issued a fresh list of services that will be allowed in areas from April 20. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad shared the list of what will remain open across the country effective April 20.

The government has issued a fresh list of services that will be allowed in areas from April 20. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad shared the list of what will remain open across the country effective April 20. Have a look at the list of Public Utilities that will remain functional with effect from 20th April. Restrictions of containment zones will apply. Together we all can fight against #COVID19#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/mkLH3J5tt9 — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 21, 2020 × Here is a list of what will be open in the country after April 20: All health services (including AYUSH) to remain functional All agricultural and horticultural activities to remain fully functional Operations of the fishing (marine or inland) aquaculture industry to remain functional Plantation activities such as tea, coffee and rubber plantations to remain functional with a maximum of 50 per cent workers Animal husbandry activities to remain fully functional The financial sector to remain functional The social sector to remain functional MNREGA works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and face mask Public utilities to remain functional Movement of loading and unloading of goods or cargo (inter and intra) state is allowed Online teaching or distance learning to be encouraged Supply of essential goods is allowed Commercial and private establishments will be allowed to operate Industries or industrial establishments (both government and private) will be allowed to operate Construction activities will be allowed to operate Private vehicles for emergency services, including medical and veterinary care and for procuring essential commodities and all personnel travelling to the place of work in exempted categories as per the instructions of State/UT local authority are allowed Offices of the government of India and offices of the state and UT governments will remain open These relaxations will not be applicable in the containment zones in the country, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad clarified.

Coronavirus lockdown restrictions: A complete list of activities permitted after April 20

Star couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher on Sunday announced the launch of their own quarantine wine, the profit of which will be donated to different COVID-19 relief funds.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/adele-hints-at-postponing-album-release-until-2021-leaving-fans-worried-293488" hreflang="en">Adele hints at postponing album release until 2021 leaving fans worried</a>

The couple announced their tie-up with Battle Creek Vineyards and Nocking Point Wines for the initiative through a video posted on Twitter.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/cannes-2020-10-movies-that-were-supposed-to-screen-at-this-years-festival-293415" hreflang="en">Cannes 2020: 10 movies that were supposed to screen at this year's festival</a> 
 
In the video, the actors, seated with a wine bottle and glasses filled with wine, describe how the sale of the wine will help in raising funds for coronavirus relief.

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Mila and I are launching Quarantine Wine! 
100% of the profits will go to Covid-19 relief efforts!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QuarantineWine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QuarantineWine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SocialDistancing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SocialDistancing</a><a href="https://t.co/kGJt9YFkEP">https://t.co/kGJt9YFkEP</a> <a href="https://t.co/I7GCXOR5op">pic.twitter.com/I7GCXOR5op</a>
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/aplusk/status/1251912659642933249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Hi guys, we are launching quarantine wine," said Kutcher."100 per cent of the profits will go to a handful of charities that we have vetted for you and are so proud of during this time. 
 
Anything from feeding families who have fallen on hard times," said Kunis briefly before being interrupted by Kutcher."To supplying PPE equipment to frontline medical workers, to helping small businesses and people who are in distress recover," said Kutcher.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/the-challenges-of-being-in-self-isolation-celebrity-edition-292241" hreflang="en">The challenges of being in self-isolation- celebrity edition</a>

The 'Friends With Benefits'&nbsp;actor then went on to say that they had tasted the wine and found it to be delicious. 
 
'Quarantine'&nbsp;Pinot Noir comes with a customized blank label, allowing a personal message to be written to whoever is being toasted. 
 
According to the official website, the price of the beverage has been pegged at $ 50 for two bottles. 
 
The profits of the wine sale will be given to America`s food fund, Frontline Responders Fund and will be directly handed over in cash to families affected by COVID-19. The profits will also be used to supply PPEs to healthcare workers. 
 
According to the World Health Organisation, over 22 lakh people have been affected by the highly contagious virus across the globe and over 1.5 lakh people have lost their lives.

Star couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher on Sunday announced the launch of their own quarantine wine, the profit of which will be donated to different COVID-19 relief funds.

Star couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher on Sunday announced the launch of their own quarantine wine, the profit of which will be donated to different COVID-19 relief funds. Also read: Adele hints at postponing album release until 2021 leaving fans worried The couple announced their tie-up with Battle Creek Vineyards and Nocking Point Wines for the initiative through a video posted on Twitter. In pics: Cannes 2020: 10 movies that were supposed to screen at this year's festival In the video, the actors, seated with a wine bottle and glasses filled with wine, describe how the sale of the wine will help in raising funds for coronavirus relief. Mila and I are launching Quarantine Wine! 100% of the profits will go to Covid-19 relief efforts!#QuarantineWine #SocialDistancinghttps://t.co/kGJt9YFkEP pic.twitter.com/I7GCXOR5op — ashton kutcher (@aplusk) April 19, 2020 × "Hi guys, we are launching quarantine wine," said Kutcher."100 per cent of the profits will go to a handful of charities that we have vetted for you and are so proud of during this time. Anything from feeding families who have fallen on hard times," said Kunis briefly before being interrupted by Kutcher."To supplying PPE equipment to frontline medical workers, to helping small businesses and people who are in distress recover," said Kutcher. In pics: The challenges of being in self-isolation- celebrity edition The 'Friends With Benefits' actor then went on to say that they had tasted the wine and found it to be delicious. 'Quarantine' Pinot Noir comes with a customized blank label, allowing a personal message to be written to whoever is being toasted. According to the official website, the price of the beverage has been pegged at $ 50 for two bottles. The profits of the wine sale will be given to America`s food fund, Frontline Responders Fund and will be directly handed over in cash to families affected by COVID-19. The profits will also be used to supply PPEs to healthcare workers. According to the World Health Organisation, over 22 lakh people have been affected by the highly contagious virus across the globe and over 1.5 lakh people have lost their lives.

Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher launch 'quarantine wine' for raising COVID-19 relief funds

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;rose by 454 on Monday, slightly up on Sunday's tally, while the number of new cases dropped to 2,256, the lowest level in well over a month, the Civil Protection Agency said.

The total death toll stood at 24,114, the second-highest in the world after that of the United States, while the number of confirmed cases, which includes those who have fully recovered and those who have died of the disease, was 181,228.

For the first time since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the number of people registered as actively carrying the illness fell to 108,237, a drop of 20 on the day before.

"The fall in the number of active cases is extremely encouraging," Luca Richeldi, a lung expert and member of the government's science committee, told reporters. "The death toll is the only parameter that is moving in the wrong direction."

There were 2,573 people in intensive care on Monday against 2,635 on Sunday. Of those originally infected, 48,877 were declared recovered against 47,055 a day earlier.

New cases on Sunday totalled 3,047, while on Saturday, the figure stood at 3,491. Monday's tally was the lowest since March 10, when the contagion was taking off across northern&nbsp;Italy.

By contrast, the latest daily death toll was up on Sunday's level, when the number came in at 433, but down on Saturday's 482.

Given current trends,&nbsp;Italy's regional health observatory forecast on Monday that two of the country's 20 regions -- Basilicata and Umbria -- would be registering no new cases by the end of April.

By contrast, it would take until the end of June for the worst-hit region, Lombardy, to have zero new coronavirus cases.

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 454 on Monday, slightly up on Sunday's tally, while the number of new cases dropped to 2,256, the lowest level in well over a month, the Civil Protection Agency said.

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 454 on Monday, slightly up on Sunday's tally, while the number of new cases dropped to 2,256, the lowest level in well over a month, the Civil Protection Agency said. The total death toll stood at 24,114, the second-highest in the world after that of the United States, while the number of confirmed cases, which includes those who have fully recovered and those who have died of the disease, was 181,228. For the first time since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the number of people registered as actively carrying the illness fell to 108,237, a drop of 20 on the day before. "The fall in the number of active cases is extremely encouraging," Luca Richeldi, a lung expert and member of the government's science committee, told reporters. "The death toll is the only parameter that is moving in the wrong direction." There were 2,573 people in intensive care on Monday against 2,635 on Sunday. Of those originally infected, 48,877 were declared recovered against 47,055 a day earlier. New cases on Sunday totalled 3,047, while on Saturday, the figure stood at 3,491. Monday's tally was the lowest since March 10, when the contagion was taking off across northern Italy. By contrast, the latest daily death toll was up on Sunday's level, when the number came in at 433, but down on Saturday's 482. Given current trends, Italy's regional health observatory forecast on Monday that two of the country's 20 regions -- Basilicata and Umbria -- would be registering no new cases by the end of April. By contrast, it would take until the end of June for the worst-hit region, Lombardy, to have zero new coronavirus cases.

Italy's coronavirus death toll edges up, new cases fall sharply

A Dhanbad court on Sunday sent ten nationals of Indonesia, who were caught hiding in a mosque here on return from Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, to jail after they completed the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, the police said.

The Gobindpur police produced them before the court of Judicial Magistrate, Ritwika Singh, which sent them in 14 days judicial custody, officer-in-charge of the police station Surendra Prasad Singh said. They were charged with violation of Foreign Visa Act and Disaster Management Act, 2005, he said.

The Indonesians, who had come to attend Tablighi Jamaat function in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, were caught hiding in a mosque on return from the national capital in Dhanbads Govindpur block, about 20 km from the coal city, on March 30 last, the police officer said.

The Jamaat meet has emerged as a major source of spread of the virus in different parts of the country. Their passports were seized and all of them were sent to Patliputra Medical College Hospital in quarantine. After the end of the isolation period, they were produced in the court during the day.

Their samples have tested negative for coronavirus, he said. The Indonesian had not informed the police about their 
visit on a tourist visa.

A Dhanbad court on Sunday sent ten nationals of Indonesia, who were caught hiding in a mosque here on return from Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, to jail after they completed the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, the police said.

A Dhanbad court on Sunday sent ten nationals of Indonesia, who were caught hiding in a mosque here on return from Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, to jail after they completed the mandatory 14 days of quarantine, the police said. The Gobindpur police produced them before the court of Judicial Magistrate, Ritwika Singh, which sent them in 14 days judicial custody, officer-in-charge of the police station Surendra Prasad Singh said. They were charged with violation of Foreign Visa Act and Disaster Management Act, 2005, he said. The Indonesians, who had come to attend Tablighi Jamaat function in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, were caught hiding in a mosque on return from the national capital in Dhanbads Govindpur block, about 20 km from the coal city, on March 30 last, the police officer said. The Jamaat meet has emerged as a major source of spread of the virus in different parts of the country. Their passports were seized and all of them were sent to Patliputra Medical College Hospital in quarantine. After the end of the isolation period, they were produced in the court during the day. Their samples have tested negative for coronavirus, he said. The Indonesian had not informed the police about their visit on a tourist visa.

10 Tablighis from Indonesia sent to jail for flouting Visa & Disaster Management Acts

Where did the coronavirus originate? From a wet market or a lab?

There is a fresh twist in this saga now. A Nobel winning scientist from France has kicked up a storm.

Professor Luc Montagnier, who had discovered the HIV virus, says that the&nbsp;virus could have leaked from China's biggest lab in Wuhan.

Montagnier says&nbsp;the Wuhan coronavirus came from a lab in China and man-made.&nbsp;He claims that coronavirus is the result of an attempt to manufacture an AIDs vaccine. The professor specifically names the Wuhan national biosafety laboratory, a&nbsp;facility that china calls Asia's largest virus bank.

These&nbsp;comments have triggered a storm. However,&nbsp;Chinese state media was quick to pick up the statement and trash it.

Yuan Zhiming, director of Wuhan national biosafety laboratory; researcher at Wuhan Institute of Virology said ''because the Wuhan institute of virology and p4 laboratory is in Wuhan, some people can't help making associations, which I think is horrifying. But it's worse when some are deliberately trying to mislead people. U.S. Senator tom cotton said earlier that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of virology. Then the Washington post and two reporters wrote about the virus coming from the Wuhan lab. They have no evidence, nor any logical relations to make such a claim. It was entirely based on speculation. As a science and technology manager, I have been engaged in laboratory biosafety management and scientific research project management for a long time, and I know it's impossible."

Meanwhile, experts say bats are the most likely source of the Wuhan virus. They believe that this wet market in Wuhan could be the source. Today, there are barricades around the entire market and the Chinese authorities have shut it down.

Professor Montagnier says that Wuhan lab specialized in these viruses since the early 2000s, a&nbsp;claim that has added more fuel to the fire. The American government suspects the Wuhan lab is a possible source too.

Professor Montagnier's statements will give more ammo to America's investigation. But, his claims are being questioned too as his own colleagues have criticized the statement saying it's based on weak scientific evidence.

Clearly, the debate over the source of the coronavirus is far from over.

Where did the coronavirus originate? From a wet market or a lab? There is a fresh twist in this saga now. A Nobel winning scientist from France has kicked up a storm.

Where did the coronavirus originate? From a wet market or a lab? There is a fresh twist in this saga now. A Nobel winning scientist from France has kicked up a storm. Professor Luc Montagnier, who had discovered the HIV virus, says that the virus could have leaked from China's biggest lab in Wuhan. Montagnier says the Wuhan coronavirus came from a lab in China and man-made. He claims that coronavirus is the result of an attempt to manufacture an AIDs vaccine. The professor specifically names the Wuhan national biosafety laboratory, a facility that china calls Asia's largest virus bank. These comments have triggered a storm. However, Chinese state media was quick to pick up the statement and trash it. Yuan Zhiming, director of Wuhan national biosafety laboratory; researcher at Wuhan Institute of Virology said ''because the Wuhan institute of virology and p4 laboratory is in Wuhan, some people can't help making associations, which I think is horrifying. But it's worse when some are deliberately trying to mislead people. U.S. Senator tom cotton said earlier that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of virology. Then the Washington post and two reporters wrote about the virus coming from the Wuhan lab. They have no evidence, nor any logical relations to make such a claim. It was entirely based on speculation. As a science and technology manager, I have been engaged in laboratory biosafety management and scientific research project management for a long time, and I know it's impossible." Meanwhile, experts say bats are the most likely source of the Wuhan virus. They believe that this wet market in Wuhan could be the source. Today, there are barricades around the entire market and the Chinese authorities have shut it down. Professor Montagnier says that Wuhan lab specialized in these viruses since the early 2000s, a claim that has added more fuel to the fire. The American government suspects the Wuhan lab is a possible source too. Professor Montagnier's statements will give more ammo to America's investigation. But, his claims are being questioned too as his own colleagues have criticized the statement saying it's based on weak scientific evidence. Clearly, the debate over the source of the coronavirus is far from over.

French scientist adds new twist to coronavirus origin mystery

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus have reached &nbsp;2,404,071 worldwide on Monday as a new study of containment measures in China suggests that countries preparing to ease their lockdowns will have to continuously monitor potential new cases to prevent a second deadly outbreak. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-81000-people-across-the-world-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-24-hours-293437">Also read: Over 81,000 people across the world test positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours</a>

The total number climbed from 1 million to 2 million confirmed cases in less than two weeks, and more than 600,000 cases have been recorded in the US alone. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-coronavirus-cases-rise-in-us-hot-spots-governors-tell-trump-its-too-soon-to-reopen-america-293430">Also read |&nbsp;As coronavirus cases rise in US hot spots, governors tell Trump it's too soon to reopen America</a>

COVID-19 has now infected &nbsp;2,404,071 people worldwide and 165,229 people have been killed due to this pandemic.

Around 625,199 people of that tally have recovered.

A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe.

The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to the United States.

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment.

The confirmed coronavirus death toll has reached 40,682 in the United States, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

More than &nbsp;759,687 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the United States, which has seen a record number of deaths over the past week.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus have reached 2,404,071 worldwide on Monday as a new study of containment measures in China suggests that countries preparing to ease their lockdowns will have to continuously monitor potential new cases to prevent a second deadly outbreak.

Cases of infections of the deadly coronavirus have reached 2,404,071 worldwide on Monday as a new study of containment measures in China suggests that countries preparing to ease their lockdowns will have to continuously monitor potential new cases to prevent a second deadly outbreak. Also read: Over 81,000 people across the world test positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours The total number climbed from 1 million to 2 million confirmed cases in less than two weeks, and more than 600,000 cases have been recorded in the US alone. Also read | As coronavirus cases rise in US hot spots, governors tell Trump it's too soon to reopen America COVID-19 has now infected 2,404,071 people worldwide and 165,229 people have been killed due to this pandemic. Around 625,199 people of that tally have recovered. A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) had claimed how lifting lockdowns too early could lead to a second wave and would be a catastrophe. The epicentre of the pandemic has shifted twice, first from China to Europe, and then from Europe to the United States. Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University have reported in its map that the United States has taken the grim title of the country with the most coronavirus infections and reported a record surge in unemployment. The confirmed coronavirus death toll has reached 40,682 in the United States, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 759,687 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the United States, which has seen a record number of deaths over the past week.

Over 2.4 million corona cases registered worldwide, death toll reaches 165,073

The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 543 and the number of cases to 17265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 14175 as many as 2546 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said.

1553 new cases and 36 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, the ministry said in its updated data.

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1553 new cases and 36 deaths reported in last 24 hours. India's total number of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Coronavirus</a> positive cases rises to 17265 (including 14175 active cases, 2546 cured/discharged/migrated and 543 deaths): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare <a href="https://t.co/zbcB5Fy5iR">pic.twitter.com/zbcB5Fy5iR</a>
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Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with a total number of positive cases rising to 3,651, followed by Delhi at 1,893 cases, Madhya Pradesh at 1,407 cases, Tamil Nadu at 1,372 cases and Rajasthan at 1,351 cases, according to the Health Ministry data. 
 
According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide stands at 2.38 million.

The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 543 and the number of cases to 17265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 14175 as many as 2546 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said.

The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 543 and the number of cases to 17265 in the country on Monday, according to the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 14175 as many as 2546 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said. 1553 new cases and 36 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, the ministry said in its updated data. 1553 new cases and 36 deaths reported in last 24 hours. India's total number of #Coronavirus positive cases rises to 17265 (including 14175 active cases, 2546 cured/discharged/migrated and 543 deaths): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pic.twitter.com/zbcB5Fy5iR — ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020 × Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with a total number of positive cases rising to 3,651, followed by Delhi at 1,893 cases, Madhya Pradesh at 1,407 cases, Tamil Nadu at 1,372 cases and Rajasthan at 1,351 cases, according to the Health Ministry data. According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide stands at 2.38 million.

COVID-19 cases climb to 17265 in India, the death toll stands at 543

Describing his ordeal as no less than a horror movie, Dr Poorna Gunasekera (Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Plymouth), saw&nbsp;some ray&nbsp;of hope after his ex-students started taking care of his treatment.

Attributing his health issues to the weakness, it took Gunasekera 10 days to understand that he had COVID. He remained in&nbsp;denial about his symptoms when he had a fever above 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) and had lost 6.5 kilograms in a matter of days as a result of diarrhoea.

Soon, he&nbsp;was rushed to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth in the early hours of March 30. His daughter Saki and her boyfriend George Petrie also suffered from the illness but ended up having much milder symptoms after going into self-isolation.

Gunasekera, better known to his friends and colleagues as PG, grew up in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and led the Guard of Honour that was accorded to Queen Elizabeth II at the time of her official visit to the city in 1981.

He came to the UK in 1999 having been awarded a Commonwealth scholarship to study for masters at University College London and has been in the academic field that feeds the National Health Service ever since.

In an exclusive interview to WION's Ayushi Agarwal, Gunasekera shared his account of dealing with this deadly infection.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

WION:&nbsp;As a survivor what was your experience, when did you get infected and what was the process thereafter. How did you realize that you had COVID? Tell us the story after?

DR POORNA-&nbsp;I think It was more like a horror movie. The first signs manifested on 20th March and I really don't know how I came in contact with COVID. I was in London the week before, with my daughter&nbsp;Saki (short for ‘Thisakya’), and her boyfriend George, who developed COVID-associated symptoms of loss of taste, smell and headache just one day before I did (on 19th March 2020 to be specific). Some friends in Italy told us that this was one of the manifestations. There were many other atypical manifestations. Hence, we all started to self-isolate from that day.

I developed generalised aches and pains a day later. (20th March).

Saki started to improve within 3 or 4 days. She was the first to recover completely&nbsp;

George’s sense of smell and taste took about 2 weeks to recover, though he too was feeling otherwise well by around the 7th day of illness.&nbsp;

My own symptoms persisted for longer. It was mainly explosive diarrhoea starting on day 4 of illness, that led to a loss of 6.5 kilograms and the generalised weakness that resulted. The feeling of shortness of breath, which I attributed to the generalised weakness, began to get progressively severe and took a sharp turn to the worse on 9th day of illness. I was admitted to the hospital during the early hours of 30th March, a day later.&nbsp;

My X-ray showed that both of my lungs had some changes.&nbsp;Still, they didn't transfer me to the COVID "red zone"&nbsp; as they called. The first test came negative. Second, came positive. They then transferred me to the red zone which is serious and is one step below to the intensive care. This is how I first realized that I had COVID.

WION:&nbsp;How did you meet your ex-students in the hospital? How did you feel after being treated by them?

DR POORNA-&nbsp;You can't really recognize anyone in the hospital. Everyone was covered. Completely isolated. It was at that time that 3 of my former students who were completely covered came and meet me.&nbsp;Slowly I began to recover. At that time when I was really really sick, but I felt a sense of freedom and peace that I have never felt before. But there was no sensor input. I did not know where my feet and hands were. Still,&nbsp;all my sense of worry disappeared from the mind. I thought I was getting better.

I was behind the red zone for 7 days.&nbsp; And then the oxygen requirement kept dropping. Soon, my temperature was stable.&nbsp;My lymphocytes began to come up.

I was in solitary confinement.

The one thing we started talking when the oxygen was off, was about the fear that we will take COVID back to the community because even now I have been home for 10 days. I have a little garden but haven't stepped out.&nbsp;

I came home on the 9th of April. Today is a good day. It has not been steady recovery. Some days I feel are worse days than others, and you develop strange symptoms.&nbsp;We are dealing with it and it is getting better.&nbsp;

WION:&nbsp;Because you also happen to be a doctor, it could have been easier for you to understand. What is your assessment of this disease?

DR POORNA-&nbsp;From the medical opinion, I read that some first doctor from China who raised the alarm said that this is some atypical form of pneumonia, and that is completely true. When I saw that X-ray, the consolidation on the X-rays was very different what you see in normal pneumonia.

It is more like a plume of smoke going through the lungs. That was unusual.

The initial thing might be in the lungs. But all the organs are affected. It is a very dangerous pathogen. It is a very sad belief that it only infects a certain age. Here in the UK, we have the case of a nurse of just 32 years who died of COVID. Another was a pregnant one, with the child who died. It is an extremely dangerous disease because it has the ability to go from one person to the other.

WION: For a layperson what is your message to understand the disease and how do you suggest to cope with it?

DR POORNA- The message to the public is that the only defence we have against COVID is to prevent it from multiplying. In my case, I had just two options.&nbsp; Either I would overcome the disease, or it would kill me.

The only way it (disease) could survive if we transmit it from one person to the other. Just like passing the parcel. The danger is that we may do it without being aware that we are affected. This is a difference between COVID and SARS.&nbsp;

It is a hugely dangerous disease. It is important to maintain social distancing, to prevent direct transmission.

We have no treatment for COVID. It is the battle between COVID and us. Once we get it, it's just us against COVID. There is no treatment, there is no vaccine to protect. The only thing that we can do is to avoid exposure. We can only avoid exposure if we isolate ourselves.&nbsp;isolating completely may be practically difficult for doing, but that is the only thing that can stop COVID.

Some countries are lifting restrictions, but COVID might be lurking in that population.

This is like a horror movie. We have to fight it on an individual basis. This is where I believe small communities can come together. Maybe COVID can make us a better species. We may learn the lessons.

Real health lies with us. I am a huge fan of India and your ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. This is what we really need to do. If we stop harming ourselves, we don't need to go and rush to the hospitals.&nbsp;

Describing his ordeal as no less than a horror movie, Dr Poorna Gunasekera (Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Plymouth), saw some ray of hope after his ex-students started taking care of his treatment.

Describing his ordeal as no less than a horror movie, Dr Poorna Gunasekera (Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Plymouth), saw some ray of hope after his ex-students started taking care of his treatment. Attributing his health issues to the weakness, it took Gunasekera 10 days to understand that he had COVID. He remained in denial about his symptoms when he had a fever above 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) and had lost 6.5 kilograms in a matter of days as a result of diarrhoea. Soon, he was rushed to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth in the early hours of March 30. His daughter Saki and her boyfriend George Petrie also suffered from the illness but ended up having much milder symptoms after going into self-isolation. Gunasekera, better known to his friends and colleagues as PG, grew up in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and led the Guard of Honour that was accorded to Queen Elizabeth II at the time of her official visit to the city in 1981. He came to the UK in 1999 having been awarded a Commonwealth scholarship to study for masters at University College London and has been in the academic field that feeds the National Health Service ever since. In an exclusive interview to WION's Ayushi Agarwal, Gunasekera shared his account of dealing with this deadly infection. Edited excerpts from the interview: WION: As a survivor what was your experience, when did you get infected and what was the process thereafter. How did you realize that you had COVID? Tell us the story after? DR POORNA- I think It was more like a horror movie. The first signs manifested on 20th March and I really don't know how I came in contact with COVID. I was in London the week before, with my daughter Saki (short for ‘Thisakya’), and her boyfriend George, who developed COVID-associated symptoms of loss of taste, smell and headache just one day before I did (on 19th March 2020 to be specific). Some friends in Italy told us that this was one of the manifestations. There were many other atypical manifestations. Hence, we all started to self-isolate from that day. I developed generalised aches and pains a day later. (20th March). Saki started to improve within 3 or 4 days. She was the first to recover completely George’s sense of smell and taste took about 2 weeks to recover, though he too was feeling otherwise well by around the 7th day of illness. My own symptoms persisted for longer. It was mainly explosive diarrhoea starting on day 4 of illness, that led to a loss of 6.5 kilograms and the generalised weakness that resulted. The feeling of shortness of breath, which I attributed to the generalised weakness, began to get progressively severe and took a sharp turn to the worse on 9th day of illness. I was admitted to the hospital during the early hours of 30th March, a day later. My X-ray showed that both of my lungs had some changes. Still, they didn't transfer me to the COVID "red zone" as they called. The first test came negative. Second, came positive. They then transferred me to the red zone which is serious and is one step below to the intensive care. This is how I first realized that I had COVID. WION: How did you meet your ex-students in the hospital? How did you feel after being treated by them? DR POORNA- You can't really recognize anyone in the hospital. Everyone was covered. Completely isolated. It was at that time that 3 of my former students who were completely covered came and meet me. Slowly I began to recover. At that time when I was really really sick, but I felt a sense of freedom and peace that I have never felt before. But there was no sensor input. I did not know where my feet and hands were. Still, all my sense of worry disappeared from the mind. I thought I was getting better. I was behind the red zone for 7 days. And then the oxygen requirement kept dropping. Soon, my temperature was stable. My lymphocytes began to come up. I was in solitary confinement. The one thing we started talking when the oxygen was off, was about the fear that we will take COVID back to the community because even now I have been home for 10 days. I have a little garden but haven't stepped out. I came home on the 9th of April. Today is a good day. It has not been steady recovery. Some days I feel are worse days than others, and you develop strange symptoms. We are dealing with it and it is getting better. WION: Because you also happen to be a doctor, it could have been easier for you to understand. What is your assessment of this disease? DR POORNA- From the medical opinion, I read that some first doctor from China who raised the alarm said that this is some atypical form of pneumonia, and that is completely true. When I saw that X-ray, the consolidation on the X-rays was very different what you see in normal pneumonia. It is more like a plume of smoke going through the lungs. That was unusual. The initial thing might be in the lungs. But all the organs are affected. It is a very dangerous pathogen. It is a very sad belief that it only infects a certain age. Here in the UK, we have the case of a nurse of just 32 years who died of COVID. Another was a pregnant one, with the child who died. It is an extremely dangerous disease because it has the ability to go from one person to the other. WION: For a layperson what is your message to understand the disease and how do you suggest to cope with it? DR POORNA- The message to the public is that the only defence we have against COVID is to prevent it from multiplying. In my case, I had just two options. Either I would overcome the disease, or it would kill me. The only way it (disease) could survive if we transmit it from one person to the other. Just like passing the parcel. The danger is that we may do it without being aware that we are affected. This is a difference between COVID and SARS. It is a hugely dangerous disease. It is important to maintain social distancing, to prevent direct transmission. We have no treatment for COVID. It is the battle between COVID and us. Once we get it, it's just us against COVID. There is no treatment, there is no vaccine to protect. The only thing that we can do is to avoid exposure. We can only avoid exposure if we isolate ourselves. isolating completely may be practically difficult for doing, but that is the only thing that can stop COVID. Some countries are lifting restrictions, but COVID might be lurking in that population. This is like a horror movie. We have to fight it on an individual basis. This is where I believe small communities can come together. Maybe COVID can make us a better species. We may learn the lessons. Real health lies with us. I am a huge fan of India and your ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. This is what we really need to do. If we stop harming ourselves, we don't need to go and rush to the hospitals.

'Only defence we have against COVID-19 is to prevent it from multiplying', says recovered COVID-19 UK doctor  

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Iran reached 5,209 on Monday with 91 deaths in the past twenty-four hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Monday.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Iran reached 5,209 on Monday with 91 deaths in the past twenty-four hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Monday. The total number of diagnosed cases of the new coronavirus in Iran, the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the outbreak, has reached 83،505, he said. After nearly a week of declining fatalities, there has been a slight uptick in the past few days for the Islamic republic, one of the world's hardest hit. Meanwhile, the government allowed more economic activity to resume after a gradual reopening in the past 10 days. The sanctions-hit country had shut down all non-essential economic activity in mid-March, weeks after its coronavirus outbreak first came to light. But top officials argued that Iran's battered economy could not remain shuttered, and President Hassan Rouhani has allowed low-risk businesses to reopen since April 11. Shops in passages and bazaars were the latest businesses that were permitted to resume trading as part of Iran's gradual reopening of its economy. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran death toll from new coronavirus outbreak rises by 91 to 5,209: Health ministry official

In order for COVID-19 to infect humans, the virus must attach to the target human cell, fuse with the cell membrane in order to inject the virus’ genetic material and then use the cell’s own biochemical mechanisms to replicate the virus.

Understanding those processes through scientific experimentation is key to the development of vaccines against and treatments for viral infections.

When dealing with highly contagious and deadly viruses and given the widespread use of bioengineering, extra precautions need to be taken not to inadvertently create dangerous new viruses or release viruses from containment facilities, whether they be naturally-occurring or man-made.

SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic, infects human cells first by attaching to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor (ACE2), then, via SARS-CoV’s S-protein virus-to-cell membrane fusion is initiated.

In 2008, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zhengli Shi, <a href="https://jvi.asm.org/content/82/4/1899.full">demonstrated</a> the importance of the initial human ACE2 binding step by using bioengineering techniques to “splice” the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV onto a non-human-infecting bat coronavirus, essentially creating an entirely new viral entity capability of infecting humans.

After the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pandemic, similar scientific studies were undertaken to understand its human infectivity and pathogenesis.

Although MERS-CoV uses a different receptor to bind to human cells, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 or DPP4, the S-protein, which may be similar to SARS-CoV, is <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/113/43/12262.full">important </a>for virus-to-cell membrane fusion.

After binding to the human cell, the MERS-CoV S-protein undergoes two cleavages. The first cleavage splits the S-protein into two subunits, S1 and S2, which allows an unfolding process proceeding virus-to-cell membrane fusion. The second cleavage occurs within the S2 segment, called S2-prime (S2′), and is <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/113/43/12262.full">thought to trigger </a>membrane fusion.

The importance of the S2′ cleavage site in pathogenicity has long been recognized in<a href="https://jvi.asm.org/content/jvi/83/17/8744.full.pdf"> bird influenza </a>and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042682217304403">cat peritonitis </a>coronavirus infections.

COVID-19 has just such a S2′ furin polybasic cleavage site, which does not exist in any of the naturally-occurring bat coronaviruses <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9">identified as </a>close relatives of COVID-19.

That “close relative” article has been widely cited as evidence to support the Chinese government’s contention that COVID-19 “jumped” from animals to humans inside the Wuhan Seafood Market.

The bird infectious bronchitis Beaudette coronavirus strain, which has a furin polybasic cleavage site amino acid sequence of Arginine-Arginine-Lysine-Arginine, closely matches COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site of Arginine-Arginine-Alanine-Arginine.

It is important to note that furin cleavage sites have been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042682206000900">“introduced” </a>into coronaviruses using widely-known genetic engineering techniques since, at least, 2006 in order to study the effect of cleavage to mediate cell-to-cell fusion and affect viral infectivity.

It is, therefore, not inconceivable to conclude that in the course of scientific investigation, a Chinese laboratory may have bioengineered a furin polybasic cleavage site into a bat coronavirus in order to study its effects on pathogenicity.

In the absence of conclusive evidence that COVID-19 is naturally-occurring, the burden of proof as to the origin of COVID-19 is now on China.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In order for COVID-19 to infect humans, the virus must attach to the target human cell, fuse with the cell membrane in order to inject the virus’ genetic material and then use the cell’s own biochemical mechanisms to replicate the virus.

In order for COVID-19 to infect humans, the virus must attach to the target human cell, fuse with the cell membrane in order to inject the virus’ genetic material and then use the cell’s own biochemical mechanisms to replicate the virus. Understanding those processes through scientific experimentation is key to the development of vaccines against and treatments for viral infections. When dealing with highly contagious and deadly viruses and given the widespread use of bioengineering, extra precautions need to be taken not to inadvertently create dangerous new viruses or release viruses from containment facilities, whether they be naturally-occurring or man-made. SARS-CoV, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic, infects human cells first by attaching to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor (ACE2), then, via SARS-CoV’s S-protein virus-to-cell membrane fusion is initiated. In 2008, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zhengli Shi, demonstrated the importance of the initial human ACE2 binding step by using bioengineering techniques to “splice” the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV onto a non-human-infecting bat coronavirus, essentially creating an entirely new viral entity capability of infecting humans. After the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pandemic, similar scientific studies were undertaken to understand its human infectivity and pathogenesis. Although MERS-CoV uses a different receptor to bind to human cells, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 or DPP4, the S-protein, which may be similar to SARS-CoV, is important for virus-to-cell membrane fusion. After binding to the human cell, the MERS-CoV S-protein undergoes two cleavages. The first cleavage splits the S-protein into two subunits, S1 and S2, which allows an unfolding process proceeding virus-to-cell membrane fusion. The second cleavage occurs within the S2 segment, called S2-prime (S2′), and is thought to trigger membrane fusion. The importance of the S2′ cleavage site in pathogenicity has long been recognized in bird influenza and cat peritonitis coronavirus infections. COVID-19 has just such a S2′ furin polybasic cleavage site, which does not exist in any of the naturally-occurring bat coronaviruses identified as close relatives of COVID-19. That “close relative” article has been widely cited as evidence to support the Chinese government’s contention that COVID-19 “jumped” from animals to humans inside the Wuhan Seafood Market. The bird infectious bronchitis Beaudette coronavirus strain, which has a furin polybasic cleavage site amino acid sequence of Arginine-Arginine-Lysine-Arginine, closely matches COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site of Arginine-Arginine-Alanine-Arginine. It is important to note that furin cleavage sites have been “introduced” into coronaviruses using widely-known genetic engineering techniques since, at least, 2006 in order to study the effect of cleavage to mediate cell-to-cell fusion and affect viral infectivity. It is, therefore, not inconceivable to conclude that in the course of scientific investigation, a Chinese laboratory may have bioengineered a furin polybasic cleavage site into a bat coronavirus in order to study its effects on pathogenicity. In the absence of conclusive evidence that COVID-19 is naturally-occurring, the burden of proof as to the origin of COVID-19 is now on China. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why China may have manufactured COVID-19

Authorities in Bangladesh have shut down seven villages to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus after 100,000 people defied government restrictions to attend the funeral of a religious leader in eastern Bangladesh on Saturday. 
 
The funeral for Maulana Zubayer Ahmad Ansari, an Islamic teacher, broke the country's ban of no more than five people attending prayers at one time, sparking fears of a new coronavirus outbreak emerging from the event. Maulana Jubaer Ahmed Ansari was a leader of Islamic organisation Khilafat Majlish.

The estimated size of the crowd was confirmed by the local authorities and PM's special assistant, Shah Ali Farhad.

"We wanted to make a small arrangement for the funeral following the government's guideline on maintaining health safety. But people gathered out of their respect without our knowledge. We have no idea how it happened," said Mufti Mubarrok Ullah, Principal of Jamia Rahmania Madrasa.

Bangladesh has reported seven new deaths caused by the new coronavirus outbreak, bringing the country's total to 91 deaths.

The country's number of infections rose by 312, taking the total to 2,456.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has criticised the administration for struggling to enforce a ban on large gatherings after the government failed to stop a massive funeral prayer on Saturday attended by thousands of people.

Authorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh and even India have struggled to persuade conservative religious groups to maintain social distancing to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has tightened a clampdown on seven villages to control the spread of the coronavirus, officials said.

The massive gathering in Brahmanbaria district, about 60 km east of the capital Dhaka, has raised concerns about the potential for a spike in infections in a country of 160 million people with poor medical infrastructure.

"We've strictly ordered all residents of the seven villages to stay at home at all times at least for the next 14 days so we can identify if anyone contracted the virus following Saturday's gathering," a local police officer said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Authorities in Bangladesh have shut down seven villages to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus after 100,000 people defied government restrictions to attend the funeral of a religious leader in eastern Bangladesh on Saturday.

Authorities in Bangladesh have shut down seven villages to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus after 100,000 people defied government restrictions to attend the funeral of a religious leader in eastern Bangladesh on Saturday. The funeral for Maulana Zubayer Ahmad Ansari, an Islamic teacher, broke the country's ban of no more than five people attending prayers at one time, sparking fears of a new coronavirus outbreak emerging from the event. Maulana Jubaer Ahmed Ansari was a leader of Islamic organisation Khilafat Majlish. The estimated size of the crowd was confirmed by the local authorities and PM's special assistant, Shah Ali Farhad. "We wanted to make a small arrangement for the funeral following the government's guideline on maintaining health safety. But people gathered out of their respect without our knowledge. We have no idea how it happened," said Mufti Mubarrok Ullah, Principal of Jamia Rahmania Madrasa. Bangladesh has reported seven new deaths caused by the new coronavirus outbreak, bringing the country's total to 91 deaths. The country's number of infections rose by 312, taking the total to 2,456. Health Minister Zahid Maleque has criticised the administration for struggling to enforce a ban on large gatherings after the government failed to stop a massive funeral prayer on Saturday attended by thousands of people. Authorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh and even India have struggled to persuade conservative religious groups to maintain social distancing to curb the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has tightened a clampdown on seven villages to control the spread of the coronavirus, officials said. The massive gathering in Brahmanbaria district, about 60 km east of the capital Dhaka, has raised concerns about the potential for a spike in infections in a country of 160 million people with poor medical infrastructure. "We've strictly ordered all residents of the seven villages to stay at home at all times at least for the next 14 days so we can identify if anyone contracted the virus following Saturday's gathering," a local police officer said. (With inputs from Reuters)

Bangladesh shuts down seven villages after 100,000 people gather at cleric's funeral

Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders.

New York continued to see hospitalizations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day.

"If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this point are that we are on a descent. Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do," Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing.

Cuomo, along with other governors, are clamoring for more testing.

"The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs," said Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview. "But to try to push this off, to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren't doing our jobs, is just absolutely false."

Democratic Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN that claims by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were "just delusional."

The region of Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. is still seeing increasing cases even as the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, New York, has started to see declines. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths.

Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner, but appeared to be staying cautious.

Trump's guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet the Republican president appeared to encourage protesters who want the measures removed sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors.

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington redoubled his attacks on Trump's call to "liberate" states, saying the president was encouraging people to violate state laws on self-isolating.

"These orders actually are the law of these states," he said. "To have an American president encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing."

The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and over 39,600 deaths.

The governors of Michigan and Ohio on Sunday said they could double or triple their testing capacity if the federal government helped them acquire more swaps and reagents, chemicals needed as part of the testing process.

Demonstrations to demand an end to stay-at-home measures that have pummelled the U.S. economy have erupted in a few spots in Texas, Wisconsin and the capitols of Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month.

Trump had touted a thriving economy as the best case for his re-election in November.

On Saturday, several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin chanting "USA! USA!" and "Let us work!"

In Brookfield, Wisconsin, hundreds of demonstrators cheered as they lined a main road and waved American flags to protest at the extension of that state's "safer at home" order.

The demonstrators mostly flouted the social-distancing rules and did not wear the face masks recommended by public health officials.

U.S. lawmakers are very close to an agreement on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Sunday, congressional and Trump administration officials said.

An agreement would end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program. Congress established the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.

Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders.

Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders. New York continued to see hospitalizations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day. "If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this point are that we are on a descent. Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do," Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing. Cuomo, along with other governors, are clamoring for more testing. "The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs," said Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview. "But to try to push this off, to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren't doing our jobs, is just absolutely false." Democratic Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN that claims by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were "just delusional." The region of Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. is still seeing increasing cases even as the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, New York, has started to see declines. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths. Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner, but appeared to be staying cautious. Trump's guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet the Republican president appeared to encourage protesters who want the measures removed sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors. Governor Jay Inslee of Washington redoubled his attacks on Trump's call to "liberate" states, saying the president was encouraging people to violate state laws on self-isolating. "These orders actually are the law of these states," he said. "To have an American president encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing." The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and over 39,600 deaths. The governors of Michigan and Ohio on Sunday said they could double or triple their testing capacity if the federal government helped them acquire more swaps and reagents, chemicals needed as part of the testing process. Demonstrations to demand an end to stay-at-home measures that have pummelled the U.S. economy have erupted in a few spots in Texas, Wisconsin and the capitols of Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month. Trump had touted a thriving economy as the best case for his re-election in November. On Saturday, several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin chanting "USA! USA!" and "Let us work!" In Brookfield, Wisconsin, hundreds of demonstrators cheered as they lined a main road and waved American flags to protest at the extension of that state's "safer at home" order. The demonstrators mostly flouted the social-distancing rules and did not wear the face masks recommended by public health officials. U.S. lawmakers are very close to an agreement on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Sunday, congressional and Trump administration officials said. An agreement would end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program. Congress established the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.

As coronavirus cases rise in US hot spots, governors tell Trump it's too soon to reopen America

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is fast spreading across different parts of West Bengal, the state government on Sunday accused the central lab - ICMR-NICED for providing defective test kits.&nbsp;

In a series of Tweets posted by the official Twitter handle of State Health and Family Welfare Department, the state accused ICMR-NICED of the delayed process in getting test results for COVID-19 in the state.&nbsp;

“The apparently defective test kits supplied by ICMR-NICED, Kolkata are resulting in a high number of repeat/ confirmatory tests and causing delays and other attendant problems at a time when we are battling a pandemic. This is an issue that ICMR needs to look into immediately,” the Tweet reads.&nbsp;

The Department of Health and Family Welfare through its Tweets also claimed that the COVID-19 test kits provided by ICMR-NICED two weeks back are throwing up ‘inconclusive’ reports hence the same sample are having to be tested again.&nbsp;

“The testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago have started to throw up a large number of ‘inconclusive’ results, necessitating a repeat/ ‘confirmatory’ test run, thereby causing a delay in the generation of the final test report,” the Department wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

This apart, the state government alleged that till the time the COVID-19 test kits were being sent directly from National Institute of Virology, Pune, there was no problem until the kits were routed through ICMR-NICED.&nbsp;

Interestingly, two weeks back, the Director of ICMR-NICED through interviews had claimed that the state was not testing enough samples and that the state was not sending enough samples to ICMR-NICED for testing despite having the manpower and infrastructure to test as many as 100 samples each day.&nbsp;

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is fast spreading across different parts of West Bengal, the state government on Sunday accused the central lab - ICMR-NICED for providing defective test kits.

At a time when the coronavirus pandemic is fast spreading across different parts of West Bengal, the state government on Sunday accused the central lab - ICMR-NICED for providing defective test kits. In a series of Tweets posted by the official Twitter handle of State Health and Family Welfare Department, the state accused ICMR-NICED of the delayed process in getting test results for COVID-19 in the state. “The apparently defective test kits supplied by ICMR-NICED, Kolkata are resulting in a high number of repeat/ confirmatory tests and causing delays and other attendant problems at a time when we are battling a pandemic. This is an issue that ICMR needs to look into immediately,” the Tweet reads. The Department of Health and Family Welfare through its Tweets also claimed that the COVID-19 test kits provided by ICMR-NICED two weeks back are throwing up ‘inconclusive’ reports hence the same sample are having to be tested again. “The testing kits supplied by ICMR-NICED about two weeks ago have started to throw up a large number of ‘inconclusive’ results, necessitating a repeat/ ‘confirmatory’ test run, thereby causing a delay in the generation of the final test report,” the Department wrote on Twitter. This apart, the state government alleged that till the time the COVID-19 test kits were being sent directly from National Institute of Virology, Pune, there was no problem until the kits were routed through ICMR-NICED. Interestingly, two weeks back, the Director of ICMR-NICED through interviews had claimed that the state was not testing enough samples and that the state was not sending enough samples to ICMR-NICED for testing despite having the manpower and infrastructure to test as many as 100 samples each day.

Central lab ICMR-NICED provided defective COVID-19 test kits: West Bengal govt

Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer on Sunday said that he was close to reaching a deal with Republicans on a new coronavirus response bill. "We've made very good progress and I'm very hopeful we can come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning," Schumer said in an interview with CNN.

Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer on Sunday said that he was close to reaching a deal with Republicans on a new coronavirus response bill. "We've made very good progress and I'm very hopeful we can come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning," Schumer said in an interview with CNN. ]Minutes earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin gave a similar assessment on the progress of the bill, which would significantly expand the Small Business Administration's loan program for small businesses.

US Democrats close to deal with Republicans on new coronavirus response bill

Spain's death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 410 on Sunday, down from 565 on Saturday, the Health Ministry said.

It is the lowest daily increase since March 22 in one of the world's hardest-hit countries.

The total number of deaths in Spain has reached 20,453.

Sunday's death toll is far below the highest daily increase - 950 deaths reported on April 2 - in a sign of a slowdown of the spread of the virus after Spain imposed a strict lockdown in mid-March.

The overall number of coronavirus cases rose to 195,944 on Sunday from 191,726 on Saturday, the Health Ministry added.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he would ask parliament for a 15-day extension of the lockdown until May 9, but said the restrictions would be more flexible, such as allowing children to leave their homes for short periods of time.

Earlier. health staff from Spanish hospital of La Paz clapped after taking a minute of silence on Sunday (April 19) to remember the hospital's chief of surgery who died of coronavirus.

Dr. Joaquín Díaz Domínguez was 64 and died on Saturday (April 18) after getting infected from the virus at his own hospital in Madrid.

Spain's death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 410 on Sunday, down from 565 on Saturday, the Health Ministry said. It is the lowest daily increase since March 22 in one of the world's hardest-hit countries.

Spain's death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak rose by 410 on Sunday, down from 565 on Saturday, the Health Ministry said. It is the lowest daily increase since March 22 in one of the world's hardest-hit countries. The total number of deaths in Spain has reached 20,453. Sunday's death toll is far below the highest daily increase - 950 deaths reported on April 2 - in a sign of a slowdown of the spread of the virus after Spain imposed a strict lockdown in mid-March. The overall number of coronavirus cases rose to 195,944 on Sunday from 191,726 on Saturday, the Health Ministry added. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday he would ask parliament for a 15-day extension of the lockdown until May 9, but said the restrictions would be more flexible, such as allowing children to leave their homes for short periods of time. Earlier. health staff from Spanish hospital of La Paz clapped after taking a minute of silence on Sunday (April 19) to remember the hospital's chief of surgery who died of coronavirus. Dr. Joaquín Díaz Domínguez was 64 and died on Saturday (April 18) after getting infected from the virus at his own hospital in Madrid.

Coronavirus death toll in Spain slows, with lowest increase in about a month

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