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Virus disaster leaves deep scars on India’s economy

Surging unemployment, coupled with state lockdowns, a large increase in hospitalizations and fatalities amid the second wave and fears of a third wave, are prompting many people to cut spending.
Meanwhile, sales of cars and motorcycles fell 30% in April over March and are expected to slump by over 60% in May as automakers including Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp halted production for several days amid rising infections. Dealerships remain closed.

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Air quality improved during lockdown in India, study shows

There was a 40 per cent reduction over the national capital, New Delhi. In India alone, about 16,000 premature deaths occur annually due to exposure to poor air quality. The study also found Land Surface Temperature (LST) over major cities in India substantially declined in contrast with the previous five-year average (2015-2019) with day temperatures being up to 1°C cooler and those at night up to 2°C cooler.

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Covid-19 variant 1st reported in India threatens to rapidly spread in sub-region: UNHCR

“. ,“We are particularly worried about the situation in the Asia and Pacific region, which in the past two months has experienced the largest increase in the number of cases globally.The highly infectious variant of the virus which first emerged in India threatens to rapidly spread in the sub-region, including among refugee populations.Over this period, there have been some 38 million recorded Covid-19 cases and more than half a million deaths, the UNHCR spokesperson said.” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said

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ICMR invites researchers to contribute to scientific knowledge related to Covid-19

Despite intense efforts of the global scientific community, there is scanty knowledge related to the functional aspects of the virus, its transmission dynamics, immunological response to natural infection and vaccines, it said.

” In addition, it is important to understand the drivers of vaccine hesitancy and reduced uptake, clinical spectrum of the disease and its progression. Also there is a need to formulate the clinical management protocols in line with the emerging global evidence,” the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

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US SC rejects Johnson & Johnson’s appeal of $2 billion penalty in baby powder cancer case

An investigation found that J&J knew for decades that asbestos, a carcinogen, was present in its talc products. Internal company records, trial testimony and other evidence showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, J&J’s raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos.

The company said in May 2020 it would stop selling its baby powder talc in the United States and Canada, citing changes in consumer habits and what it called “misinformation” about the product’s safety amid numerous legal challenges.

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Tobacco consumption is the single leading cause of cancer in India

“Smokers are affected far more with severe Covid complications than non-smokers, so quitting tobacco should be the top most promise that one should make to one self,” said Mudit Agarwal, Sr. Consultant — Head & Neck Surgical Oncology at RGCIRC.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also stated that tobacco use increases the risk of suffering from serious symptoms due to Covid-19 illness. Smokers have up to a 50 per cent higher risk of developing severe disease and death from Covid-19, WHO has stated.

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AM Best maintains negative outlook on India non-life insurance

However, in fiscal year 2021, despite India’s GDP contracting by approximately 8%, the non-life insurance market achieved a positive, albeit muted, growth rate of over 5%. Prospectively, AM Best expects the trajectory of non-life insurance premiums in India to continue to be one of growth over the long term with rising consumer awareness and accessibility of insurance products.
Factors that could lead AM Best to revise its segment outlook to stable from negative include evidence of sustainable improvement in underwriting performance, supported by better pricing discipline, as well as an improved balance of overall earnings and stabilised economic indicators.

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Lilly India gets nod for use of monoclonal antibody drugs for treating Covid-19

Lilly said it is engaging in active dialogue with the Indian government and regulatory authorities to donate bamlanivimab and etesevimab in order to speed up access and provide treatment options for patients with Covid-19. The drugs together have been authorised under emergency use authorisation in the United States and select European Union countries for treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19.

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