Read more
Omicron LIVE Updates: The World Health Organization approved two new Covid-19 treatments, growing the arsenal of tools along with vaccines to stave off severe illness and death from the virus. This comes when Omicron is wreaking havoc across the world and the new variant is filling hospitals. In the first 11 days of inoculation drive for teens, 42% of eligible 15-17 year-olds have got Covid-19 shots.
Over 3.14 crore adolescents — accounting for 42% of youngsters between 15-18 years of age — have received the first dose of Covid vaccines in about 11 days since the rollout of the vaccination drive for this category on January 3. The government aims to cover around 80-85% of the estimated 7.40 crore youngsters in the 15-17 years age group by January end, The Times of India reported.
Meanwhile, WHO experts In their recommendation in the British medical journal the BMJ, said arthritis drug Baricitinib used with corticosteroids to treat severe or critical Covid patients led to better survival rates and reduced need for ventilators. And also recommended synthetic antibody treatment Sotrovimab for people with non-serious Covid at the highest risk of hospitalisation, such as the elderly, people with immunodeficiencies or chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said sero surveillance in Rajasthan has found that 90 percent of people have developed antibodies for coronavirus. Gehlot said that it indicates ‘herd immunity’ has developed due to the community spread of the infection in the state.
In Gujarat, chief minister Bhupendra Patel participated in a virtual meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the COVID-19 situation after a surge in cases in the country and the spread of the Omicron variant. The state government separately said 94.5 per cent of the adult population in Gujarat has been fully vaccinated against coronavirus. Senior officials like chief secretary Pankaj Kumar and health secretary Manoj Agarwal also attended the meeting, where the PM spoke about how to tackle the present wave of coronavirus, the statement said. The meeting also reviewed the ongoing coronavirus vaccination programme.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.