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Overall COVID-19 seropositivity among healthcare workers over 25 per cent: minister

The Indian Council of Medical Research is undertaking periodic sero-surveillance to monitor the trend of COVID-19 infection. As per the third seroprevalence study (December 2020 to January 2021) results the overall COVID-19 seropositivity among healthcare workers is assessed to be 25.7 per cent,” he said in a written reply. Seroprevalence is highest among doctors and nurses (26.6 per cent), followed by para-medical staff (25.4 per cent), field staff (25.3 per cent) and administrative staff (24.9 per cent), Choubey said in a written reply.

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WHO says coronavirus unlikely to have leaked from China lab

The WHO team’s mission is intended to be an initial step delving into the origins of the virus, which is believed to have originated in bats before being passed to humans through another species of wild animal, such as a pangolin or bamboo rat, which is considered an exotic delicacy by some in China.

Transmission through the trade in frozen products was also a possibility, WHO food safety and animal diseases expert Peter Ben Embarek said.

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EU antitrust regulators halt Aon, Willis probe, await data

The European Commission, which kicked off its probe in December because of concerns the deal to create the world’s largest insurance broker may hurt competition in major markets, said it stopped the clock on Monday.

“This procedure in merger investigations is activated if the parties fail to provide, in a timely fashion, an important piece of information that the Commission has requested from them,” a spokeswoman for the EU competition enforcer said.

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Hacker changed water chemical levels to poison entire US city

“The hacker changed the sodium hydroxide from about 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million. This is obviously a significant and potentially dangerous increase,” Bob Gualtieri, Sheriff of Oldsmar city in Florida state in the US, was quoted as saying in local media reports on Monday.

The intrusion took place on February 5 when the hacker remotely accessed a computer system that was set up to allow for the remote control of water treatment operations.

According to a report in Tampa Bay Times, local and federal authorities including the FBI were investigating the attempt to poison the city of Oldsmar.

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Indian pharma market expected to hit USD 130 billion by 2030: Sadananda Gowda

“India has been serving more than 200 countries with its pharma products and will continue to discharge its responsibilities. We intend to continue formulating plans that are based on sound science, technology, business sense, and ethics,” Gowda said.

Pharmaceuticals are one of the top-10 attractive sectors for foreign investment in India. FDI inflows in the pharmaceuticals sector reached Rs 3,650 crore in 2019-20, recording a growth of 98 per cent year-on-year, he added.

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