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Numerous false and misleading reports are being spread online amid an increase in COVID-19 cases globally. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare responded to one of these reports by using Twitter on Thursday to refute a specific claim made regarding the COVID XBB version. The Health Ministry released a picture of a WhatsApp message concerning the XBB version and described it as “false” and “misleading.”

“This message is circulating in some WhatsApp groups regarding the XBB variant of COVID19. The message is fake and misleading,” it said in a tweet. In the image attached, the message that reads, “Everyone is advised to wear a mask because the new variant of the COVID-Omicron XBB coronavirus is different, deadly and not easy to detect correctly.”
Listing out the symptoms of the new variant, it said, “The symptoms of the new COVID-Omicron XBB do not include cough or fever.” “Symptoms like joint pain, headache, pain in the neck, upper back pain, pneumonia, lack of appetite are experienced,” it said.

The message further reads: “The XBB variant is five times more virulent and has a higher mortality rate than it. It takes less time for the condition to reach extreme severity and sometimes there are no obvious symptoms.”
“Let’s be more careful! This strain of the virus is not found in the nasopharyngeal region and directly affects the lungs for a relatively short period of time. Several patients diagnosed with Covid-Omicron XBB were classified as afebrile and pain-free, but x-rays showed mild chest pneumonia,” it further reads.

“Nasal swab tests are often negative for Covid-Omicron XBB, and cases of false negative nasopharyngeal tests are increasing. This means that the virus can spread in the community and directly infect the lungs, causing viral pneumonia, which in turn causes acute respiratory distress. This explains why the Covid-Omicron XBB has become something very contagious, highly virulent and lethal. Caution, avoid crowded places, keep a distance of 1.5 m even in open spaces, wear a double-layer mask, wear a suitable mask, wash hands frequently, even if everyone is asymptomatic (no coughing or sneezing),” the message said.

“This wave of Covid-Omicron XBB is deadlier than the first wave of Covid-19. So we have to be very careful and take several reinforced precautions against the coronavirus. Maintain vigilant communication with your friends and family. Do not keep this information to yourself, share it with other family members and friends,” it further reads.

The sub-variant of the BF.7 virus that is causing the present outbreak of illnesses in China, however, has been documented in India four times in the past six months. According to sources, there are presently 10 distinct Covid-19 types in the nation, with BF.7 being the newest.

Covid instances have increased dramatically in China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the US. The novel Omicron sub-variant BF.7, which has also been found in four Indian states, is being held responsible for the increase. A high-level meeting to discuss the Covid-19 crisis and its associated features in the country was presided over, notably, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In light of the recent rise in coronavirus infections in several nations, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the United States, the government has begun random RT-PCR sampling among travellers arriving at international airports in the country, according to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“We have also started the random RT-PCR sampling among passengers arriving at International airports in the country. We are committed to tackling the pandemic and are taking appropriate steps,” Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in his statement in the Lok Sabha while advising the States to make sure that people wear masks, use sanitizers and maintain social distancing even during the festive and the New Year season.

The Center government gave the public comfort on Friday by stating that the country’s Covid positive rate is falling week over week despite the recent global uptick in Covid cases caused by a new coronavirus type, B.F7.
In a statement released on Friday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that the positive rate had dropped to just 0.14 percent for the week ending December 22. According to the Health Ministry, “Consistent drop in cases throughout India is documented,” adding that 8 states and 4 UTs presently have no reported active cases. Five states accounted for 78% of the daily new cases reported on December 22.

According to the official statement, the average daily cases ranged from 2,408-1.05 percent on October 7 to 13 to 153–0.14 percent on December 16 to 22. India barely made up 0.03 percent of the Covid cases reported globally for the week ending December 21 on average daily cases. According to data from the Health Ministry, India’s worldwide contribution of only 153 cases is far lower than Japan’s contribution of 1,54,521 cases, or 26.8%. The ministry has, however, urged States to boost up their Covid-related initiatives.

The Health Ministry requested the States to conduct practise exercises at all healthcare institutions to ensure that Covid-dedicated facilities are operationally ready, with an emphasis on oxygen plants, ventilators, logistics, and human resources. Earlier on Friday, Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, emphasised the current immunisation campaign against Covid-19 that the Centre government had started due to concerns about a covid outbreak in the nation.
The Union Minister stated during a news conference on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s efforts to create a “Healthy India” on Friday that 220 crore doses of vaccination had been given out as of this Monday.

A high-level conference to examine the COVID-19 situation in the nation was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. He warned against complacency and emphasised the importance of testing and upgrading the monitoring systems, particularly at international airports. In light of the forthcoming holiday season in particular, he underlined the need of always acting in a COVID-appropriate manner, which includes not wearing masks in busy public areas.

According to reports, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya would convene a virtual conference with State Health Ministers at 3 pm on Friday to discuss the Covid-19 situation and preparation. The preparation for COVID19 in several states around the nation has been the subject of high-level talks with senior officials over the past two days.

The nasal Covid vaccine iNCOVACC from Bharat Biotech has been given the green light by the national government for use as a booster dosage for persons above the age of 18 in the nation’s immunisation programme. The nasal vaccination can be used as a heterologous booster dosage for those who have already received Covishield and Covaxin, according to the Union Health Ministry. Starting today, the vaccination will be accessible through the CoWIN app. The iNCOVACC has been authorised by the Indian government and will be administered to adults over the age of 18 as a heterologous booster dosage.

Starting today, the vaccine will be a part of the Covid-19 immunisation campaigns and will be accessible in private hospitals. In this context, the CoWIN platform will also be changed. In heterologous boosting, a different vaccination from the one used for the initial dosage series was delivered.
In November, Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) reported that iNCOVACC (BBV154) has been given the go-ahead for heterologous booster doses in India under Restricted Use in Emergency Situation for Ages 18 and Above by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).

Adenovirus-vectored vaccine called iNCOVACC has a pre-fusion stabilised SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and is recombinant replication-deficient. Nasal drops can be used to administer the vaccination intranasally thanks to special formulation. The nasal delivery technique was created and developed with low- and middle-income nations in mind.

The recombinant adenoviral vectored construct used in the vaccine was created in collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis, whose effectiveness was tested in preclinical tests. The COVID Suraksha Program of the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India helped to partially finance product development and clinical testing.

At 3 p.m. today, sources said, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will convene a virtual conference with State Health Ministers to discuss the Covid-19 situation and preparation.

Yesterday’s high-level discussion on the state and preparation of the public health response to COVID-19 was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also stressed the importance of expanded testing and stronger monitoring with a focus on genome sequencing.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, there has been an increase in COVID-19 instances in various nations, which is the context for this high-level review conference. PM Modi evaluated the country’s COVID-19 situation, the readiness of the medical infrastructure and logistics, and the state of the national immunisation programme. He also assessed the public health effects of the development of new Covid-19 variations.

The preparation for COVID19 in several states around the nation has been the subject of high-level talks with senior officials over the past two days.

The Omicron sub-variant BF.7, which is responsible for the recent increase of Covid cases in China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the US, has also been found in India. Four instances in all, the first one in July and the most recent in November, have been documented in four different Indian states. Less than 200 instances per day have been reported in India on average for many days. According to reports, there are presently ten distinct Covid-19 types in the nation, with BF.7 being the newest.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, emphasised the current Covid-19 immunisation campaign on Friday amid concerns that the disease may be on the rise in the nation. The Union Minister stated during a news conference on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s efforts to create a “Healthy India” on Friday that 220 crore doses of vaccination had been given out as of this Monday.

“The focus of our government is to transform health care into holistic health care. Following the PM’s vision of ‘One Nation One Health’, we collectively handled Covid. 220 crore doses of vaccine have been administered till this Monday,” Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

Shedding a light on the Narendra Modi-led government’s steps in providing medical facilities in far-flung areas, the Civil Aviation Minister said, “drones are being used for the delivery of blood, vaccines, and medicines in remote areas. In 2014 there were only 6 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and today we have 22 AIIMS in the country.” “MBBS seats have been increased by 90 percent,” he added.

To a question on the spurt in cases of a new variant of coronavirus in the countries like China and others, Scindia said, “Health Ministry is keeping a watch on it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday chaired a high-level meeting with top officials regarding preparedness for Covid. Today Union health minister will hold a meeting with health ministers of the states.”

A high-level conference to examine the COVID-19 situation in the nation was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. He warned against complacency and emphasised the importance of testing and upgrading the monitoring systems, particularly at international airports. In light of the forthcoming holiday season in particular, he underlined the need of always acting in a COVID-appropriate manner, which includes not wearing masks in busy public areas.

According to reports, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya would convene a virtual conference with State Health Ministers at 3 pm on Friday to discuss the Covid-19 situation and preparation. The preparation for COVID19 in several states around the nation has been the subject of high-level talks with senior officials over the past two days.

According to reports, the Covid-19 issue and readiness will be discussed at a virtual conference with state health ministers at 3 p.m. today. Thursday’s high-level discussion on the state and preparation of the public health response to COVID-19 was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasised the necessity for heightened monitoring with a focus on genome sequencing and expanded testing. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, there has been an increase in COVID-19 instances in various nations, which is the context for this high-level review conference.

PM Modi evaluated the country’s COVID-19 situation, the readiness of the medical infrastructure and logistics, and the state of the national immunisation programme. He also evaluated the public health effects of the development of new Covid-19 variations. The preparation for COVID19 in several states around the nation has been the subject of high-level talks with senior officials over the past two days.

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, informed the populace on Thursday that the administration was prepared and that there was no need to be alarmed because the national capital has not yet seen a single instance of the COVID-19 Omicron sub-variant BF.7.

Covid instances have increased dramatically in China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the US. According to statistics from the health ministry, the novel Omicron sub-variant BF.7, which has also been found in four Indian states, is to responsible for the increase.

Addressing the media after the COVID-19 review meeting, Delhi Chief Minister said, “COVID-19 cases are rising in China and several other countries. It has BF.7 variant. We don’t have a single case of that variant in Delhi. So there’s no need to worry.”

He said that the city’s health department is sequencing the genomes of all confirmed cases that are being reported.
Kejriwal said that cases of the XBB strain are being detected in Delhi, nevertheless.

“BR.7 variant was not detected even in sewage samples collected and tested from seven different places in Delhi. 92 per cent of the cases being reported in Delhi are related to the XBB variant or its sub-variants,” he said.

According to the Chief Minister, the Delhi government is completely ready for the newest COVID-19 wave. Only 24% of Delhi residents have received the recommended doses of the vaccination, Kejriwal pleaded with the populace.

“First and second doses have been provided to almost 100 per cent of beneficiaries. Only 24 per cent of people have taken the precautionary dose. We request the people to take the precautionary dose. During the meeting we discussed another door-to-door campaign to give precautionary doses to the people,” said Kejriwal.

On being asked about the face mask, he said, “We are waiting on the guidelines of the Central government. We will implement as and when they give orders,” said the Delhi CM.

Four instances of the BF.7 Omicron sub-variant, which is causing the current outbreak of illnesses in China, were reported from India in the past six months.
According to reports, there are presently ten distinct Covid-19 types in the nation, with BF.7 being the newest.

New genetic mutation may be the source of severe cases of childhood glaucoma, a debilitating condition that runs in families and can cause blindness in children as young as three years old, according to a team of researchers.

Publication of Clinical Investigation, a journal, published the findings. The thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) gene was mutated in three ethnically and geographically varied families with a history of childhood glaucoma, according to cutting-edge genome-sequencing techniques. The scientists further verified their results in a mouse model that had the genetic mutation and manifested glaucoma symptoms due to a previously unidentified disease mechanism.

The new findings, published December 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to improved screening for childhood glaucoma and more targeted treatments to prevent vision loss in children with the mutation, according to the study’s authors.

“This is a very exciting finding for families affected by childhood glaucoma,” said Janey L. Wiggs, MD, PhD, Associate Chief of Ophthalmology Clinical Research at Mass Eye and Ear and the Vice Chair for Ophthalmology Clinical Research and Paul Austin Chandler Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. “With this new knowledge, we can offer genetic testing to identify children in a family who may be at risk for the disease and start disease surveillance and conventional treatments earlier to preserve their vision. In the future, we would look to develop new therapies to target this genetic mutation.”

Leading cause of childhood blindness

Childhood, or congenital glaucoma is a rare but serious disease that presents in children as early as birth and as late as 3 years of age. Despite its rarity, childhood glaucoma is responsible for 5 percent of cases of child blindness worldwide.

Glaucoma causes irreversible damage to the eye’s optic nerve, often due to buildup of pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure, or IOP). In adults, this damage can occur over time without symptoms, which is why the disease is often referred to as a “sneak thief of sight.”

Children and babies with childhood glaucoma, however, can be born with severe disease and vision loss or lose their vision later in childhood due to elevated IOP. This increase in pressure not only damages the optic nerve but can also affect other structures in a child’s eye like the cornea. Children with childhood glaucoma typically require surgeries as early as the first three to six months of life, followed by several more operations throughout their childhood.

With childhood glaucoma, there is typically a strong hereditary component often with multiple members of a family affected by the condition. According to Dr Wiggs, by better understanding the genes involved, genetic testing can give affected families peace of mind to learn whether their child might be at risk for developing the disease.

Uncovering the genetic underpinnings of disease

For decades, researchers have turned towards genetics to better understand the cause of glaucoma. When Dr Wiggs first began this line of research 30 years ago, scientists were only able to identify regions of the genome affected in glaucoma. Thanks to advances in genomic technology, researchers gained the ability to review the complete genetic makeup of individuals with and without glaucoma to determine which specific genetic mutations play a role in the disease. Research led by Dr Wiggs in 2021 used a dataset of more than 34,000 adults with glaucoma to identify 127 genes associated with the condition.

To better study the genetic mutations in childhood glaucoma, Dr Wiggs and her Mass Eye and Ear team first looked at exome sequences from an American family of European-Caucasian descent who had been part of an earlier research project and found a striking and novel variant in thrombospondin-1, a well-known protein in the body involved in a number of important biological processes, such as the formation of new vessels (angiogenesis) and tissues. This mutated gene was not found in people without childhood glaucoma, nor in large population genetic databases.

The amino acid altered by the mutation was evolutionarily conserved, indicating an important role in the protein function. This finding led Dr. Wiggs to connect with colleagues at Flinders University in Australia to see if they had any childhood glaucoma families with thrombospondin mutations. They surprisingly found two families with an alteration at the same amino acid: one of mixed European and Indian descent, and one Sudanese family originally from Africa.

“What was really striking about this finding is that these families all possessed this genetic variant, and it was not possible for them to be related because they were from such diverse backgrounds,” said Dr Wiggs. “That meant there was something really important about this mutation.”

To further test this hypothesis, the researchers collaborated with Robert J. D’Amato, MD, PhD, the Judah Folkman Chair in Surgery in the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, and a professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. D’Amato’s team developed a mouse model with the THBS1 mutation and found that the mouse also had features of glaucoma.

“Thrombospondin-1 is well known as a potent inhibitor of blood vessel growth, or angiogenesis,” said Dr. D’Amato, who has studied angiogenesis for more than three decades. “I assumed at first that THBS1 mutations were disrupting blood vessel formation in the eye, but our animal models showed normal angiogenesis. We realized that there must be another mechanism.”

Specifically, D’Amato’s lab showed that the mutation caused abnormal thrombospondin proteins to accumulate in the intraocular drainage structures of the eye involved with regulating IOP, which in turn, led to a buildup of pressure that damaged the optic nerve and led to the loss of retinal ganglion cells, thereby causing vision loss.

This was the first time that researchers identified this kind of disease mechanism for causing childhood glaucoma.
“This work highlights the power of international collaborations,” said study co-author Owen M. Siggs MD, DPhil, associate professor at Flinders University and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia. “There’s such incredible genetic diversity across the globe, and comparing this information is becoming more and more critical for discoveries like this.”
Personalizing care for families with future study.

The new study has significant clinical implications, according to the researchers. While more work remains before comprehensive genetic testing can be offered, every gene that is found presents another opportunity to be able to identify causative mutations in these families through screening, according to the authors.

Therapeutically, understanding this gene mutation may enable early use of traditional medicines. For instance, if a child is born with this mutation, their eye care professional will be better able to alert the parents to the dangers and create a strategy for disease monitoring and care.

Finding this novel mechanism and gene that causes paediatric glaucoma may potentially result in the development of novel treatments that target the buildup of aberrant proteins. In addition, the researchers want to know if additional THBS1 mutations contribute to adult-onset diseases such primary open-angle glaucoma or less severe variations of the illness if the mutation is less severe.

In order to eventually create a highly thorough genetic profile for childhood glaucoma, researchers will also keep searching for novel genes linked to the disease.

According to a recent study, drug overdose mortality among women who are pregnant or just gave birth have climbed by more than 180% over the previous five years.
Publication Of Pediatrics, a journal, published the report. The investigation also showed that the number of overdose fatalities linked to pregnancy increased sharply in 2020, perhaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on social, economic, and healthcare systems.

“We’ve seen significant increases in fatal and nonfatal overdose in the general population during the pandemic,” said Emilie Bruzelius, MPH, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School and first author. “It now appears that pregnant and postpartum women are being affected as well.”

Data from national death certificates, which contain information on whether the death happened among a person who was presently or recently pregnant, were used to identify pregnancy-related overdose fatalities between 2017 and 2020. The researchers assessed the particular drug types used in each overdose and computed yearly overdose fatality rates.

The researchers also computed the total overdose fatality rates for women of reproductive age as a reference (who were not pregnant). 1,249 of the 7,642 pregnancy-related fatalities among expectant and postpartum women were brought on by drug overdose. In contrast to a 38% increase among women of reproductive age overall, overdose mortality surged more than 80% over the course of the four years, reaching a peak of 11.85 deaths per 100,000 in 2020. Rises in overdose mortality for both groups in 2020 were more marked than increases in any previous year before.

Contrary to significant rises in mortality related to fentanyl, methamphetamines, and cocaine, pregnancy-associated overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines, heroin, and prescription opioids remained mostly steady between 2017 and 2020. The number of fatalities involving fentanyl increased significantly in 2020, nearly tripling.

“Pregnant and postpartum people are known to face barriers to accessing drug treatment and harm reduction services, that when compounded by pandemic-associated stressors, healthcare shutdowns, and an increasingly volatile unregulated drug supply, may have increased fatal overdose risk,” said Bruzelius.

“Enhanced strategies supporting substance use prevention, treatment, and harm reduction efforts among pregnant and postpartum people are critical and much needed. We expect new and improved approaches will help address the concerning trends we are seeing,” noted Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and senior author.