Study shows Oxford vaccine slows transmission of the virus

A SHOT OF HOPE

Study shows Oxford vaccine slows transmission of the virus

But Scientists Caution That More Analysis Of The Data Needed

04.02.2021

The vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca not only protects people from serious illness and death but also substantially slows the transmission of the virus, according to a new study — a finding that underscores the importance of mass vaccination as a path out of the pandemic. The study by researchers at the University of Oxford is the first to document evidence that any coronavirus vaccine can reduce transmission of the virus.

Researchers measured the impact on transmission

by swabbing participants every week seeking to detect signs of the virus. If there is no virus present, even if someone is infected, it cannot be spread. And they found a 67 percent reduction in positive swabs among those vaccinated. The results, detailed by Oxford and AstraZeneca researchers in a manuscript that has not been peer-reviewed, found that the vaccine could cut transmission by nearly two-thirds. Matt Hancock, the British health secretary, hailed the results on Wednesday as “absolutely superb.” “We now know that the Oxford vaccine also reduces transmission and that will help us all get out of this pandemic,” Mr. Hancock said in an interview Wednesday morning with the BBC.

The results, he said, “should give everyone confidence that this jab works not only to keep you safe but to keep you from passing on the virus to others.”

Some scientists looking at the limited information released cautioned that more analysis of the data was needed before such broad conclusions could be firmly stated.

“While this would be extremely welcome news, we do need more data before this can be confirmed and so it’s important that we all still continue to follow social distancing guidance after we have been vaccinated,” said Dr. Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology. The Oxford and AstraZeneca researchers also found that a single dose of the vaccine was 76 percent effective at preventing Covid-19. The data measured the three months after the first shot was given, not including an initial three-week period needed for protection to take effect. The encouraging results, lend support to the strategy deployed by Britain and other countries to prioritize providing as many first doses of vaccines as possible, setting aside concerns that people will get their second doses later than initially planned. The latest data do not have bearing on the debate over whether to further space out the doses of the two vaccines authorized in the United States, those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, since the data on AstraZeneca’s candidate cannot be generalized to other vaccines.

Some scientists have called on the United States to follow the lead of Britain and other countries that have opted to delay the second doses of vaccines by up to 12 weeks. But U.S. federal officials have resisted. AGENCIES

Researchers measured the impact on transmission and found a 67 % reduction in positive swabs among those vaccinated

RGUHS official cheated of ₹70L

FAKE PROMISE

RGUHS official cheated of ₹70L

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:  04.02.2021

An assistant registrar with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Jayanagar filed a criminal complaint against a couple, accusing them of duping her of Rs 70 lakh on the pretext of getting her work done through ministers known to them.

Dr Prabha, 43, identified the accused as Manjunath and his wife M Lakshmi Priya, residents of Hebbal. Manjunath is first division assistant with the animal husbandry and veterinary department. Dr Prabha told cops that Manjunath is a close relative.

However, she did not mention in the FIR the nature of work for which she gave money to Manjunath.

Computer operator forges documents

A panchayat development officer of Anneshwara gram panchayat, Devanahalli, filed a complaint against his computer operator for forging documents to enrol herself on the regular staff list and become eligible for better salary and more perks.

PDO Kumar identified the accused as R Renuka, an on-contract staffer.

“Renuka forged documents, including the attendance register and salary slips. I have been told to initiate legal action against her under the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, 1993 and place her under suspension,” the complaint filed by the PDO with police read.

Tejas Exp to resume

Tejas Exp to resume

Ahmedabad: 04.02.2021

The IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) will start operating the Tejas Express on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route from February 14. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express was stopped from November 24 last year due to poor occupancy. Railway officials said that the IRCTC has now decided to run the train four days a week — Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday — with the same stoppages and timings. The officials said that Covid safety protocols will be in place for the service including safety kits for all passengers and disinfecting the train before the journeys. The IRCTC had started the service on October 17 last year. But barely a month later, the train’s occupancy fell to about 35%. TNN

Fastest to 4m: 45% of health workers given vax in 18 days

Fastest to 4m: 45% of health workers given vax in 18 days

MP Tops List Followed By Raj; TN Among Worst

Sushmi.Dey@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  04.02.2021

India has inoculated around 45% of healthcare workers across the country against Covid-19 in 18 days since the launch of its vaccination drive on Jan 16, becoming the fastest country to vaccinate more than 4 million people, official data till February 2 shows.

On Wednesday, 2,48,662 beneficiaries were vaccinated, taking the total to more than 43.88 lakh till late evening, accounting for 47% of the total 92,61,227 health workers enrolled from the public and private sectors.

Compared to India, the US took 20 days, whereas UK and Israel took 39 days to vaccinate four million people.

Among the major states (with large pool of beneficiaries), Madhya Pradesh vaccinated the highest 69.4% of its healthcare workers till February 2, followed by Rajasthan at 64.7%. However, in absolute numbers, Uttar Pradesh vaccinated the highest over 4.63 lakh, 51% of its more than 9 lakh healthcare workers in 18 days. TN has inoculated only 22.6% of its health workers.

1 in 4 Indians may be virus-positive

About one in four of India’s 1.35 billion people may have been infected with the virus, said a source privy to a government serological survey. The country’s caseload may be many times higher than reported. P 12

Name not in Cowin portal? No vax in TN

Health officials in TN on Wednesday said they would not offer the Covid vaccine to people whose names are not in the Cowin portal, even as 10,476 people were vaccinated on the day. The portal has been closed for registering names of healthcare providers. P 6

Odisha, Kerala, Haryana & Guj have vaccinated 50% of health workforce

On the other hand, Maharashtra, with the largest health workforce with 9,36,857 beneficiaries registered, vaccinated only 34%. Tamil Nadu (22.6%), Delhi (26.6%), Chhattisgarh (29%), Puducherry (12.3%) and Goa (28.3%) are among the other states with poor coverage of Covid vaccination. Manipur has registered the lowest vaccination at10% till February 2.

Lakshadweep has covered 90% of is health workers and tops the list despite its small demographic.

West Bengal and Karnataka,bothwithover 7lakhhealth beneficiaries each, have inoculated 41.1% and 40.9%, respectively.

Other states like Odisha, Kerala, Haryana and Gujarat have over 50% coverage of their total health workforce.

West Bengal and Gujarat has started vaccinating frontline workers and more states are also likely to join this week.

The government aimstoinoculate a total of around three crore health and frontline workers on priority by March-April.

The Centre has asked states with low coverage to expandthe number of sessionsto facilitatebeneficiariesin order to accelerate the drive. Besides, states and UTs have been asked to focus on creating awareness around safety and efficacy of vaccines.

West Bengal and Karnataka have inoculated 41.1% and 40.9% health beneficiaries, respectively

HC acquits man for want of proof in teen rape case

HC acquits man for want of proof in teen rape case

Cannot Convict Accused Under Pocso Act Based On Mere Allegations: Nagpur Bench

Vaibhav.Ganjapure@timesgroup.com

Nagpur:  04.02.2021

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has acquitted a 27-year-old man convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl multiple times over two months, citing the prosecution’s failure to produce conclusive evidence of sexual assault and its link to the survivor’s subsequent pregnancy.

“Except the survivor’s statement with regard to sexual intercourse at the house of the accused’s sister, there’s absolutely nothing supporting the prosecution’s contention of rape. Only on the basis of allegations about sexual intercourse on many occasions, it would be highly irrational to convict the accused of rape and sentence him to 10 years’ imprisonment,” Justice Pushpa Ganediwala ruled.

According to the judge, a survivor’s testimony alone was sufficient for conviction, provided it “inspires confidence” in the court.

“Given the facts and circumstances, this court is of the opinion that the prosecution couldn’t establish beyond reasonable doubt the offence of rape against the accused,” Justice Ganediwala said.

The Hinganghat sessions court in Maharashtra’s Wardha district had convicted and sentenced petitioner Jageshwar Kawle under Section 376(2)(n) of the IPC (repeated rape) and sections 5 and 6 of the Pocso Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a minor). It pronounced the sentence on November 12, 2019.

The Pocso Act defines statutory rape as any sexual act with an unmarried girl under 18, regardless of whether it was consensual.

Full report on www.toi.in

Schoolgirl gang-raped by nine in C’garh

Raipur:

A 16-year-old girl was gang-raped by nine youths in a jungle while returning from her school in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district on Tuesday. She had gone to school with a male friend to submit an assignment, police said. On the way back, they had stopped to eat their tiffin when nine youths from neighbouring villages accosted them.

According to the survivor’s complaint, the group began questioning them, rebuked them for being out together and demanded to know their addresses and other personal details.

The gang thrashed the boy, accused him of luring a girl out with ‘wrong intentions’ and drove him away. No one was around to hear the girl’s screams for help. The group dragged her into a forest where they took turns to rape her and abandoned her there, the survivor said. She somehow managed to return home late in the evening and told her parents, who immediately took her to police. An FIR was registered under Pocso Act and police nabbed two of the accused. The others are on the run. Some of the accused are minors, said police. TNN

Time will tell who should apologise, says Dhinakaran

Time will tell who should apologise, says Dhinakaran

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:04.02.2021

Time would tell who committed the mistake and who should apologise, said AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran on Wednesday during a media interaction in Madurai.

He announced that his aunt V K Sasikala would return to Chennai from Bengaluru on February 7 by road to a grand reception enroute. “Time will tell who indulged in wrongs, who should seek an apology and who should be pardoned," Dhinakaran said, reacting to the AIADMK deputy organiser K P Munusamy's recent remark that the party would consider reinducting Dinakaran if he accepted his mistake and tendered an apology.

Dhinakaran said his aunt told him she was recovering well in Bengaluru and though there was a plan to visit memorials of late leaders, DMK founder C N Annadurai, AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, “Amma's memorial has been closed”.

The AMMK leader said, “I don’t know with what intention the government shut down the memorial. It shows the quality of those who did it. Will hiding the (groom’s) comb stop the wedding? She (Sasikala) will go to the memorial another day after she returns to Chennai,” he said, adding they would be taught a lesson in the assembly election.

"I know how many chemical changes are happening in Tamil Nadu as soon as the news of her release broke," TTV said, reacting to the spree of expulsions of AIADMK functionaries for “anti-party activities” or display of support for Sasikala by way of posters hailing her.

Dhinakaran said Sasikala would start from Bengaluru to Chennai at 9 am on February 7. Lakhs of Amma (Jayalalithaa) loyalists would greet her from the inter-state border near Hosur right up to her T Nagar house in Chennai. He said, “Amma’s government will come to power and Sasikala will play an important role in it.” Dinakaran appealed to Jayalalithaa loyalists and AMMK cadres to maintain discipline while welcoming Sasikala.

Asked if Sasikala would go to the AIADMK headquarters and convene the general council meeting, he said, “Let there be some suspense. It would be more appropriate if she says it.”

‘Govt closed Jaya memorial to keep Sasi from visiting’

‘Govt closed Jaya memorial to keep Sasi from visiting’

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:04.02.2021

DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said the AIADMK government had closed Jayalalithaa’s memorial on the Marina, immediately after its inauguration, fearing that her erstwhile confidante V K Sasikala would visit the place and draw political mileage out of it by taking yet another pledge as she did before her imprisonment four years ago.

Calling Sasikala a “talented” woman, Udhayanidhi said chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who was handpicked by Sasikala to be the CM, and his deputy O Panneerselvam had inaugurated Jayalalithaa memorial on the day of Sasikala’s release from prison to divert media attention from her return to Tamil Nadu. “She outsmarted them by delaying her return to Tamil Nadu,” said Udhayanidhi while speaking at a public meeting in Kancheepuram.

EPS and OPS have closed the memorial now to prevent Sasikala from visiting the place, he said. Sasikala would give back to EPS in style for the betrayal he has meted out to her, said Udhayanidhi. Panneerselvam, who raised doubts about the death of Jayalalithaa, would face music too, he said.

The AIADMK leaders would be taught a fitting lesson by the people of the state in the coming assembly polls, he said. He kickstarted the ‘Vidiyalai Nokki Stalinin Koral’ campaign from the party founder and former CM C N Annadurai’s memorial. Before the campaign started, he, along with hundreds of party cadres, took out a silent rally in Kancheepuram town to mark the death anniversary of Annadurai.

Expressing confidence that the people of the state would replicate the outcome of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Udhayanidhi said Stalin had set his target on winning 200 seats in the assembly. The ruling AIADMK had become a slave of the Modi government at the Centre, he said. He cited implementation of NEET as an instance to buttress his point. Once in power, Stalin would get exemption for Tamil Nadu students from NEET, he said.