Highest ever number of recoveries recorded in the last 24 hours; 28,472 patients discharged

Highest ever recoveries have been registered in a single day i.e. 28,472. This is also the highest number of COVID-19 patients cured or discharged in last 24 hours. With this, the number of patients that have recovered stands at 7,53,049. This has strongly boosted the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients to 63.13%. The constantly increasing number of recovered patients has further widened the difference with active cases (4,11,133 today) to 3,41,916. While the national recovery rate has improved, 19 States and UTs are posting a recovery rate higher than the national average. The consistently increasing number of recovered person and growing difference between the active and recovered patients are a testimony that the strategies adopted by the Centre and implemented by the State/ UT governments are bearing desired outcomes. The primary focus has been on early detection through house-to-house surveys, surveillance, contact tracing, effective containment plans, screening of the vulnerable populace and wide-spread testing.  The ramped up three-tier health infrastructure and well executed Standard of Care Protocol have aided in effective treatment in the hospitals and through home isolation. AIIMS, New Delhi along with the Centres of Excellence in the States/UTs have bolstered the clinical treatment and critical care of ICU patients, thereby managing to reduce the Case Fatality rate in India.

Active respirator mask & nano-sanitiser developed by SNBNCBS can help in combating COVID 19

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the use of face mask an inevitable part of daily life. However, it is encountering many a discomfort which hinders its usage to prevent spread of the virus. Some of them are re breathing of Carbon dioxide (CO2), which may reduce human efficiency and lead to brain-hypoxia due to long hours of usage, moisture in the exhaled breath which makes spectacles foggy, safety issues like sweaty and hot environment inside the mask, clarity in speech of a person with a face mask. An active respirator mask with attached exhalation valve and suspended particulate matter filter for comfortable and hygienic breathing while wearing masks has been developed by S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata, an autonomous research Institute under the Department of Science and Technology. The Active Respirator mask is an innovative solution to the re breathing of carbon dioxide, exhaled moisture, and sweaty and hot environment inside the mask. Besides this, a Nano-sanitizer with a Dispensing Antimicrobial Layer has also been developed by the institute.

Health Ministry receives the first tranche of 4,475 Oxygen Concentrators from Temasek Foundation, Singapore

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare today received the first tranche of 4,475 Oxygen Concentrators from Temasek Foundation, Singapore. The Foundation has offered to donate total of 20,000 Oxygen Concentrators to India. The remaining Oxygen Concentrators will be received in the month of August 2020. These devices will be made available to States and UTs for use in management of moderate cases of COVID-19. Expressing gratitude towards Temasek Foundation, Singapore for their generous help, Choubey said that the Oxygen Concentrators will substantially aid the fight against COVID-19 in the country.

Centre Advisories, Policies, Updates

Plasma therapy effective for moderately ill patients, say most doctors of ICMR trial

Most institutions which took part in the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) trial on plasma therapy have found blood transfusion from recovered Covid-19 patients to those with moderately severe illness to be effective. This is the only pan-India study on the topic, and institutions have submitted their findings to ICMR. The optimistic investigators, however, caution that timing of the transfusion will be challenging. Half of the 24 who cited positive results said the therapy should not be used on patients who have become severe. They said antibodies must come from recovered people who were symptomatic, which can take as long as a month after their diagnosis to appear. Patients must receive the plasma within five to 10 days of their diagnosis, the trial’s principal investigators recommended.

SC rule out possibility of physical hearings for now

The Supreme Court Wednesday ruled out the possibility of conducting physical hearings at present in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said that a seven-judge committee of the apex court would consider after four weeks the aspect of re-starting physical hearing in the top court. The CJI's observation came when a lawyer sought resumption of physical court hearing to deal with a batch of petitions relating to grant of quota in promotions to SC/ST employees in various states. The apex court has been conducting hearings through video-conferencing, days before the nationwide lockdown had started on March 25 to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

Prepared by Impact Health Research Team

Note- If you want detailed information, analysis, and data on any particular segment or sector, kindly let us know. Reach out to us-, M: +917028023385