Experts: Seeking A Third Dose Of Covid Vaccine Prematurely Is A ‘Dangerous Trend’ — Here’s Why

As Covid numbers rise and the more contagious delta variant spreads throughout the United States, people want to know what they can do stay safe.

With talk of some vaccines being less effective against infection with delta, and news of third booster mRNA shot being tested and in some countries selectively administered, some people are even wondering if they should try and hack more protection — by independently seeking out a third shot or by mixing and matching vaccines.

But Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist, cautioned people who are “voluntarily thinking about [getting] an additional dose,” during a press briefing Monday.

Without more data on the safety and efficacy, taking additional doses beyond the two-dose regimen or mixing and matching vaccines is “a little bit of a dangerous trend,” she said.

Here’s why.

There Are Potential Risks To Getting A Third Dose When You’re Fully Vaccinated

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration all agree that Americans who are fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. as currently prescribed are all effective against severe illness and death from Covid.

“Virtually all Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths in United States are now occurring among unvaccinated individuals,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said at a press briefing July 8.

For those who are fully vaccinated, seeking out a third dose or getting more doses than are recommended generally brings up two particularly relevant risks, according to Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the CDC.

First, since there tend to be stronger side effects after the second dose of a two-dose regimen, there’s a chance that a third dose could also be associated with higher risk of adverse reactions, Butler said during an Infectious Diseases Society of America briefing Tuesday. There’s just not enough data at this stage to determine if that is the case.

Additionally, with other types of vaccines, there can be “a rare problem whereas you get more and more doses, you actually have a muted immune response,” Pavia said in the briefing. This may be an issue with some Covid vaccines, but it is not likely to be the case with the mRNA Covid vaccines, he said.

There Are Ethical And Logistical Implications

In the United States, 48% of the total population is fully vaccinated against Covid and 67.7% of people have received at least one dose. With those numbers, it’s “not appropriate” to assume that everyone needs a booster at this stage, Fauci told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin on “Squawk Box” Tuesday.

“We still haven’t vaccinated enough people in the primary part of this,” he said.

Butler agreed that the “top priority” should be to vaccinate people who have received no doses of the Covid vaccine “as soon as possible,” before fully vaccinated people get boosters, he said.

And globally, “to [give out boosters] prematurely would use up a lot of vaccine that much of the world needs, as well as divert our efforts in getting people their first dose of vaccine,” Dr. Andrew T. Pavia, IDSA fellow and chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah School of Medicine, said in a briefing Tuesday.

“We are talking about the possibility of a third shot boost and a major component of the world has never even received a single shot,” Fauci told CNBC’s Becky Quick on “Squawk Box” Tuesday.

Beyond the ethical complications, there are logistical considerations too. “It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who should be taking a second, or a third or a fourth dose,” Swaminathan said.

There’s Not Enough Data On ‘Mixing And Matching’ Vaccines

Individuals deciding to mix and match their vaccines — like someone who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine going in search of a shot of an mRNA vaccine as a booster, for example — is also not advised.

The CDC says that Covid vaccines are “not interchangeable” because the safety and efficacy of “a mixed-product series” hasn’t been examined. (The Covid mRNA vaccines are the first of their kind to be approved, so there’s no precedent for what effect it could have when mixed with another type of vaccine, according to the global vaccine organization Gavi.)

Swaminathan put it: “We’re in a data-free, evidence-free zone here as far as mix-and-match,” she said during the WHO briefing. “It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third, and a fourth dose,” she said.

That said, the National Institutes of Health is conducting studies that involve giving people a third dose, either of the same vaccine or booster doses of a different vaccine. Results and safety information from the study should be available in the summer or early fall.

And AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine, which is not yet available in the U.S., utilizes the same technology as J&J’s. Researchers from Oxford University recently published findings that combining the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine with a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine generates a “robust” immune response against the virus.

How And When Boosters Could Be Rolled Out

Fauci did say that the U.S. is not ruling out the idea of a third booster shot, noting that the situation is fluid and contingent upon data that comes out, during an interview with NPR Tuesday.

The FDA and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will determine if, when and who should receive boosters, according to data, Butler said.

According to Butler, there are two groups that are most concerning with regards to getting boosters: older people over age 75 to 80, because they are at highest risk of getting severe Covid and received their vaccines earliest; and people who are immunocompromised and therefore “have a more limited immune response to the Covid vaccines that are currently available,” he said.

Cases and deaths due to COVID-19 are again increasing globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday that fatalities increased last week after nine weeks of drop. It recorded more than 55,000 deaths, which was 3% more than the previous week. Cases increased by 10% last week to around 3 million. The highest number of cases has been reported from Brazil, India, Indonesia and Britain.This could be attributed to low vaccination rates, easing of mask regulations and other precautions.

India

22^nd April: New cases 332503, New deaths 2256, Total cases 16257309, Total Deaths 186928, Active Cases 2428775

21^st April: New cases 315802, New Deaths 2102, Total cases 15924806, Total Deaths 184672, Active Cases 2290728

20^th April: New cases 294290, New Deaths 2020, Total cases 15609004, Total Deaths 182570, Active Cases 2156571

19^th April: New Cases 260778, New Deaths 1495, Total Cases 14782461, Total Deaths 177168, Active Cases 1800199

18^th April: New cases 260778, New Deaths 1495, Total Cases 14782461, Total Deaths 177168, Active Cases 1800199

17^th April: New cases 233493, New Deaths 1495, Total Cases 14782461, Total Deaths 177495, Active Cases 1800199

16^th April: New Cases 233943, New deaths 1338, Total Cases 14521683, Total Deaths 175673, Active Cases 1679121

15^th April: New cases 216850, New deaths 1183, Total Cases 14287740, Total Deaths 174335, Active Cases 1569427

The National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom has been performing experiments to determine the efficacy of mixing two separate vaccines. The aim of this 13-month trial is to determine how well the immune systems of individuals react after being "primed" with one form of the vaccine and then enhanced with another.

The trial phase

According to experts, this is only a trial and it is unclear if it would be beneficial. As more COVID-19 vaccinations rise globally, analysts have wondered if vaccines can be mixed and balanced to increase vaccination rates. Due to evidence of vaccine supply chain problems, encouraging people to use a variety of vaccines can help them get completely vaccinated more quickly. The National Health Service (NHS) is undertaking experiments to determine the efficacy of integrating two separate COVID-19 vaccinations in an effort to develop more flexible COVID-19 vaccination services. The research is called the Com-COV study, and it raises critical concerns, such as whether this will improve or decrease vaccine efficacy.

How is the Com-COV trial conducted?

• The aim of this 13-month experiment, according to the NHS, is to determine how well people's immune systems react after being "primed" with one kind of vaccine and then enhanced with another.
• The researchers want to determine the strength of the immune system response when the second dose is given at a different time interval from the first dose.
• Additionally, researchers will monitor the effect of various dosing regimens on participants' immune system responses and check for any additional adverse effects to these vaccine combinations.
• AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech provided the vaccines used in this research. The NHS did add that, if additional vaccines are authorised for use in the United Kingdom after this research begins, they will be included in the experiment.

It's important to remember that, according to the most recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Source, due to a lack of acceptable safety evidence, COVID-19 vaccines cannot be combined unless an unusual circumstance exists, such as a vaccine deficit for the individual who initially got the vaccine.

There are two distinct types of pneumococcal vaccinations with distinct modes of action, although under some circumstances, combining them can be considered sometimes. AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines work differently. The vaccines defend against COVID-19 using two distinct technologies. The vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is an mRNA vaccine, but the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca is not.

How do the vaccines work?

AstraZeneca, like Johnson & Johnson, uses adenovirus vector technology. However, all vaccines contain instructions directing our cells to produce the SARS-CoV-2 virus's spike protein, which is responsible for COVID-19. This then triggers our bodies to mount an immune reaction against the coronavirus spike antigen, which aids in protecting us if we are infected. The distinction is in the manner in which the two vaccines provide these directions to our cells.

Pfizer delivers information into cells through mRNA coated in lipid (fatty) material although AstraZeneca accomplishes the same thing by using a diluted strain of adenovirus- a common cold virus. Both vaccines require two doses at the moment. While the modified virus in AstraZeneca's vaccine is not infectious, it contains a gene from the coronavirus's spike protein, the part of the virus that initiates an immune response.

As a consequence, the immune system produces antibodies that are specific for COVID-19, instructing the body on how to react if an infection occurs. The hybrid approach's efficacy is unknown. However, the trial provides useful details. It is a novel strategy, which is why the United Kingdom has proposed conducting a feasibility review to assess it. It is conceivable that delivering the information to the cells in two distinct ways (via mRNA and via an adenovirus viral vector) results in a stronger or longer protective response. However, this technique can jeopardize or enhance overall efficacy. This method is more applicable in the sense of analysis because of the issue of whether it would be better or worse. This trial would shed more light.

Combining vaccinations that aren't yet ready for prime time

Combining vaccines is not yet ready for prime time, according to an expert. Without a doubt, critical COVID-19 vaccine shortages exist. It is a real question if we can address these problems in order to protect the majority of the population from the pandemic and return to a more natural state. However, is combining separate vaccines preferable to missing a necessary second dose? To reach 90 per cent effectiveness, the second dose should be administered. However, in emergency situations, such as where there is a lack of COVID vaccines, it would be preferable to vaccinate more patients with a single dose. At the very least, any defence is preferable to zero.

The gist

• Researchers in the United Kingdom are running a clinical trial to determine whether combining the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines will further maximise the number of patients who will receive the necessary two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
• According to experts, there is insufficient evidence to determine if this strategy is successful, and it could also reduce the level of security provided by these vaccines.
• Except under rare cases, the CDC currently warns against combining vaccines.
• According to researchers, in cases where mixing multiple COVID-19 vaccinations or not receiving the second dose is not an option, it is preferable to use the same vaccine in a single dose before more information becomes available.

The pandemic we are experiencing around the world has challenged us in ways we never could have imagined. When it hit in the winter of 2019/20, many thought that their health, youth, or fitness level might protect them. At this point it has become clear that we are all vulnerable and no one knows how a Covid-19 infection will affect their body. 

New research is focusing on better understanding the long-term effects of the virus, often called Long Covid or Long-Haul Covid. This often appears with symptoms including fatigue, loss of the sense of smell/taste, dizziness, cognitive impairment, headaches, shortness of breath and can last months. (1) 

We talked to two of our users about their experience with Coronavirus recovery and they shared their fitness journey with us. Both are healthy women in their 30s, recreational athletes based in Europe, who had mild-to-moderate cases.

WHAT WAS YOUR FITNESS LEVEL BEFORE COVID-19?

Amita: I used to run at least twice a week, 5 to 10 km, and also worked out at home with the adidas Training app twice a week. 

Meena: I was finally getting back on track with my running after problems with my knee. I wasn’t at my best, but getting there again.

WHAT WERE YOUR PREFERRED SPORTS/TYPES OF EXERCISE?

Amita: I really like running. It is always hard for me to get motivated, especially when it’s cold and grey outside but once I manage and run with the right music, it gives me a great sense of freedom and helps me cope with the stress of daily life.

Meena: Running and yoga were my favorites, but I also did strength training & biking.

HOW DID YOU FEEL PHYSICALLY WHILE YOU WERE INFECTED?

Amita: It started with a light headache and serious fatigue for a few days. Then I started to have this strange feeling in my lungs like someone was pressing on my chest. One day I was cooking breakfast for my son and I realized that I couldn’t smell or taste my coffee anymore, then I knew it was Covid.

Meena: My energy level was very low. I had muscle pain, headaches, fever, and lost my sense of smell & taste

HOW LONG DID YOU EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS?

Amita: The first 4 days of quarantine were not easy. I was out of breath just from talking on the phone and was very scared it would get worse and I would end up in the hospital. After 5 days the breathing got better but I was very very tired and couldn’t do much.

Meena: I was sick for around 2 weeks, but it took me way longer to get my energy and ability to focus back – for sure a few months. The first days back at work, I worked fewer hours and needed lots of breaks.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO START WORKING OUT AGAIN? 

Amita: I tried to go running around a month later, I managed to do 5 km but I was completely out of breath during the run and my lungs hurt. I switched to walking and did some short home strength workouts but without cardio.

Meena: I went for a walk again right after quarantine ended, which was roughly a week after my sick leave. I did my first slow & easy yoga session about 2 weeks after my sick leave. My first run after being sick was around 1 month later, and it felt like the first run of my life.

HOW DID YOU RESTART YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM?

Amita:  I started running and training again but after 5 months, I still have this strange feeling in my lungs from time to time. I had them checked and the doctor said everything looks good. Nevertheless, I am still tired, my motivation is low, and I get out of breath very fast. I ran 5 km recently and it felt a bit better.

Meena: Slowly. Super, super slowly. With lots of gratitude that I can move again. Just leaving the apartment and being outdoors was a true highlight. Walking felt like a workout.

DID YOUR PERFORMANCE CHANGE?

Amita: Before having Covid, I could run 10 km without any difficulties. Now, the most I’ve done so far is 5 km. My lungs hurt and I have trouble finding a regular breathing rhythm. I used to run at a pace from 5:40 min/km, now I run 6:45.

Meena: Yes, and that was very hard to accept for me. It felt like starting over at zero.

DID YOUR GOALS CHANGE AFTER YOUR CORONAVIRUS RECOVERY?

Amita: Definitely. Now my goal is to manage to find the motivation to go running. I just have to listen to my body and not push it too much.

Meena: Definitely. My goal right now is to stay healthy and support my body and mind with whatever type of exercise it needs at the moment. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE INFECTED WITH COVID-19?

Amita: Be patient and don’t panic. I try to see the positive side of it: I am most probably immune for a little while and I was lucky to have a relatively mild version of it. (3)

Meena: Talk to someone about how you are feeling and what you’re going through, also emotionally  – be it your partner, a friend, a family member, or a therapist.

RECOVERING AND MOVING ON

As much as we’d like to think we are invincible, there are a lot of things that can knock us down for a while. If you’ve had to deal with Coronavirus, illness, or injuries, it can be hard to get back on track and motivate yourself to continue your fitness journey. It’s important to listen to your body. Make sure you take care of your body by building rest days into your training routine. At times like this, it’s always a good idea to boost your immune system and try to manage your stress with regular exercise. 

Did you know?

An otherwise healthy patient recovering from Covid-19 without treatment who has been asymptomatic for 7 days may begin resuming physical activity at 50% the intensity and volume.

Remember, if you are experiencing any symptoms or are recovering from an illness and are concerned about how long it’s taking, talk to your doctor about it.

Presumed 'herd immunity' is 'the combined value of infections + vaccinations as % population > 60%.

The term is used to describe the point at which enough people are sufficiently resistant — or have an immune response — to an infectious agent that it has difficulty spreading to others.

People generally gain immunity either from vaccination or infection. For contagious diseases that have marked modern history — smallpox, polio, diphtheria or rubella — vaccines have been the mechanism through which herd immunity was achieved.

People who were infected and recovered from the virus appear to retain some protection for at least 90 days after testing positive. Immunity may be lower and decline faster among people who developed few to no symptoms.

1484: The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine developed with the University of Oxford has an efficacy of only 10.4% against the South African variant of the virus, according to data published online Wednesday by The New England Journal of Medicine.

1485:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established new criteria to classify variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. 

The new designations are "variant of interest"; "variant of concern"; and "variant of high consequence." 

• A variant of interest has caused discrete clusters of infections in the United States or in other countries, or seems to be driving a surge in cases. It also has gene changes that suggest it might be more contagious or that may help it to escape immunity conferred by natural infection or vaccination. Therapeutics and tests may not work as well against it. The CDC is watching three of these.
• A variant of concern has been proven through scientific research to be more contagious or to cause more severe disease. It may also reduce the effectiveness of therapeutics and vaccines. People who have previously had COVID-19 may become reinfected by the new strain. The CDC is tracking five of these.
• A variant of high consequence causes more severe disease and greater numbers of hospitalizations. It has also been shown to defeat medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, antiviral drugs, and monoclonal antibodies. So far, none of the variants meets this definition.

કોવિડ વેકસીન વિશે :-

કોવેકસીન,કોવિશિલ્ડ (બન્ને ભારત માં અપાય છે) ફાઇઝર મૉડરના( અમેરિકા) આ બધી જ વેક્સીન કોવીડ થી થતા મૃત્યુ અને કોવીડ થી થતી વિષમતાઓ રોકવામાં 100% અસરકારક છે એટલે કોઈ વેક્સીન એક બીજા થી ચડીયાતી કે ઉતરતી છે તેવી ચર્ચા અસ્થાને છે. તેમની અસરકારકતા સમાન્ય કોવીડ લક્ષણો જેવા કે શરદી ગળા નો દુખાવો કે શરીર નું કળતર રોકવામાં 60 થી 95% છે ટૂંક મા વેક્સીન લીધા પછી કોરોના થાય તો પણ તેની તીવ્રતા ઓછી હશે અને તે જીવલેણ નીવડવાની શક્યતા ખુબ ઓછી હશે.

બહુ મોટા પાયે સમાજ નું રસિકરણ થાય તો જ આ કોવીડ મહામારી માંથી બહાર અવાશે એટલે પોતાની સંકુચિત વિચાર સરણી કે સોશિયલ મીડિયા પર ખોટા સમાચારો વાંચી જો સમાજ નો એક બહોળો વર્ગ વેક્સીન લેવાથી દૂર રહેશે તો આ મહામારી નો અંત નજીક ના ભવિષ્ય મા નથી દેખાતો

કોઈ લક્ષણ વગર મા સાઇલેન્ટ કેરિયર નાક વાટે લઈ શકાય તેવી રસી ન શોધાય ત્યાં સુધી આ બધી રસીઓ અપાયા છતાં ચેપ ફેલાવતા રહેશે પણ ઉપલબ્ધ ઇન્જેક્શન વાળી રસી જો સમાજ નો મોટાભાગ નો વર્ગ લે તો આ ચેપ નો ફેલાવો ધીમો ચોક્કસ પડે

અમેરિકા મા દસ હજાર ગર્ભવતી મહિલાઓ ને ટ્રાયલ મા વેક્સીન અપાયેલી તેમને મહિનાઓ પછી પણ કોઈ આડઅસર જોવા મળી નથી આથી ગર્ભાવસ્થા મા રસી મુકાવી જ જોઈએ

નાની મોટી એલર્જી કે સમાન્ય નાની દવાઓ ના રીએક્શન આવેલા હોય તેને વેક્સીન લેવામાં કોઈ જોખમ નથી અને તેમણે વેક્સીન લેવીજ જોઈએ

ફક્ત ભૂતકાળ મા કોઈ વેક્સીન મા જીવ નું જોખમ જેવું ભારે રીએક્શન (anaphylaxis ) થયું હોય તેણે કોવીડ વેક્સીન ન લેવી જોઈએ અથવા કોવીડ વેક્સીન ના પહેલા ડોઝ થી આવું રીએક્શન આવ્યું હોય તેણે બીજો ડોઝ ન લેવો જોઈએ

જેમને ભૂતકાળ મા કોરોના થઇ ચુક્યો છે તેમણે સજા થયા ના છ થી આઠ અઠવાડિયા પછી કોવીડ વેક્સીન લઇ લેવી જોઈએ

જેમને કોવીડ ની સારવાર મા પ્લાઝ્મા થેરાપી અપાણી હોય તેમણે એ પ્લાઝ્મા અપાયા પછી એક મહિના પછી વેક્સીન લેવી જોઈએ

કોઈપણ ગંભીર બીમારી માટે દાખલ થયા હોય તેવા દર્દીઓ એ તબિયત સારી થાય અને હોસ્પીટલ કે આઇસીયુ માંથી રજા મળે તેના એક થી ત્રણ મહિના પછી વેક્સીન લેવી જોઈએ (રોગ ના પ્રકાર અને ગંભીરતા મુજબ )

ડાયાબિટીસ,બ્લડ પ્રેશર કે હૃદયરોગ ના દર્દીઓ એ ચોક્કસ વેક્સીન લેવી જ જોઈએ

કોઈ પણ બીમારી માટે સ્ટીરોઈડ ડોક્ટર ની સલાહ પ્રમાણે લેતા હોય તેવા દર્દીઓ એ ડોક્ટર ને મળી સ્ટીરોઈડ નો ડોઝ ઓછો કરાવી ત્રણ કે ચાર અઠવાડીએ વેક્સીન લેવી જોઈએ અને વેક્સીન લીધા પછી ઓછા મા ઓછા ત્રણ થી ચાર મહિના સ્ટીરોઈડ નો ડૉઝ ઓછો રાખવો પડે

દમ ના દર્દીઓ ને શ્વાસ વાટે લેવાતા પંપ કે નેબ્યુલાઇઝર ના ડોઝ મા વેક્સીન લેતા પહેલા કે પછી કોઈ ડોઝ મા ફેરફાર ની જરૂર નથી

દમ,સ્કિન એલર્જી કે વારંવાર થતી શરદી ના દર્દીઓ વેક્સીન લઇ શકે છે

કોઈ ઓપરેશન કરાવા નું આયોજન હોય તો ઓપરેશન કરાવતા પહેલા એક મહિને વેક્સીન લેવાઈ જાય તો તમને હોસ્પીટલ માંથી કોરોના નો ચેપ લાગવાની શક્યતા ઘટી જાય

વડીલો અને વયસ્ક નાગરિકો ને કોરોના નો ચેપ લાગવાની અને વિષમતાઓ ઉભી થવાની શક્યતા વધુ હોવાથી વેક્સીન લેવી જ જોઈએ

પેરાલીસીસ વાઈ સ્મૃતિ ભ્રનંશ પાર્કિંસોનિઝમ ના દર્દીઓ એ વેક્સીન લેવી જોઈએ

સંધિવા લ્યુપસ કે અન્ય રૂમેટોલોજી ને લગતા રોગ ની દવાઓ ચાલુ હોય તેમણે તેમના સ્પેશિયાલીસ્ટ ને મળી રસી લેવાય કે નહીં અને લેતા પહેલા કોઈ દવાઓ ના ડોઝ મા ફેરફાર કરવો કે કોઈ દવા બંધ કરવી એ જાણી લેવું જોઈએ

બ્લડ કેન્સર કે અન્ય કેન્સર માટે કીમો થેરાપી કે રેડીઓ થેરાપી ચાલુ હોય તેમણે પોતાના નિષ્ણાંત ડોક્ટર ને મળી વેક્સીન લેવા વિશે અભિપ્રાય લેવો જોઈએ

HIV પીડિત વ્યક્તિઓ કોવિશિલ્ડ વેક્સીન લઈ શકે કારણકે તેમાં વીક્સી ન શકે તેવા વાઇરલ સ્પાઈક પ્રોટીન હોય છે

એસપીરીન ડિપ્લેટ વાર્ફ એસીટ્રોમ જેવી લોહી પાતળું કરનારી દવાઓ ચાલુ હોય તે દર્દીઓ વેક્સીન લઈ શકે છે

આમ છતાં વેક્સીન વિશે અન્ય કોઈ પ્રશ્ન કે મૂંઝવણ હોય તો પોતાના ફિઝિશીયન ડોક્ટર ને પૂછી તેમની સલાહ અનુસરવી.

Team IMA,Surat..

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Coronavirus Cases:

118,618,041

Deaths:

2,631,094

Recovered:

94,229,908

ACTIVE CASES

21,757,039

Currently Infected Patients

21,667,204 (99.6%)

in Mild Condition

89,835 (0.4%)

Serious or Critical

CLOSED CASES

96,861,002

Cases which had an outcome: 94,229,908 (97%) Recovered / Discharged

2,631,094 (3%)

Deaths

India is called the pharmacy of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic with its vast experience and deep knowledge in medicine. The country is one of the world's biggest drug-makers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines. Dr Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston during a recent webinar said that the two mRNA vaccines may not impact the world's low and middle income countries, but India's vaccines, made in collaboration with universities across the world such as BCM and the Oxford University, have rescued the world and its contributions must not be underestimated.

During the webinar, COVID-19: Vaccination and Potential Return to Normalcy - If and When, Dr Hotez, an internationally-recognised physician-scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development, said that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is "India's gift' to the world in combating the virus. India's drugs regulator gave emergency use authorisation to Covishield, produced by Pune-based Serum Institute of India after securing licence from British pharma company AstraZeneca, and Covaxin, indigenously developed jointly by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research scientists.

The webinar was organised by Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH). This is something very special and I see it myself because I'm on weekly teleconferences with our colleagues in India, you make a recommendation, and within days it's done and not only done, but it's done well and with incredible rigor and thought and creativity," Dr Hotez said, stressing that he felt compelled to make this statement because "India's huge efforts in combating global pandemic is a story that's not really getting out in the world."

Dr Hotez, considered as the authority on vaccinations, is working on an affordable coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with Indian pharmaceutical companies. There is increasing evidence that vaccines not only interrupt symptomatic illness and keep you out of the hospital but halts asymptomatic transmission as well. However, the troubling news is that the vaccines work well against the UK B.1.1.7 variant, which is now accelerating across the US, but doesn't work quite as well against the variant coming out of South Africa. It is likely that all the vaccines will require a booster for two reasons: the durability of protection for the vaccines is unknown and to create an added immune response that's better tailored towards the South African variant.

The Consul General of India in Houston, along with a distinguished panel of doctors participated in this webinar, that tracked the possibilities of a return to some semblance of normality due to the accelerated roll out of vaccines across the country. Appreciating Dr. Hotez for commending India's efforts in getting vaccines to the world, the Consul General, said, in keeping with our tradition of sharing with the world, India has exported vaccines to many countries across the world. India has provided 56 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines under grants assistance to a number of countries. The vaccines were sent to Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles. There has also been a boost in the collaborative medical partnerships emerging between the US and India during this pandemic. In addition, India is one of the fourth largest destinations in Asia for medical devices manufacturing and many US companies have expressed interest in collaborating on this front," he said.

The IACCGH Founding Secretary/Executive Director said that India's response to the COVID crisis, as acknowledged by Dr Hotez, falls in line with Chamber's vision. Since its inception, 21 years ago, India would be a future global player in key areas like technology, medicine, manufacturing and international trade. This belief has been proved time and again particularly in the last decade." the Chamber President expressed pride that India has risen to this global challenge by leveraging the brilliance of its scientific community and extensive manufacturing capabilities in the most efficient manner to help the world recover from a deadly pandemic.

Coronavirus Cases:

116,659,742

Deaths:

2,591,295

Recovered:

92,273,058

ACTIVE CASES

21,795,389

Currently Infected Patients

21,705,944 (99.6%)

in Mild Condition

89,445 (0.4%)

Serious or Critical

CLOSED CASES

94,864,353

Cases which had an outcome: 92,273,058 (97%)

Recovered / Discharged

2,591,295 (3%)

Deaths

India

5th March: New Cases 18292, New Deaths 109, Total Cases 11191864, Total Deaths 157693, Active Cases 181997

4^th March: New Cases 16824, New Deaths 113, Total Cases 11173572, Total Deaths 157584, Active Cases 177967

3^rd March: New Cases 17425, New Deaths 86, Total Cases 11156748, Total Deaths 157471, Active Cases 175044

2^nd March: New Cases 15704, New Deaths 110, Total Cases 11139323, Total Deaths 157385, Active Cases 171776

1^st March: New Cases 10930, New Deaths  62, Total Cases 11122986, Total Deaths 157257, Active Cases 169565

data.dr.k.k.agrawal

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COVID-19 Pandemic is due to SARS 2 Beta Corona Viruses (different from SARS 1 where spread was only in serious cases); with over eleven virus sequences floating; has affected up to 22.8% of Delhi population, Causes Mild or Atypical Illness in 82%, Moderate to Severe Illness in 15%, Critical Illness in 3% and Death in 2.3% cases (15% of admitted serious cases, 71% with comorbidity< Male > Females); affects all ages but Predominantly Males (56%, 87% aged 30-79, 10% Aged < 20, 3% aged > 80); with Variable Incubation Period days (2-14; mean 5.2 days);  Mean Time to Symptoms 5 days;  Mean Time to Pneumonia 9 days, Mean Time to Death 14 days,  Mean Time to CT changes 4 Days, Reproductive Number R0 1.5 to 3  (Flu 1.2 and SARS 2), Epidemic Doubling Time 7.5 days; Origin Possibly from Bats (Mammal); Spreads via Human to Human Transmission via Large and Small Droplets and Surface to Human Transmission via Viruses on Surfaces for up to three days. Enters through MM of eyes, nose or mouth and the spike protein gets attached to the ACE2 receptors.  ACE2 receptors make a great target because they are found in organs throughout our bodies ( heart muscle, CNS, kidneys, blood vessels, liver) Once the virus enters, it turns the cell into a factory, making millions and millions of copies of itself — which can then be breathed or coughed out to infect others.