Is Corona an epidemic?

Definition

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses transmitting between animals and people that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Symptoms

Most common symptoms:

1.fever

2.dry cough

3.tiredness

Less common symptoms:

1.aches and pains

2.sore throat

3.diarrhoea

4.conjunctivitis

5.headache

6.loss of taste or smell

7.a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

Serious symptoms:

1.difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

2.chest pain or pressure

loss of speech or movement

Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms. Always call before visiting your doctor or health facility.

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms at home.

On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.

Prevention

To prevent the spread of COVID-19:

1.Clean your hands often.

2.Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.

3.Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Wear a mask when physical distancing is not possible.

4.Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

5.Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

6.Stay home if you feel unwell.

7.If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention.

Calling in advance allows your healthcare provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This protects you, and prevents the spread of viruses and other infections.

_Vaccines

India is likely to have five more

Covid vaccines

by October this year as the Centre is planning to scale up vaccinations amid a rapid surge in cases, top government sources told

ANI

India currently has two Covid-19 vaccines being manufactured locally: Covishield and Covaxin, and we can expect five more vaccines by Q3 2021. These vaccines are Sputnik V vaccine (in collaboration with Dr. Reddy's), Johnson & Johnson vaccine (in collaboration with Biological E),

Novavax

vaccine (in collaboration with

Serum India

), Zydus Cadila's vaccine, and Bharat Biotech's Intranasal Vaccine," a source said.

It added that safety and efficacy are the government's primary concerns while granting emergency use authorisation (EUA) to any Covid-19 vaccine in the country.

Russia's Sputnik V is likely to get emergency use approval within the next 10 days, sources added.

Among the vaccines likely to get the nod, Sputnik V has the highest efficacy rate at 92%.

Trial data for Zydus Cadila's vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Intranasal shot is not yet available.

Russian Direct Investment Fund

(RDIF) has tied up with a host of Indian pharmaceutical players such as Hyderabad based Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Hetero Biopharma, Gland Pharma, Stelis Biopharma and Vichrow Biotech for the production of vaccine doses.

Giving details about the availability of vaccines, a top source said: "Sputnik is expected to be available latest by June, if all goes well Johnson and Johnson (Bio E) will be available by August, Cadilla Zydus will also be available by August, Novavex (Serum) by September and Nasal Vaccine (Bharat) by October."

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Serum Institute's Covishield are the two vaccines that are avialable.

India has so far administered over 10 crore doses of Covid vaccine, becoming the fastest country in the world to achieve this milestone.

However, there have been reports of vaccine shortage in several states with India grappling with a severe second wave of infections.

Currently, only those aged 45 or above are eligible to get vaccine shots as part of India's phase-wise coverage plan.