The Indian vaccine against COVID-19 Covaxin is drawing some global attention. ICMR shares Covaxin Phase-2 trial results in which they mention that 'data generated within India underlines impressive safety'.

Covaxin phase-3 trial will begin as second trial has successful results

The study, published in the The Lancet Planetary Health, has been funded by the UN Environment Programme, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

India: Air pollution killed 1.6 million people in 2019, led to 1.4% of GDP loss

India has a sixth of the world's population and a sixth of the reported cases. However, it accounts for only 10% of the world's deaths from the virus, and its case fatality rate or CFR.

Coronavirus: India's fatality rate remains the lowest in the world

New virus found in China -&nbsp;The Cat Que Virus -&nbsp; The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has warned of the danger posed by another virus found in China&nbsp; - the Cat Que Virus.&nbsp;

According to the ICMR, the virus has potential to spread diseases across India. The CQV may cause febrile illnesses, meningitis, and paediatric encephalitis among humans.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/why-china-must-be-punished-for-its-contribution-in-global-spread-of-coronavirus-331011" hreflang="en">Why China must be punished for its contribution in global spread of coronavirus</a>

The virus has been spotted in culex mosquitoes and pigs across China and Vietnam. India, too is home to species of culex mosquitoes.

New virus found in China - The Cat Que Virus 

Researchers at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune have found antibodies for the virus in two out of the 883 human serum samples which were taken from various Indian states. This implies that people have been infected with the virus.

During the course of the study, the virus was not found in human or animal samples.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/interferon-insufficiency-is-the-reason-why-coronavirus-is-deadly-for-some-patients-330858" hreflang="en">‘Interferon’ insufficiency is the reason why coronavirus is deadly for some patients</a>

The two samples that tested positive for CQV antibodies came from Karnataka - one from 2014 and the other from 2017.

The findings of the study were published in the latest issue of Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR).

According to the ICMR study, Indian mosquitoes are susceptible to CQV, which could also become a public health pathogen..

Its natural host is a mosquito. Domestic pigs are also considered the primary mammalian host of the Cat Que Virus.&nbsp;

New virus found in China - The Cat Que Virus - The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has warned of the danger posed by another virus found in China - the Cat Que Virus.

New virus found in China - The Cat Que Virus - The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has warned of the danger posed by another virus found in China - the Cat Que Virus. According to the ICMR, the virus has potential to spread diseases across India. The CQV may cause febrile illnesses, meningitis, and paediatric encephalitis among humans. Also read: Why China must be punished for its contribution in global spread of coronavirus The virus has been spotted in culex mosquitoes and pigs across China and Vietnam. India, too is home to species of culex mosquitoes. New virus found in China - The Cat Que Virus Researchers at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune have found antibodies for the virus in two out of the 883 human serum samples which were taken from various Indian states. This implies that people have been infected with the virus. During the course of the study, the virus was not found in human or animal samples. Also read: ‘Interferon’ insufficiency is the reason why coronavirus is deadly for some patients The two samples that tested positive for CQV antibodies came from Karnataka - one from 2014 and the other from 2017. The findings of the study were published in the latest issue of Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR). According to the ICMR study, Indian mosquitoes are susceptible to CQV, which could also become a public health pathogen.. Its natural host is a mosquito. Domestic pigs are also considered the primary mammalian host of the Cat Que Virus.

India: ICMR warns of danger posed by another virus from China - Cat Que Virus

India on Friday reported 96,424 new cases of the coronavirus disease – a global record high – taking the cumulative tally past 5.21 million mark.

India becomes second nation after US to record 5 Million plus cases

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has revealed shocking statistics of the country's COVID-19 cases. The research paper suggests that millions of Coronavirus cases may have gone undetected in India earlier this year. Watch the report to know more.

India missed 81-130 infections per case in May: ICMR's sero survey

India's cumulative tests for detection of COVID-19 have surpassed five crore, while tests per million have witnessed a rise from 6,396 on July 1 to 36,703 as of date, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Aggressive and widespread testing have essayed an important role in India's fight against the COVID pandemic, the ministry said.

India has come a long way from conducting just one test at the lab in the National Institute of Virology, Pune in January to 5,06,50,128 as on date with &nbsp;10,98,621 samples being tested in 24 hours testifying the enlarged testing capacity in the country.

"The average daily tests conducted (week-wise) are demonstrating a consistent increase. This has registered a 3.2 times expansion from third week of July (3, 26,971) to first week of September (10, 46,470)," the ministry said.

The average Tests per Million per Day have increased from 237 in the second week of July to 758 in the first week of September, it highlighted.

In its Guidance Note on Public Health Criteria to Adjust Public Health and Social Measures in the Context of COVID-19, the WHO has advised countries to conduct 140 tests per day per million population for comprehensive surveillance for suspect cases.

The average week-on-week data for India shows a rising improvement on this front.

Expanding network of diagnostic labs has given a boost to Tests per Million.

"The TPM have seen a sharp rise from 6396 on July 1 to 36,703 as of today," the ministry said.

The testing lab network consists of 1668 labs in the country; 1035 labs in the government sector and 633 private labs. 
 
India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 42, 80,422 with a single-day spike of 75,809 infections, while the &nbsp;death toll climbed to 72,775 with record 1,133 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

India's cumulative tests for detection of COVID-19 have surpassed five crore, while tests per million have witnessed a rise from 6,396 on July 1 to 36,703 as of date, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

India's cumulative tests for detection of COVID-19 have surpassed five crore, while tests per million have witnessed a rise from 6,396 on July 1 to 36,703 as of date, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. Aggressive and widespread testing have essayed an important role in India's fight against the COVID pandemic, the ministry said. India has come a long way from conducting just one test at the lab in the National Institute of Virology, Pune in January to 5,06,50,128 as on date with 10,98,621 samples being tested in 24 hours testifying the enlarged testing capacity in the country. "The average daily tests conducted (week-wise) are demonstrating a consistent increase. This has registered a 3.2 times expansion from third week of July (3, 26,971) to first week of September (10, 46,470)," the ministry said. The average Tests per Million per Day have increased from 237 in the second week of July to 758 in the first week of September, it highlighted. In its Guidance Note on Public Health Criteria to Adjust Public Health and Social Measures in the Context of COVID-19, the WHO has advised countries to conduct 140 tests per day per million population for comprehensive surveillance for suspect cases. The average week-on-week data for India shows a rising improvement on this front. Expanding network of diagnostic labs has given a boost to Tests per Million. "The TPM have seen a sharp rise from 6396 on July 1 to 36,703 as of today," the ministry said. The testing lab network consists of 1668 labs in the country; 1035 labs in the government sector and 633 private labs. India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 42, 80,422 with a single-day spike of 75,809 infections, while the death toll climbed to 72,775 with record 1,133 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 5 crore COVID-19 tests conducted till date in India

The country saw a hike of more than 90,000 cases for the first time as 90,633 new cases COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours

WION Dispatch: For first time, over 90,000 cases reported in India in a day

Monday’s addition took Pune’s total case count to 1,75,105, leaving behind Delhi’s 1,74,748, as per figures from the state Public Health department till August

India: 69,921 COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

Coronavirus cases in India recorded the highest daily jump of 77,266 covid infections on Friday

COVID-19: India records world's highest spike of 77,266 cases in a day

India on Thursday (August 27, 2020) recorded the highest single-day spike of 75,760 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours and the country’s COVID-19 tally crossed 33-lakh mark.

India records highest single-day spike of 75,760 new Coronavirus cases

On Thursday, the number of cases rose to 2,836,925 after 69,652 fresh cases were registered within a span of 24 hours.

India records 977 deaths in last 24 hours

India's COVID-19 tally reached 23,29,639 today, with 60,963 cases being reported in a day. Recoveries rose to 15,83,490 according to the Union Health Ministry data.

India's COVID-19 tally rises to 2,329,639 | Over 56k patients cured in a day

India's novel coronavirus tally crossed the 22-lakh mark on Monday with 62,064 new cases in the last 24 hours.

India: COVID-19 cases cross 22 Lakh mark; Death toll surpasses 44,000

As the government allowed gyms and yoga institutes to reopen in Unlock 3.0 from August 5, India's health and family welfare ministry today issued guidelines which included social distancing measures and use of masks.

The ministry said that the use of masks and face covers is "mandatory" at all times. However, during yoga exercise and exercising in gyms as far as possible only a viser is to be used as use of masks during exercise may cause difficulty in breathing.

As a preventive measure, yoga institutes and gyms in containment areas have been ordered to remain shut. The guidelines have been aimed to minimize "all possible physical contact between staff members and members".

The ministry urged people above the age of 65, co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 not to use gyms in closed spaces.

Meanwhile, Telangana reported 983 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours with the total number of cases in the state rising to 67,660, including 18,500 active cases. There have been 551 deaths so far due to the virus in the state.&nbsp;

As the number of coronavirus crisis continues to rise, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) today gave approval to Serum Institute of India, Pune to conduct Phase II+III clinical trials of Oxford University's Astra Zeneca vaccine in India.

In Odisha, 1,384 fresh coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the state to 36,297 including 14,095 active cases.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the number of coronavirus tests crossed 2 crore mark in India till August 2. &nbsp;

As the government allowed gyms and yoga institutes to reopen in Unlock 3.0 from August 5, India's health and family welfare ministry today issued guidelines which included social distancing measures and use of masks.

As the government allowed gyms and yoga institutes to reopen in Unlock 3.0 from August 5, India's health and family welfare ministry today issued guidelines which included social distancing measures and use of masks. The ministry said that the use of masks and face covers is "mandatory" at all times. However, during yoga exercise and exercising in gyms as far as possible only a viser is to be used as use of masks during exercise may cause difficulty in breathing. As a preventive measure, yoga institutes and gyms in containment areas have been ordered to remain shut. The guidelines have been aimed to minimize "all possible physical contact between staff members and members". The ministry urged people above the age of 65, co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below 10 not to use gyms in closed spaces. Meanwhile, Telangana reported 983 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours with the total number of cases in the state rising to 67,660, including 18,500 active cases. There have been 551 deaths so far due to the virus in the state. As the number of coronavirus crisis continues to rise, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) today gave approval to Serum Institute of India, Pune to conduct Phase II+III clinical trials of Oxford University's Astra Zeneca vaccine in India. In Odisha, 1,384 fresh coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the state to 36,297 including 14,095 active cases. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the number of coronavirus tests crossed 2 crore mark in India till August 2.

Masks, face covers 'mandatory' in yoga institutes and gyms: Health ministry

A registry of hospitalised COVID-19 patients across the country is being mooted to collect real time data which will help improve treatment outcomes, analyse trends in the progression of the pandemic and calibrate response, officials said.

The ICMR in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the AIIMS is planning to set up the National Clinical Registry which will help researchers and policy makers understand effectiveness of investigational therapies, adverse effects taking place and generate evidence for improving the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

"The aim is to collect data of the hospitalised COVID-19 patients like clinical and laboratory features, their demographics, comorbidities, treatment outcomes, complications in all age groups among others," officials said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-adds-54735-fresh-covid-cases-in-one-day-tally-crosses-17-lakh-mark-317589">Also read:&nbsp;India adds 54,735 fresh COVID cases in one day, tally crosses 17-lakh mark</a>

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and the illness it is causing has so many unknown parameters that are a barrier to the proper understanding and management of the disease, they said.

"A systematically collected, comprehensive database covering different regions of the country will enable both researchers and policy makers to generate pertinent hypotheses, to inform crucial understanding of COVID 19, to detect trends in the progression of the pandemic and to accordingly calibrate response to the pandemic," an official said.

Fifteen institutions of national repute including the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education &amp; Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru and Armed Force Medical College in Pune will connect with the hospitals and medical colleges to get them?on board.

These 15 institutions would be the registry sites and would be mentoring around 100 COVID-19 hospitals which would be called satellite centres from where the data would be collected?as part of the exercise.

The proposal has been sent for approval to the Central Ethics Committee on Human Research (CECHR) of the ICMR.

"The data will help improve the clinical management protocols as the repository would help us know which drug is working better in which age group, effectiveness of investigational therapies and adverse effects taking place. The idea is to generate evidence for improving the treatment of COVID-19 patients," another official said.

A registry of hospitalised COVID-19 patients across the country is being mooted to collect real time data which will help improve treatment outcomes, analyse trends in the progression of the pandemic and calibrate response, officials said.

A registry of hospitalised COVID-19 patients across the country is being mooted to collect real time data which will help improve treatment outcomes, analyse trends in the progression of the pandemic and calibrate response, officials said. The ICMR in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the AIIMS is planning to set up the National Clinical Registry which will help researchers and policy makers understand effectiveness of investigational therapies, adverse effects taking place and generate evidence for improving the treatment of COVID-19 patients. "The aim is to collect data of the hospitalised COVID-19 patients like clinical and laboratory features, their demographics, comorbidities, treatment outcomes, complications in all age groups among others," officials said. Also read: India adds 54,735 fresh COVID cases in one day, tally crosses 17-lakh mark The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and the illness it is causing has so many unknown parameters that are a barrier to the proper understanding and management of the disease, they said. "A systematically collected, comprehensive database covering different regions of the country will enable both researchers and policy makers to generate pertinent hypotheses, to inform crucial understanding of COVID 19, to detect trends in the progression of the pandemic and to accordingly calibrate response to the pandemic," an official said. Fifteen institutions of national repute including the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru and Armed Force Medical College in Pune will connect with the hospitals and medical colleges to get them?on board. These 15 institutions would be the registry sites and would be mentoring around 100 COVID-19 hospitals which would be called satellite centres from where the data would be collected?as part of the exercise. The proposal has been sent for approval to the Central Ethics Committee on Human Research (CECHR) of the ICMR. "The data will help improve the clinical management protocols as the repository would help us know which drug is working better in which age group, effectiveness of investigational therapies and adverse effects taking place. The idea is to generate evidence for improving the treatment of COVID-19 patients," another official said.

ICMR plans to set up registry of hospitalised COVID-19 patients

Sanction has been accorded to a trial by the Indian Council of Medical Research's Tuberculosis institute here to study the efficacy of BCG vaccine in the elderly in the fight against COVID-19, the government said on Wednesday. 
 
Chief Minister K Palaniswami, in an order, has given the State's approval after ICMR sought Tamil Nadu government's permission to study the efficacy of the Bacillus Calmette- Gurin (BCG) vaccine in senior citizens at its National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) at Chetpet here,Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-zydus-begins-human-trials-for-potential-covid-19-vaccine-313409" hreflang="en">India's Zydus begins human trials for potential COVID-19 vaccine</a> 
 
"The ICMR's tuberculosis institute is set to begin the trial very soon," he said in a statement. 
 
He hoped that vaccinating the elderly with the time tested BCG would help reduce the intensity of COVID-19, admissions at hospitals and mortality rates.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-cases-in-india-rise-to-93-lakh-death-toll-at-24309-313399" hreflang="en">Covid-19 cases in India rise to 9.3 lakh, death toll at 24,309</a> 
 
Describing the state's approval by Palaniswami for a trial here as among measures to protect people's welfare during the ongoing fight against COVID-19, Vijayabaskar said anti-viral measures will further be stepped up. 
 
The NIRT under the ICMR is an internationally recognised institution for TB research.

Sanction has been accorded to a trial by the Indian Council of Medical Research's Tuberculosis institute here to study the efficacy of BCG vaccine in the elderly in the fight against COVID-19, the government said on Wednesday.

Sanction has been accorded to a trial by the Indian Council of Medical Research's Tuberculosis institute here to study the efficacy of BCG vaccine in the elderly in the fight against COVID-19, the government said on Wednesday. Chief Minister K Palaniswami, in an order, has given the State's approval after ICMR sought Tamil Nadu government's permission to study the efficacy of the Bacillus Calmette- Gurin (BCG) vaccine in senior citizens at its National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) at Chetpet here,Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said. Also read: India's Zydus begins human trials for potential COVID-19 vaccine "The ICMR's tuberculosis institute is set to begin the trial very soon," he said in a statement. He hoped that vaccinating the elderly with the time tested BCG would help reduce the intensity of COVID-19, admissions at hospitals and mortality rates. Also read: Covid-19 cases in India rise to 9.3 lakh, death toll at 24,309 Describing the state's approval by Palaniswami for a trial here as among measures to protect people's welfare during the ongoing fight against COVID-19, Vijayabaskar said anti-viral measures will further be stepped up. The NIRT under the ICMR is an internationally recognised institution for TB research.

Tamil Nadu govt gives consent to BCG trial at ICMR's Chennai institute

A total of 2, 19,103 samples have been tested in the country for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Monday.

Now, the total number of tests in India have reached 1, 18,06,265. Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for COVID-19 by approving government and private laboratories.

India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

There are 3, 01,609 active coronavirus cases in the country.

India’s recovery rate rose above 63 per cent with as many as 18, 850 cases recovered from the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries now stand at 5, 53,470. The gap between recoveries and active cases is now more than 2.5 lakh.

As many as 13,041,728 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 around the world so far. While more than 7,320,900 have recovered, 562,011 have died, according to Worldometer.

Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 50,000 cases in a day and now has 3,413,936 coronavirus cases and 137,782 deaths. Brazil has 1,866,176 cases, and 70,524 deaths, while India is the third-worst-hit with 879,466 cases and 22,144 deaths. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

A total of 2, 19,103 samples have been tested in the country for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Monday.

A total of 2, 19,103 samples have been tested in the country for coronavirus in the last 24 hours, announced the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Monday. Now, the total number of tests in India have reached 1, 18,06,265. Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for COVID-19 by approving government and private laboratories. India recorded its highest single-day spike of 28,701 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 500 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to close to 9 lakh with a total of 23,174 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. There are 3, 01,609 active coronavirus cases in the country. India’s recovery rate rose above 63 per cent with as many as 18, 850 cases recovered from the COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. The total recoveries now stand at 5, 53,470. The gap between recoveries and active cases is now more than 2.5 lakh. As many as 13,041,728 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 around the world so far. While more than 7,320,900 have recovered, 562,011 have died, according to Worldometer. Country-wise, the United States remains the most affected. It has recorded over 50,000 cases in a day and now has 3,413,936 coronavirus cases and 137,782 deaths. Brazil has 1,866,176 cases, and 70,524 deaths, while India is the third-worst-hit with 879,466 cases and 22,144 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 11 million samples tested for Covid-19 so far, says ICMR

Over 2.6 lakh samples are being tested for COVID-19 per day, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference on COVID-19 situation in the country, ICMR Senior scientist Nivedita Gupta said, "The number of tests has increased, on an average, we are testing more than 2.6 lakh of samples per day. We hope to see a further rise by the use of the antigen test"

"ICMR has been continuing its efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing capacity and outreach. TrueNat and CBNAAT tests too have been deployed recently, in addition to RT-PCR. A Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) has been validated and it is being used in containment zones and hospitals," she added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-not-reached-stage-of-coronavirus-community-transmission-health-ministry-311990" hreflang="en">India not reached stage of coronavirus community transmission: Health ministry</a>

The ICMR scientist further said that to ramp up the testing capacity, private labs have now been allowed to apply for National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation and in parallel submit their application to the council.

"Private labs can complete accreditation in one month. As of today, a total of 1,132 testing labs are now operational," she said.

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that despite a population of 1.3 billion people, India has been able to manage COVID-19 relatively well and the cases per million of the population in the country remains among the lowest in the world.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-will-play-leading-role-in-global-revival-already-seeing-green-shoots-of-economic-recovery-pm-modi-311904" hreflang="en">India seeing green shoots of economic recovery: PM Modi</a>

Addressing a press conference, Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, Ministry of Health, said, "We are the second-most populous country of the world. Despite a population of 1.3 billion people, India has been able to manage COVID-19 relatively well. If you look at cases per million population, it still remains amongst the lowest in the world.''

He said that we have 15 deaths per million population whereas we have countries where it is 40 times as much.

''Today we have 538 cases per million population. It's as per World Health Organization (WHO) situation report. Case per million population in some countries are at least 16-17 times more than what it is in India. We have 15 deaths per million population whereas we have countries where it is 40 times as much." Bhushan said.

"When we talk of case load of COVID-19 in India, it is 2,69,000 people. This tells us that at the end of the day we`ve managed a situation where our health care infrastructure is not unduly burdened and is not creaking due to the pressure," he added.

India reported the highest single-day spike of 24,879 new positive cases and 487 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 7,67,296, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Out of the total number of cases, 2,69,789 are active, 4,76,378 have been cured/discharged/migrated and 21,129 have died.

Over 2.6 lakh samples are being tested for COVID-19 per day, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday. Addressing a press conference on COVID-19 situation in the country, ICMR Senior scientist Nivedita Gupta said, "The number of tests has increased, on an average, we are testing more than 2.

Over 2.6 lakh samples are being tested for COVID-19 per day, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday. Addressing a press conference on COVID-19 situation in the country, ICMR Senior scientist Nivedita Gupta said, "The number of tests has increased, on an average, we are testing more than 2.6 lakh of samples per day. We hope to see a further rise by the use of the antigen test" "ICMR has been continuing its efforts to ramp up COVID-19 testing capacity and outreach. TrueNat and CBNAAT tests too have been deployed recently, in addition to RT-PCR. A Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) has been validated and it is being used in containment zones and hospitals," she added. Also read: India not reached stage of coronavirus community transmission: Health ministry The ICMR scientist further said that to ramp up the testing capacity, private labs have now been allowed to apply for National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation and in parallel submit their application to the council. "Private labs can complete accreditation in one month. As of today, a total of 1,132 testing labs are now operational," she said. The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that despite a population of 1.3 billion people, India has been able to manage COVID-19 relatively well and the cases per million of the population in the country remains among the lowest in the world. Also read: India seeing green shoots of economic recovery: PM Modi Addressing a press conference, Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, Ministry of Health, said, "We are the second-most populous country of the world. Despite a population of 1.3 billion people, India has been able to manage COVID-19 relatively well. If you look at cases per million population, it still remains amongst the lowest in the world.'' He said that we have 15 deaths per million population whereas we have countries where it is 40 times as much. ''Today we have 538 cases per million population. It's as per World Health Organization (WHO) situation report. Case per million population in some countries are at least 16-17 times more than what it is in India. We have 15 deaths per million population whereas we have countries where it is 40 times as much." Bhushan said. "When we talk of case load of COVID-19 in India, it is 2,69,000 people. This tells us that at the end of the day we`ve managed a situation where our health care infrastructure is not unduly burdened and is not creaking due to the pressure," he added. India reported the highest single-day spike of 24,879 new positive cases and 487 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 7,67,296, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Out of the total number of cases, 2,69,789 are active, 4,76,378 have been cured/discharged/migrated and 21,129 have died.

Over 2.6 lakh COVID-19 samples being tested per day: ICMR

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in India, the health ministry said today that many states have reported lower coronavirus rate than the national average of 6.73 per cent.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-24248-new-cases-425-deaths-in-last-24-hours-as-india-becomes-the-third-worst-hit-nation-310977">Also Read:&nbsp;24,248 new COVID-19 cases, 425 deaths in last 24 hours as India becomes the third worst-hit nation</a>

India now has the third-highest case of coronavirus with 697, 413 infections next only to the United States and Brazil. The fatalities due to the virus in India has now reached 19,693

The health ministry said that the national rate for coronavirus infections stands at 6.73 per cent.

The government stressed that was increased emphasis on testing, contact tracing and clinical management of the COVID-19 cases as the virus cases continued to climb in the country even as the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) said that over 10 million coronavirus tests have so far been done in India.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 933 new coronavirus cases and 24 deaths in the last 24 hours with the total active cases rising to 8,718. The death toll in the state due to the virus has risen to 809.

Bihar reported 276 coronavirus cases taking the total number of cases to 12,140 in the state.

As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the national capital, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people to come forward and donate blood plasma. &nbsp;

"Out of 25,000 active patients, 15,000 are being treated at home. Death rate has also come down. We've also started the country's first corona plasma bank. Our trials have shown that plasma therapy can help moderate patients improve significantly," the Delhi chief minister asserted.

COVID19 cases have crossed 1 lakh mark in Delhi but there is no need to panic as around 72,000 people have also recovered: &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in India, the health ministry said today that many states have reported lower coronavirus rate than the national average of 6.73 per cent.

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in India, the health ministry said today that many states have reported lower coronavirus rate than the national average of 6.73 per cent. Also Read: 24,248 new COVID-19 cases, 425 deaths in last 24 hours as India becomes the third worst-hit nation India now has the third-highest case of coronavirus with 697, 413 infections next only to the United States and Brazil. The fatalities due to the virus in India has now reached 19,693 The health ministry said that the national rate for coronavirus infections stands at 6.73 per cent. The government stressed that was increased emphasis on testing, contact tracing and clinical management of the COVID-19 cases as the virus cases continued to climb in the country even as the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) said that over 10 million coronavirus tests have so far been done in India. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 933 new coronavirus cases and 24 deaths in the last 24 hours with the total active cases rising to 8,718. The death toll in the state due to the virus has risen to 809. Bihar reported 276 coronavirus cases taking the total number of cases to 12,140 in the state. As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the national capital, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people to come forward and donate blood plasma. "Out of 25,000 active patients, 15,000 are being treated at home. Death rate has also come down. We've also started the country's first corona plasma bank. Our trials have shown that plasma therapy can help moderate patients improve significantly," the Delhi chief minister asserted. COVID19 cases have crossed 1 lakh mark in Delhi but there is no need to panic as around 72,000 people have also recovered:

Many states have lower coronavirus rate than national average of 6.73%, says government

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa&nbsp;said that due to the increasing coronavirus cases some areas in Bengaluru have been sealed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-india-records-highest-daily-spike-of-16922-cases-delhi-crosses-70000-mark-308412">Also Read:&nbsp;India records highest daily COVID-19 spike of 16,922 cases; Delhi crosses 70,000 mark</a>

"We have called ministers and officials meeting where further handling of the situation will be discussed," the Karnataka CM said, adding, "in Bengaluru have arranged all facilities to treat coronavirus patients."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Police said that three deaths were reported in the last 24 hours with the total death toll rising to 54 in the forces.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 75,60,782 samples were tested on Wednesday with 2,07,871 samples being tested in the last 24 hours as a government official asserted that out of India's total COVID-19 cases, only 4.16 per cent of patients required ventilator support.

In Rajasthan, 76 new coronavirus cases were reported with the total number of cases going up to 16,085 including 3,064 active cases. The death toll due to the virus has reached to 375 in the state.

Andhra Pradesh reported 477 new coronavirus cases and 7 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 8783. The death toll in the state due to the virus has gone up to 136.

West Bengal reported 445 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases rises to 15,173 in the state including 4,880 active cases and 591 deaths.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said that due to the increasing coronavirus cases some areas in Bengaluru have been sealed. Also Read: India records highest daily COVID-19 spike of 16,922 cases; Delhi crosses 70,000 mark "We have called ministers and officials meeting where further handling of the situation will be discussed," the Karnataka CM said, adding, "in Bengaluru have arranged all facilities to treat coronavirus patients.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said that due to the increasing coronavirus cases some areas in Bengaluru have been sealed. Also Read: India records highest daily COVID-19 spike of 16,922 cases; Delhi crosses 70,000 mark "We have called ministers and officials meeting where further handling of the situation will be discussed," the Karnataka CM said, adding, "in Bengaluru have arranged all facilities to treat coronavirus patients." Meanwhile, Maharashtra Police said that three deaths were reported in the last 24 hours with the total death toll rising to 54 in the forces. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that 75,60,782 samples were tested on Wednesday with 2,07,871 samples being tested in the last 24 hours as a government official asserted that out of India's total COVID-19 cases, only 4.16 per cent of patients required ventilator support. In Rajasthan, 76 new coronavirus cases were reported with the total number of cases going up to 16,085 including 3,064 active cases. The death toll due to the virus has reached to 375 in the state. Andhra Pradesh reported 477 new coronavirus cases and 7 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases to 8783. The death toll in the state due to the virus has gone up to 136. West Bengal reported 445 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases rises to 15,173 in the state including 4,880 active cases and 591 deaths.

Some areas in Bengaluru sealed due to virus: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has rejected the study which said the country will hit the COVID-19 peak in mid-November calling it&nbsp;"misleading".&nbsp;

ICMR took to Twitter to distance itself from the study and clarified that it is not the official position of the government body.

"The news reports attributing this study to ICMR are misleading. This refers to a non peer reviewed modelling, not carried out by ICMR and does not reflect the official position of ICMR," it said.

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The news reports attributing this study to ICMR are misleading. This refers to a non peer reviewed modelling, not carried out by ICMR and does not reflect the official position of ICMR. <a href="https://t.co/OJQq2uYdlM">pic.twitter.com/OJQq2uYdlM</a>
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICMRDELHI/status/1272419282308067328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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PIB Fact Check also tweeted and said that it "doesn't reflect the authentic information."

The tweet said: "Claim-as per ICMR, the peak of COVID-19 in India is shifted to mid-November when a paucity of ICU beds &amp; ventilators may arise. #PIBFactCheck-The news is misleading. The study to which the report is attributed is not carried out by ICMR &amp; doesn't reflect the authentic information."

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Claim-As per ICMR, the peak of COVID-19 in India is shifted to mid November when a paucity of ICU beds &amp; ventilators may arise<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PIBFactCheck?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PIBFactCheck</a>-The news is misleading.The study to which the report is attributed, is not carried out by ICMR &amp; doesn't reflect the authentic information <a href="https://t.co/Et7yGVpKhQ">pic.twitter.com/Et7yGVpKhQ</a>
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIBFactCheck/status/1272448928877645824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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A study, reported by PTI agency said, the peak stage of COVID-19 pandemic in India had been delayed by the eight-week lockdown along with strengthened public health measures and it may now arrive around mid-November during which there could be a paucity of isolation and ICU beds, and ventilators.

According to the news agency, the study was conducted by researchers from an Operations Research Group constituted by ICMR.&nbsp;

On Monday, India witnessed its highest-ever single day spike of coronavirus cases. The country reported&nbsp;11,929 cases on Monday taking the total toll to 3,20,922, as per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.&nbsp;

The country has reported 311 deaths on Monday, the death toll stood at 9,195.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has rejected the study which said the country will hit the COVID-19 peak in mid-November calling it "misleading". ICMR took to Twitter to distance itself from the study and clarified that it is not the official position of the government body.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has rejected the study which said the country will hit the COVID-19 peak in mid-November calling it "misleading". ICMR took to Twitter to distance itself from the study and clarified that it is not the official position of the government body. "The news reports attributing this study to ICMR are misleading. This refers to a non peer reviewed modelling, not carried out by ICMR and does not reflect the official position of ICMR," it said. The news reports attributing this study to ICMR are misleading. This refers to a non peer reviewed modelling, not carried out by ICMR and does not reflect the official position of ICMR. pic.twitter.com/OJQq2uYdlM — ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) June 15, 2020 × PIB Fact Check also tweeted and said that it "doesn't reflect the authentic information." The tweet said: "Claim-as per ICMR, the peak of COVID-19 in India is shifted to mid-November when a paucity of ICU beds & ventilators may arise. #PIBFactCheck-The news is misleading. The study to which the report is attributed is not carried out by ICMR & doesn't reflect the authentic information." Claim-As per ICMR, the peak of COVID-19 in India is shifted to mid November when a paucity of ICU beds & ventilators may arise#PIBFactCheck-The news is misleading.The study to which the report is attributed, is not carried out by ICMR & doesn't reflect the authentic information pic.twitter.com/Et7yGVpKhQ — PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) June 15, 2020 × A study, reported by PTI agency said, the peak stage of COVID-19 pandemic in India had been delayed by the eight-week lockdown along with strengthened public health measures and it may now arrive around mid-November during which there could be a paucity of isolation and ICU beds, and ventilators. According to the news agency, the study was conducted by researchers from an Operations Research Group constituted by ICMR. On Monday, India witnessed its highest-ever single day spike of coronavirus cases. The country reported 11,929 cases on Monday taking the total toll to 3,20,922, as per the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country has reported 311 deaths on Monday, the death toll stood at 9,195.

ICMR rejects claim that India will hit COVID-19 peak in mid-November

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday said that total 1,37,158 samples of coronavirus were tested in the last 24 hours. With this, the figure for the total number of tests reached 41,03,233 in the country.

Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for Covid-19 by approving government and private laboratories. As of now, a total of 688 laboratories across India has been approved to conduct tests for Covid-19 including 480 government laboratories and 208 private laboratories' chains.

Meanwhile, With the biggest single-day spike at 8,909 cases in the last 24 hours, India now has the fourth-highest number of active cases in the world.

The country reported 8,908 cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus infections in India crossed the 2 lakh-mark to reach 2,07,614 on Wednesday. This includes including 5,815 deaths and 1,00,302 cured/ discharged.

As many as 217 people have died in the last 24 hours across the country.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday said that total 1,37,158 samples of coronavirus were tested in the last 24 hours. With this, the figure for the total number of tests reached 41,03,233 in the country.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday said that total 1,37,158 samples of coronavirus were tested in the last 24 hours. With this, the figure for the total number of tests reached 41,03,233 in the country. Meanwhile, ICMR is continuously scaling up its testing facilities for Covid-19 by approving government and private laboratories. As of now, a total of 688 laboratories across India has been approved to conduct tests for Covid-19 including 480 government laboratories and 208 private laboratories' chains. Meanwhile, With the biggest single-day spike at 8,909 cases in the last 24 hours, India now has the fourth-highest number of active cases in the world. The country reported 8,908 cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus infections in India crossed the 2 lakh-mark to reach 2,07,614 on Wednesday. This includes including 5,815 deaths and 1,00,302 cured/ discharged. As many as 217 people have died in the last 24 hours across the country. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 41 lakh samples tested till date, says ICMR

India has recorded 8171 new coronavirus cases in the last 24-hours, taking India's overall tally to more than 198,700. Watch report.

WION Dispatch: India has a coronavirus testing facility in every state and UT, says ICMR

India's health ministry said that 73 per cent of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-19-cases-cross-198-lakh-mark-in-india-death-toll-at-5598-302533">coronavirus</a> deaths in India were from people with co-morbidities.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/covid-19-india-records-8171-cases-204-deaths-in-last-24-hours-302547/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"10 per cent of India's population accounts for 50 per cent of India's coronavirus-linked deaths," health ministry official Lav Agrawal said.

The government said that the fatality rate in India due to coronavirus is 2.82 per cent which is one of the lowest in the world.

According to the health ministry, 95,527 coronavirus patients have recovered with the recovery rate being 48.07 per cent.

"We've been using indigenous platforms too for ramping up coronavirus testing capacity. Truenat screening and confirmatory tests have now been validated," the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) said.

The ICMR added that RNA extraction kits are now available in good numbers with RT-PCR kits by 11-12 indigenous vendors now in use.

India's research institute said 1,20,000 tests are being conducted everyday with 681 laboratories approved for conducting coronavirus tests with 476 in the government sector and 205 in the private sector.

(With ANI inputs)

India's health ministry said that 73 per cent of coronavirus deaths in India were from people with co-morbidities. Watch Video: "10 per cent of India's population accounts for 50 per cent of India's coronavirus-linked deaths," health ministry official Lav Agrawal said.

India's health ministry said that 73 per cent of coronavirus deaths in India were from people with co-morbidities. Watch Video: "10 per cent of India's population accounts for 50 per cent of India's coronavirus-linked deaths," health ministry official Lav Agrawal said. The government said that the fatality rate in India due to coronavirus is 2.82 per cent which is one of the lowest in the world. According to the health ministry, 95,527 coronavirus patients have recovered with the recovery rate being 48.07 per cent. "We've been using indigenous platforms too for ramping up coronavirus testing capacity. Truenat screening and confirmatory tests have now been validated," the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) said. The ICMR added that RNA extraction kits are now available in good numbers with RT-PCR kits by 11-12 indigenous vendors now in use. India's research institute said 1,20,000 tests are being conducted everyday with 681 laboratories approved for conducting coronavirus tests with 476 in the government sector and 205 in the private sector. (With ANI inputs)

COVID-19: India's fatality rate at 2.82%, ICMR conducting 1.2 lakh tests daily

The apex health research body,?ICMR, has advised states to conduct sero-survey to assess the proportion of population including asymptomatic individuals exposed to coronavirus infection.

A sero-survey involves testing of blood serum of a group of individuals for the presence of antibodies against that infection to know who has been infected in the past and has now recovered.

Depending upon the level of sero-prevalence of infection, appropriate public health interventions can be planned and implemented for prevention and control of the disease, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

The health research body has suggested that the blood serum samples of high risk or vulnerable populations like health care workers, frontline workers, immune-compromised individuals, individuals in containment zones,?police personnel among others should be tested for COVID-19 antibodies.

The ICMR is simultaneously is conducting a sero-survey to estimate the prevalence of community transmission of the infection among the Indian population.

People from 70 districts will be tested for COVID-19 at random to check whether they have developed antibodies against the infection even though they remained asymptomatic, an ICMR official said.

"The findings could be released by next week end," he said.

In its advice to the states, the ICMR said periodic sero-surveys are useful to guide the policy makers and stressed that IgG ELISA test should be used for carrying out such surveys.

Antibodies generally start appearing after two weeks of onset of infection, once the individual has recovered, and last for several months.

"Therefore, the IgG test is not useful for detecting acute infection but indicates episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past.

"The-PCR test is considered gold standard frontline test for clinical diagnosis of COVID19. The test is useful only when performed in the acute stage of infection (&lt; 7 days). For several viral infections, antibody tests are useful for disease detection after 5?7 days of illness," the body said in statement.

In an attempt to decide the future course of action against the pandemic, ICMR has communicated a detailed plan to all the states to measure coronavirus exposure in general population as well as in high-risk populations.

"Such sero-survey will guide appropriate public health intervention," it said.

The ICMR listed immuno-compromised patients like people living with HIV, patients on immuno-suppressive treatment,?SARI, patients on dialysis among others and individuals in containment zones and buffer zones and healthcare workers be considered for testing.

Security personnel, police personnel and volunteers involved in duties facing a large number of individuals or those coming in contact with potentially infected individuals, fomites or places should be tested for the presence of antibodies against the coronavirus infection.

Besides, the ICMR has also suggested testing press reporters, migrant workers who have travelled back from urban and peri-urban areas to rural, tribal, hard to reach areas in the country as well as natives after coming in contact with returned migrants, industrial workers or labour force, farmers, vendors visiting large markets,?municipal staff working in areas like sanitation, water supply, electricity, etc. Where interactions with citizens is expected.

Drivers of hospital ambulances, hearse, buses, auto, taxies, etc. Who have been on work facing a large number of individuals, bus conductors, cleaners and helping staff also should be included, it said.

People working in banks, couriers, telecom offices, shop, air travel related staff, all members of overseas operations and people staying or working in slums with very high population density with poorly ventilated buildings, those staying in institutional settings like old age homes, orphanage, asylums, shelters for homeless, hostels and prisons should be considered for testing.

The sero-survey would be conducted using an IgG ELISA kit.

Scientists at ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune have developed and validated an indigenous IgG ELISA test for antibody detection for SARS-CoV-2.

The test has undergone intense validation in three stages and has been found to have high sensitivity and specificity, the ICMR said.

To fast track production and increase availability of the IgG ELISA test, ICMR has transferred this technology to many pharma companies like Zydus Cadila, J Mitra and Company, Meril Diagnostics, Voxtur Bio, Trivitron Healthcare, Karwah Enterprises, Avecon Healthcare, etc.

The technology has been transferred to various entities without exclusivity clause and therefore can be further shared with others as per demand and capability, the health research body said.

The apex health research body,?ICMR, has advised states to conduct sero-survey to assess the proportion of population including asymptomatic individuals exposed to coronavirus infection.

The apex health research body,?ICMR, has advised states to conduct sero-survey to assess the proportion of population including asymptomatic individuals exposed to coronavirus infection. A sero-survey involves testing of blood serum of a group of individuals for the presence of antibodies against that infection to know who has been infected in the past and has now recovered. Depending upon the level of sero-prevalence of infection, appropriate public health interventions can be planned and implemented for prevention and control of the disease, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said. The health research body has suggested that the blood serum samples of high risk or vulnerable populations like health care workers, frontline workers, immune-compromised individuals, individuals in containment zones,?police personnel among others should be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. The ICMR is simultaneously is conducting a sero-survey to estimate the prevalence of community transmission of the infection among the Indian population. People from 70 districts will be tested for COVID-19 at random to check whether they have developed antibodies against the infection even though they remained asymptomatic, an ICMR official said. "The findings could be released by next week end," he said. In its advice to the states, the ICMR said periodic sero-surveys are useful to guide the policy makers and stressed that IgG ELISA test should be used for carrying out such surveys. Antibodies generally start appearing after two weeks of onset of infection, once the individual has recovered, and last for several months. "Therefore, the IgG test is not useful for detecting acute infection but indicates episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past. "The-PCR test is considered gold standard frontline test for clinical diagnosis of COVID19. The test is useful only when performed in the acute stage of infection (< 7 days). For several viral infections, antibody tests are useful for disease detection after 5?7 days of illness," the body said in statement. In an attempt to decide the future course of action against the pandemic, ICMR has communicated a detailed plan to all the states to measure coronavirus exposure in general population as well as in high-risk populations. "Such sero-survey will guide appropriate public health intervention," it said. The ICMR listed immuno-compromised patients like people living with HIV, patients on immuno-suppressive treatment,?SARI, patients on dialysis among others and individuals in containment zones and buffer zones and healthcare workers be considered for testing. Security personnel, police personnel and volunteers involved in duties facing a large number of individuals or those coming in contact with potentially infected individuals, fomites or places should be tested for the presence of antibodies against the coronavirus infection. Besides, the ICMR has also suggested testing press reporters, migrant workers who have travelled back from urban and peri-urban areas to rural, tribal, hard to reach areas in the country as well as natives after coming in contact with returned migrants, industrial workers or labour force, farmers, vendors visiting large markets,?municipal staff working in areas like sanitation, water supply, electricity, etc. Where interactions with citizens is expected. Drivers of hospital ambulances, hearse, buses, auto, taxies, etc. Who have been on work facing a large number of individuals, bus conductors, cleaners and helping staff also should be included, it said. People working in banks, couriers, telecom offices, shop, air travel related staff, all members of overseas operations and people staying or working in slums with very high population density with poorly ventilated buildings, those staying in institutional settings like old age homes, orphanage, asylums, shelters for homeless, hostels and prisons should be considered for testing. The sero-survey would be conducted using an IgG ELISA kit. Scientists at ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune have developed and validated an indigenous IgG ELISA test for antibody detection for SARS-CoV-2. The test has undergone intense validation in three stages and has been found to have high sensitivity and specificity, the ICMR said. To fast track production and increase availability of the IgG ELISA test, ICMR has transferred this technology to many pharma companies like Zydus Cadila, J Mitra and Company, Meril Diagnostics, Voxtur Bio, Trivitron Healthcare, Karwah Enterprises, Avecon Healthcare, etc. The technology has been transferred to various entities without exclusivity clause and therefore can be further shared with others as per demand and capability, the health research body said.

ICMR asks states to do sero-survey in high-risk populations to assess exposure to COVID-19

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with other key stakeholders is conducting a population-based sero survey to estimate the prevalence of coronavirus infection among the Indian population, according to a statement by the medical body.

The survey would be conducted in 69 districts of 21 states and Union Territories, the apex health research body said in a statement on Tuesday.

Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam and Bihar are some of the states where the survey would be conducted.

The&nbsp;survey will cover 24,000 adults distributed equally across four strata of districts categorised on the basis of COVID-19 cases.

The move was announced as the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,293 and the total number of cases climbed to 70,756 in the country on Tuesday, according to the Union health ministry data.

"The ICMR, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and National Centre for Disease Control with support from state health departments and key stakeholders, including WHO, India is conducting a community based sero-survey to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Indian population," the statement said.

The survey is coordinated by ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with other key stakeholders is conducting a population-based sero survey to estimate the prevalence of coronavirus infection among the Indian population, according to a statement by the medical body.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with other key stakeholders is conducting a population-based sero survey to estimate the prevalence of coronavirus infection among the Indian population, according to a statement by the medical body. The survey would be conducted in 69 districts of 21 states and Union Territories, the apex health research body said in a statement on Tuesday. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam and Bihar are some of the states where the survey would be conducted. The survey will cover 24,000 adults distributed equally across four strata of districts categorised on the basis of COVID-19 cases. The move was announced as the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,293 and the total number of cases climbed to 70,756 in the country on Tuesday, according to the Union health ministry data. "The ICMR, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and National Centre for Disease Control with support from state health departments and key stakeholders, including WHO, India is conducting a community based sero-survey to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Indian population," the statement said. The survey is coordinated by ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai. (With inputs from PTI)

ICMR to conduct survey to estimate prevalence of COVID-19 infection among Indian population

India registered another 122 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total fatalities due to the novel coronavirus to 2,415, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Wednesday.

The country recorded another 3525 COVID-19 cases during the same period which took the total number to 74281. The MoHFW said that of the 74,281 cases, 47480 were active, 24386 had been cured/discharged/migrated cases and 2415 had passed away.

The coronavirus is slowly moving to the rural belt, with an increasing number of cases being reported from districts that were until recently untouched by Covid-19. In many states, it has resulted in more districts coming under the grip of the virus.

Yesterday, In a big push to revive the COVID-hit economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore, saying the coronavirus crisis has provided India an opportunity to become self-reliant and emerge as the best in the world. 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Apart from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) assistance, the government had last month announced a Rs 1.74 lakh crore to provide benefits to the poor, including cash transfers, Rs 50 lakh insurance cover and steps to ensure food security. 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
In a televised address to the nation, Modi also said there will be a fourth phase of the lockdown which will be very different from the earlier three phases. The third phase of the 54-day lockdown is scheduled to end on May 17.

(With inputs from agencies)

India registered another 122 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total fatalities due to the novel coronavirus to 2,415, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Wednesday.

India registered another 122 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total fatalities due to the novel coronavirus to 2,415, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Wednesday. The country recorded another 3525 COVID-19 cases during the same period which took the total number to 74281. The MoHFW said that of the 74,281 cases, 47480 were active, 24386 had been cured/discharged/migrated cases and 2415 had passed away. The coronavirus is slowly moving to the rural belt, with an increasing number of cases being reported from districts that were until recently untouched by Covid-19. In many states, it has resulted in more districts coming under the grip of the virus. Yesterday, In a big push to revive the COVID-hit economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore, saying the coronavirus crisis has provided India an opportunity to become self-reliant and emerge as the best in the world. Apart from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) assistance, the government had last month announced a Rs 1.74 lakh crore to provide benefits to the poor, including cash transfers, Rs 50 lakh insurance cover and steps to ensure food security. In a televised address to the nation, Modi also said there will be a fourth phase of the lockdown which will be very different from the earlier three phases. The third phase of the 54-day lockdown is scheduled to end on May 17. (With inputs from agencies)

122 coronavirus deaths in India in 24 hours; over 74,200 total cases so far

National Institute of Virology, Pune has successfully developed the 1st indigenous anti-SARS-CoV-2 human IgG ELISA test kit for antibody detection of #COVID19 . This robust test will play a critical role in surveillance of proportion of population exposed to #SARSCoV2 infection

India's first indigenous COVID-19 testing kit

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a partnership with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) on Saturday&nbsp;to develop a vaccine for coronavirus.

The vaccine will be developed using the virus strain isolated at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/total-covid-19-cases-in-india-cross-56000-mark-16539-patients-cured-297349">Also read:&nbsp;Total COVID-19 cases in India cross 56,000-mark; 16539 patients cured</a>

The two bodies have started the work on developing the vaccine, with ICMR-NIV providing support to BBIL.

"The strain has been successfully transferred from NIV to Bharat Biotech International Ltd. (BBIL). Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. ICMR-NIV will provide continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approval to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine," stated the press release.

Dr Y K Gupta is chairing the committee for Evaluation of Research Proposals at ICMR. Earlier today he claimed that the data available to to the officials is not enough to perform clinical study on using Ganga water for treatment of coronavirus.

(With inputs from ANI)

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a partnership with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) on Saturday to develop a vaccine for coronavirus.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced a partnership with Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) on Saturday to develop a vaccine for coronavirus. The vaccine will be developed using the virus strain isolated at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. Also read: Total COVID-19 cases in India cross 56,000-mark; 16539 patients cured The two bodies have started the work on developing the vaccine, with ICMR-NIV providing support to BBIL. "The strain has been successfully transferred from NIV to Bharat Biotech International Ltd. (BBIL). Work on vaccine development has been initiated between the two partners. ICMR-NIV will provide continuous support to BBIL for vaccine development. ICMR and BBIL will seek fast-track approval to expedite vaccine development, subsequent animal studies and clinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine," stated the press release. Dr Y K Gupta is chairing the committee for Evaluation of Research Proposals at ICMR. Earlier today he claimed that the data available to to the officials is not enough to perform clinical study on using Ganga water for treatment of coronavirus. (With inputs from ANI)

ICMR partners with BBIL to develop indigenous COVID-19 vaccine

ICMR stopped using kits from 2 Chinese firms | India Coronavirus | India-China According to Indian Council of Medical Research 'Results are varying while using Chinese kits to test COVID-19 positivity in a person'. Meanwhile, ICMR orders to stop using Chinese imported kits.

ICMR stopped using kits from 2 Chinese firms

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