
6,000+ active Covid cases in India again! With over 800 new infections in 48 hours, experts raise alarm
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India has recorded over 6,000 active Covid cases , with 769 new infections reported in the last 48 hours, according to data from the Union Health Ministry released on Sunday.Kerala remains the worst-affected state, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Delhi. The rise in cases has prompted the Centre to conduct mock drills at hospitals to check preparedness. States have been asked to ensure the availability of oxygen, ventilators, isolation beds, and essential medicines, official sources said.As of now, India has 6,133 active Covid cases. In the last 24 hours, six more deaths were reported. However, most of the current cases are mild and being treated at home, the ministry added.Since January 2025, a total of 65 deaths related to Covid have been recorded in the country. Just two weeks ago, on May 22, there were only 257 active cases.To review the situation and preparedness measures, a series of technical meetings were held on June 2 and 3, chaired by Dr Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services. These meetings included representatives from the Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Centre for Disease Control, central hospitals in Delhi, and all states and Union Territories.On June 4, sources said that state and district surveillance teams are monitoring cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). As per the guidelines, all admitted SARI patients should be tested, and 5% of ILI cases are also being checked. Positive samples are sent for genome sequencing through the ICMR labs.Inputs from PTI
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Flesh-eating bacteria kills multiple persons across USA, hospitalizations surge. Symptoms, illness, treatment, how to prevent
Live Events FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel States across the United States of America are warning beachgoers about a summertime surge in infections from a frightening, flesh-eating bacteria found in coastal waters. Vibrio vulnificus are becoming an annual threat along the Gulf Coast and — increasingly — up the Eastern Seaboard. People should listen to the warnings, said Bernie Stewart, a 65-year-old retired bounty hunter in Florida who counts himself lucky to have survived an August 2019, Stewart's right leg was infected while he was kayak fishing in Pensacola Bay. What at first appeared to be a sun blister led to three months in the hospital, where doctors performed 10 surgeries to remove decaying skin and prevent the bacteria from killing him. 'This ain't nothing to play with,' Stewart bacteria thrive in seawater and in the mix of fresh and saltwater found in estuaries and lagoons. Most infections are reported from May to October, and most happen in states along the Gulf Coast. The Gulf's water is "the perfect convergence of the right amount of salt and the right amount of heat to let this organism proliferate,' said Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious diseases specialist at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New least a dozen kinds of Vibrio can cause human illnesses. The nastiest type is Vibrio vulnificus. It accounts for around 200 of the more than 1,000 Vibrio illnesses each year, according to CDC data. As many as 1 in 5 of those infections are fatal — a much higher rate than other types of Vibrio people become infected by eating eat raw or undercooked shellfish — particularly oysters. But a large percentage fall ill when the person is in ocean or brackish water and the bacteria enter the body through small breaks in the antibiotics used to treat food poisoning cases don't work as well when the germ enters through breaks in the skin, Lopez said. 'They may require multiple surgeries to remove dead or infected tissue, and sometimes require amputation,' he say severe cases are seen more often in elderly patients, people with weakened immune systems, and those with liver disease, diabetes and certain chronic has seen an alarming jump in cases this summer, but other states are not. More cases are expected, as this is peak season for Vibrio vulnificus infections.'It is really easy to sound unnecessary alarms because cases have increased, or feel too complacent because cases are low,' when data is incomplete, said Salvador Almagro-Moreno, a St. Jude Children's Research Hospital who has studied the have been reported as far north as New England — Massachusetts recently issued an alert after someone reportedly was infected on Cape say climate change is helping the germs proliferate and spread northward. A 2023 study found that the northernmost case has been shifting by about 30 miles each year, and that cases overall have been of late last week, 20 cases of Vibrio vulnificus had been reported among Louisiana residents this year. All were hospitalized and four died, the state's health department said. That's more than twice the average number of cases for this point in the season, and four times the death toll, state officials which tends to have more infections than other states, has reported 17 Vibrio vulnificus cases and five deaths this year, compared with 82 cases and 19 deaths at the same point last year. State officials say they typically see more cases in years when Florida is hit by tropical storms, and hurricane season is only just beginning, Lopez vulnificus can enter the body through unhealed cuts and scrapes, recent piercings and tattoos, and recent surgical incisions. If you have such a wound, try to stay out of saltwater or brackish water, and cover it with a waterproof bandage if there's a chance of you do come in contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, immediately wash cuts and scrapes thoroughly with soap and clean running water, the CDC see a doctor if you start to develop symptoms such as fever, chills, and hot red areas on the skin that start to turn dark and can also become infected by eating seafood. Health officials say not to eat raw or undercooked oysters or other seafood, and do not let raw seafood, its drippings, or its juices contaminate other are a particular risk, and there is no way to tell if an oyster is contaminated just by looking at it. Wash hands with soap and water after handing raw shellfish, and wear protective gloves if you have a weakened immune system and are at a higher risk of officials also offer cooking instructions for clams, mussels and other shellfish. They recommend throwing away any with open shells before cooking. In Pensacola, Stewart said he's advocated — unsuccessfully — for local officials to post signs about the dangers of going into the bay.A1. Vibrio vulnificus can enter the body through unhealed cuts and scrapes, recent piercings and tattoos, and recent surgical incisions. If you have such a wound, try to stay out of saltwater or brackish water, and cover it with a waterproof bandage if there's a chance of exposure.A2. As of late last week, 20 cases of Vibrio vulnificus had been reported among Louisiana residents this year. All were hospitalized and four died, the state's health department said. Florida, which tends to have more infections than other states, has reported 17 Vibrio vulnificus cases and five deaths this year, compared with 82 cases and 19 deaths at the same point last year.


Time of India
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Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
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