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Will COVID-19 vaccines work if I have a weak immune system?

COVID-19 shots weren’t studied in large numbers of people with weak immune systems. But limited data and experience with flu and pneumonia vaccines suggest they won’t work as well as they do in others. That means people with weakened immune systems should keep taking precautions like wearing masks and avoiding large crowds.

“It’s prudent to use all the precautions you were using before you were vaccinated,” said Dr. Ajit Limaye, a transplant expert at University of Washington Medicine in Seattle.

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Union Cabinet approves inclusion of Ayurveda in mandate of NEIFM, changes nomenclature

An official release said that there was a proposal to change the nomenclature and mandate of North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine (NEIFM) to North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Folk Medicine Research (NEIARMR) for imparting quality Education and Research in Ayurveda and Folk Medicine at Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
The institute will also provide opportunities for students of Ayurveda and Folk medicine not only in India but also the neighboring countries such as Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, China and other Central Asian countries.

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Covid deaths and cases rise again globally, hurting return to normalcy

The World Health Organization reported Wednesday that deaths climbed last week after nine straight weeks of decline. It recorded more than 55,000 lives lost, a 3 per cent increase from the week before.

Cases rose 10 per cent last week to nearly 3 million, with the highest numbers recorded in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Britain, WHO said.

The reversal has been attributed to low vaccination rates, the relaxation of mask rules and other precautions, and the swift spread of the more-contagious delta variant, which WHO said has now been identified in 111 countries and is expected to become globally dominant in the coming months.

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First US-based artificial heart implant for French firm

This “first US-based clinical study will be decisive for our development in the world’s biggest market for medical devices”, Stephane Piat, Carmat’s director general, said in a statement.The procedure took place at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, Carmat said.

Three other centres for the study in the United States have been set up and are in the process of selecting trial candidates.

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IFC invests USD 16.5 mn in MedGenome to increase COVID-19 testing in India

The partnership, apart from increasing the access to COVID-19 testing, will also support research to better help understand the virus, its variants and manage future outbreaks, IFC and MedGenome said in a statement on Thursday.

IFC’s USD 16.5 million equity investment will support the expansion of MedGenome’s diagnostic services as well as boost genomic data from South Asian populations, which can help provide valuable insights into complex diseases and help develop effective medical solutions for diverse populations, it added.

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Olympics-Risk of COVID spread is ‘zero’, IOC chief says, amid rising cases

Just over a week before the July 23 opening ceremony, Tokyo reported 1,308 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, its highest daily tally since late January. Postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer Olympics have little public support in Japan amid widespread fears about a further spread of the coronavirus.

Critics on Thursday submitted a petition against the Games that has garnered more than 450,000 signatures this month, Japanese media reported. Organisers have imposed Olympics “bubbles” to prevent further transmissions of COVID-19, but medical experts are worried they might not be sufficiently tight.

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Device taps brain waves to help paralysed man communicate

”Most of us take for granted how easily we communicate through speech,” said Dr. Edward Chang, a neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the work. “It’s exciting to think we’re at the very beginning of a new chapter, a new field” to ease the devastation of patients who lost that ability.

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Coronavirus outbreaks at the Tokyo Olympics

A number of cases have emerged involving athletes and other people involved with the Games.Postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games have little public support in Japan amid fears about the spread of the virus.
Tokyo entered its fourth state of emergency earlier this week amid a rebound in COVID-19 cases that pushed Games organisers to ban spectators from nearly all venues.

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