COVID-19 Archives - The News Horizon

07 Jan

As Third Wave of COVID-19 rolls out ActionAid Association prepares humanitarian response

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & FitnessActionAid Association, COVID Care Centres, COVID-19, Dipali Sharma, Mass awareness programmes

India’s wounds from the deadly second wave have not healed yet, and we are facing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the last few days, and with the highly infectious Omicron variant dominating cases, it is feared that the case numbers will be exponentially higher that what we saw during the first and the second wave. While India achieved a significant milestone of administering more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccination doses in October 2021, it remains a matter of concern that at the end of 2021 a large number…

01 Jul

New collaboration for affordable COVID-19 drug 2-DG

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & Fitness2-Deoxy-D-Glucose, 2-DG Drug, AIIMS, COVID-19, CSIR, CSIR-IICT, DCGI, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL), DRDO, ICMR, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, INMAS, MoHFW, Nosch Labs

New Delhi: Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, and Nosch Labs entered into a non-exclusive agreement for the transfer of the process knowhow for the synthesis of anti-Covid-19 drug 2-DG (2-Deoxy -D -Glucose). 2-DG has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), New Delhi, a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Hyderabad-based pharma company Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL). Nosch Labs will commence manufacturing 2-DG drug after obtaining regulatory clearances from the Drugs Controller General of India…

26 Jun

IIT Delhi launches economical Rapid Antigen Test Kit for COVID-19

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & Fitness, NationalAntigen, Centre for Biomedical Engineering, COVID-19, Diagnosis, IIT Delhi, Immunoassay, Ministry of Education, Nasal swabs, Rapid Antigen Test, SARS-CoV-2, Sputum samples, Throat swabs

New Delhi: Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched a Rapid Antigen Test kit for COVID-19 developed by IIT Delhi. The Rapid Antigen Test kit has been developed by the IIT Delhi researchers led by Dr. Harpal Singh, professor at the Institute’s Centre for Biomedical Engineering. This kit can be used for in vitro qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen. The SARS-CoV-2 Ag Rapid Test is a colloidal gold enhanced double antibody sandwich immunoassay for the qualitative determination of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in human nasal swabs, throat swabs, and deep sputum samples. It is suitable for general population screening and…

18 Jun

Older adults are at higher risk of social isolation during COVID pandemic: Study

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & FitnessCOVID-19, Elderly, Globalization and Health, Health insurance, Healthcare, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, National Sample Survey (NSS), pandemic, Public investment

New Delhi: The risk of severe illness increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Over 95% of fatalities due to COVID-19 in Europe and 80% in China have included people older than 60 years old. In the USA, 80% of deaths were among adults 65 and above. Decreasing social interactions due to 'social distancing' has had a negative impact on mental and physical health in older people. Elderly face greater risk of financial hardship due to chronic nature of ailment and comorbidities, which require long term treatment and care. An Indian Institute of Technology Madras study has called…

28 May

Researchers reveal key protein structure in COVID-19 virus

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & FitnessAntiviral, coronavirus, COVID-19, ICMR, IIT Mandi, Indian Institute of Technology, MoHFW, Protein structure, therapeutics

New Delhi: A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi), led by Dr. Rajanish Giri, Assistant Professor, School of Basic Sciences, have elucidated the part of structure of a key protein in the COVID-19 virus, which helps in understanding its mode of action, its role in the spread and severity of the disease and development of antiviral therapeutics. Current COVID-19 treatments simply manage symptoms while the body fights off the infection with its immune defence system. There are, as yet, no confirmed antiviral drugs that can stop the virus from replicating. One route to neutralising…

22 May

DRDO lab develops antibody test kit for COVID-19

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & Fitness, National2-DG Drug, antibody, COVID-19, Defence Research and Development Organisation, DIPAS, DIPCOVAN, DRDO, Elisa, Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Sero-surveillance, Test kit

New Delhi: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists have now got a new breakthrough after developing COVID-19 drug 2-DG. Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), a DRDO laboratory, has now developed an antibody detection-based kit 'DIPCOVAN', the DIPAS-VDx COVID-19 IgG Antibody Microwell ELISA for sero-surveillance. The kit has been developed in association with New Delhi based company, Vanguard Diagnostics Pvt Ltd. DIPCOVAN kit can detect both spike as well as nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virus with a high sensitivity of 97 per cent and specificity of 99 per cent. DIPCOVAN kit was developed indigenously followed by extensive validation…

14 Apr

Dr Harsh Vardhan announces launch of ‘Aahaar Kranti’

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & Fitness, Nationalaahaar kranti, ayurveda, balanced, calories, COVID-19, diet, disease, fruit, gist, global indian scientists’ and technocrats’ forum, good diet-good cognition, greenrevolution, hunger, Keywords: nutrition, malnourished, motto, prabhaas, pravasi bharatiya academic and scientific sampark, uttam aahaar-uttam vichaar, vegetable, vibha, Vigyan Prasar, Vijnana Bharati, whiterevolution, उत्तम आहार-उत्तम विचार

New Delhi: Union Minister for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhanhas launched“AahaarKranti”, a mission dedicated to spreading awareness about nutrition and accessible to all locally available nutritious food, fruits, and vegetables in India. Vijnana Bharati (Vibha), Global Indian Scientists’ and Technocrats’ Forum (GIST), Vigyan Prasar, and Pravasi Bharatiya Academic and Scientific Sampark (PRABHASS) have come together to launch the mission “Aahaar Kranti”, with the motto of‘Uttam Aahaar- Uttam Vichaar’ or `Good Diet-Good Cognition’. The `AahaarKranti’ movement is designed to address the peculiar problem being faced by India and the world-`hunger and diseases in…

30 Mar

SBI Foundation to help deploy two indigenous innovations for COVID care

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & Fitness, Lifestyle, Techbiomedical, biotech, C-CAMP, COVID-19, CSR, cutting-edge, global, Healthcare, hospitals, indigenous, innovation, life-saving, market, medtech, national, pandemic, primary health centres, quarantine, respiratory, SBI Foundation

New Delhi: Bengaluru-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) has inked a pact with SBI Foundation for CSR (corporate social responsibility) support towards boosting existing public healthcare efforts in light of a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic. Through this joint effort, they will bring two new, potentially life-saving technologies in assisted respiratory devices and contactless remote vitals monitoring categories for deployment across the country. The innovations developed by two of India’s medtech startups, Coeo Labs and Turtle Shell Technologies will be deployed in several cities worst affected by the pandemic. Dr Taslim arif Saiyed, C-CAMP CEO and Director said, “The C-CAMP-SBI…

22 Mar

Researchers identify drug that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19

The News Horizon0 CommentsHealth & Fitness, Sciencecoronavirus, COVID-19, Drug repurposing, Research & Development

New Delhi: Currently, there are no universally approved drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. There is a worldwide scramble to find drugs for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal and the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, Nebraska, (UNMC), USA have identified Rapamycinas a potential drug that can be repurposed to treat COVID-19. Rapamycin used to prevent organ rejection after transplants and in cancer treatment, was found to have anti-aging effect and the potential to treat COVID-19 patients, researchers said. Currently being used for patients having undergone organ transplantation and…

16 Mar

S&T Minister inaugurates new facilities at CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal

The News Horizon0 CommentsNationalarsenic, bamboo, bunker, competitive, concrete, COVID-19, CT scanner. fly ash, diagnostic, disinfectants, employment, face masks, fluoride, housing, laboratory, material, microscope, missile, nuclear, patent, radiation, research, rocket, sanitizers, sustainable, waste, X-Ray

New Delhi: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Bhopal-based Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR-AMPRI) has set up a new Centre for Advanced Radiation Shielding and Geopolymeric Materials and a new Analytical High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope Laboratory. The new Centre for Advanced Radiation Shielding and Geopolymeric Materials has been set up to take forward the research and development being carried out in the institute in the two important areas. Over the years, the institute has developed several materials for shielding against X-Ray and Gamma and Neutron radiation with application in various sectors ranging from medical diagnostic centres…