The world is in a very “dangerous period” of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded by more transmissible variants like Delta, which is continuing to evolve and mutate, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Saturday. Countries with low vaccine coverage are once again seeing hospitals being overburdened, he said.

India reported 44,111 new Coronavirus cases and 738 deaths in the last 24 hours, ending 8 am Saturday. With this, the country’s overall caseload rose to 3,05,02,362, while the death toll increased to 4,01,050. Active cases have dropped to 4,95,533.

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine was found to be 77.8 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19, the company announced as it concluded phase 3 clinical trials of the jab

Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine was found to be 77.8 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19, the company announced as it concluded phase 3 clinical trials of the jab. The vaccine is also 65.2 per cent effective against the Delta variant and 93.4 per cent effective against severe symptomatic Covid-19, the company claimed.

The Health Ministry has announced that pregnant women are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccination, at any time of the pregnancy. To help pregnant women make an informed decision, the Ministry has released guidelines detailing the risks from Covid-19 infection in pregnancy, the benefits of vaccination, and the likely side effects of vaccination.

Source: The Indian Express