'We have to be wary because if an uncontrolled transmission happens, random mutations may lead to something which could be virulent and then that could land us in a problem.'
As the fire at a Bhandup mall which claimed the lives of nine COVID-19 patients admitted at the hospital in the same building was finally doused on Saturday, a case has been registered against HDIL promoter Rakesh Wadhawan and five others for 'culpable homicide'.
Sunil Sethi caught the coronavirus. This is what happened next.
Chaos prevailed outside a newly-inaugurated 900-bed Covid-19 hospital in Ahmedabad as people flocked there in large numbers since early morning on Thursday with the hope of securing admission for their ailing family members and relatives.
'Just as I pulled the bed away from the monitor, another attendant's PPE suit caught fire. Luckily, a doctor came upstairs with a bucket of water and poured it on the attendant and saved him'
Locals are overly concerned as horrifying tales emerge of patients running from pillar to post to secure hospital beds or even get themselves tested.
There was no casualty in the blaze that erupted on the second floor of Bodeli Dhokalia Public Hospital, the official said, adding that 10 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the facility were shifted to its lower floor and some of them were later admitted to other hospitals.
Like Mumbai turned some of its stadiums into Covid hospitals during the worst days of the pandemic in the city in 2020, Beijing has set up a coronavirus hospital in a sports arena.
In light of the surge in COVID-19 in some countries, hospitals across India conducted a Mock drill COVID-19.
The prime minister gave a new slogan "Jahan bimar, wahin upchar (treatment of the ailing at their doorstep)" during his video conference with the healthcare professionals, saying this can bring down the pressure that the second wave of COVID-19 has put on the country's health system.
The apex court also pulled up the Gujarat government for extending the deadline till July next year for hospitals to rectify the building by-laws violations, and said the "carte blanche" notification was in teeth of its order of December 18 last year and people will continue to die in fire incidents.
The home ministry noted that it took a number of steps to ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply of essential medical oxygen as well as life-saving drugs, including remdesivir.
The Kraken COVID-19 variant accounts for almost 41 per cent of all Covid infections.
"The fire reportedly started from an AC unit of the ICU located on the second floor of the hospital. The blaze remained confined to that floor and did not spread further," Nagpur Municipal Corporation's chief fire officer Rajendra Uchke said, adding that it is a non-COVID hospital.
As rural areas see a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Centre on Sunday issued new guidelines for containment of the virus advising that peri-urban and rural areas plan a minimum 30-bedded COVID Care Centre for asymptomatic cases with comorbidities or mild cases where home isolation is not feasible.
In the wake of a significant decline in Covid-19 cases, the Gujarat government on Friday announced that private as well as government offices in the state can now function with 100 per cent staff from June 7.
"To make sure there isn't a Covid surge in the country, PM Modi has asked us to be careful. The government is also preparing if at the Covid cases increase. Today, mock drills are conducted across Covid hospitals in the country to make sure people get proper treatment," Mandaviya said.
"Hospitals under the central government, state governments and UT administration, including private hospitals managing COVID patients, shall ensure that requirement of a positive test for COVID-19 virus is not mandatory for admission to a COVID health facility.
The infected students are studying in classes 8, 9 and 10, and they were tested for COVID-19 after a majority of them exhibited symptoms of cold and cough, she said, adding that the district administration and health authorities have been informed about it.
A total of 1,59,632 new coronavirus infections were reported in a day, the highest in 224 days.
The disbursal included Rs 1,000 crore for migrant welfare and over Rs 1,392 crore for procurement of Covid vaccine doses.
Severe cyclonic storm Tauktae that is hovering over Saurashtra in Gujarat would move north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during next three hours, informed the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
It said the actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country as on date is 3,42,756, while more than 6.35 lakhs patients have recuperated from the disease.
Amid the growing queues of ambulances waiting for patients to be admitted with ventilators and oxygen, only time will tell if the state government has lost the plot or not.
Shifts COVID-19 infected bat-repairer to dedicated COVID hospital.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,90,27,304.
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday replaced his 'Team-11', a group of officials tasked with managing the crises, with a new nine-member set of ministers and bureaucrats.
The death toll climbed to 3,03,720 with 4,454 daily deaths, the data updated at 8 am showed.
A total of 3,14,835 fresh infections were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll increased to 1,84,657 with a record 2,104 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The armed forces have roped in Battlefield Nursing Assistants (BFNA) to help fight the second wave of COVID-19 and have suggested that a similar model can be followed by state governments and hospitals, according to senior officials.
Aggressive testing, timely diagnosis and effective management of patients either through supervised home isolation or active medical attention in hospitals have led to a surge in recovered cases which exceed active COVID-19 cases by 2,72,191 as on date
Authorities at several private hospitals in the national capital on Monday scampered to refill their oxygen stocks as the lives of many COVID patients hung by a thin thread amid an acute shortage of the life-saving gas.
At least 18 coronavirus patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.
The active cases have reduced to 16,35,993 comprising 5.73 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 93.08 per cent.
'A tornado... when it lands, it swirls through the body, causing chaos, confusion, coughs, wreaking damage to each organ it touches.'
India's recovery rate amongst the COVID-19 patients has reached 75.92 per cent. The recovered patients are 3.41 times the active cases.
With 57,469 patients having recuperated in a day, total recoveries have surged to 23,38,035, pushing the recovery rate to 75.27 per cent as on date.
"The recovery rate is 58.56 per cent amongst COVID-19 patients," the ministry said.
With several states taking steps towards unlocking and easing of restrictions amid a decline in COVID-19 cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cautioned people against any laxity and asserted that COVID-appropriate protocol is the 'most effective weapon' against an unseen adversary like coronavirus that keeps changing its form.
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