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NEET UG 2021: Learn How Students Will Be Graded; Tie-Breaking Policy

by Medically Speaking October 12, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

New Delhi, India The answer key and results for the National Eligibility Cumulative Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) will be available soon. According to the NEET 2021 marking scheme, four marks will be granted for each valid answer in NEET UG, and one mark will be removed for each incorrect response marked. Candidates who pass the NEET UG will be considered for admission to undergraduate medical degrees and related programmes.

The NEET 2021 UG result along with the merit list and all India cut-off marks will be announced after NEET phase 2 registration ends on October 13. The NTA will send NEET OMR response sheets of the candidates and scorecards via email after closing the NEET Phase 2 registration and correction window.

NEET UG Marking Scheme

The NEET UG paper comprised questions from Physics, Chemistry and Biology (Botany and Zoology). The number of total questions in the NEET 2021 s 200 but medical aspirants had to attempt only 180 questions. Out of the total 720 marks, 360 marks are from Biology (Botany + Zoology), 180 marks from Physics, and 180 marks from Chemistry.

For every correct answer marked in NEET UG 2021, four marks will be allotted, and one mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. For unattempted questions, however, no marks will be cut.

NEET UG 2021: Tie-Breaking Criteria

In case two or more candidates obtain the same score, the merit position will be determined using the following tie-breaker criteria:

Candidates obtaining higher marks/ percentile score in Biology (Botany and Zoology) in the test, followed by
Candidate obtaining higher marks/ percentile score in Chemistry in the test, followed by
Candidate with less proportion of a number of attempted incorrect answers and correct answers in all the subjects in the test

October 12, 2021 0 comment

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Happiness in early adulthood may protect against dementia

by Medically Speaking October 12, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

While research has shown that poor cardiovascular health can damage blood flow to the brain increasing the risk for dementia, a new study led by UC San Francisco indicates that poor mental health may also take its toll on cognition.

The research adds to a body of evidence that links depression with dementia, but while most studies have pointed to its association in later life, the UCSF study shows that depression in early adulthood may lead to lower cognition 10 years later and to cognitive decline in old age.

The study publishes in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on Sept. 28, 2021.

The researchers used innovative statistical methods to predict average trajectories of depressive symptoms for approximately 15,000 participants ages 20 to 89, divided into three life stages: older, midlife and young adulthood. They then applied these predicted trajectories and found that in a group of approximately 6,000 older participants, the odds of cognitive impairment were 73 percent higher for those estimated to have elevated depressive symptoms in early adulthood, and 43 percent higher for those estimated to have elevated depressive symptoms in later life.

These results were adjusted for depressive symptoms in other life stages and for differences in age, sex, race, educational attainment, body mass index, history of diabetes and smoking status. For depressive symptoms in midlife, the researchers found an association with cognitive impairment, but this was discounted when they adjusted for depression in other life stages.

Excess Stress Hormones May Damage Ability to Make New Memories

“Several mechanisms explain how depression might increase dementia risk,” said first author Willa Brenowitz, PhD, MPH, of the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences. “Among them is that hyperactivity of the central stress response system increases production of the stress hormones glucocorticoids, leading to damage of the hippocampus, the part of the brain essential for forming, organizing and storing new memories.”

Other studies have linked depression with atrophy of the hippocampus, and one study has shown faster rates of volume loss in women, she said.

In estimating the depressive symptoms across each life stage, researchers pooled data from younger participants with data from the approximately 6,000 older participants and predicted average trajectories. These participants, whose average age was 72 at the start of the study and lived at home, had been enrolled by the Health Aging and Body Composition Study and the Cardiovascular Health Study. They were followed annually or semi-annually for up to 11 years.

U-Shaped Curve Adds Credence to Predicted Trajectories

While assumed values were used, the authors stated, no longitudinal studies have been completed across the life course. “Imputed depressive symptom trajectories fit a U-shaped curve, similar to age-related trends in other research,” they noted.

Participants were screened for depression using a tool called the CESD-10, a 10-item questionnaire assessing symptoms in the past week. Moderate or high depressive symptoms were found in 13 percent of young adults, 26 percent of midlife adults and 34 percent of older participants.

Some 1,277 participants were diagnosed with cognitive impairment following neuropsychological testing, evidence of global decline, documented use of a dementia medication or hospitalization with dementia as a primary or secondary diagnosis.

“Generally, we found that the greater the depressive symptoms, the lower the cognition and the faster the rates of decline,” said Brenowitz, who is also affiliated with the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “Older adults estimated to have moderate or high depressive symptoms in early adulthood were found to experience a drop in cognition over 10 years.”

With up to 20 percent of the population suffering from depression during their lifetime, it’s important to recognize its role in cognitive aging, said senior author Kristine Yaffe, MD, of the UCSF departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics. “Future work will be needed to confirm these findings, but in the meantime, we should screen and treat depression for many reasons.”

October 12, 2021 0 comment

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Covaxin Has Been Approved For Children Aged 2 to 18

by Medically Speaking October 12, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

The Drugs and Comptroller General of India (DCGI) is said to have authorised the administration of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin to children aged 2 to 18.

According to the news agency ANI, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) has approved the delivery of the anti-Covid vaccination to youngsters.

“The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) has recommended to the DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) the use of BharatBiotech’s Covaxin for children aged 2 to 18,” the news agency tweeted.

vaxin for use in children aged between 2 and 18 years, had submitted the data to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its verification and subsequent approval for emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the jab in the beginning of this month.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 examined the data and deliberated on the EUA application on Monday.

“After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended grant of market authorisation of the vaccine for the age group of 2 to 18 years for restricted use in emergency situations subject to the certain conditions,” a source quoted SEC as having stated in its recommendations.

The recommendations have been forwarded to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for final approval.

Speaking on the development, Dr E Venkata Rao, chief of clinical trial of Covaxin said, “In the phase-2 trial, it was confirmed that Covaxin can be administered to children above the age of 12 years. When the vaccine was rolled out, testing was conducted on the children between 2 and 18 years and it was found that the vaccine is safe and effective.”

“Even before the approval of the DCGI, we were of the view that Covaxin will be safe and effective on children, given the fact that it is being administered to pregnant women and breastfeeding women,” he added.

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India will shortly submit its national immunisation plan and objectives to WHO

by Medically Speaking October 12, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

NEW DELHI: India will soon submit to the World Health Organization (WHO) its covid-19 vaccination targets, along with an updated national vaccination trajectory and plans defining dose requirements to guide investment required for manufacturing the vaccines and their distribution through the government.

The financial and programme resource specifics will be shared with WHO as part of WHO’s recently released ‘Strategy to Achieve Global Covid-19 Vaccination by Mid-2022.

The Indian government had earlier stated that the entire adult population will be vaccinated by December 2021. WHO has said all countries must meet its targets to vaccinate 40% of their population by end-2021 and 70% by mid-2022.

“The progress in achieving the target to vaccinate the total population of India is on. Vaccination is ongoing at full pace and manufacturers of covid-19 vaccines in India have met the demand in the country. We are working on a strategy for full coverage of all Indians with full force,” said V.K. Paul, member health, NITI Aayog.

WHO had set the target of vaccinating 10% of the population of every country by the end of September. However, 56 countries had not been able to meet the target. A majority of these countries are in Africa and West Asia.

WHO has asked countries to revise national vaccination strategies, policies, and prioritization to harness emerging evidence and maximize the impact of existing, modified, and new vaccines.

Vaccinating 70% of the global population requires at least 11 billion vaccine doses, WHO said. By the end of September, just more than 6 billion doses had been administered worldwide. Global vaccine production is now at about 1.5 billion doses per month and thus there is sufficient vaccines to achieve the global vaccination targets provided that there is equitable distribution of doses.

WHO has asked countries manufacturing covid-19 vaccines to prioritize and fulfil commitments for COVAX, a multilateral initiative aimed at fostering global access to coronavirus vaccine and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) contracts.

Manufactures should provide full transparency on the overall monthly production of covid-19 vaccines and clear monthly schedules for supplies to COVAX, AVAT, and low and low-middle income countries, to enable proper global and national-level planning and optimal use of scarce supplies, the global health agency said.

Meanwhile, India’s cumulative covid-19 coverage crossed 950 million on Monday. More than 967.5 million vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union territories so far by the Government of India and through direct state procurement category, the Union health ministry said.

More than 84.3 million unutilized covid-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and Union territories to be administered, it said.

At least 18,132 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

This is the lowest recorded daily new cases in 215 days, health ministry data showed. The active caseload is presently 2,27,347, which is the lowest in 209 days. Active cases presently constitute 0.67% of the country’s total positive cases, the government said.

The recovery of 21,563 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients to 3,32,93,478, government data showed. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98%, the highest since March 2020, the government said.

The weekly positivity rate, which is 1.53%, has been less than 3% for the last 108 days. The daily positivity rate is 1.75% and has remained below 3% for last 42 days and below 5% for 125 consecutive days, the government said.

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Covaxin trial on children results suggest same effect as on adults: Experts

by Medically Speaking Team October 12, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

As India’s largest COVID-19 vaccination drive begins, an AIIMS professor claims that the latest trials show that the safety and immunogenicity of India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine—Covaxin—are nearly the same in children as in adults over the age of 18.

Dr Sanjay K Rai, a professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS) Centre for Community Medicine, told ANI, “Covaxin was tested on three different age groups. The first age group examined was between the ages of 12 and 18 years, the second between the ages of 6 and 12 years, and the third between the ages of 2 and 6 years.”

Notably, Dr Rai served as the primary investigator for the COVAXIN trials on children.

“We began by completing the examination of people aged 12 to 18 years old, and then moved on to other age groups. The vaccine safety and immunogenicity of Covaxin are nearly identical. The final results of these trials, however, are still awaited. We had already conducted adult population trials. We are waiting for the results for the children “The doctor stated.

Dr. Rai stated that SARS-CoV-2 is not fatal in children around the world.

“There is only a minor infection present. It is milder than the common cold in a few children. We don’t know which of Zydus Cadila, Bharat Biotech, Pfizer, or Moderna is the mildest at the moment. These vaccines lessen the severity of the infection but not the infection itself “He stated.

Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has surpassed 95 crores, with 46,57,679 doses administered in the last 25 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

According to the ministry’s preliminary reports issued at 7 a.m. today, India has administered 95,19,84,373 vaccines so far.

This was accomplished through 92,57,689 sessions.

In the last 24 hours, the country reported 18,132 new COVID-19 cases, the fewest in 215 days. (ANI)

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Covid case update: India records lowest cases in 224 days

by Medically Speaking Team October 12, 2021

written by Medically Speaking Team

According to data from the Union Health Ministry, India registered 14,313 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the lowest in 224 days, bringing the total number of infections to 3,39,85,920, while the national Covid recovery rate rose to 98.04 percent.

According to figures updated at 8 a.m., the death toll had risen to 4,50,963 with 181 new deaths.

For the past 18 days, the daily increase in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000, and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for the past 107 days.

The number of active cases has dropped to 2,14,900, accounting for 0.63 percent of all infections, the lowest level since March 2020, according to the ministry, while the national Covid recovery rate has reached 98.04 percent, the greatest level since March 2020.

In the last 24 hours, the active Covid caseload has decreased by 12,447 cases.

On Monday, a total of 11,81,766 tests were carried out, bringing the total number of COVID-19 tests carried out across the nation to 58,50,38,043.

The daily positive rate was 1.21 percent on average. For the past 43 days, it has been less than three percent.

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The findings also indicate that immunisation protection against severe Covid did not deteriorate during the course of the trial, which lasted up to five months

by Medically Speaking October 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

New Delhi: The government has authorised the export of Russia’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik Light, which is manufactured in India, because the vaccine has not yet been licenced for emergency use in India, according to sources on Sunday.

Sputnik Light is the same as component-1 of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V which is being used in India’s anti-COVID inoculation programme after getting emergency use authorisation from India’s Drug Regulator in April.

The Russian ambassador had urged the Indian government to allow the export of Sputnik Light produced by Hetero Biopharma, one of the partners of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in the production of the jab, to his country till the vaccine gets emergency use authorisation from India’s drug regulator.

In a communication to the Centre, Russian Ambassador Nicholay Kudashev had stated that Hetero Biopharma Limited already has manufactured one million doses of Component 1 of the Sputnik V and two million doses of the Sputnik Light but the six-month shelf life of the vaccine may expire before its registration which will result in the wastage of vaccine doses, sources said.

“The government has permitted Indian drug firm Hetero Biopharma to export 40 lakh doses of Sputnik Light to Russia. The decision was taken this week following detailed deliberations,” a source said.

Over the past months, the RDIF has been working closely with Indian pharmaceutical companies to ramp up the production of Sputnik vaccine in India that could be used in the local and global markets, the ambassador had stated in his communication last month.
At the moment RDIF together with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories is working with authorities concerned on the registration of the Sputnik Light in India.

October 11, 2021 0 comment

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Vaccines protect against severe COVID, even when the Delta variant is present: a study

by Medically Speaking October 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Vaccination is highly effective at preventing severe cases of Covid-19, even against the Delta variant, a vast study in France has shown.

The research published on Monday — focusing on prevention of severe Covid and death, not infection — looked at 22 million people over 50 and found those who had received jabs were 90 percent less likely to be hospitalised or die.

The results confirm observations from the US, the UK and Israel, but researchers say it is the largest study of its kind so far.

Looking at data collected starting in December 2020, when France launched its jab campaign, the researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated people with 11 million unvaccinated subjects.

They formed pairs matching an unvaccinated individual with a vaccinated counterpart from the same region and of the same age and sex, tracking them from the date of the vaccinated person’s second jab to July 20.

Starting 14 days after a second dose, a vaccinated subjects’ risk of severe Covid was reduced by 90 percent, according to the research conducted by Epi-Phare, an independent medicines safety research group that works closes with the French government.

Vaccination appears to be nearly as effective against for the Delta variant, with 84 percent protection for people 75 and older and 92 percent for people 50-75.

That estimate, however, is only based on a month of data, since the variant became dominant in France only in June.

“The study should be followed up to include results from August and September,” epidemiologist Mahmoud Zureik, the head of Epi-Phare, told AFP.

The study covers vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna and AstraZeneca jabs, but not Jannsen which was authorised much later and is far less widely used in France.

The results also suggest that over the period of study — up to five months — vaccination protection against severe Covid did not diminish.

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After 100 years, India is still looking for new Tuberculosis vaccinations

by Medically Speaking October 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

In order to meet India’s goal of eradicating TB by 2025, scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research have enrolled around 12,000 people in a phase III study of two possible vaccines. The researchers aim to assess how successful the vaccinations are at preventing the disease in adult household members of someone who has just been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Participants from seven Indian sites will be followed for three years before the possible vaccinations are licenced for commercial use or use in the national TB programme.

“Recruitment in the middle of a pandemic was a huge challenge for us because we had to motivate healthy people in a household where TB was detected to come to the DOTS centres for vaccination,” one of the scientists said on condition of anonymity. DOTS, or directly observed treatment, is the name given to the TB control strategy recommended by the World Health Organization.

“For Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics, the initial results can start coming in within months,” the researhcer said. “But TB is a long-term illness, and we will have to observe the participants for a longer duration to arrive at any result.”

One of the vaccines being tested to prevent tuberculosis of the lungs is Immuvac, which was developed to prevent leprosy. Immuvac, also known as mycobacterium indicus pranii, displays antigens similar to both the leprosy bacterium and the TB bacterium.

The other vaccine candidate is VPM1002, a recombinant BCG that is the most widely used vaccine in the world. The new vaccine developed in Germany has the genetic code of the BCG edited in a way that leads to better availability of the TB antigens, thus training the immune system to better fight tuberculosis.

Another trial of the same candidate is underway to prevent recurrence of TB in adults. VPM1002 is also being tested to see whether it can offer protection against Covid-19.

The BCG vaccine currently in use is a live, weakened form of the bacteria to train the immune system. It is only for use in children. Although it offers protection against the most severe forms of tuberculosis such as TB in the brain, it is not very effective against getting an infection, reactivation of a latent infection, and against the most common form of TB in the lungs. Yet, in the 100 years since the vaccine was developed, there have been no alternatives.

Experts say the government’s push towards eliminating tuberculosis and the formation of a research consortium are the reasons for the focus on TB vaccines.

“Unlike Covid-19 that affected the rich and the poor countries alike, tuberculosis disproportionately affects those in poorer countries and from poorer neighbourhoods,” said Dr DJ Christopher, professor of pulmonary medicine at Christian Medical College in Vellore, and former chair of RePORT India, a consortium for Indo-US collaborative TB research. “There is not enough interest or funding for research of a TB vaccine.”

India’s strategy to eliminate TB hinges on funding 3-4 vaccine candidates for phase I or II trials and have at least one final product co-owned by the government by 2025.

“Studying TB is not very popular. The government’s focus on elimination has certainly helped,” said Dr Pradeep D’Costa, intensivist and head of ICU care at KEM hospital in Pune, where he is heads the trial of VPM1002. “Vaccines will be an important contribution to the programme, but there is still ways to go,”

Even though research into TB vaccines is a step in the right direction, for now the mainstay of the elimination programme is early detection of new cases, testing for drug resistance and treating the disease completely, experts say.

October 11, 2021 0 comment

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The Union Health Minister has asked physicians to help the Prime Minister realise his ambition of providing quality health care to all Indians

by Medically Speaking October 11, 2021

written by Medically Speaking

Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, exhorted young medical graduates on Sunday to assist Prime Minister Narendra Modi realise his ambition of making the nation prosperous and providing great health care to its inhabitants.
Mandaviya remarked in his presentation to the 25th convocation of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) that physicians should be grateful to their parents and instructors for investing time and money in their study. “Your professors would have earned crores of rupees with their medical practice but they chose to invest their time in you, so that you contribute to the society. You should be indebted to them,” he said.

Noting that Modi had dreamt of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat,’ which means India‘s all round development including health, the Union Minister said, “Narendra Modi wants to see India’s health infrastructure and quality health as number one. He wants the country to be wealthy.”

“You have a role to play in realising his dream. Hence, you should have a vision of ‘Nation First’.” In this context, he said the PM reposed his faith in the doctors of the country while dealing with coronavirus. “Modi had given a call to clap and beat plates not to drive away COVID-19 but to encourage and motivate the doctors of the country. It was a way to reposed faith in you,” Mandaviya said.

He attributed the success of the ongoing vaccination drive against COVID-19 to the doctors. Mandaviya expressed concern over the growing cases of suicide in the country.

Citing National Crime Record Bureau data, he said on an average 1.36 lakh people committed suicide annually.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the MBBS graduates should not think that they are free on completing their course, for “freedom comes with a responsibility”. He also stressed that the NIMHANS should reach out to the villages and address the problem of mental illness prevailing there.

Bommai also urged the NIMHANS authorities to introduce a special course to study stress among women, who are not only homemakers, but also shoulder the financial burden of their husbands.

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