The Centre earlier this week asked states to keep a sharp lookout for any new variants of the coronavirus & urged people to wear masks in crowded areas.
The lateral flow assay is like a home pregnancy test that gives quick results and can be done without any sophisticated equipment or trained manpower, unlike the RTPCR test.
Researchers from CanSino Biologics & Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, China, conducted the trial on 130 participants in September 2020. Common adverse reactions included fever, fatigue, and headache.
Experts say revised strategy that calls for rapid tests in hospitals & public places, among others, is a tacit admission of community transmission & limitations of RT-PCR capacity.
Relatives & suspected Covid patients themselves queue up at Civil Hospital to get test results after many days, but chief medical officer says govt lab is functioning well.
National Institute for Cancer Prevention & Research in Noida, which tests samples from Delhi govt hospitals, refused to conduct tests on Monday & Tuesday after 'running out' of required items.
Drones have aided the implementation of the Covid lockdown and other pandemic awareness measures, while also helping with search efforts in Uttarakhand floods last month.
Researchers from AIIMS, IISER cite examples of South Korea and Taiwan to establish the importance of increased testing over lockdowns that cripple the economy.
Officials say there is a 3-4 day pendency in RT-PCR test results from government labs, while labs complain per day samples have increased in the latest surge and is stretching their capacity.
The oil math is skewed against the White House. The blockade has a slim chance of working. Iran can remain defiant, and China unconcerned, longer than Trump can remain solvent.
IEA projects sharp reversal from its earlier expectations, with global demand for oil in 2026 turning negative. Hormuz disruptions have pushed crude prices to $130 per barrel.
We now live in a world order that will keep shifting. India must use this window. This also means we remain disciplined enough not to be knee-jerked into reacting to what Pakistan sees as its moment in the sun.
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