Coronavirus India Updates: Tally At 37.7 Lakh; Over 66,000 Dead

Delhi Metro is set to resume services in three stages from Sept. 7-12 after a hiatus of over five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but stations in containment zones would remain closed, DMRC said on Wednesday.

Officials of the urban transporter also cautioned that “trains may not stop at some of the stations” if social distancing norms are not adhered to by the passengers.

Trains will operate in batches of four-hour each from 7-11 a.m. in the morning and 4-8 p.m. in the evening, it said.

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A top American scientific body has launched study to track the prevalence and impact of Covid-19 infection among approximately 16,000 pregnant women in seven countries, including India.

The study will follow women through pregnancy and 12 months after childbirth to compare maternal, fetal and newborn outcomes of participants who have been infected with the virus to those of pregnant women who have not been infected, the National Institute of Health (NIH) said, announcing the launch of the study on Tuesday.

The participating countries are India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guatemala, it said.

The study will be conducted by the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, a group of clinical sites funded by the NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. At delivery, women enrolled in the study will receive an antibody test to determine if they have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, the NIH said in a statement.

Researchers hope to determine if infection increases the risk of complications such as preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, newborn death and birth defects.

They also hope to assess participants' knowledge and attitudes of Covid-19 during pregnancy, including safety, protective practices and prenatal care.

Women in the study will also be invited to participate in a follow-up analysis to determine if maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection influences infant outcomes such as cerebral palsy, developmental delays and hearing and vision abnormalities, the NIH said.

Source: PTI

I wish to inform all that I have been detected COVID19 positive. I am asymptomatic and hence have opted for home isolation. I shall continue to discharge my duties working from home. Those who have come in my close contact are advised to take the necessary precautions.

— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) September 2, 2020

A liquid oxygen plant set up at a government-run Covid-19 hospital in Maharashtra's Jalna district has improved the recovery rate of patients and lowered the death rate, a senior health official said.

The plant, inaugurated by state Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Aug. 15, is equipped with bulk tanks which are filled periodically with liquid oxygen generated there. These tanks help supply oxygen to 100 patients at a time in the hospital, civil surgeon Archana Bhosale told PTI on Tuesday.

Oxygen therapy is a core part of the treatment of severely ill Covid-19 patients, she said.

Initially, the Covid-19 death rate in the district was 4.5%, and it has now come down to 2.8%. The recovery rate in Jalna is 71%, the official said. Currently, 238 patients are being treated at the 200- bed Covid-19 hospital here, she said.

So far, the district has reported 4,808 Covid-19 cases. Out of these, 148 patients have died till now and 3,269 have been discharged after recovery, she said.

Source: PTI

Global update:

Russia became the fourth nation to pass 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, on the day when schools across the country reopened for the new academic year. European nations are facing a second wave with active cases rising in Spain and Italy.

Globally, the total number of cases top 25.5 million, including more than 852,000 dead.

Track all Covid-19 related news and updates in India, here.