Latest news with #BalramBhargava
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
New XFG COVID-19 variant part of natural evolution of SARS-CoV-2: Former ICMR chief Dr Bhargava
New Delhi: Emergence of the new XFG variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is part of SARS-CoV-2's natural evolution, said Dr Balram Bhargava, former Director General of the Indian Council for Medical Research, amidst India recording over 200 cases linked to the variant. Dr Bhargava was part of the team at the forefront of managing the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The emergence of the XFG variant is part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus's natural evolution," he said. His statement comes as India's active COVID-19 cases crossed 7,000 as of June 11, with over 300 added in the last 24 hours and six deaths recorded in the same period, data from the Union Health Ministry shows. According to the latest data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 206 cases have been linked to XFG variant, with the highest count of 89 infections coming from Maharashtra, followed by West Bengal reporting 49. Dr Bhargava said the XFG variant of SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19) carries mutations which may improve its ability of binding to human cells and bypassing immune defences. "Early reports suggest that the variant has high immune escape potential , but there is no current evidence to indicate (an) increased severity (of disease)," he said. Other states reporting infections due to the XFG variant are Kerala (15), Tamil Nadu (16), Gujarat (11), Madhya Pradesh (6), Andhra Pradesh (6), Odisha (4), Puducherry (3), Delhi (2), Rajasthan (2), and Punjab, Telangana and Haryana (one each). However, similar to how the virus adapts, so has India's diagnostic infrastructure since the first wave of the pandemic, and the RT-PCR test, or 'reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction' -- which detects the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 in samples -- remains its cornerstone, the cardiologist said. He added that the widespread deployment of platforms such as Truenat -- a rapid molecular diagnostic test that uses RT-PCR technology for diagnosis -- puts India in a strong position to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly, even in remote and resource-limited settings. Point-of-care testing, which detects antibodies in blood, played a crucial role during the pandemic then, and it continues to be a frontline tool for detecting emerging variants, such as XFG, Dr Bhargava said. "Vigilance is critical now, and not panic. As we have done in the past, we should continue testing when symptomatic, masking in crowded spaces, and staying up to date with vaccinations", he said. India has seen 74 deaths in the current surge in COVID-19 cases, which started January this year. Kerala continues to be the most affected with over 2,200 cases, followed by Gujarat (1223) and Delhi (757). Official sources have said that most cases are mild and can be managed under home care, even as all states have been instructed to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines, amidst rising cases of COVID-19. INSACOG data also shows that 21 of the newly emerging cases are linked to the LF.7 variant -- Maharashtra and Gujarat reporting the highest with six cases each -- and two to the NB.1.8.1 variant -- one each in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. PTI
News18
3 days ago
- Health
- News18
India Sees 6 Deaths, 306 New Covid Cases In 24 Hours; Active Tally Rises to 7,121
Last Updated: Six Covid-related deaths were reported — three from Kerala, two from Karnataka, and one from Maharashtra. India recorded 306 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the country's active caseload to 7,121, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. During the same period, six Covid-related deaths were reported — three from Kerala, two from Karnataka, and one from Maharashtra. Among the deceased was a 43-year-old male with a weakened immune system, while the remaining fatalities involved elderly individuals with underlying respiratory and chronic health conditions. A day earlier, India had reported 324 fresh Covid-19 cases, bringing the active case tally to 6,815. Three fatalities were recorded on that day — one each from Delhi, Jharkhand, and Kerala. Among them was a 44-year-old man with a history of hypothyroidism and hypertension; the other two were elderly individuals with chronic respiratory and other health complications. India is currently witnessing a gradual uptick in Covid-19 cases, attributed to emerging variants including LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and the newly identified NB.1.8.1 subvariant. 'India Equipped To Tackle XFG Variant' The emergence of the XFG variant is part of the natural evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to Prof. (Dr) Balram Bhargava, former Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and former Secretary of the Department of Health Research. He noted that India is well-prepared to detect and respond to new variants quickly, thanks to the wide availability of rapid molecular diagnostic tools like Truenat. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 163 cases of the XFG variant have been recently identified across the country. Dr. Bhargava explained that the XFG variant contains mutations that may enhance its ability to bind more effectively to human cells and evade immune defences. 'Early reports suggest that the variant has high immune escape potential, but there is no current evidence to indicate increased severity. However, as the virus adapts, India's diagnostic infrastructure has adapted since the very first wave. RT-PCR remains the cornerstone of COVID-19 diagnostics, and the widespread deployment of rapid molecular platforms like Truenat puts India in a strong position to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly—even in remote and resource-limited settings," he said. (With inputs from agencies)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
India well-equipped to swiftly detect, contain new COVID variants: Ex-ICMR DG Bhargava
New Delhi: The emergence of the XFG variant is part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus's natural evolution, said Prof. (Dr) Balram Bhargava , former of Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR ) and former Secretary of the Department of Health Research. He added that India is well-positioned to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly due to the widespread deployment of rapid molecular diagnostic platforms such as Truenat . As of Tuesday morning, India has reported 6,815 active COVID-19 cases. According to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 163 cases of the new COVID-19 variant XFG have recently been detected across the country. Dr Bhargava said that XFG variant carries mutations that may enhance its ability to bind to human cells and bypass immune defences. "Early reports suggest that the variant has high immune escape potential, but there is no current evidence to indicate increased severity. However, as the virus adapts, India's diagnostic infrastructure has adapted since the very first wave. RT-PCR remains the cornerstone of COVID-19 diagnostics, and the widespread deployment of rapid molecular platforms like Truenat puts India in a strong position to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly--even in remote and resource-limited settings," he said. Dr Bhargava, who played a key role in India's pandemic response, stressed the continued importance of point-of-care testing in identifying emerging variants such as XFG. "Vigilance is critical now, and not panic. As we've done in the past, we should continue testing when symptomatic, masking in crowded spaces, and staying up to date with vaccinations," he said.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Health
- India Gazette
India well-equipped to swiftly detect, contain new COVID variants: Ex-ICMR DG Bhargava
New Delhi [India], June 10 (ANI): The emergence of the XFG variant is part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus's natural evolution, said Prof. (Dr) Balram Bhargava, former of Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and former Secretary of the Department of Health Research. He added that India is well-positioned to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly due to the widespread deployment of rapid molecular diagnostic platforms such as Truenat. As of Tuesday morning, India has reported 6,815 active COVID-19 cases. According to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), 163 cases of the new COVID-19 variant XFG have recently been detected across the country. Dr Bhargava said that XFG variant carries mutations that may enhance its ability to bind to human cells and bypass immune defences. 'Early reports suggest that the variant has high immune escape potential, but there is no current evidence to indicate increased severity. However, as the virus adapts, India's diagnostic infrastructure has adapted since the very first wave. RT-PCR remains the cornerstone of COVID-19 diagnostics, and the widespread deployment of rapid molecular platforms like Truenat puts India in a strong position to detect and contain emerging variants swiftly--even in remote and resource-limited settings,' he said. Dr Bhargava, who played a key role in India's pandemic response, stressed the continued importance of point-of-care testing in identifying emerging variants such as XFG. 'Vigilance is critical now, and not panic. As we've done in the past, we should continue testing when symptomatic, masking in crowded spaces, and staying up to date with vaccinations,' he said. (ANI)
