India’s situation regarding COVID-19 is becoming ever more dire by the day. Among the consequences of the pandemic are an already substantial list of healthcare issues being sidelined even as they push India’s healthcare system to its limit. In another development that carries grim portents for public health, China has recently announced that bubonic plague […]
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Mylan gets license for remdesivir in India
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has revised guidelines for remdesivir use in cases of COVID-19, whilst Mylan has been given the nod to produce the antiviral drug in the country. Last month, India approved restricted emergency remdesivir use for the treatment of moderate cases of COVID-19 – the disease caused by severe […]
A COVID-19 vaccine. When?
The search for a COVID-19 vaccine is well underway in India. However, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sparked controversy with what some experts have suggested are dubious claims. The ICMR announced last week that an indigenously-manufactured vaccine may be ready by mid-August. ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said “it is envisaged to […]
HIV/AIDS medicines: COVID hits access
Lost access to HIV/AIDS medicines is no less than a matter of life and death for those affected – but the COVID-19 pandemic has imperilled access to such drugs and, in turn, the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. This week marks the 23rd bi-annual International AIDS Conference. The event “provides a platform for discussing […]
India passes 600,000 COVID-19 cases
By Thursday, July 2nd, India registered 6,04,641 cases of COVID-19 after 19,148 new cases were reported over the preceding 24 hours. 434 people died over this same time period, pushing the death toll up to 17,834. Of the 434 COVID-19 deaths reported over the 24-hour period, 198 were from Maharashtra; 63 from Tamil Nadu; […]
Slumdog Millionaire slum’s COVID-19 progress
Dharavi, a slum area of India’s financial capital of Mumbai, is home to more than one million people. April saw the densely-populated square-mile area experience a high number of COVID-19 cases. Understandably, given its large population and living conditions which hamper efforts to physically distance, it was expected that the situation would rapidly deteriorate. This […]
COVID-19 and the monsoon season
COVID-19 cases across the globe now number in excess of nine million. India’s situation is bleak, with more than 15,000 cases added per day consistently — now taking its place as the fourth most-affected country. Could monsoon season add to India’s already dire situation? It had been speculated that the hot weather of the […]
COVID-19 testing a must for all with symptoms
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated that COVID-19 testing is a must for all who display symptoms of the disease. Early on, concerns were raised about the pace of COVID-19 testing in India. Subsequently, authorities sought to step up the rate of testing in the country. As of June 23rd, the ICMR […]
Patanjali Ayurved claims to find the cure for COVID – but lands in hot water
Patanjali Ayurved, a firm based in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, has claimed success with an Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 – but its claims have landed it in hot water with the Union Government. The company launched ‘Coronil and Swasari’ yesterday, purporting the treatment to have a 100 percent success rate in curing COVID-19 (the […]
The COVID crisis continues in India
India’s COVID crisis continues, as cases of the disease continue to surge. Early on in the pandemic, India was ostensibly mildly affected in comparison to other nations. The situation has altered dramatically since. Even with the imposition of a lengthy, wholescale lockdown countrywide in late March (one since relaxed in many areas of the country), […]