Latest news with #ChandrakantLahariya
Mint
3 days ago
- Health
- Mint
COVID-19 update, 6 June 2025: India's active cases cross 5,000; 4 deaths in 24 hours; Kerala and Gujarat lead surge
Covid-19 Cases in India, June 6: The number of active Covid-19 cases has crossed the 5,000 mark in India as the country continued to see a steady surge of infections over the past few weeks. India's active Covid case tally crossed the 5,000 mark with the country reporting 498 new cases over the past 24 hours, data from the Union Ministry of Health showed on Friday, June 6. The number of Covid-19 patients who have been discharged over the past 24 hours were recorded at 764. A total of four people died over the past 24 hours, as per data. Two deaths were reported from Kerala, while Punjab and Karnataka reported one death each. All four patients were above 60 years of age and had co-morbidities. Since January this year, 55 deaths have been reported in the country. Kerala has the most number of active Covid-19 cases in the country at 1,679, followed by Gujarat at 615, West Bengal at 596 and Delhi at 592. Kerala reported the most number of Covid-19 cases at 192, with Gujarat coming at the second place with 107 cases. Delhi reported 30 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, while 124 people were discharged from hospitals. The number of fatalities since January 1 stands at seven, with no fresh deaths recorded since Thursday. In West Bengal, as many as 58 people tested positive for coronavirus over the past 24 hours, officials said. During the same period, 91 recovered from the Covid-19 contagion, while one death has been reported since the beginning of the year. Seven more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Odisha, taking the total number of infections in the current wave to 30, a senior health officer said on Friday. State public health director Nilakantha Mishra said seven have recovered from the disease so far. Amid the Covid-19 spike, the Odisha government has said that schools across the state will function adhering to preventive measures when they reopen after the ongoing summer vacation. In Gwalior, two junior doctors – one male and one female – have tested positive for Covid-19, officials said. Both doctors, postgraduate students at Gajra Raja Medical College, have been placed in home isolation. Meanwhile, experts have assured that Covid-19 cases have grown milder over time while also noting that an occasional surge in cases is expected. This is because the coronavirus has now become endemic and constantly evolving. 'With every passing year, Covid-19 is causing milder infections. It is (now) just another respiratory illness and less dangerous than flu. We can forget Covid-19 as a special case. It is not a cause of concern,' global health expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya told PTI. A series of technical review meetings were held on June 2 and 3 under chairpersonship of Dr Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) with representatives of Disaster Management Cell, Emergency Management Response (EMR) Cell, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and Central Government Hospitals in Delhi and with representatives from all states and UTs to evaluate the current COVID-19 situation and preparedness measures.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Covid infections growing milder, occasional surges expected but don't worry: experts
New Delhi: Covid is growing milder with time but an occasional surge in cases is expected because the virus that causes it is now endemic and constantly evolving, say scientists while assuring that there is no cause for concern. Addressing worries over the rising incidence of the disease in various parts of the country, the experts noted that it appears to be a result of waning immunity combined with seasonal factors such as temperature extremes, which tend to keep us in air-conditioned spaces. They also stressed the need for caution, particularly in vulnerable sections of the population. "With every passing year, COVID-19 is causing milder infections. It is (now) just another respiratory illness and less dangerous than flu. We can forget COVID-19 as a special case. It is not a cause of concern," global health expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya told PTI. "All the subvariants are similar, having a lower virulence but high infectivity. While highly susceptible people can still get severe disease, the vast majority don't, especially those who have had prior infections or vaccines," added Anurag Agarwal, dean of biosciences and health research, Trivedi school of biosciences at Ashoka University, Haryana. The World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a ' public health emergency' two years ago in May 2023. Health experts characterise the disease as 'seasonal', 'endemic', here to stay, or 'restricted to a certain region'. Active cases in the country crossed 5,300 as of June 6, with nearly 500 added in the past 24 hours. Of these, over 4,700 have recovered. The death toll is 55 in the current surge which started January this year, primarily among individuals with pre-existing illnesses, according to the Union Health ministry. "People with pre-existing illnesses and those older than 65 should follow standard precautions, as they would against any other respiratory infection -- not just for COVID-19," explained Lahariya, a consultant physician and former staff member of WHO. Kerala is the most affected with over 1,600 cases, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal, Delhi and Maharashtra, ministry data shows. The case surge in India is part of a wider wave impacting parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, which have been seeing a rise in infections over the past months. Wastewater surveillance by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has detected presence of SARS-CoV-2 -- which causes COVID-19 -- in samples from 10 sewage treatment plants in Pune, the Times of India reported. Patterns are similar to those seen in the weeks preceding earlier surges, NCL scientists were quoted as saying. Genome sequencing of samples from India's west and south have shown links to the subvariants of Omicron -- LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB.1.8.1. The cases are not severe and there is no need to worry, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Rajiv Behl said earlier this week. LF.7 and NB.1.8.1. have been classified as 'variants under monitoring' (VUM) by the WHO to alert public health authorities that a variant of SARS-CoV-2 requires prioritised attention and monitoring. JN.1 has been circulating in India since November 2023. The current situation, Behl stressed, is being monitored. Immunologist Satyajit Rath explained that the subvariants driving up case numbers indicate that they are probably better at binding themselves to human cells, despite pre-existing antibodies created in response to a prior infection or vaccination -- or 'infectivity'. "However, the important issue here is not their infectivity, but their tendency to cause severe disease, or 'virulence'," Rath, former scientist at New Delhi's National Institute of Immunology, told PTI. "Since selection pressure among the virus strains depends on infectivity and transmissibility -- and not on virulence -- there is no reason to expect a steady increase in the virulence of the emerging virus strains, which, in fact, has not at all been seen either," he added. Moreover, given that the COVID-19-causing virus is now endemic and constantly 'mutating' or evolving, ups and downs in infections in the population are expected, the health experts said. "People need not worry themselves until they are informed of a new 'variant of concern'. VUM is not relevant to the public, but only to public health authorities," Agarwal said. Lahariya advised the public to gather information from reliable sources and not to forward unverified messages, while Rath suggested that citizens keep a watch for the virulence of newly emerging strains. The experts also stressed on the role of authorities. "National and state governments in India should keep a watch on cases, monitor the trends in new cases and share data widely. The linkage between infections and clinical outcomes should be explored to understand the clinical features of the variants in circulation," Lahariya said. Rath drew attention to systemic issues that remain regarding preparedness of public health systems and availability of healthcare facilities across sections of the society should a virulent variant emerge. "The catch is, how efficiently, systematically and rigorously are our public health systems tracking virus strains, their infectivity and their virulence, not only for SARS-CoV-2 but for any other infection?" he asked. "Are we making next generation Covid vaccines at all? Are we making them available widely and affordably? Are we even carefully tracking evidence to see how well or poorly the current vaccine-induced immunity functions against emerging strains?" he added. The poor and vulnerable would need special protection "but are masks being made widely and freely available? "And if not, we are throwing poor communities onto their own resources even for taking such simple precautions, and that is a systemic problem," Rath said. PTI
NDTV
3 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Covid Infections Growing Milder, Not A Cause Of Concern: Experts
New Delhi: Covid is growing milder with time but an occasional surge in cases is expected because the virus that causes it is now endemic and constantly evolving, say scientists while assuring that there is no cause for concern. Addressing worries over the rising incidence of the disease in various parts of the country, the experts noted that it appears to be a result of waning immunity combined with seasonal factors such as temperature extremes, which tend to keep us in air-conditioned spaces. They also stressed the need for caution, particularly in vulnerable sections of the population. "With every passing year, COVID-19 is causing milder infections. It is (now) just another respiratory illness and less dangerous than flu. We can forget COVID-19 as a special case. It is not a cause of concern," global health expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya told PTI. "All the subvariants are similar, having a lower virulence but high infectivity. While highly susceptible people can still get severe disease, the vast majority don't, especially those who have had prior infections or vaccines," added Anurag Agarwal, dean of biosciences and health research, Trivedi school of biosciences at Ashoka University, Haryana. The World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a 'public health emergency' two years ago in May 2023. Health experts characterise the disease as 'seasonal', 'endemic', here to stay, or 'restricted to a certain region'. Active cases in the country crossed 5,300 as of June 6, with nearly 500 added in the past 24 hours. Of these, over 4,700 have recovered. The death toll is 55 in the current surge which started January this year, primarily among individuals with pre-existing illnesses, according to the Union Health ministry. "People with pre-existing illnesses and those older than 65 should follow standard precautions, as they would against any other respiratory infection -- not just for COVID-19," explained Lahariya, a consultant physician and former staff member of WHO. Kerala is the most affected with over 1,600 cases, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal, Delhi and Maharashtra, ministry data shows. The case surge in India is part of a wider wave impacting parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, which have been seeing a rise in infections over the past months. Wastewater surveillance by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has detected presence of SARS-CoV-2 -- which causes COVID-19 -- in samples from 10 sewage treatment plants in Pune, the Times of India reported. Patterns are similar to those seen in the weeks preceding earlier surges, NCL scientists were quoted as saying. Genome sequencing of samples from India's west and south have shown links to the subvariants of Omicron -- LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB.1.8.1. The cases are not severe and there is no need to worry, Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Rajiv Behl said earlier this week. LF.7 and NB.1.8.1. have been classified as 'variants under monitoring' (VUM) by the WHO to alert public health authorities that a variant of SARS-CoV-2 requires prioritised attention and monitoring. JN.1 has been circulating in India since November 2023. The current situation, Behl stressed, is being monitored. Immunologist Satyajit Rath explained that the subvariants driving up case numbers indicate that they are probably better at binding themselves to human cells, despite pre-existing antibodies created in response to a prior infection or vaccination -- or 'infectivity'. 'However, the important issue here is not their infectivity, but their tendency to cause severe disease, or 'virulence'," Mr Rath, former scientist at New Delhi's National Institute of Immunology, told PTI. "Since selection pressure among the virus strains depends on infectivity and transmissibility -- and not on virulence -- there is no reason to expect a steady increase in the virulence of the emerging virus strains, which, in fact, has not at all been seen either," he added. Moreover, given that the COVID-19-causing virus is now endemic and constantly 'mutating' or evolving, ups and downs in infections in the population are expected, the health experts said. "People need not worry themselves until they are informed of a new 'variant of concern'. VUM is not relevant to the public, but only to public health authorities," Mr Agarwal said. Mr Lahariya advised the public to gather information from reliable sources and not to forward unverified messages, while Mr Rath suggested that citizens keep a watch for the virulence of newly emerging strains. The experts also stressed on the role of authorities. "National and state governments in India should keep a watch on cases, monitor the trends in new cases and share data widely. The linkage between infections and clinical outcomes should be explored to understand the clinical features of the variants in circulation," Mr Lahariya said. Mr Rath drew attention to systemic issues that remain regarding preparedness of public health systems and availability of healthcare facilities across sections of the society should a virulent variant emerge. "The catch is, how efficiently, systematically and rigorously are our public health systems tracking virus strains, their infectivity and their virulence, not only for SARS-CoV-2 but for any other infection?" he asked. "Are we making next generation Covid vaccines at all? Are we making them available widely and affordably? Are we even carefully tracking evidence to see how well or poorly the current vaccine-induced immunity functions against emerging strains?" he added. The poor and vulnerable would need special protection "but are masks being made widely and freely available? 'And if not, we are throwing poor communities onto their own resources even for taking such simple precautions, and that is a systemic problem," Mr Rath said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
We can forget COVID-19, it's not a cause for concern, say health experts, as they explain the reason behind the surge in India
COVID-19 is becoming milder, but occasional surges are expected. Experts say the virus is endemic and constantly evolving. Rising cases are due to waning immunity and seasonal factors. Vulnerable populations should take precautions. The WHO declared the end of COVID-19 as a public health emergency two years ago. Cases are rising in Southeast Asia, including India. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Covid Becoming Milder Every Passing Year: Expert Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Surge in India part of broader trend Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 'Ups and downs expected because the virus is endemic' COVID-19 is becoming less severe over time, but occasional increases in cases are expected as the virus becomes endemic and continues to change, scientists say. They reassure the public that there is no major cause for alarm. The experts addressed concerns about the rising number of cases in different parts of India . They believe it is due to weakening immunity combined with seasonal factors, such as extreme temperatures that cause people to stay indoors in air-conditioned environments. They emphasised the need for caution, especially for those who are more vulnerable."With every passing year, COVID-19 is causing milder infections. It is (now) just another respiratory illness and less dangerous than flu. We can forget COVID-19 as a special case. It is not a cause of concern," said Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a global health Agarwal from Ashoka University added, "All the subvariants are similar, having a lower virulence but high infectivity. While highly susceptible people can still get severe disease, the vast majority don't, especially those who have had prior infections or vaccines."The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of COVID-19 as a public health emergency in May 2023. Health experts now describe the disease as seasonal, endemic, or restricted to certain of June 6, there were over 5,300 active cases in India, with nearly 500 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. More than 4,700 people have recovered. Since January, 55 deaths have been reported, mainly among individuals with pre-existing conditions, according to the Union Health advised that "People with pre-existing illnesses and those older than 65 should follow standard precautions, as they would against any other respiratory infection -- not just for COVID-19."Kerala is the most affected state with over 1,600 cases, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal, Delhi, and Maharashtra, according to ministry increase in cases in India is part of a broader trend in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hong surveillance by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has detected the presence of the virus in samples from sewage treatment plants in Pune, according to the Times of sequencing of samples from western and southern India has shown links to Omicron subvariants LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1. Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said earlier this week that the cases are not severe and there is no need to WHO has classified LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 as 'variants under monitoring' (VUM). JN.1 has been circulating in India since November Satyajit Rath explained that the subvariants are likely better at binding to human cells, despite existing antibodies."However, the important issue here is not their infectivity, but their tendency to cause severe disease, or 'virulence'," Rath experts said that ups and downs in infections are expected because the virus is now endemic and constantly stated, "People need not worry themselves until they are informed of a new 'variant of concern'. VUM is not relevant to the public, but only to public health authorities."Lahariya advised the public to get information from reliable sources and avoid sharing unverified messages. Rath suggested monitoring the virulence of new emphasised that "National and state governments in India should keep a watch on cases, monitor the trends in new cases and share data widely. The linkage between infections and clinical outcomes should be explored to understand the clinical features of the variants in circulation."Rath highlighted the need to address systemic issues in public health systems and healthcare questioned, "Are we making next-generation Covid vaccines at all? Are we making them available widely and affordably? Are we even carefully tracking evidence to see how well or poorly the current vaccine-induced immunity functions against emerging strains?"He added, "And if not, we are throwing poor communities onto their own resources even for taking such simple precautions, and that is a systemic problem."(Inputs from PTI)
Scroll.in
15-05-2025
- Health
- Scroll.in
What excess death data shows: Bihar, Gujarat undercounted Covid-19 toll by 30 times
On May 7, as India launched military strikes in Pakistan, the government quietly released a tranche of data that to a great extent reveals the true cost of the Covid-19 pandemic. India recorded at least 3.74 million excess deaths in 2020 and 2021 compared to two pre-Covid years, 2018 and 2019, according to the data on registered births and deaths released last week. Excess deaths or mortality refers to the difference between the total number of deaths during a pandemic or any other natural disaster compared to the number of deaths that would have been expected under normal conditions. The difference is an indicator of the likely death toll, as it captures deaths that went unreported. The total deaths in 2018 and 2019 was 14.5 million. But the number of deaths in the two pandemic years – 2020 and 2021 – was 18.3 million, shows data from the civil registration system, which is the official record of births and deaths registered with the local government bodies. This indicates 3.74 million excess deaths. In contrast, India's official Covid-19 toll till date is 5.33 lakh. The first death due to the virus was reported in March 2020. That is to say, India possibly undercounted Covid-19 deaths by seven times. If the government releases civil registration data for 2022, the gap could be higher. The civil registration system records events such as births, deaths and still births. 'The latest report confirms what we already know. India had undercounted its deaths caused by Covid-19,' said public health expert Chandrakant Lahariya. The excess mortality figures in India is closer to the World Health Organisation's estimates of excess deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The mathematical model by the WHO had estimated 4.74 million excess deaths for India in the period between January 2020 to December 2021. When the WHO had released its report on excess mortality in 2022, the Indian government had objected and questioned the 'validity and robustness of the models' used by the international organisation. Since many births and deaths go unregistered, especially in rural regions, the government also conducts a sample registration system survey to estimate deaths. The civil registration system counted 3.7 million excess deaths in 2020 and 2021, compared to 2018 and 2019. However, according to the sample registration system, there are 1.9 million excess deaths in the same period – which is four times the official Covid-19 toll. Scroll looked deeper into the state-wise CRS and SRS data to understand how Covid-19 mortality varied by state. Our analysis of the state-wise CRS and SRS data shows that Gujarat, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh were worst hit by the pandemic, even though their official tolls remained low. What the latest government data shows Across India, the total number of deaths recorded in 2021 was 10.2 million and the corresponding figure for 2020 was 8.1 million, CRS data shows. The figure is a big jump from pre-Covid years. In 2018, India registered deaths of 6.9 million people and in 2019, 7.6 million. While the overall registered births between 2020 and 2021 decreased slightly by 0.1 %, deaths rose by a significant 25.9%. Moreover, data from the SRS indicates that the Covid-19 pandemic affected rural areas more than urban centres. The death rate in rural areas stood at 7.9, while it was 6.6 in urban areas – a reflection of the difference in healthcare facilities in these regions. States guilty of massive undercount In some states, the estimate of excess deaths was higher than others. In Bihar, there was a 65.9% jump in the total registered deaths in the first two years of Covid-19 pandemic compared to the two pre-Covid years of 2018 and 2019. The state recorded 3.78 lakh excess deaths in the state in this period. Its official Covid-19 toll till date is 12,315 deaths – which means the state's likely toll is 30 times the official figure. The death rate – the number of deaths per 1,000 people – in the state also rose from 5.5 in 2019 to 6.6 in 2021, data from the SRS report shows. Dr Shakeel from Jan Swasthya Abhiyaan in Bihar blamed the state's poor health infrastructure for the devastating impact of the pandemic. 'People had nowhere to go for treatment,' he told Scroll. Another state which massively underreported its death toll was Gujarat. The state has reported only 11,101 deaths due to Covid-19 from 2020 till 2025. But if excess mortality of just 2020 and 2021 is considered, the Covid-19 toll stands at 3.53 lakh – that is to say, the state undercounted deaths by at least 31 times. Moreover, compared to 2018 and 2019, Gujarat saw a 39.5% jump in registered deaths in the pandemic years. The rise in Gujarat's death rate has also been the sharpest compared to other states, from 5.6 in 2019 to 8.5 in 2021. Similarly, Chhattisgarh's death rate rose from 7.3 to 10.1, SRS data shows. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, recorded 3.74 lakh excess deaths in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2018 and 2019. This is 15 times more than its official total Covid-19 toll of 23,743. Madhya Pradesh's Covid-19 toll, too, could be 28 times higher than it reported. The state recorded 3 lakh excess deaths, but has only 10,788 Covid-19 deaths in official records. In the south, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh also underreported their Covid-19 deaths. Andhra Pradesh recorded 2.33 lakh excess deaths, 15 times more than its official toll so far of 14,733. Telangana's official Covid-19 toll is 4,111, about 17 times less than the excess deaths found in 2020 and 2021 – 72,730 more people died compared to 2018 and 2019. Better performers The gap between excess deaths and the Covid-19 toll is narrow in only a few states like Kerala, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. This means that these states made an effort to count and report Covid-19 deaths truthfully. Shakeel blamed the lax Covid-19 fatality reporting on a poor system of classifying medical deaths in many states. 'The cause of death certification is still not undertaken in many hospitals in Bihar,' Shakeel pointed. 'If that was done, our official Covid toll would be much higher.' Across India, only 23.4% of registered deaths are medically certified to list the cause of death.
