The number of novel coronavirus cases in India crossed 50 lakh on Wednesday, after the country detected 90,123 new cases in the 24 hours ending 9 am. The tally of 50,20,360 cases includes 9,95,933 patients who are undergoing treatment and 39,42,361 who have recovered. With 1,290 additional deaths, the toll rose to 82,066.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) DG Balram Bhargava Tuesday clarified that reinfection was possible even though it was a “very rare” occurrence. He also stressed that it was not a matter of serious concern. The remarks were made amid suspected cases of Covid-19 reinfection being reported from abroad and Indian states like Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab and Maharashtra.
Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus. Taking to Twitter, he said, “I am asymptomatic and feeling healthy. However as per SOP and safety of others, I am self isolating myself and request everyone who came in contact with me to adhere to the SOP.”
In other news, a sero-prevalance survey conducted in the first week of August in New Delhi has found that 79 of the 257 people, who recovered from Covid-19 and were part of the exercise, did not have antibodies against the virus.
Meanwhile, Bill Gates told news agency PTI that it was very likely that Covid-19 vaccines would be rolled out in a “fairly big volume” (in India) sometime next year. He also said he was “brokering idea of taking a vaccine and manufacturing it in India, even if it comes from AstraZeneca, Oxford, Novavax or Johnson and Johnson.”
