Latest news with #SoumyaSwaminathan
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Covid cases may surge every 6 to 8 months: Soumya Swaminathan
Trichy: People should follow Covid guidelines as the virus is likely to stay and surge in months, chairperson of MSSRF Chairperson and advisor to Union ministry of health and family welfare Dr Soumya Swaminathan said on Monday. Soumya Swaminathan participated in the launch of the livelihood support programme for small-scale fishermen at MSSRF Fish For All Research and Training Center in Poompuhar, Mayiladuthurai district. Responding to questions from reporters about the spread of Covid-19, Soumya Swaminathan said, "There are possibilities of Covid-19 surge every six to eight months. The virus is here to stay with us, just like the common cold. People should be careful and follow Covid-19 guidelines." Stating that the virus spreading among people is likely to cause mild effects, Soumya Swaminathan said, "Elders and those with underlying health conditions need to be more careful, however." On Covid vaccination , Soumya Swaminathan said the vaccines were safe and are less likely to cause side effects any more. "Those who had contracted Covid earlier, may have reactions to comorbidities," she added. Earlier, MSSRF began an initiative for five villages in Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore districts. Head of the centre, S Velvizhi stated that training and development activities would be conducted for 1,500 families in the next three years. Addressing MSSRF's upcoming projects, Soumya Swaminathan said, "We are starting new research on the impact of prolonged heat and humidity on the health of fisherfolk in coastal districts." She added that MSSRF is developing an early warning tool integrated with artificial intelligence for fisherfolk to warn them about the health impact. She further stated that fisherfolk have a high possibility of high blood pressure and diabetes due to exposure to salty wind and consumption of salty food, according to surveys. "People should have a check-up once a year and keep their blood pressure under control," she said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Covid likely to surge, people should follow guidelines: Soumya Swaminathan
Trichy: People should follow Covid guidelines as the virus is likely to stay and surge in months, chairperson of MSSRF Chairperson and advisor to Union ministry of health and family welfare Dr Soumya Swaminathan said on Monday. Soumya Swaminathan participated in the launch of the livelihood support programme for small-scale fishermen at MSSRF Fish For All Research and Training Center in Poompuhar, Mayiladuthurai district. Responding to questions from reporters about the spread of Covid-19, Soumya Swaminathan said, "There are possibilities of Covid-19 surge every six to eight months. The virus is here to stay with us, just like the common cold. People should be careful and follow Covid-19 guidelines." Stating that the virus spreading among people is likely to cause mild effects, Soumya Swaminathan said, "Elders and those with underlying health conditions need to be more careful, however." On Covid vaccination, Soumya Swaminathan said the vaccines were safe and are less likely to cause side effects any more. "Those who had contracted Covid earlier, may have reactions to comorbidities," she added. Earlier, MSSRF began an initiative for five villages in Mayiladuthurai and Cuddalore districts. Head of the centre, S Velvizhi stated that training and development activities would be conducted for 1,500 families in the next three years. Addressing MSSRF's upcoming projects, Soumya Swaminathan said, "We are starting new research on the impact of prolonged heat and humidity on the health of fisherfolk in coastal districts." She added that MSSRF is developing an early warning tool integrated with artificial intelligence for fisherfolk to warn them about the health impact. She further stated that fisherfolk have a high possibility of high blood pressure and diabetes due to exposure to salty wind and consumption of salty food, according to surveys. "People should have a check-up once a year and keep their blood pressure under control," she said.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Readiness, not panic: on India and COVID-19
The lessons of the past should serve as a good guide, especially the learnings from three years of COVID-19. The country's COVID-19 dashboard has seen some activity in recent weeks, and the total number (since January 2025) of COVID cases is currently at 3961 (as on June 2, 8 a.m.), and the number of deaths recorded as 32. While a figure in 1000s seems a bit alarming, it is still a small number in a country with a population of over 1.4 billion. It is also important to take a look at the full picture. Not all States have had a day-on-day hike in numbers testing positive for COVID, and all hikes are still in the single or low double digits. Also, 2,188 people have been discharged since, underlining what experts have been saying as the curve rose this year: that the variants causing infection now are Omicron subvariants and that they are neither more transmissible nor do they cause worse disease than in the past. While panic and anxiety might be unwarranted, a sense of caution and precautionary approach are advisable, particularly for those with vulnerabilities and co-morbid conditions. Experience from the pandemic is that people with other pre-existing co-morbidities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infection. Common comorbidities include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and kidney diseases, and advancing age (post 60 years). People with these conditions must start masking up in public places, and hand wash regularly. Former World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan has said the recent immunity from the pandemic will stand in good stead, but again, to take possible precautions including giving boosters or vaccine shots, especially to the vulnerable. This is where the government must step in, as COVID vaccines or boosters are not available in most parts of the country, even urban centres. India, a signatory to the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement, must first ensure that stockpiles of vaccines and diagnostic kits are created and distributed across the country. Both public and private sector hospitals must ensure that health infrastructure — particularly the availability of medical oxygen, adequate beds and health-care personnel — is in a state of readiness. Another scenario that must be avoided at all costs is the deliberate obfuscation of data on true numbers on infections or deaths as during the pandemic. Instead, transparency and efficiency must guide both the Centre and the States, this time, irrespective of how the COVID curve behaves. But panic is not the same as preparedness: one is debilitating, the other is enabling.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Health
- First Post
Covid-19 now just like any other respiratory illness, predominant in India after recent surge: Expert
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, is just like any other respiratory illness now and there is no possibility of another catastrophic wave like the one driven by Delta variant in 2021, according to Soumya Swaminathan, a former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO). read more At present, 'LF.7' and 'NB.1.8' — both descendants of the 'JN.1' variant — are the main variants of the COVID-19-causing virus circulating in Singapore. AP File Soumya Swaminathan, a former Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), has said that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, is now just like any other respiratory virus and there is no need to panic at the moment. In recent weeks, Covid-19 cases have risen in India. As per the latest information, there are 3,961 active Covid-19 cases in the country, with 203 new cases and four deaths being reported in the previous 24 hours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In an interview with CNN-News 18, Swaminathan said that the SARS-CoV-2, just like any other virus, is bound to periodic surges every six to eight months and the ongoing spike in cases is a result of such a periodic surge. She went on to compare it with influenza virus. 'It has been around now for five years. It is of course constantly mutating and changing like other viruses. And, just like we get every year a spike of influenza cases at certain seasons, we have also now started seeing that periodically, maybe every six to eight months or so, there is a rise in Covid cases,' said Swaminathan, who also served as the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) during 2015-17. Swaminathan further said that there was no chance of another catastrophic wave of Covid-19 like the Delta variant's wave of 2021. Swaminathan noted that influenza virus was the predominant respiratory infection for most of the year and it was only in April and May that Covid-19 over influenza. She said that it is likely to happen now as Covid-19 has become just another viral infection now. Swaminathan said, 'It's likely that every few months or once a year, we will see this type of thing happening in the future. The good thing is, of course, that we all have immunity now, both from vaccination and from natural infections that many of us have had in the last few years. And, so, what you're seeing now is a mild disease mostly, even though people are testing and reporting positivity, you find that hospitalisations are very few.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While there is no need to panic, people with higher risk of sickness should take the usual precautions, said Swaminathan. Those with higher risk include people with compromised immune systems, pre-existing health conditions, and older people, according to Swaminathan.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID-19 in India: Four new deaths reported, active cases near 4,000
India's active COVID-19 cases stand at 3,961 as of 8 AM on Monday (June 2, 2025), according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The cumulative COVID-19 deaths in the country since January this year have increased to 32, with four deaths reported since Sunday (June 1, 2025). According to official data, 203 new cases were added to the active case count since Sunday. Also read | No need to fear COVID-19, thanks to acquired immunity, says Soumya Swaminathan Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Kerala each reported one COVID-19 death since Sunday. Delhi reported 47 more COVID-19 cases, increasing the total active cases in the national capital to 483. In Kerala, active COVID-19 cases rose to 1,435, with 35 new cases reported since Sunday. In Maharashtra, 21 new COVID-19 cases were reported, taking the active case count to 506. In West Bengal, 44 new COVID-19 cases were reported, increasing the State's active cases to 331. On Friday, Union Minister of State for Health and AYUSH (Independent Charge), Prataprao Jadhav, assured that the Centre is fully prepared to handle any situation that may arise. 'Both our Central Health Department and the AYUSH Ministry are fully alert and closely monitoring the situation across all States. We have spoken with the respective Health and AYUSH Secretaries, as well as other concerned ministers,' Jadhav had told ANI. He added that the infrastructure developed during the earlier COVID-19 waves has been reviewed and that preparations are underway to deal with any eventuality. 'We've reviewed the infrastructure built during the earlier Covid waves, such as oxygen plants and ICU beds, and have already begun preparations. Our health systems are well-equipped and ready to handle any situation that may arise in response to COVID,' he had said.
