Covid News and Updates
Taking contraceptive advice from social media celebrities may result in unintended births: Study
According to recent study, social media superstars’ contraceptive advice may be placing young people at risk of unplanned births. According to the study, which was published in the journal Health Communication, teenagers and young adults may also be receiving inaccurate sexual health information, making many of the popular films a public health danger.
Researchers examined a large number of YouTube videos released by celebrities with up to 2.2 million followers and discovered that viewers are more likely to get information on ceasing hormonal contraception rather than how to use contraception or have safe sex. Previous research reveals that because of their relatability and accessibility, influencers are more persuasive and impactful than traditional celebrities.
Young people regard them as quite trustworthy, with young women indicating that influencers sometimes appear to be close sisters. YouTube influencers are especially likely to provide personal information, which is known to develop ties with followers. To find out more, a team of specialists from the University of Delaware in the United States examined YouTube for videos in which influencers with at least 20,000 followers discussed their contraceptive experiences.
They found 50 videos released between December 2019 and December 2021 by influencers with 20,000 to 2.2 million followers. The videos were then evaluated to establish the influencers’ opinions about hormonal birth control, such as contraceptive pills, injections, and implants, as well as non-hormonal alternatives such as fertility tracker apps and condoms.
The majority of the influencers discussed discontinuing hormonal birth control, with 92% stating they were using or had used it and 74% saying they had ceased or planned to discontinue it. The major reasons behind the influencers’ decision to stop were a desire to be more natural and to enhance their mental health. According to the experts, the link between depression and hormonal birth control is still unclear.
Non-hormonal birth control was used or was used by 40% of the influencers, with fertility monitors being the most prevalent technique. Non-hormonal birth control was liked because it helped prevent pregnancies, was more natural, had less side effects, and was less expensive.
Non-hormonal birth control was used or was used by 40% of the influencers, with fertility monitors being the most prevalent technique.
Non-hormonal birth control was liked because it helped prevent pregnancies, was more natural, had less side effects, and was less expensive.
The popularity of fertility trackers is troubling, says lead author Emily Pfender, of the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware – who defines some of the information as “possibly dangerous,”.
“Tracking cycles may not be as effective at preventing pregnancy as hormonal birth control,” she says.
“Additionally, what young viewers don’t see in influencer content is the amount of effort and meticulous planning that goes into tracking cycles.
“For example, to use the cycle tracking method as intended, women must faithfully measure basal body temperature and viscosity of cervical fluid at the same time every day, track cycle lengths to calculate their fertile window and refrain from having sex on specific days of their cycle.”
Finally, few of the women who stopped using a hormonal contraception reported switching to another technique. Only 20% had begun using a non-hormonal contraceptive, while 14% had begun using a different hormonal contraceptive. “The discontinuation of hormonal birth control is risky because it increases the likelihood of unplanned pregnancy,” adds Ms. Pfender.
“Influencers’ videos that discourage the use of a highly effective option for birth control and fail to encourage using other forms of protection to prevent against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are a public health issue.”
The study’s limitations include a lack of information on who is watching the films, if some age groups find them more persuasive than others, and whether the keywords used to search for the videos retrieved all relevant examples.
The authors suggest that, while social media may be a beneficial source of knowledge, young people should exercise caution when seeking contraceptive advice from influencers.
“Getting sexual health information from social media gives young adults the opportunity to get peer perspectives and seek out relatable information,” says Ms. Pfender, “It is an especially good way for underrepresented groups such as LGBTQ+ young adults to get tailored sexual health information.”
According to a report provided by the Delhi Health Department on Monday, the national capital registered no new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the first time since the pandemic began in March 2020. The rate of positive was 0.00%. With no covid instances reported in the recent 24 hours, the city’s active cases remained at ten.
The report states that 9 Covid patients recovered from the infection in the previous 24 hours, bringing the overall number of recoveries to 19,80,781. However, with no Covid-related deaths reported in the previous 24 hours, the aggregate toll in the national capital has remained at 26,522.
As part of the country’s ongoing vaccination effort, 150 Covid vaccine injections were delivered in the city in the previous 24 hours, with 15 people receiving the first dose, 32 receiving the second, and 103 receiving precautionary doses, bringing the total to 3,73,70,636. In the previous 24 hours, 931 Covid samples were analysed, bringing the total number of samples tested in the national capital to 4,06,50,119. The national capital was hit by three Covid waves, with the second, in April-May 2021, being the worst.
India story in fight against Covid a global example, says Gates Foundation CEO
According to Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, India’s fight against the Covid issue has established a good global precedent, and it may serve as a model for others in terms of how it tackled the manufacture and distribution of vaccinations on such a large scale.
“We were proud to be able to help work with the Indian government and with partners like the Serum Institute of India, to help manufacture some of the vaccines and to help with some of the primary health care facilities to help with distribution and in some of the states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where we work closely, but it really is a model both because of the direct COVID response, but also because the infrastructure that’s been put in place has lots of positive effects by other forms of healthcare,” Suzman told ANI in an exclusive interview.
According to the most recent data from India’s health ministry, it has delivered over 2.2 billion doses. When asked what obstacles the foundation encountered during and after the Covid epidemic, she stated that the pandemic had a terrible impact, particularly on economic growth, poverty, and people’s health.
“Yes, well, globally COVID has had a devastating impact. And not just in terms of the direct impact of the disease itself, but the knock-on impact on economic growth on poverty on health. So across large parts, I think around a third of the developing world is likely to be in recession,” he said.
However, he feels India is at a “bright light” since the country’s larger healthcare ecosystem has advanced.
“From vaccination campaigns to nutrition campaigns to sanitation campaigns. And so in all of those areas, we’re trying to sound the call to action and saying the world really needs to support and engage much more deeply so that we can start to accelerate progress again.”
The Gates Foundation has been active in India for almost two decades, working in a variety of industries ranging from agriculture to financial services and health care, among others. Furthermore, he stated that the Indian government has already demonstrated a strong commitment to driving forward in mitigating global health issues, as well as broader development issues such as digital infrastructure and financial services, which can be examples of India addressing some of these issues.
“And so I think at the government of India’s stated ambition to try and tackle both those things, the issues of pandemic preparedness and global health response so that we can both finish the job on COVID and be ready to address the next pandemic, but also to think about these wider development challenges and using new tools like the digital financial infrastructure that India has developed through UPI, but also some of the new initiatives like the use of environment Digital Health Initiative, which we think again as some very positive models that we’ll be able to use in Africa and other parts of the developing world,” the CEO said.
Meanwhile, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation stated on Monday that it will invest USD 8.3 billion in 2023 to continue its battle against poverty, sickness, and unfairness. It intends to meet its goal of a USD 9 billion yearly payout by 2026.
On the pledge for 2023 and its commitment to fight malaria through equipping partner countries, Suzman said: “Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people every year still and is responsible for many millions of cases. India has made great strides addressing some of the most serious incidents remaining in sort of central and west Africa, but they’re also it’s in South Asia and Latin America.”
He went on to say that there have been a lot of initiatives taken, including the distribution of new pesticides, mosquito nets, and other treatments and instruments in malarial regions, all of which have been quite successful.
“There are some new scientific advances using monoclonal antibodies, which is sort of complex and still expensive, but we’ve seen 80 to 90 per cent success rates in addressing malaria and we think those are going to be the tools that over the next decade or two, the world will actually move from containing and preventing malaria to eventually eradicating it. And that is our innovation,” he further said.
The foundation’s aim is to envision a society in which every individual has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life. Finally, when asked if the foundation is working on reverse zoonosis, he stated that they are in discussions with India’s department of biotechnology, and that the foundation is aware of the problems of how animal health is related to human health.
“We also are global supporters of an initiative called the Coalition for epidemic preparedness initiative (CEPI) which is a major global effort that is trying to develop protective vaccines against other diseases that could become future pandemics. And so, we work on all of those areas, but really in partnership, we don’t take the lead on those research. We do it through coalitions with partnerships with governments like India or the United States.” An infection or disease that is transmissible from humans to animals under natural conditions is called reverse zoonosis.
The number of active Covid-19 cases in India has reached 2,149, with 104 new cases reported in the previous 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. The number of current Covid cases has decreased somewhat since January 13, when there were 2,257 active cases. Since last week, the rate of active cases has been 0.01 percent, while the current recovery rate has been 98.08 percent. 182 recoveries have been confirmed in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to over 4.5 crores (4,41,48,165).
The Nationwide Vaccination Drive has so far provided 220.17 crore vaccine doses (95.14 cr Second Dose and 22.45 cr Precaution Dose), with around 23,500 (23,490) vaccine doses administered in the previous 24 hours.
While the daily positivity rate has decreased from 0.09 to 0.07 percent, the weekly positivity rate has remained stable at 0.10 percent. The overall number of tests performed is 91.32 crore, with nearly 1.5 lakh (1,52,825) tests performed in the previous 24 hours.
Delhi government would award Rs 1 crore each to families of 14 Covid Warriors who died
Digital Healthcare: Transforming India’s Healthcare Landscape, Beyond Just Delivering Convenience
Furthermore, the Indian healthcare ecosystem has traditionally been heavily focused on providing therapy after someone becomes ill. Another difficulty is the inability to afford healthcare facilities and experienced specialists. The good news is that, in recent years, the faster pace of digitalization and widespread acceptance of technology have removed many such constraints.
This news was supplied by NewsVoir, and ANI is not responsible for its content in any manner.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has recommended that Serum Institute of India’s Covid vaccine Covovax be approved for use as a heterologous booster dose for those who have already received two doses of Covishield or Covaxin.
Previously, DCGI approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, for children aged 12 to 17 on March 9, 2022, and for children aged 7 to 11 on June 28, 2022, subject to certain conditions. Covovax is made possible by a technology transfer from Novavax. It has received conditional marketing authorization from the European Medicines Agency.
On December 17, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) granted it an emergency-use listing.
The Government of India recently approved Bharat Biotech’s nasal Covid vaccine for adults over the age of 18 for use as a heterologous booster dose.
Private hospitals will be able to obtain the vaccine.
Over 200 flying passengers tested positive for COVID; tests revealed the presence of BF. 7 variations: Mandaviya, Mansukh
According to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, nearly 200 flight travellers were discovered COVID-positive with the BF.7 strain after random sampling at airports. According to him, almost 15 lakh flight travellers were examined for Covid-19. “More than 15 lakh aviation travellers have been checked for Covid19 as of today. More than 200 passengers tested positive for Covid, and samples sent for genome sequencing revealed that the BF.7 variation was present in majority of them. Our immunisations work against this variation “Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated.
He stated that, given the global spread of the Covid fourth wave, 8,700 flights have been identified thus far. “Amid the COVID fourth wave in the world, we’re monitoring every airport. So far 8,700 flights have been monitored. Over 15 lakh passengers have been traced and out of them over 200 passengers have been detected as Covid positive,” said Mansukh Mandaviya.
He further added that the vaccine is effective to fight the BF.7 variant.
“All of them were sent for isolation and their samples were sent for genome sequencing. Through genome sequencing, we’ve found Covid BF.7 variant in some passengers. However, our vaccine is effective enough to fight the BF.7 variant. We’re taking all necessary measures,” said Mansukh Mandaviya.
On Wednesday, India recorded 171 new COVID-19 cases in the previous 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country’s active caseload now stands at 2,342. According to the health ministry, 4,41,47,322 persons have recovered since the epidemic began, with 148 recoveries occurring in the previous 24 hours. Active cases account for 0.01 percent of all infections, with a recovery rate of 98.8 percent. According to the ministry, the daily positivity rate was 0.09 percent and the weekly positivity rate was 0.11 percent.
“The sewage sampling is being done and there also we are not getting any indication that either a new variant is here or there is a possibility of the upsurge of cases in the coming days or weeks,” Chairman of COVID-19 working group NTAGI, Dr NK Arora said.
In the previous 24 hours, the country conducted 1,80,926 tests, for a total of 91.25 crore tests. More than 220.15 crore vaccine doses have been provided to eligible persons across the country as part of the countrywide immunisation programme. Approximately 44,397 dosages were provided in the previous 24 hours. The Nationwide Vaccination Drive resulted in the administration of 220.15 crore total vaccine doses (95.14 crore second dose and 22.44 crore precaution dose). Meanwhile, examination of sewage samples has shown no new COVID variants, according to a leading health specialist on Tuesday.
According to the official, India has been in a “fairly comfortable situation” during the previous year. “Our genomic surveillance system has identified almost 300 plus sub-variants of Omicron and they are spread all over the place. From time to time a certain sub-lineage becomes dominant. But the important point is that throughout the years we did not have any massive increase or surge in hospitalizations or deaths,” he said.
On Monday Union Health Ministry also said, “Sentinel sequencing of 324 COVID Positive Samples reveals the presence of all Omicron Variants in Community. No mortality or rise in transmission was reported in areas where these variants were detected”.
“Our genomic surveillance system has identified almost 300 plus sub-variants of Omicron and they are spread all over the place. From time to time a certain sub-lineage becomes dominant. But the important point is that throughout the years we did not have any massive increase or surge in hospitalizations or deaths,” he said.
On Monday Union Health Ministry also said, “Sentinel sequencing of 324 COVID Positive Samples reveals the presence of all Omicron Variants in Community. No mortality or rise in transmission was reported in areas where these variants were detected”.
COVID BF is effectively combated by our vaccination, Govt is taking all steps to address 7 variants: Mandaviya
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister, stated on Wednesday that the vaccinations available in India are effective against Omicron Sub-variant BF.7. “We discovered the BF.7 variant in a few travellers. Our vaccine, on the other hand, is effective against the BF.7 strain. We’re taking all essential precautions “Mandaviya made the remarks at the presentation of a book titled Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story. He stated that, given the global spread of the Covid fourth wave, 8,700 flights have been identified thus far.
On Wednesday, India recorded 171 new COVID-19 cases in the previous 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country’s active caseload now stands at 2,342. According to the health ministry, 4,41,47,322 persons have recovered since the epidemic began, with 148 recoveries occurring in the previous 24 hours.
Active cases account for 0.01 percent of all infections, with a recovery rate of 98.8 percent. According to the ministry, the daily positivity rate was 0.09 percent and the weekly positivity rate was 0.11 percent. In the previous 24 hours, the country conducted 1,80,926 tests, for a total of 91.25 crore tests.
“The sewage sampling is being done and there also we are not getting any indication that either a new variant is here or there is a possibility of the upsurge of cases in the coming days or weeks,” Chairman of COVID-19 working group NTAGI, Dr NK Arora said.
The official said that India has maintained to be in a “reasonably comfortable position” during the last 12 months.
“Our genomic surveillance system has identified almost 300 plus sub-variants of Omicron and they are spread all over the place. From time to time a certain sub-lineage becomes dominant. But the important point is that throughout the years we did not have any massive increase or surge in hospitalizations or deaths,” he said.
On Monday Union Health Ministry also said, “Sentinel sequencing of 324 COVID Positive Samples reveals the presence of all Omicron Variants in the Community. No mortality or rise in transmission was reported in areas where these variants were detected”.