Dr N K Arora, chief of Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium, said the current vaccines are effective against the Delta variant according to studies undertaken by ICMR.
The study, which is the first nationwide study of post-vaccination infections, found that only 9.8% cases required hospitalisation and fatality was observed in only 0.4% cases.
Increased transmissibility of Delta variant means that it is likely to emerge as the dominant variant globally in coming months, as per WHO's Covid weekly epidemiological update.
An article in the Indian Journal of Medical Research notes that vaccination and tracking are the two important strategies needed to combat the Delta variant.
Pfizer says it has received initial data showing that a third dose of its existing vaccine is safe & can raise neutralising antibody levels by 5 to 10 fold compared with original vaccine.
The research yet to be peer reviewed, brought together data from modelling studies, sero-surveys, as well as structural insights into the spike protein of the mutated virus.
Virology and epidemiology can give people an estimate of how risky something is, but can’t tell people how much risk is too much, or which mitigation measures impose too much burden.
The study was conducted on more than 100 healthcare workers at three centres in India, and found that the variant generates greater transmission among the fully vaccinated workers.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Delta variant is dangerous and requires constant evaluation and careful adjustment of the public health response.
Modi’s remarks in Manipur were directed at the Gen Z in Nepal. Now that they have succeeded in ending ‘oldigarchy’, New Delhi knows it’s time for a reset in its Nepal policy.
While bond yields tend to fall amid low inflation & interest rate cuts, market experts say they’ve been rising due to concerns over tax collections, fiscal deficit & potential impact of US tariffs.
To be truly functional and durable, even eternal, a state doesn’t just need a leader, a party or an ideology. It needs functional and robust institutions.
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