New coronavirus variant: How much do we know about this virus?
4 years ago

New coronavirus variant: How much do we know about this virus?

India Today  

Viruses are living beings and like others, they tend to find ways for greater chances of survival. There are four things that are noteworthy about the new variant of coronavirus: This variant spreads faster and is replacing the previous strain at a rapid pace That mutation has taken place in the spike or binding protein of the SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19 It is more infectious but less lethal Since the new variant has a changed organ in its spikes, experts are convinced leading vaccines will continue to work against it The new variant of the coronavirus was discovered in the United Kingdom in September. Earlier this month, the UK government recognised it as a variant that spreads 70 per cent faster with its health minister telling the country's parliament that the new variant of the coronavirus is responsible for a majority of all new infections. By the time the countries halted travel to and from the UK, the new variant of coronavirus had been reported from Denmark, the Netherlands and even far-off countries such as Australia. Given that the leading vaccines including those under development stage in India are designed to train the body’s immune system to identify the virus by noticing its spike, experts believe they will be equally effective against the new version of coronavirus.

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History of this topic

New coronavirus vaccination round starts in the Netherlands
4 months, 2 weeks ago

New coronavirus vaccination round starts in the Netherlands

Dutch News  

The government has launched a new coronavirus vaccination round for the over-60s and younger people with certain health conditions, and the first invitations for a jab arrived on Tuesday. Everyone over the age of 60 is being invited to have the vaccination by letter, while others considered to be at extra risk will be able to make an appointment via …

New coronavirus vaccination round starts in the Netherlands
4 months, 2 weeks ago

New coronavirus vaccination round starts in the Netherlands

Dutch News  

The government has launched a new coronavirus vaccination round for the over-60s and younger people with certain health conditions, and the first invitations for a jab arrived on Tuesday. Everyone over the age of 60 is being invited to have the vaccination by letter, while others considered to be at extra risk will be able to make an appointment via …

What you need to know about the new ‘FliRT’ coronavirus variant, according to a doctor
7 months, 2 weeks ago

What you need to know about the new ‘FliRT’ coronavirus variant, according to a doctor

CNN  

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. KP.2, a member of the so-called FliRT variants, nicknamed after their mutations, has become the dominant coronavirus strain in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Home tests will likely still detect KP.2, the new coronavirus variant. Grace Cary/Moment RF/Getty Images CNN: What …

New Covid-19 strain JN.1 classified as ‘Variant of Interest’ by WHO
1 year ago

New Covid-19 strain JN.1 classified as ‘Variant of Interest’ by WHO

Firstpost  

The United Nations agency said current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of the Covid-19 virus. JN.1 was first detected in the US in September, according to the CDC The World Health Organization on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest”, but said it did not pose …

WHO tracking new Covid variant BA. X amid fears it could lead to new explosion of cases
1 year, 4 months ago

WHO tracking new Covid variant BA. X amid fears it could lead to new explosion of cases

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The World Health Organization is monitoring a new coronavirus variant that …

New coronavirus variant EG.5 on the rise: WHO, CDC on alert
1 year, 4 months ago

New coronavirus variant EG.5 on the rise: WHO, CDC on alert

Hindustan Times  

The World Health Organization on Wednesday classified a new strain of COVID-19 as a "variant of interest." The World Health Organization has classed the EG.5 strain of COVID-19 as a "variant of interest". "Collectively, available evidence does not suggest that EG.5 has additional public health risks relative to the other currently circulating Omicron descendent lineages," the organization said. "Right now, …

Coronavirus Today: How immune are we?
1 year, 9 months ago

Coronavirus Today: How immune are we?

LA Times  

I’m Karen Kaplan, and it’s Tuesday, March 21. This “cellular immunity,” as scientists call it, deserves the credit for preventing the worst COVID-19 outcomes, even if it doesn’t stop infections from happening in the first place. One tool employed by California’s elected officials to keep the coronavirus in check is a new state law that punishes doctors who spread misinformation …

COVID-19 ALERT! 76 samples of new Coronavirus variant XBB1.16 found in India
1 year, 9 months ago

COVID-19 ALERT! 76 samples of new Coronavirus variant XBB1.16 found in India

India TV News  

A total of 76 samples of COVID-19's XBB.1.16 variant have been found which might be behind the recent rise of cases in the country. According to INSACOG-- a department that studies and monitor genome sequencing and virus variation of circulating strains of COVID-19 in India, the variant has been found across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Puducherry Delhi, Telangana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and …

No new Covid variants during recent breakout in China: Lancet study
1 year, 11 months ago

No new Covid variants during recent breakout in China: Lancet study

India Today  

New coronavirus variants did not emerge during the recent outbreak of cases in China, said a study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Samples of 350 locally acquired infections and 63 imported cases were studied during a five-week period beginning in November 2022 - shortly after China abruptly overturned its strict zero-Covid policy. Further, China also administers inactivated whole …

What we know about ‘Kraken’ Covid Variant XBB.1.5; why it's causing concern
1 year, 11 months ago

What we know about ‘Kraken’ Covid Variant XBB.1.5; why it's causing concern

Hindustan Times  

A new Covid variant that was first detected last year has quickly become the dominant strain in the US — and picked up a creepy moniker along the way. The original XBB variant has already caused waves of infection in countries including Singapore and India since the WHO first raised concern about it last October. Health authorities are warning it …

Dutch Covid hospital total falls 19% in a week; Sharp drop in known infections
2 years ago

Dutch Covid hospital total falls 19% in a week; Sharp drop in known infections

NL Times  

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 664 patients with Covid-19 on Tuesday, 19 percent fewer than a week earlier. Additionally, new infections diagnosed ing the past seven days by healthcare services, and not from self-test kits, fell below 4,500 to the lowest point since June 2021. The hospitalizations fell by nearly 27 percent since last Tuesday, when the average was …

China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant
2 years ago

China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant

LA Times  

Masked commuters walk during the morning rush hour in Beijing on Dec. 20. “When we’ve seen big waves of infection, it’s often followed by new variants being generated,” Ray said. Ray compared the virus to a boxer that “learns to evade the skills that you have and adapt to get around those.” One big unknown is whether a new variant …

A concerning sequence: The Hindu Editorial on a new coronavirus strain and a spurt in cases in China
2 years ago

A concerning sequence: The Hindu Editorial on a new coronavirus strain and a spurt in cases in China

The Hindu  

The spurt in coronavirus cases reported out of China has triggered global alarm. India’s Health Ministry has issued a directive to States to send positive samples to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium to check for new, concerning strains. There is scarce monitoring and mask mandates for public gatherings, airports and railway stations have been removed everywhere; so, low numbers do …

Covid-19 cases in the US surpass 100 million, says report
2 years ago

Covid-19 cases in the US surpass 100 million, says report

Firstpost  

According to health officials in China, Chinese cities are currently hit by the highly transmissible Omicron strains, mainly BA.5.2 and BF.7 Washington: The number of Covid-19 cases registered in the US since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 exceeded a staggering 100 million, Johns Hopkins University has said, amid a sharp spike in caseloads globally and the WHO …

Dutch Covid hospital patient total jumps by 27% as new coronavirus variant dominates
2 years ago

Dutch Covid hospital patient total jumps by 27% as new coronavirus variant dominates

NL Times  

After weeks of declining figures, the number of patients receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Dutch hospitals rose by 27 percent since last Tuesday, according to data from patient coordination service LCPS. Meanwhile, the number of new coronavirus infections remained roughly flat this week, but the Omicron sub-variant BQ.1 has emerged as the new dominant strain of the virus in the …

Coronavirus subvariant could lead to increase in infections: ECDC
2 years, 2 months ago

Coronavirus subvariant could lead to increase in infections: ECDC

NL Times  

A subvariant of the coronavirus, BQ.1, will become dominant in Europe sometime between mid-November and early December, the European health service ECDC expects. The dominance of BQ.1 and its sub-variant, BQ.1.1, is likely to lead to an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the coming weeks to months. The subvariants are already circulating in the Netherlands, according to …

Coronavirus will be with us this winter, experts tell Nu.nl
2 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus will be with us this winter, experts tell Nu.nl

Dutch News  

The Netherlands should be prepared to deal with a flare up in coronavirus in the coming months, even though the World Health Organisation has said the end of the pandemic is in sight, according to virologist Marion Koopmans. ‘And in the winter, in particular, hospitals cannot deal with much more.’ Koopmans, a professor at the Erasmus teaching hospital in Rotterdam, …

Coronavirus will be with us this winter, experts tell Nu.nl
2 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus will be with us this winter, experts tell Nu.nl

Dutch News  

The Netherlands should be prepared to deal with a flare up in coronavirus in the coming months, even though the World Health Organisation has said the end of the pandemic is in sight, according to virologist Marion Koopmans. ‘And in the winter, in particular, hospitals cannot deal with much more.’ Koopmans, a professor at the Erasmus teaching hospital in Rotterdam, …

Tackling the new variants
2 years, 4 months ago

Tackling the new variants

Hindustan Times  

The first redesigned coronavirus vaccine was approved for use this week when authorities in the United Kingdom cleared a Moderna dose that the company adapted to create immunity against the Omicron variant. The vaccine is a 50-50 formulation of Moderna’s 2020 product, designed on the Sars-CoV-2 variant that first spread around the world, and of a new dose developed using …

Coronavirus variant Centaurus discovered in Netherlands for the first time
2 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus variant Centaurus discovered in Netherlands for the first time

NL Times  

The BA.2.75 variant of the coronavirus, also called Centaurus, has now also been identified in the Netherlands. Vaccine manufacturers have been working in recent months to update their vaccines for the Omicron variant. In the Netherlands, people from the age of 60, residents of nursing homes, adults with Down syndrome and adults with a serious immune disorder can receive the …

Exclusive: Coming soon, second generation, variant specific anti-Covid vaccine
2 years, 5 months ago

Exclusive: Coming soon, second generation, variant specific anti-Covid vaccine

India Today  

The Centre has invested in developing a strain specific vaccine that would help in countering the changing nature of coronavirus. An official who facilitated developing this ecosystem for second generation vaccines told India Today that research and development work is underway to develop strain-specific vaccines in India. A bivalent vaccine will target the specific spike mutations seen in the Omicron …

New coronavirus mutant raises concerns in India and beyond
2 years, 5 months ago

New coronavirus mutant raises concerns in India and beyond

India Today  

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious omicron mutant that’s worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States. “It’s still really early on for us to draw too many conclusions,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Still, the …

New coronavirus mutant raises concerns in India and beyond
2 years, 5 months ago

New coronavirus mutant raises concerns in India and beyond

Associated Press  

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious omicron mutant that’s worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States. “It’s still really early on for us to draw too many conclusions,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Still, the …

New corona variant found in India, claim Israeli scientists; govt says too early to hit panic button
2 years, 6 months ago

New corona variant found in India, claim Israeli scientists; govt says too early to hit panic button

India Today  

A series of tweets, put out by a scientist from Israel has sent the medical fraternity and pandemic observers into a tizzy. Dr Tom Peacock said on Twitter, “Surveillence minded folks - worth keeping a close eye on BA.2.75 - lots of spike mutations, probable second generation variant, apparent rapid growth and wide geographical spread." Surveillence minded folks - worth …

Coronavirus infections rise 70% as fears of a new wave grow
2 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus infections rise 70% as fears of a new wave grow

Dutch News  

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has risen for the third week in a row, and more people have been admitted to a hospital intensive care ward, public health institute RIVM said on Tuesday. Warnings On Monday, the Netherlands’ two biggest employers’ organisations made a public appeal to get people to start keeping to the basic coronavirus …

Coronavirus infections rise 70% as fears of a new wave grow
2 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus infections rise 70% as fears of a new wave grow

Dutch News  

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the Netherlands has risen for the third week in a row, and more people have been admitted to a hospital intensive care ward, public health institute RIVM said on Tuesday. Warnings On Monday, the Netherlands’ two biggest employers’ organisations made a public appeal to get people to start keeping to the basic coronavirus …

Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
2 years, 7 months ago

Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past

India Today  

The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease. A genetic trait that harkens back to the pandemic's past, known as a “delta mutation," appears to allow the virus …

Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
2 years, 7 months ago

Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past

Associated Press  

The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease. A genetic trait that harkens back to the pandemic’s past, known as a “delta mutation,” appears to allow the virus …

Still far from normal: Covid-19 cases rising rapidly in 36 countries
2 years, 7 months ago

Still far from normal: Covid-19 cases rising rapidly in 36 countries

India Today  

Even as world leaders debated Covid-19 related issues at a virtual summit on Thursday, May 12, the pandemic has not shown any signs of disappearing from our lives. The latest data shows: New cases are still rising in 89 countries, including the US, weekly trends show. The latest weekly situation report of the WHO said during the week through May …

Nothing to panic, says NTAGI chief after India confirms cases of XE variant of Covid
2 years, 8 months ago

Nothing to panic, says NTAGI chief after India confirms cases of XE variant of Covid

India Today  

The Centre on Monday said that there was no need to panic about the new XE variant of coronovirus after cases were reported from Maharashtra and Gujarat. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation chief, NK Arora, said Omicron variants of the X series are not causing serious diseases and do not show a very rapid spread as per Indian …

XE variant of coronavirus: What is it? Should you be worried?
2 years, 9 months ago

XE variant of coronavirus: What is it? Should you be worried?

India Today  

Maharashtra has done a U-turn after reporting that it had detected India's first case of coronavirus variant XE. On Wednesday, authorities in Mumbai reported that samples of a 50-year-old woman with a travel history to South Africa had tested positive for coronavirus variant XE. READ: Covid-19 booster dose for all above 18 years at private hospitals from April 10 BMC's …

’Highly transmissible’ Covid XE variant found in Mumbai: 5 things to know
2 years, 9 months ago

’Highly transmissible’ Covid XE variant found in Mumbai: 5 things to know

Live Mint  

Mumbai on Wednesday reported India’s first case of the highly-transmissible coronavirus variant, XE. Initial studies say that the XE variant has a growth rate of 9.8% over that of BA.2, also known as the stealth variant because of its ability to evade detection. Here are the 5 key points about the XE variant: - The hybrid of two omicron strains …

No need to panic, says Maharashtra Covid task force member on XE variant
2 years, 9 months ago

No need to panic, says Maharashtra Covid task force member on XE variant

Hindustan Times  

A member of the Maharashtra government’s Covid-19 task on Wednesday said there was no need to panic about the detection of the highly transmissible XE variant of the coronavirus in Mumbai, a first in India, while urging citizens to continue to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. “Mumbai XE variant case occurred in first week in March from an international travellor who fully …

Covid XE variant first case detected in India? Here's what we know so far
2 years, 9 months ago

Covid XE variant first case detected in India? Here's what we know so far

India TV News  

Highlights India reported its first case of the XE variant of coronavirus in Mumbai. India reported its first case of the XE variant of coronavirus on Wednesday in Mumbai. Here is everything we know about the variant so far: WHO had warned that the new Covid-19 variant XE is more transmissible than any other variants so far. Apart from the …

UK faces fresh wave of infections amid global concerns over XE strain | 5 points
2 years, 9 months ago

UK faces fresh wave of infections amid global concerns over XE strain | 5 points

Hindustan Times  

With new coronavirus strains emerging from different parts of the world, fears have grown of yet another pandemic wave approaching soon. Meanwhile, a renewed surge of Covid-19 infections was reported in Britain, led by the Omicron variant and newly discovered mutant strain XE. Covid-19 infections, due to the highly transmissible Omicron BA.2 variant, have hit a record high in Britain, …

Covid: WHO says new virus strain ‘XE’ could be most contagious so far
2 years, 9 months ago

Covid: WHO says new virus strain ‘XE’ could be most contagious so far

Hindustan Times  

Just as the coronavirus pandemic seemed to be on a declining phase after having wreaked havoc across the world over the past two years, a new mutant strain has been reported, raising fears of yet another Covid-19 wave. The World Health Organization has now warned of a new subvariant – ‘XE’ – a hybrid strain of two Omicron sub variants. …

Coronavirus updates March 04, 2022
2 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus updates March 04, 2022

The Hindu  

In 2022, 92% of COVID deaths have been in unvaccinated individuals, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Dr. Balram Bhargava said on Thursday. Here are the latest updates Study Third Covid vaccine dose advised for immunocompromised people: study A third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for people with a weakened immune system, especially for organ …

Coronavirus live |
2 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus live |

The Hindu  

It is too early to say anything definite on the COVID-19 pandemic becoming an endemic, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday while inaugurating the revamped canteen of the Ministry. National India adds 30,757 COVID-19 cases, tally increased to 4,27,54,315 With 30,757 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of cases rose to …

Coronavirus live |
2 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus live |

The Hindu  

India logged 30,615 new coronavirus infections, taking the country’s tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,27,23,558, while the active cases dipped to 3,70,240, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The daily COVID-19 cases were recorded less than one lakh for ten consecutive days The active cases comprise 0.87% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery …

Coronavirus updates | February 11, 2022
2 years, 10 months ago

Coronavirus updates | February 11, 2022

The Hindu  

Noting that the decision on third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for all adults will be taken based on scientific need, the government on Thursday said emerging knowledge on the subject is under its active consideration. Here are the updates : National WHO chief scientist: pandemic has not ended as more variants expected The World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, …

Next COVID variant after Omicron: Experts explain how coronavirus can evolve
2 years, 11 months ago

Next COVID variant after Omicron: Experts explain how coronavirus can evolve

Live Mint  

As we step into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, coronavirus has evolved with time, getting stronger with each new variant. And suggesting that there will be more variants in the future, experts explain the virus can evolve at least in four ways in the future. The Next Variant - 4 possible scenarios A recent article by Nature pointed …

Is Omicron endgame of Covid? WHO chief warns of future variants
2 years, 11 months ago

Is Omicron endgame of Covid? WHO chief warns of future variants

Live Mint  

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that it would be dangerous to assume that the highly transmissable Omicron was the last variant to emerge and that the world was in the 'end game' of the pandemic. By the end of 2021, a doctor in South Africa confirmed the detection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant that …

Coronavirus updates | January 14, 2022
2 years, 11 months ago

Coronavirus updates | January 14, 2022

The Hindu  

India saw a single day jump of 2,64,202 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 239 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,65,82,129 which includes 5,753 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. -PTI National Daily rise in COVID-19 cases highest in 239 days India saw a single day jump …

Covid-19: IHU variant not spreading far enough, cases extremely low, says study
3 years ago

Covid-19: IHU variant not spreading far enough, cases extremely low, says study

Hindustan Times  

The new ‘IHU’ variant of the coronavirus, which was discovered in France late last month, is not spreading far enough to be one of major concerns, a new study has found. The IHU variant was discovered by researchers from France's Méditerranée Infection. In it, the researchers said that “it is still early to speculate on the IHU variants as the …

COVID pandemic: New variant detected in France not a threat yet, says WHO
3 years ago

COVID pandemic: New variant detected in France not a threat yet, says WHO

India TV News  

Highlights The new Covid variant called B.1.640 is not "circulating widely at the moment": WHO The strain is also known as the 'IHU' variant Following internal discussions, WHO classified it as "variant under monitoring" in Nov 2021 The new Covid-19 variant called B.1.640, which was detected by French researchers and is probably of Cameroonian origin, is not "circulating widely at …

Explained: When was IHU variant first discovered and its spread
3 years ago

Explained: When was IHU variant first discovered and its spread

Hindustan Times  

Amid the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the discovery of a new strain that emerged in France concerned experts across the world. The variant is a sub-lineage of the B.1.640 and its discovery was announced by researchers from Méditerranée Infection in Marseille, part of France’s Instituts hospitalo-universitaires - hence the name. According to a Forbes report, the first …

Covid-19: 5 big things to know about the new IHU variant
3 years ago

Covid-19: 5 big things to know about the new IHU variant

Hindustan Times  

A new variant of coronavirus – named IHU - has been identified by researchers in France amid the rapid spread of the Omicron strain across the globe. The study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, suggests that the new virus strain has more mutations than the Omicron variant. Here is a list of things known about the new IHU variant …

New Covid-19 variant ‘IHU’ discovered in France, has more mutations than Omicron
3 years ago

New Covid-19 variant ‘IHU’ discovered in France, has more mutations than Omicron

Hindustan Times  

Scientists in France have identified a new strain of coronavirus with more mutations than the Omicron variant. The emergence of the new variant, which probably originated in Cameroon, as per the study, harbours both substitutions N501Y and E484K in the spike protein. "The mutation set and phylogenetic position of the genomes obtained here indicate based on our previous definition a …

New Covid-19 variant ‘IHU’ discovered in France, has more mutations than Omicron
3 years ago

New Covid-19 variant ‘IHU’ discovered in France, has more mutations than Omicron

Hindustan Times  

Scientists in France have identified a new strain of coronavirus with more mutations than the Omicron variant. The emergence of the new variant, which probably originated in Cameroon, as per the study, harbours both substitutions N501Y and E484K in the spike protein. "The mutation set and phylogenetic position of the genomes obtained here indicate based on our previous definition a …

Omicron variant responsible for 91% of Amsterdam coronavirus infections
3 years ago

Omicron variant responsible for 91% of Amsterdam coronavirus infections

NL Times  

An analysis of a random sample of positive coronavirus test swabs showed that nearly 91 percent of infections in the greater Amsterdam area were caused by the newer, highly contagious Omicron variant. The variant has been responsible for a majority of infections in the Amsterdam area since at least December 22, and became dominant in the Netherlands about a week …

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