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Eco/Invest/Demography

Scientists quell concerns on new COVID-19 variant, say staying cautious sufficient

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said preliminary modelling results communicated by the UK on December 19 suggest the variant is 70 per cent more transmissible than previously circulating variants. However, it also said there is no indication of increased infection severity observed related to the variant with multiple mutations in the spike protein.
According to the Health Ministry, the SARS-CoV-2”s UK variant genome was detected in three samples in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, two in the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and one in the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

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No evidence that vaccines will not work against new Covid variant: Govt

Giving a break-up on the basis of the gender and age of those infected with the novel coronavirus, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 63 per cent of total cases in the country have been reported in males and 37 per cent cases in females.

“Eight per cent cases have been reported below the age of 17 years, 13 per cent in the 18-25 years age group, 39 per cent in 26-44 years group, 26 per cent in 45-60 years group and 14 per cent above 60 years,” he said.

Bhushan said 70 per cent of COVID deaths have been reported in men and 45 per cent fatalities due to this disease have been reported in those below 60 years of age.

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UK needs tighter COVID rules to avert new “catastrophe”, epidemiologist warns

“We are entering a very dangerous new phase of the pandemic, and we’re going to need decisive early national action to prevent a catastrophe in January and February,” said Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London.

More than 71,000 people in Britain have died within 28 days of a positive test for the disease.

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India’s financial sector faces challenging times ahead – RBI

The overall outlook for the Indian economy in 2021 continues to remain uncertain, the report said.“
Given the uncertainty induced by COVID-19 and its real economic impact, the asset quality of the banking system may deteriorate sharply going forward,” the RBI said.

The report also said Indian banks had written-off loans worth 2.38 trillion rupees ($32.46 billion) in the financial year 2020 that ended on March 31.

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Urgent action expected in South Africa as hospitals run out of beds, oxygen amid Covid-19 spike

Embattled doctors, nurses have pleaded with government for urgent action as they can no longer cope with the large number of patients arriving for Covid-19 treatment, with hospital administrators saying they have to make heart-breaking choices between younger people who are now being affected by the new strain and older ones with co-morbidities as priorities.

Dr Irene Boeddinghaus, an oncologist at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town, told the weekly that patients were far sicker than in the first wave. ICU bed availability was dire and doctors and nurses were burnt out and sick with Covid, she said.

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