Covid-19: India reports 35,342 new cases; active cases decline after 2-day rise

After a two-day rise, active cases started to decline on Thursday. According to the Union Health Ministry’s latest update, the country has a total of about 4.05 lakh active cases at present. Around 1.29 lakh of these were in Kerala while Maharashtra had over 94,000. While the daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.12 per cent, the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.36 per cent, the ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed.

Over 54.76 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of jabs administered as part of India’s nationwide vaccination drive to 42.34 crore. Also, 16,68,561 tests to detect the infection were carried out on Thursday, taking the total number of such tests conducted so far in the country to 45,29,39,545.

Spacing Pfizer Covid shots boosts antibody levels after initial drop, study shows

A longer gap between doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine leads to higher overall antibody levels than a shorter gap, a British study found on Friday, noting that there is, however, a sharp drop in antibody levels after the first dose.

The study might help inform vaccination strategies against the Delta variant, which reduces the effectiveness of a first dose of the vaccine even though two doses are still found to be protective.

Hours after hospital collected his sperm on HC directive, Covid patient dies in Vadodara

Hours after a private hospital in Vadodara collected sperm from a critical Covid patient — following a Gujarat High Court directive on his wife’s plea — the 32-year-old man breathed his last on Thursday. He had been battling bilateral pneumonia after getting Covid-19 three months ago.

After hearing a petition of his 29-year-old wife, who wishes to bear a child through Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), on Tuesday, the High Court directed the hospital to preserve the sperm since the man was not in a condition to grant consent.

In the last one month, 1.26 lakh Covid vaccines wasted in Bihar, 19,989 in Delhi

Over 1.26 lakh coronavirus vaccines in Bihar and 19,989 in Delhi were wasted between 1 May and 13 July, according to a reply given in Lok Sabha on Friday. In Jammu & Kashmir, 32,680 vaccines went to waste, while in Tripura, more than 27,000 doses were wasted.

COVID-19 vaccine doses wasted
(1st May -13th July 2021)

1. Bihar: 1,26,743
2. Delhi: 19,989
3. J&K: 32,680
4. Manipur: 12,346
5. Meghalaya: 3,518
6. Punjab: 13,613
7. Tripura: 27,552
8. Uttar Pradesh: 13,207

Total : 2,49,648@IndianExpress

Source: Govt’s reply in Lok Sabha

— Harikishan Sharma (@harikishan1) July 23, 2021

(With PTI inputs)