Latest news with #NCDC
Mint
13 hours ago
- Health
- Mint
Experts call for tracking source, transmission of new covid cases
There is a greater need to understand the transmission of the new covid wave, a disease control expert said, at a time when the number of cases in the country is inching closer to 5,000. Communities were flu-like symptoms lead to a rush of covid-19 hospitalizations need an epidemiological investigation—a process to figure out how it spreads and stop the transmission—according to Dr. Sujeet Singh, who led the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) during the pandemic outbreak five years ago. This will uncover transmission dynamics, trends among hospitalized cases and epidemiological profile of cases, besides assessment of morbidity and associated severity, Singh said in an interview. 'There has been a recent rise in covid cases in Singapore, Hongkong, Korea and some other countries. In India also, there has been a substantial rise in the last fortnight. The rise from 257 cases around 25 May to over 3,900 cases on 1 June, 2025 points to increased transmission,' said Singh, former NCDC director. He added that at present, the strategy of test, track and treat should be aimed at understanding the current scenarios, particularly in states where rise is being seen. On Thursday, India registered a 4866 active covid-19 cases, as per health ministry data. As many as seven deaths were reported in the previous 24 hours, two each in Delhi, Karnataka and three from Maharashtra. The total number of deaths have climbed to 51 since 1 January 2025. India's latest covid wave is caused by two new coronavirus variants, NB.1.8.1 and LF.7, mutations of the Omicron offspring JN.1 variant. 'Concerns over the sharp spike of covid-19 cases in India can be due to increased testing in influenza-like illnesses (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases. Testing can be focused in hospitalized ILI cases. Thereafter, the communities from where increased admission of ILI cases (which are covid-19 positive) need to be further epidemiologically investigated. The mortality in high-risk elderly population and persons with co-morbidities also needs to be investigated,' he said. The health ministry has directed all states and union territories to ensure health preparedness measures across health facilities to control the transmission of the infection. Assessment of oxygen supply system is being done in hospitals as part of the health preparedness measure. Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a public health expert, said that while there is fairly good understanding of SARS CoV2 virus to make inferences, it would be worthwhile for the government to regularly release epidemiological data of covid-19 cases. 'As of now, We don't know from where these covid-19 cases are being reported, what are their distribution patterns, do they have co-morbidities. The government should put data for epidemiological analysis to understand severity and pattern of the disease. The covid-19 virus has become mild to milder and people should not panic due to the spike in the covid. Furthermore, there should be a better communication approach and bring in more science and epidemiology while discussing on covid-19,' said Dr. Lahariya. Meanwhile, the government has advised the public to practise hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and avoid crowded places when unwell. The health ministry has noted that individuals with acute respiratory illness should self-monitor and seek medical care if symptoms worsen. According to Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, a former scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and currently national chair at ICMR, right now, India's surveillance strategy should focus more on hospitalization and death rates. 'The number of cases being reported in the country is not important unless we know whether the hospitalization and deaths rated are increasing. The number of cases increases if one tests more and more people. These absolute numbers are of limited value as this is a mild infection. Rather, these covid numbers create panic in the people. And if, the hospitalization and death rates increase, sequencing those samples to see whether the virus has mutated or is the circulating variant will help design an appropriate strategy further. If it is an old omicron strain, then there is nothing to worry but, if it is a new strain, then measures need to be taken.' Covid has become endemic, but the good news is that the newer variants continue to come from the omicron family over the last three years, Gangakedkar said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
AIIMS Nagpur is Maharashtra's first medical college to get BSL-3 lab
Nagpur: In a significant step forward for public health in Vidarbha and surrounding areas, AIIMS Nagpur will soon be home to Maharashtra's first Bio-Safety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory in a medical college, thanks to a tie-up with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi. This cutting-edge lab will help doctors quickly detect and respond to deadly infections like Nipah, Zika, bird flu, and even viruses used in bioterrorism. For common people, this means faster diagnosis, better protection during disease outbreaks, and stronger health systems in our region. "This BSL-3 lab will make AIIMS Nagpur a hub for detecting dangerous infections early, which is crucial to stop them from spreading," said Dr Prashant P Joshi, executive director of AIIMS Nagpur. Currently, the only BSL-3 lab in Maharashtra is at the National Institute of Virology, Pune. Once operational, the Nagpur lab will not only serve patients but will also train microbiologists and technicians from across the state to fight infectious diseases better. Dr Meena Mishra, who heads the department of microbiology and is the project in charge, explained, "BSL-3 labs are highly secure and are built to handle very dangerous germs. These germs can cause severe disease and can spread from animals to humans, like Japanese Encephalitis, Mpox, or Nipah virus. With this lab, we'll be able to test and research them safely right here in Nagpur." Unlike the existing BSL-2 lab at AIIMS, which handles common infections like dengue and Covid-19, the BSL-3 lab will work with much riskier pathogens. It will have features like airtight rooms, HEPA filters to clean the air, and specially trained staff in full protective gear. The lab is being set up under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. The NCDC has allotted Rs30 crore for it — Rs25 crore for infrastructure and Rs5 crore for equipment and testing kits. Experts from Delhi, including Sunil Bharadwaj (additional director, NCDC), Dr Ankur Garg (joint director), and Dr Aradhana Bhargava (nodal officer for the lab), recently signed the MoU with AIIMS authorities during their visit to Nagpur. Once ready, this BSL-3 lab will become a crucial defence system against any future epidemic or bio-emergency, ensuring that people in Central India don't have to wait or travel far for testing and treatment. "This initiative strengthens India's ability to deal with public health emergencies. We're proud to bring such a facility to Nagpur," Dr Joshi added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Villagers perform yagya after six deaths in animal attack
Barwani: After the death of six people from animal bite despite getting the vaccine, the people of Limbai village have resorted to yagya. Meanwhile, another person was admitted to the district hospital after their health deteriorated. Villagers of Limbai collected Rs 100 from each family on Tuesday and organised a yagya. Pandit Hariom, Kunal, Mahendra and Devendra, who conducted the yagya said, "After six deaths, the villagers are very scared, so a 12-hour Yagya has been organised for protection from the disaster and peace of the soul of the deceased." Om Soni, former district president of BJP said that he informed the district in-charge minister Gautam Tetwal and the deputy chief minister and health minister Rajendra Shukla about the entire matter. Barwani CMHO, Dr Surekha Jamre said that on Tuesday, Baliram of Limbai was admitted to the district hospital after his condition deteriorated. Baliram earlier fled while being referred to Indore. He was again sent to Indore on May 30 but he returned along with four other people, against the advice of the doctors. The CMHO said that the remaining 10 people are recovering by staying in their homes and the medical team is constantly monitoring them. She said, "The people returning from MY Hospital said that they were feeling nervous in the isolation ward there and wanted to come to the open environment of their village." Apart from this, some people said that despite getting the vaccine, people are dying, so they have developed a phobia of the vaccine, she added. She said that on the advice of the higher officials, the saliva of Baliram (undergoing treatment at the district hospital) and the brain tissue of another deceased are being sent to the lab in Pune for examination. Apart from this, after taking approval from the state govt on the instructions of district collector Guncha Sanobar, the vaccine samples are being sent to the National Drug Laboratory in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, for checking the efficacy. According to the higher officials, the matter is also being informed to NCDC (National Center for Disease Control) and advice is being taken. Block medical officer of Rajpur, Dr Devendra Romede said that on Tuesday, eight of ten people were given the fourth dose of the vaccine. In this, Chain Singh Mangiya refused to get vaccinated, while Mahesh Jai Singh is not traceable. Another Rajesh, who could not get the third dose due to disappearance, was vaccinated today. DFO of Barwani, Ashish Bansod said that Rs 8 lakh of compensation amount has been approved for the families of all the deceased. He said that the unidentified animal or its carcass is being searched with the help of drones, trap cameras and cages with forest staff. The information of two people being bitten by an unknown animal in village Bilwani is also being confirmed. Meanwhile, two people who went out for a morning walk in Balwadi of Sendhwa sub-division of the district have been referred to Indore after being bitten by dogs. On the other hand, tribal leader and MLA from Manawar of Dhar district, Dr Hiralal Alawa has written a letter to the chief minister demanding an inquiry into the negligence of the administrative, medical and forest staff, along with compensation of Rs 50 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 20 lakh each to those affected and the formation of an expert committee in MY Hospital.
Canberra Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Canberra Times
A soul-stirring journey of culture, Country and knock-out views
Did You Know? As noted by ArchivesACT which featured the mock funeral in its 'Find of the Month' in 2017, "the NCDC was abolished after the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 with many of its functions, staff and files passed on to the new ACT government. The remaining functions were passed to the National Capital Authority (NCA) which was established under the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 to undertake the Commonwealth role in the development of the national capital as the Seat of Government."
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
No reliable data on heat stroke and heat deaths in India: Experts
New Delhi: There is no reliable data on heatstroke and heat deaths as data-reporting systems are not uniformly strong across the country, experts said on Tuesday. Talking about the impact of extreme heat at the India Heat Summit 2025, organised by research group Climate Trends, Health Ministry Advisor Soumya Swaminathan said deaths are just the tip of the iceberg. "We do not fully count all the deaths attributable to climate hazards or to heat as reporting systems are not uniformly strong across the country," she said. There is a need to strengthen death-reporting systems "because that is the best source for the government, for the policymakers to know ... what people die of is what should inform your policy and that keeps changing from time to time", Swaminathan said. She had earlier told PTI in an interview that India is "most likely" undercounting heat-related deaths due to a lack of robust data. The former chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said data has been sitting in silos and called for the establishment of an environmental health hub , where the ministries of health, environment and earth sciences come together, share data and translate information into action. Swaminathan, however, warned against focusing only on deaths. "It is not just the mortality we need to be fixated on.... (We need to ascertain) the impact on health and productivity. Ultimately, health determines your productivity and impact on the GDP," she said. Chandni Singh, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements, said there are challenges in how India records heat deaths and there is no good dataset to refer to. "Currently, there is no nationally representative data on heatstroke and heat-related deaths. One can, however, draw inferences from the existing datasets," she said. The health ministry's National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been collecting and reporting heatstroke and heat-death data under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) since 2015. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also maintains data related to heat deaths, sourced from media reports. Apart from this, Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh has cited the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) data on heat deaths in parliamentary replies. All three datasets report different figures for heat-related deaths. For example, according to the NCDC, a total of 3,775 heat-related deaths were reported between 2015 and 2019. During the same period, the NCRB recorded 6,537 heat-related deaths. Swaminathan also said that though the number of heat action plans is increasing, these are developed by a group of experts sitting together, there is very little community consultation that has gone into these and there is very little ground truthing and very little feedback collected. Krishna Vatsa, member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said the country lacks a "very well established academic or technical centre.... A group of people who could help districts prepare heat action plans". "We do not have one designated, proper centre of excellence for dissemination of all the knowledge and expertise," he said. Vatsa said if it were left just to officers to write heat action plans, it would not be very successful and more handholding and technical training were needed.
