Omicron: wary world slams doors shut

Omicron: wary world slams doors shut

New cases in Portugal and Scotland may point towards local spread of the variant, fear officials

30/11/2021

Warning bells: People waiting to be transported to a quarantine facility after arriving at an airport in Japan. AFP

Associated Press Brussels

Taking an act-now-ask-questions-later approach, countries around the world slammed their doors shut again to try to keep the new Omicron variant at bay on Monday as more cases of the mutant coronavirus emerged and scientists raced to figure out just how dangerous it might be.

Japan announced it would bar entry of all foreign visitors, joining Israel in doing so just days after the variant was identified by researchers in South Africa. Morocco banned all incoming flights. Other countries, including the U.S. and European Union members, have moved to prohibit travellers arriving from southern Africa.

Travellers infected with the new version have turned up in a widening circle of countries over the past few days, including Spain, and cases in Portugal and Scotland have raised fears that the variant may already be spreading locally.

“Many of us might think we are done with COVID-19. It’s not done with us,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

The infections have underscored the difficulty in keeping the virus in check in a globalised world of jet travel and open borders. Yet, many countries are trying to do just that, against the urging of the WHO, which noted that border closings often have limited effect and can wreak havoc on lives and livelihoods. Some argued that such restrictions could provide valuable time to analyse the new variant.

“This time the world showed it is learning,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise.

“South Africa’s analytic work and transparency and sharing its results was indispensable in allowing a swift global response. It no doubt saved many lives.”

Late last week, Ms. von der Leyen successfully pushed the 27-nation EU to agree to ban flights from seven southern African nations, similar to what many other countries are doing.

Cases had already been reported in EU nations Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands before Portuguese authorities identified 13 Omicron infections among members of the Belenenses professional football team. Authorities reported one member had recently travelled to South Africa.

Spain also reported its first confirmed case of the variant. It was detected in a traveller who returned on Sunday from South Africa after making a stopover in Amsterdam. And after Scotland reported its first six cases, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that “there might already be some community transmission of this variant”.

Taking no chances, Japan, which has yet to detect any Omicron cases, reimposed border controls that it had eased earlier this month. “We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. The new measures begin on Tuesday.

26k students bought PINs for medical and allied courses

26k students bought PINs for medical and allied courses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:30.11.2021

The Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC) on Monday said it has completed the registration process for state quota in medical, dental, homeopathy and Ayurveda courses for the academic year 2021-22.

The committee has also completed the registration process for self-financed Ayurveda and homeopathy courses for 15% All India Quota, it said. A total of 26,186 candidates have purchased the personal identification number (PIN), according to a media statement. Of these 5,453 are from the open category.

All candidates qualifying NEET (UG) - 2019 are eligible for All India Quota and other quotas under the state governments/institutes, irrespective of the medium of the examination, subject to other eligibility criteria.

The admission committee started online registrations for medical, dental, homeopathic and Ayurveda seats from November 17.

There are 30 medical colleges in the state with 5,550 MBBS seats, 12 dental colleges with 1,255 seats, 2,242 seats in 33 Ayurveda colleges and 36 colleges having a total capacity of 3,710 seats. In all there are 12,707 seats for which the Admission Committee for Professional Under Graduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC) will undertake the admission process this year.

Clarity on Omicron awaited: WHO

Clarity on Omicron awaited: WHO

30/11/2021

Staff Reporter HYDERABAD

The constant flow of information about Omicron has left people wondering about the efficacy of vaccines against the new variant of concern, the rate of transmission, concerns about a third wave of coronavirus and severity of infection caused by the variant, among other aspects.

On Sunday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) communicated all that is currently known about its transmissibility, severity, effectiveness of test and vaccines and treatment required. For a majority of the aspects, however, WHO stated that clarity is yet to be gained. In their communication titled ‘Update on Omicron’, WHO said it is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible and causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. To gain better understanding of Omicron, WHO is coordinating with researchers from across the world.

Not a cause for panic: Biden

Not a cause for panic: Biden

30/11/2021

 Agence France-Presse Washington

President Joe Biden on Monday told Americans not to “panic” over the new COVID-19 variant Omicron and said he does not foresee new lockdowns or extending travel restrictions for now.

The variant “is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic”, Mr. Biden said.

He stressed that the United States was in a good position to control Omicron’s spread without having to resort to lockdowns or more travel bans beyond restrictions already imposed on eight southern African countries.

“We have more tools today to fight the variant than we’ve ever had before,” he said, adding that his chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci expects current vaccines to work against the new variant, with boosters enhancing protection.

Agence France-Presse London

30/11/2021

Agence France-Presse London

All adults in Britain will now be eligible for a third COVID-19 jab, the Government said on Monday, as concern mounted about the spread of the Omicron variant. The move, backed by a scientific advisory body and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, comes as Ministers scramble to react swiftly to the new variant.

Until now, only adults aged 40 and above were eligible for a booster dose six months after their last. But that time-frame will now be halved to three months, alongside the programme’s expansion to all over-18s, with priority given to older people.

“These measures will protect more people, more quickly and make us better protected as a nation,” Mr. Javid told MPs. He noted it was “a huge step up” for the vaccination scheme, which was launched last December, almost doubling the number of people eligible for a booster.

Positive samples of foreign travellers to be tested for Omicron

Positive samples of foreign travellers to be tested for Omicron

Directorate of Public Health designates 12 laboratories to do the test

30/11/2021

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian and Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan at a genome sequencing lab.B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

The samples collected from all foreign travellers who test positive for COVID-19 shall be subjected to genomic sequencing, the Directorate of Public Health has said.

The tests will be done at 12 designated government RT-PCR laboratories that are equipped with the World Health Organisation-recommended Thermo TaqPath RT-PCR testing kits to identify the new variant, Omicron, designated as B.1.1.529. According to the Directorate’s notice issued on Monday, most diagnostic tests could detect the variant.

The variant exhibits a deletion of certain spike protein positions, similar to the Alpha variant. The laboratories have been instructed to prioritise such specimens for sequencing to confirm the presence of Omicron. A proxy test for the variant, known as Thermo Fischer TaqPath Assay, could be used, pending genome sequencing confirmation, the notice said.

The government laboratories identified for the assay include the State Public Health laboratory; the King Institute of Preventive Medicine; Madras Medical College; Kilpauk and Stanley Medical Colleges in Chennai; Coimbatore Medical College; and ESI Medical College, Coimbatore; and the Government Medical Colleges in Tiruchi, Salem, Madurai, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari. Eight categories of samples have been identified for testing.

The samples of the following segments should be subjected to genome-sequencing, if they have tested positive for COVID-19. They are international travellers since October 15; reinfected persons; those infected after vaccination; those who are part of community clusters or an unusual transmission event; those who are part of family clusters; children testing positive; and young adults with severe lung involvement or an unexpected disease or severe illness.

Under the new guidelines, all positive samples referred from government and private RT-PCR laboratories should be sent to the State Public Health Laboratory in the city for genomic sequencing. The Deputy Director of Health Services in the districts should coordinate the process through their epidemiologists and microbiologists.

The protocol should be followed for all inbound international travellers with symptoms of influenza-like illness.

The samples will be screened for S gene dropout using the Thermo TaqPath kit by the government RT-PCR laboratories, Director of Public Health T.S. Selvavinayagam has said.

The Health Department will appoint assistant project officers at the four international airports in the State to oversee the sample collection, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian has said.

“On Wednesday, senior health officials will accompany me to Madurai where we will inspect the airport. Later, we will travel to Tiruchi and Coimbatore. We will also apprise the officials of the procedures to be followed on arrival of passengers. Along with Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, I will be supervising how the instructions are carried out,” the Minister said, after inspecting the genome sequencing unit on the Directorate of Medical Services premises here on Monday.

According to him, 95% of the COVID-19 samples tested at the sequencing unit had returned positive for the Delta variant.

At a review meeting, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu asked officials to follow the WHO guidelines for tackling the new variant and directed the Collectors to drive home the point among people that vaccination was the only defence against the severity of the disease.

Bodies of 2 COVID-19 victims found in mortuary after a year

Bodies of 2 COVID-19 victims found in mortuary after a year

Their families were told that bodies had been cremated

30/11/2021

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

In a shocking incident, the decomposed bodies of two COVID-19 patients, who died during the first wave in 2020, were found in the mortuary of the ESIC Model Hospital in Rajajinagar here.

The bodies were found on Friday evening when the housekeeping staff went there for cleaning.

The families of the victims, who were earlier told that the bodies had been cremated, are stunned at the turn of events.

Sources in the hospital said the bodies were identified as that of Durga S., 40, a resident of Chamarajpet, and Muniraju, 35, a resident of KP Agrahara in Bengaluru, with the help of tags. They were admitted to the ESIC Model hospital for COVID-19 treatment in July 2020. After their death, their bodies were shifted to the mortuary to be handed over to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for cremation.

As per COVID-19 protocols then, the civic body had the responsibility of cremating the bodies of the victims and the bodies were not given to the families.

Sources in the hospital said the two bodies were “forgotten” in the mortuary as the hospital authorities were under the impression that the BBMP personnel had taken away the bodies.

V. Vijayanath, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at ESI Hospital, refused to comment.

Protest held

However, Hospital Dean and Director Jithendra Kumar said he had ordered an internal enquiry. “The bodies were handed over to the police. The families of both deceased were called to the Rajajinagar police station on Monday to hand over the bodies,” he said.

The negligence has evoked sharp criticism. A group of organisations staged a protest in front of the hospital on Monday.

"How could they not notice the bodies? This is shocking,” a family member of Muniraju said.