The majority of global COVID-19 deaths have been in countries where many people are obese, with coronavirus fatality rates 10 times higher in nations where at least 50% of adults are overweight, a global study found on Thursday.

The report, which described a “dramatic” correlation between countries’ COVID-19 death and obesity rates, found that 90% or 2.2 million of the 2.5 million deaths from the pandemic disease so far were in countries with high levels of obesity.

The study analysed the COVID-19 death figures from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and the World Health Organization’s Global Health Observatory data on obesity.

Strikingly, the authors said, there is no example of a country where people are generally not overweight or obese having high COVID-19 death rates.

“Look at countries like Japan and South Korea, where they have very low levels of COVID-19 deaths as well as very low levels of adult obesity,” said Tim Lobstein, an expert advisor to the World Obesity Federation and visiting professor at Australia’s Sydney University who co-led the report.

“They have prioritised public health across a range of measures, including population weight, and it has paid off in the pandemic.”

By contrast, the report found that in the United States and Britain, for example, both COVID-19 death rates and obesity levels were among the highest.

The United Kingdom has the world’s third-highest coronavirus death rate and the fourth-highest obesity rate - 184 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 and 63.7% of adults overweight, according to WHO data - followed by the United States, with 152.49 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 and 67.9% of adults overweight.

John Wilding, a professor of medicine at Britain’s University of Liverpool and president of the World Obesity Federation, said obesity should be recognised as a key COVID-19 health risk and taken into account in vaccination plans.

“It’s really important that we recognise that obesity ... increases the risk,” he said in a statement about the report’s findings. “Therefore, like other diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, people with obesity should be considered for early priority in vaccination programmes across the world.”

The majority of global COVID-19 deaths have been in countries where many people are obese, with coronavirus fatality rates 10 times higher in nations where at least 50% of adults are overweight, a global study found on Thursday.

The majority of global COVID-19 deaths have been in countries where many people are obese, with coronavirus fatality rates 10 times higher in nations where at least 50% of adults are overweight, a global study found on Thursday. The report, which described a “dramatic” correlation between countries’ COVID-19 death and obesity rates, found that 90% or 2.2 million of the 2.5 million deaths from the pandemic disease so far were in countries with high levels of obesity. The study analysed the COVID-19 death figures from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and the World Health Organization’s Global Health Observatory data on obesity. Strikingly, the authors said, there is no example of a country where people are generally not overweight or obese having high COVID-19 death rates. “Look at countries like Japan and South Korea, where they have very low levels of COVID-19 deaths as well as very low levels of adult obesity,” said Tim Lobstein, an expert advisor to the World Obesity Federation and visiting professor at Australia’s Sydney University who co-led the report. “They have prioritised public health across a range of measures, including population weight, and it has paid off in the pandemic.” By contrast, the report found that in the United States and Britain, for example, both COVID-19 death rates and obesity levels were among the highest. The United Kingdom has the world’s third-highest coronavirus death rate and the fourth-highest obesity rate - 184 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 and 63.7% of adults overweight, according to WHO data - followed by the United States, with 152.49 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 and 67.9% of adults overweight. John Wilding, a professor of medicine at Britain’s University of Liverpool and president of the World Obesity Federation, said obesity should be recognised as a key COVID-19 health risk and taken into account in vaccination plans. “It’s really important that we recognise that obesity ... increases the risk,” he said in a statement about the report’s findings. “Therefore, like other diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, people with obesity should be considered for early priority in vaccination programmes across the world.”

Obesity a driving factor in COVID-19 deaths, global report finds

Brazil on Tuesday registered a record 1,641 deaths in 24 hours from Covid-19, health authorities announced, as the country endures a further worsening of the pandemic.

The country of 212 million inhabitants has recorded a total of 257,361 Covid-19 deaths, according to the health ministry, and has the second-highest national death count after the United States.

Brazil continues to have a piecemeal response, with individual cities and states setting their own policies in the face of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's repeated attacks on restrictive measures and face masks.

Several cities and states last week began imposing a new round of restrictions in a bid to avoid overwhelming their already stretched hospitals.

The country began vaccinating in mid-January, but is far off-pace to meet a government pledge of immunizing the entire population by the end of the year.

Brazil on Tuesday registered a record 1,641 deaths in 24 hours from Covid-19, health authorities announced, as the country endures a further worsening of the pandemic.

Brazil on Tuesday registered a record 1,641 deaths in 24 hours from Covid-19, health authorities announced, as the country endures a further worsening of the pandemic. The country of 212 million inhabitants has recorded a total of 257,361 Covid-19 deaths, according to the health ministry, and has the second-highest national death count after the United States. Brazil continues to have a piecemeal response, with individual cities and states setting their own policies in the face of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's repeated attacks on restrictive measures and face masks. Several cities and states last week began imposing a new round of restrictions in a bid to avoid overwhelming their already stretched hospitals. The country began vaccinating in mid-January, but is far off-pace to meet a government pledge of immunizing the entire population by the end of the year.

Brazil reports record 1,641 Covid deaths in 24 hours

The religious sisters who lived in retired seclusion at the Dominican Life Center in Michigan followed strict rules to avoid an outbreak of coronavirus infection: They were kept in isolation, visitors were prohibited, and masks were required by everyone on campus.

But after months of being kept at bay, the virus found its way in.

On Friday, the Adrian Dominican Sisters said nine sisters died in January from COVID-19 complications at the campus in Adrian, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit.

“It’s numbing,” said Sister Patricia Siemen, leader of the religious order. “We had six women die in 48 hours.”

The deaths of the sisters in Michigan has added to what is becoming a familiar trend in the spread of the virus, as it devastates religious congregate communities by infecting retired, aging populations of sisters and nuns who had quietly devoted their lives to others.

Now some of these sisters have been thrust into the public eye, as details about their names, ages and lifetimes of work are being highlighted as part of the national discourse about Americans lost to the coronavirus.

“It is a moment of reckoning with the place that they have in our culture now,” said Kathleen Holscher, a professor who holds the endowed chair of Roman Catholic studies at the University of New Mexico. “Fifty or 60 years ago, they were the face of American Catholicism, in schools and in hospitals.”

Several of the women who died at the Adrian Dominican Sisters campus had been nurses or teachers. Others had dedicated decades of their lives to religious service.

“Americans are being reminded they are older and still there,” Holscher said. “But now they are living in these community situations and caring for one another.”

The accounting of the deaths in the nation’s religious congregate communities started in the first half of 2020 as the country broadly began to take note of the deadly transmission of the virus and the lives it took.

Last April, May and June, 13 Felician sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Michigan died of COVID-19. They pursued teaching, pastoral work and prayer ministry.

In a suburb of Milwaukee, at least five sisters at Our Lady of the Angels Convent died, starting last April. They worked in parishes, schools and universities, teaching English and music, and ministered to the aged and the poor.

At Notre Dame of Elm Grove, near Milwaukee, eight Roman Catholic sisters, educators, music teachers and social activists died of illnesses related to COVID-19 at a Wisconsin retirement home in December.

“Nuns have been the real grassroots workers of the church,” said Jack Downey, a professor of Catholic studies at the University of Rochester. “It is really the nuns who people are interacting with on a daily basis. They have made possible Catholic life in the United States.”

“So nun communities passing in this way becomes particularly tragic,” he added.

As the deaths have mounted, the losses have put a focus on the future of these communities in a country where their populations are not only dwindling but also rapidly aging.

Michael Pasquier, a professor of religious studies and history at Louisiana State University, said the interest in pursuing an institutional religious life has tapered off since the 1960s, an era of cultural changes that brought more women into the workforce. There are now about 40,000 Roman Catholic nuns or sisters in the country — mostly in their mid- to late 70s and older — compared with about 160,000 in the 1970s, he said.

The death toll from the virus, he said, “is a reminder to all of us that the composition and the face of Catholic sisters today is one that is old.”

The losses have highlighted the tendency of the virus to prey on older adults, those with underlying medical conditions and those in places where people are in close contact, like nursing homes, which have been especially hard hit by the pandemic.

Holscher said the “poignant or tragic” part of the nuns’ deaths is that, unlike in nursing homes, the women forgo a traditional family structure when they enter religious life.

“They don’t have children, don’t have spouses or close family members,” she said. “And they have signed up to be in a position to care for one another.”

Many of the aging congregate orders took precautions early in 2020 to protect their communities. At Elm Grove, the nuns followed federal guidelines about masks and social distancing, and staggered meal times in the communal dining room.

The Dominican sisters imposed similar restrictions, including imposing weekly testing for staff members and sisters, canceling communal meals and in-person prayers, and allowing the sisters to leave only for medical appointments.

“We worked so hard to keep it at bay, because you’re really, you’re pretty helpless once it gets into a building, such as a nursing home,” Siemen said. “The residents are already so vulnerable.”

But on Jan. 14, the order announced there was an outbreak among sisters and workers at the Dominican Life Center, its skilled care center, which had a COVID-19 unit set up for months that had not been used.

The first positive test came Dec. 20, and several sisters died within weeks, some within a few days of each other.

Sister Jeannine Therese McGorray, 86, died Jan. 11, and Sister Esther Ortega, 86, died Jan. 14. Sister Dorothea Gramlich, 81, died Jan. 21.

Three sisters died Jan. 22: Sister Ann Rena Shinkey, 87; Sister Mary Lisa Rieman, 79; and Sister Charlotte Francis Moser, 86. The next day, Sister Mary Irene Wischmeyer, 94, and Sister Margaret Ann Swallow, 97, died. The most recent death was this week: Sister Helen Laier, 88, died Tuesday.

Siemen said that, because of its aging population, the order is accustomed to having to mourn its sisters, but this string of losses has given the residents a sense of “solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost their loved ones to COVID.”

Still, she said that their faith helps them pull through.

“There’s grieving, obviously,” Siemen said but, “as women of faith, we know that passage through this door of death, for us, is not the last passage.”

The religious sisters who lived in retired seclusion at the Dominican Life Center in Michigan followed strict rules to avoid an outbreak of coronavirus infection: They were kept in isolation, visitors were prohibited, and masks were required by everyone on campus.

The religious sisters who lived in retired seclusion at the Dominican Life Center in Michigan followed strict rules to avoid an outbreak of coronavirus infection: They were kept in isolation, visitors were prohibited, and masks were required by everyone on campus. But after months of being kept at bay, the virus found its way in. On Friday, the Adrian Dominican Sisters said nine sisters died in January from COVID-19 complications at the campus in Adrian, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit. “It’s numbing,” said Sister Patricia Siemen, leader of the religious order. “We had six women die in 48 hours.” The deaths of the sisters in Michigan has added to what is becoming a familiar trend in the spread of the virus, as it devastates religious congregate communities by infecting retired, aging populations of sisters and nuns who had quietly devoted their lives to others. Now some of these sisters have been thrust into the public eye, as details about their names, ages and lifetimes of work are being highlighted as part of the national discourse about Americans lost to the coronavirus. “It is a moment of reckoning with the place that they have in our culture now,” said Kathleen Holscher, a professor who holds the endowed chair of Roman Catholic studies at the University of New Mexico. “Fifty or 60 years ago, they were the face of American Catholicism, in schools and in hospitals.” Several of the women who died at the Adrian Dominican Sisters campus had been nurses or teachers. Others had dedicated decades of their lives to religious service. “Americans are being reminded they are older and still there,” Holscher said. “But now they are living in these community situations and caring for one another.” The accounting of the deaths in the nation’s religious congregate communities started in the first half of 2020 as the country broadly began to take note of the deadly transmission of the virus and the lives it took. Last April, May and June, 13 Felician sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Michigan died of COVID-19. They pursued teaching, pastoral work and prayer ministry. In a suburb of Milwaukee, at least five sisters at Our Lady of the Angels Convent died, starting last April. They worked in parishes, schools and universities, teaching English and music, and ministered to the aged and the poor. At Notre Dame of Elm Grove, near Milwaukee, eight Roman Catholic sisters, educators, music teachers and social activists died of illnesses related to COVID-19 at a Wisconsin retirement home in December. “Nuns have been the real grassroots workers of the church,” said Jack Downey, a professor of Catholic studies at the University of Rochester. “It is really the nuns who people are interacting with on a daily basis. They have made possible Catholic life in the United States.” “So nun communities passing in this way becomes particularly tragic,” he added. As the deaths have mounted, the losses have put a focus on the future of these communities in a country where their populations are not only dwindling but also rapidly aging. Michael Pasquier, a professor of religious studies and history at Louisiana State University, said the interest in pursuing an institutional religious life has tapered off since the 1960s, an era of cultural changes that brought more women into the workforce. There are now about 40,000 Roman Catholic nuns or sisters in the country — mostly in their mid- to late 70s and older — compared with about 160,000 in the 1970s, he said. The death toll from the virus, he said, “is a reminder to all of us that the composition and the face of Catholic sisters today is one that is old.” The losses have highlighted the tendency of the virus to prey on older adults, those with underlying medical conditions and those in places where people are in close contact, like nursing homes, which have been especially hard hit by the pandemic. Holscher said the “poignant or tragic” part of the nuns’ deaths is that, unlike in nursing homes, the women forgo a traditional family structure when they enter religious life. “They don’t have children, don’t have spouses or close family members,” she said. “And they have signed up to be in a position to care for one another.” Many of the aging congregate orders took precautions early in 2020 to protect their communities. At Elm Grove, the nuns followed federal guidelines about masks and social distancing, and staggered meal times in the communal dining room. The Dominican sisters imposed similar restrictions, including imposing weekly testing for staff members and sisters, canceling communal meals and in-person prayers, and allowing the sisters to leave only for medical appointments. “We worked so hard to keep it at bay, because you’re really, you’re pretty helpless once it gets into a building, such as a nursing home,” Siemen said. “The residents are already so vulnerable.” But on Jan. 14, the order announced there was an outbreak among sisters and workers at the Dominican Life Center, its skilled care center, which had a COVID-19 unit set up for months that had not been used. The first positive test came Dec. 20, and several sisters died within weeks, some within a few days of each other. Sister Jeannine Therese McGorray, 86, died Jan. 11, and Sister Esther Ortega, 86, died Jan. 14. Sister Dorothea Gramlich, 81, died Jan. 21. Three sisters died Jan. 22: Sister Ann Rena Shinkey, 87; Sister Mary Lisa Rieman, 79; and Sister Charlotte Francis Moser, 86. The next day, Sister Mary Irene Wischmeyer, 94, and Sister Margaret Ann Swallow, 97, died. The most recent death was this week: Sister Helen Laier, 88, died Tuesday. Siemen said that, because of its aging population, the order is accustomed to having to mourn its sisters, but this string of losses has given the residents a sense of “solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost their loved ones to COVID.” Still, she said that their faith helps them pull through. “There’s grieving, obviously,” Siemen said but, “as women of faith, we know that passage through this door of death, for us, is not the last passage.”

‘It’s numbing’: Nine retired nuns in Michigan die of COVID-19

The US witnessed another grim milestone amid the chaos at the Capitol, with its daily Covid cases, deaths as well as total hospitalisations all setting new world records over the course of the pandemic.

The country counted a record number of daily coronavirus deaths Thursday at nearly 4,000. And a total of 2,99,904 new cases were reported across the nation.

The 3,998 deaths were recorded over the 24 hour period ending at 8:30 pm local time (0130 GMT Friday), during which the US notched 265,246 new infections.

Both figures are the highest daily counts since the onset of the pandemic in the country.

The country reported Covid-19 hospitalisations at over 1,32,400 cases as of Wednesday, which also set a new record, according to The Covid Tracking Project.

Hospitalisations in the South and West are now worse than the Midwest's peak, with four states in the South seeing record Covid-19 hospitalisations this week, according to the project.

CDC's national ensemble now predicts that a total of 405,000 to 4,38,000 Covid deaths will be reported by January 30.

Public health experts have predicted another potential catastrophic Covid-19 surge after the new year's break as lots of Americans were heading home or travelling for holidays.

The US has recorded over 21.4 million cases with over 3,64,000 related deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

The US witnessed another grim milestone amid the chaos at the Capitol, with its daily Covid cases, deaths as well as total hospitalisations all setting new world records over the course of the pandemic.

The US witnessed another grim milestone amid the chaos at the Capitol, with its daily Covid cases, deaths as well as total hospitalisations all setting new world records over the course of the pandemic. The country counted a record number of daily coronavirus deaths Thursday at nearly 4,000. And a total of 2,99,904 new cases were reported across the nation. The 3,998 deaths were recorded over the 24 hour period ending at 8:30 pm local time (0130 GMT Friday), during which the US notched 265,246 new infections. Both figures are the highest daily counts since the onset of the pandemic in the country. The country reported Covid-19 hospitalisations at over 1,32,400 cases as of Wednesday, which also set a new record, according to The Covid Tracking Project. Hospitalisations in the South and West are now worse than the Midwest's peak, with four states in the South seeing record Covid-19 hospitalisations this week, according to the project. CDC's national ensemble now predicts that a total of 405,000 to 4,38,000 Covid deaths will be reported by January 30. Public health experts have predicted another potential catastrophic Covid-19 surge after the new year's break as lots of Americans were heading home or travelling for holidays. The US has recorded over 21.4 million cases with over 3,64,000 related deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

US sets new record with nearly 4,000 Covid deaths in one day

Sri Lanka's government has insisted on the cremation of all coronavirus victims, rejecting international pleas and recommendations from its own experts to allow the Muslim minority to bury their dead.

The announcement came despite a government-appointed expert committee noting this week that while it felt cremations were safest, burials could be allowed under strict conditions.

The government first banned burials in April amid concerns that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus. Experts have said these claims are baseless.

The World Health Organisation has also said that there is no such risk, recommending both burials and cremations of virus victims, but the Sri Lankan government has refused.

"This decision will not be changed for social, religious, political or any other personal reason," Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said, according to ministry officials.

Traditionally and in line with the Islamic custom, Muslims bury their dead facing Mecca. Sri Lanka's majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus.

Last month, authorities ordered the forced cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim their bodies from a hospital morgue.

This stoked dismay and anger among the Muslim community, moderates and abroad, with the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation repeatedly expressing concern.

Sri Lanka's Muslim Council (SLMC) had earlier accused the government of trying to provoke Muslim youths into doing "something rash" with its decision on cremations, a claim echoed by Justice Minister Ali Sabry, a Muslim.

There have been ongoing tensions between Muslims and the majority Sinhalese -- who are mostly Buddhists -- since the deadly 2019 Easter bombings carried out by local jihadists.

The SLMC said more than half of Sri Lanka's 222 Covid-19 victims were from the Muslim minority which accounts for just 10 per cent of the 21 million population.

Sri Lanka's government has insisted on the cremation of all coronavirus victims, rejecting international pleas and recommendations from its own experts to allow the Muslim minority to bury their dead.

Sri Lanka's government has insisted on the cremation of all coronavirus victims, rejecting international pleas and recommendations from its own experts to allow the Muslim minority to bury their dead. The announcement came despite a government-appointed expert committee noting this week that while it felt cremations were safest, burials could be allowed under strict conditions. The government first banned burials in April amid concerns that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus. Experts have said these claims are baseless. The World Health Organisation has also said that there is no such risk, recommending both burials and cremations of virus victims, but the Sri Lankan government has refused. "This decision will not be changed for social, religious, political or any other personal reason," Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said, according to ministry officials. Traditionally and in line with the Islamic custom, Muslims bury their dead facing Mecca. Sri Lanka's majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus. Last month, authorities ordered the forced cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim their bodies from a hospital morgue. This stoked dismay and anger among the Muslim community, moderates and abroad, with the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation repeatedly expressing concern. Sri Lanka's Muslim Council (SLMC) had earlier accused the government of trying to provoke Muslim youths into doing "something rash" with its decision on cremations, a claim echoed by Justice Minister Ali Sabry, a Muslim. There have been ongoing tensions between Muslims and the majority Sinhalese -- who are mostly Buddhists -- since the deadly 2019 Easter bombings carried out by local jihadists. The SLMC said more than half of Sri Lanka's 222 Covid-19 victims were from the Muslim minority which accounts for just 10 per cent of the 21 million population.

Sri Lanka to continue to cremate Muslim Covid-19 victims despite uproar

Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mauritania, Ghana and Ivory Coast have seen a sharp rise in cases and are reporting near record levels of infection.

Africa crosses 2.5 million COVID-19 cases as it witnesses second wave of infections

According to a data, in Japan suicide this October claimed more lives than the COVID-19 did in the year 2020.

Japan: Suicide claim more lives in a month than COVID in a year

Moderna Inc said on Monday (November 16) its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from a late-stage clinical trial, becoming the second U.S. company in a week to report results that far exceed expectations.

Moderna says coronavirus vaccine 94.5% effective

US biotech firm Moderna on Monday announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was 94.5 percent effective, marking a second major breakthrough in the vaccine hunt.

WION Dispatch: Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is over 94% effective

Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO's emergencies head, said the figure could be higher without concerted international action.

Two million deaths 'very likely' even with vaccine, WHO warns

Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday that sweeping new measures to control coronavirus could be in place for six months, as he abandoned attempts to persuade Britons to return to the office.

WION Dispatch: Johnson starts shutting down Britain again as COVID spreads

Masks will become mandatory for retail and hospitality staff – as well as for passengers in taxis

UK PM Boris Johnson sets out new COVID-19 restrictions

The overall number of cases and deaths per million population due to COVID-19 in the country is low compared to similarly affected countries, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey told Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

Noting that there are no established pharmaceutical interventions that can break the chain of transmission, Mr Choubey said non-pharmaceutical interventions such as hand and respiratory hygiene, wearing of mask/face cover, physical distancing measures, preventing large gatherings, etc are the only tools to suppress and break the chain of transmission.

This has to be in turn supported by heightened community awareness and behavioral change communication.

He was responding to a question on the reasons for spread of COVID-19 at an increased rate despite lower numbers at the initial stage in India as compared to other countries.

"COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. Many of the epidemiological parameters such as agent-host interaction, socio-cultural and environmental factors, modes of transmission, susceptibility of individuals, immune response are still under research," Mr Choubey said in a written reply.

The Government of India since January, has followed a pre-emptive, graded and proactive approach for managing COVID-19, the minister said.

States have been supported in terms of logistics, funding and technical guidance right from the beginning.

To blunt the progression of cases in the country, the government had taken series of steps under Disaster Management Act, 2005 including lockdown, Mr Choubey highlighted.

"This in effect reduced the growth rate of cases, increased community awareness, and the period was utilized to upgrade health infrastructure and health staff capacities which has supported the country in terms of managing the disease.

"In effect, the overall number of cases and deaths per million population due to COVID-19 in the country is low compared to similarly affected countries," Mr Choubey said.

The overall number of cases and deaths per million population due to COVID-19 in the country is low compared to similarly affected countries, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey told Rajya Sabha on Sunday.

The overall number of cases and deaths per million population due to COVID-19 in the country is low compared to similarly affected countries, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey told Rajya Sabha on Sunday. Noting that there are no established pharmaceutical interventions that can break the chain of transmission, Mr Choubey said non-pharmaceutical interventions such as hand and respiratory hygiene, wearing of mask/face cover, physical distancing measures, preventing large gatherings, etc are the only tools to suppress and break the chain of transmission. This has to be in turn supported by heightened community awareness and behavioral change communication. He was responding to a question on the reasons for spread of COVID-19 at an increased rate despite lower numbers at the initial stage in India as compared to other countries. "COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. Many of the epidemiological parameters such as agent-host interaction, socio-cultural and environmental factors, modes of transmission, susceptibility of individuals, immune response are still under research," Mr Choubey said in a written reply. The Government of India since January, has followed a pre-emptive, graded and proactive approach for managing COVID-19, the minister said. States have been supported in terms of logistics, funding and technical guidance right from the beginning. To blunt the progression of cases in the country, the government had taken series of steps under Disaster Management Act, 2005 including lockdown, Mr Choubey highlighted. "This in effect reduced the growth rate of cases, increased community awareness, and the period was utilized to upgrade health infrastructure and health staff capacities which has supported the country in terms of managing the disease. "In effect, the overall number of cases and deaths per million population due to COVID-19 in the country is low compared to similarly affected countries," Mr Choubey said.

India's Covid deaths per million population among lowest in world: Centre 

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Obesity a driving factor in COVID-19 deaths, global report finds

Brazil reports record 1,641 Covid deaths in 24 hours

‘It’s numbing’: Nine retired nuns in Michigan die of COVID-19

US sets new record with nearly 4,000 Covid deaths in one day

Sri Lanka to continue to cremate Muslim Covid-19 victims despite uproar

Africa crosses 2.5 million COVID-19 cases as it witnesses second wave of infections

Japan: Suicide claim more lives in a month than COVID in a year

Moderna says coronavirus vaccine 94.5% effective

WION Dispatch: Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is over 94% effective

Two million deaths 'very likely' even with vaccine, WHO warns

WION Dispatch: Johnson starts shutting down Britain again as COVID spreads

UK PM Boris Johnson sets out new COVID-19 restrictions

India's Covid deaths per million population among lowest in world: Centre

India's Covid deaths per million population among lowest in world: Centre