"omicron"

39-year-old woman dies in Biratnagar; officials ramp up genomic surveillance and field epidemiology training to curb new Omicron sub-variants

There is a need to focus on ramping up surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, intensifying genome sequencing and making testing accessible again

A team of South Korean scientists from the Institute for Basic Science announced that the memory T cells that form during the Omicron breakthrough infection respond to subsequent strains of the virus

The sudden spurt in cases, especially in Kerala with the caseload crossing 1,800, calls for caution

The concerning numbers come as the highly mutated Pirola reached over 100 cases in the country, according to the Covid variant tracker GISAID.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the biologically active chemicals in tea, known as tea catechins, effectively neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Subsequent to the initial Omicron variant, denoted as BA.1, a sequence of variants has emerged, each carrying mutations that have enhanced their infectivity and transmissibility.

Amid the new Covid variant Eris, at least one in three households in Karnataka, one in five in Delhi, and one in six in Maharashtra have someone with viral fever or Covid-like symptoms, according to a survey.

As cases rise globally, the World Health Organization on Thursday designated EG.5.1, nicknamed Eris, as a "variant of interest"

EG.5 now has its own offshoot, EG.5.1, that adds a second mutation to the spike. That one is also spreading rapidly.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, was transmitted from humans to deer, mutated, and was potentially transmitted back to humans many times.

Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, present in 33 countries, is making a fresh surge in Covid infections

Amid the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in India there has been an increase in risk of conjunctivitis among children aged below one-year

Noting that Omicron and its sublineages continue to be the dominant variants in India, the INSACOG bulletin said an increase in Covid infection rate has been observed in the country

The team showed that with the aid of these mutations, several such Omicron recombinant and mutant strains were able to escape from the host's defences and bind more tightly to the host cell.

After facing the Wuhan virus that triggered first Covid wave, followed by deadly Delta variant and over 250 Omicron variants in the last few years, Indians have developed healthy levels of immunity through natural infection and vaccines.

However, no mortality or rise in transmission were reported in the areas where these variants were detected, it said.

The waning immunity among individuals in India who had gained natural immunity through Covid infection could cause a small ripple of Covid infections in the coming months.

Unlike China, the new substrain of coronavirus has not affected India disastrously even as the first case of this variant was detected months ago.

Covid-19 seems to be back with a vengeance in China with nearly 40,000 cases being reported daily across the country.