The ICMR has said that the vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is effective against the UK and Brazil variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the double mutant strain of the virus

For this trial, the researchers are looking for 64 previously infected Covid-19 individuals between the age group 18 -30 years. The volunteers will be first reinfected with the original strain from ,China and will be monitored for a year

The double mutation happens when two mutated strains of a virus come together and form a third strain. In India,  E484Q and L452R are the two mutated strains that have combined and form a new strain, now classified as B.1.617

The variant, classified as 'B.1.617', has now been found in eight nations, with 70% of samples comprising mutations believed to have stemmed from India. Experts have termed the \"new double mutant strain\" a desi (Indian) variant

Around February, when cases started to decrease, people became lax towards following COVID-appropriate behaviour as they thought the virus had become ineffective, says AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria

Japan has twice declared a state of emergency that covered most of the country in the past year, most recently just after New Year as the pandemic's third and most deadly wave struck

Private equity and overseas companies are taking over domestic healthcare chains, creating a new pecking order

Covid-19 in Maharashtra: CM Uddhav Thackeray will review situation with district collectors today. He has convened a meeting of all district collectors today to review the Covid-19 situation

Analysis so far by the Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), a grouping of 10 National Laboratories under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, revealed 771 variants of concerns (VOCs) have been detected in a total of 10,787 positive samples

Covid-19 vaccines that have been approved across the world so far have properties that create \"neutralising antibodies\" in our body, which blocks the virus from entering the body. But these VoCs and \"double mutants\" can escape these antibodies

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected state. India's richest state has more than 25.33 lakh COVID-19 cases as of March 24, 2021

The ministry said that INSACOG found out that there are 771 variants of concern (VOCs) in the 10,787 positive samples it had checked. Out of that 736 samples were positive for the UK variant

The samples found positive comprise 736 for viruses of the UK lineage; 34 for viruses of the South African lineage; 1 for viruses of Brazilian (P.1) lineage

The Centre said India had reported four cases of the South African variant of SARS-CoV-2 and one case of the Brazil variant a month ago

\"The spread of the variants is driving the increase, but not only,'' said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, citing \"also the opening of society, when it is not done in a safe and a controlled manner.\"

The real-world study involved around 1.2 million people in Israel. Pfizer vaccine has also proved to be effective against B.1.1.7 variant, also known as the UK variant of coronavirus

The country has already reported three mutated strains of the coronavirus - the UK strain, the South African strain and the Brazilian strain

New Zealand expects its nationwide rollout covering the country's population of 5 million will take a full year, while Australia aims to inoculate its 25 million citizens by October

\"The interim analysis report should be out in a week,\" Bhargava said on the clinical trials against the new variants.

Scientists are working with an anti-viral coating technology called DiOX, which uses organic disinfectant compounds in the textiles, says report