Health
Finnish researchers develop new nasal spray that could protect against all Covid-19 variants for 8 hours
The researchers have developed a nasal spray that is effective against all kinds of Covid-19 variants. It is not a substitute for the vaccine but can protect against coronavirus infection for at least eight hours.

When the coronavirus situation tends to become normal, another Covid-19 variant emerges somewhere, wrapping the world under the virus. Ever since the pandemic occurred, researchers and scientists have been working day and night to develop a vaccine for the highly contagious virus.
After several attempts, Covid-19 vaccines were finally launched in 2021, giving relief to the people. With the surfacing of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, people thought vaccines could prevent them from catching the virus. Even though the variant has spread quickly but it is not severe as compared to the Delta variant.
Now, the Finnish researchers have come up with a new way to prevent oneself from catching the Covid-19. The researchers have developed a nasal spray that is effective against all kinds of variants. It is not a substitute for the vaccine but can protect against coronavirus infection for at least eight hours.
The researchers of the University of Helsinki, Finland have developed a nasal spray consisting of a molecule that can inactivate the coronavirus spike protein.
TriSb92, the novel molecule, has been confirmed to protect against coronavirus infection for at least eight hours in cell cultures and animal trials, even in circumstances of high exposure risk. TriSb92 has an instantaneous impact, unlike vaccination protection.
In animal models, nasally administered TriSb92 offered protection against infection in an exposure situation where all unprotected mice were infected, said Anna Makela, a postdoctoral researcher at the varsity. The findings have not been peer-reviewed yet.
Targeting this inhibitory effect of the TriSb92 molecule to a site of the coronavirus spike protein common to all variants of the virus makes it possible to effectively inhibit the ability of all known variants, Omicron included, to infect people, Makela said.
The TriSb92 molecule is based on a completely new technology technique for targeting biological drugs that was created in Finland. The solution was used in the research to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s spike protein from circulating.
These types of molecules that prevent infections, or antiviral drugs for that matter, cannot substitute for vaccines in protecting the population against the coronavirus disease, said Professor Kalle Saksela from the varsity.
She further added that TriSb92 may be beneficial to patients whose vaccination protection is insufficient due to a variety of reasons. It may also helpfully vaccinate people when given before any event with a high chance of exposure, depending on the pandemic situation.
Health
India reports 5,676 fresh Covid-19 cases, 21 fatalities, check statewise list
The active cases in the country comprise 0.08 percent of the total infections.

India reported 5,676 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the active cases to 37,093. Covid-19 cases have witnessed a 79 percent rise in India in the past week.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, the country also logged 21 new fatalities, taking the death toll to 5,31,000 since the pandemic hit. The fatality rate has been recorded at 98.73 percent.
While three deaths each were reported from Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, two were recorded in Karnataka and one each in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu besides six reconciled by Kerala.
As per the updated data, the active cases in the country comprise 0.08 percent of the total infections and the national Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.73 percent.
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Check statewise list of active cases!
S. No. | Name of State/UT | Active Cases |
1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 7 |
2 | Andhra Pradesh | 148 |
3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1 |
4 | Assam | 2 |
5 | Bihar | 175 |
6 | Chandigarh | 170 |
7 | Chhattisgarh | 511 |
8 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 |
9 | Delhi | 2338 |
10 | Goa | 780 |
11 | Gujarat | 1938 |
12 | Haryana | 1928 |
13 | Himachal Pradesh | 1762 |
14 | Jammu and Kashmir | 426 |
15 | Jharkhand | 75 |
16 | Karnataka | 1673 |
17 | Kerala | 13745 |
18 | Ladakh | 42 |
19 | Lakshadweep | 0 |
20 | Madhya Pradesh | 177 |
21 | Maharashtra | 4667 |
22 | Manipur | 12 |
23 | Meghalaya | 3 |
24 | Mizoram | 1 |
25 | Nagaland | 2 |
26 | Odisha | 731 |
27 | Puducherry | 273 |
28 | Punjab | 666 |
29 | Rajasthan | 804 |
30 | Sikkim | 43 |
31 | Tamil Nadu | 2099 |
32 | Telangana | 175 |
33 | Tripura | 0 |
34 | Uttarakhand | 147 |
35 | Uttar Pradesh | 1282 |
36 | West Bengal | 295 |
In view of the rising cases, mock drills to take stock of hospital preparedness were held in several public and private facilities across the country on Monday. The states/Union territories were also requested to expeditiously increase the rate of testing and increase the share of RT-PCR in tests.
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Health
India logs over 6,000 fresh Covid-19 cases, health minister to chair high-level meeting today
A few days ago, Mandaviya said that ICU beds, oxygen supply, and other critical care arrangements are in place, adding that there’s a weekly review of preparedness.

There seems to be no decline in Covid-19 cases in India. The country is once again seeing a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases. India on Saturday reported 6,050 new coronavirus cases which are 13 percent higher than yesterday which recorded 5,335 cases.
Daily cases have crossed the 6,000 mark for the first time since September 16 last year. With the addition of today’s cases, the number of active Covid-19 cases in the country stands at 28,303.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the daily positivity rate in the country stands at 3.39 percent while the weekly positivity rate is recorded at 3.02 percent.
India also logged 14 fatalities in the last 24 hours. Three were reported from Maharashtra, two each from Karnataka and Rajasthan, one each from Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, and one death was reconciled by Kerala.
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As per the Health Ministry data, the active cases now comprise 0.06 percent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.75 percent.
With an uptick in Covid-19 cases, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a high-level meeting with the health ministers of all states and Union Territories today.
Minister of State for Health and Family Affairs Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said that the Centre has regularly issued guidelines to the States and UTs on Covid19. PM Modi has held a review with all states on this. Today, Health Minister Dr Mandaviya will hold a review meeting with health ministers of States and UTs.
The government has earlier said that it is prepared to deal with a spike in infections. A few days ago, Mandaviya said that ICU beds, oxygen supply, and other critical care arrangements are in place, adding that there’s a weekly review of preparedness.
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Health
India records whopping 5,335 cases in past 24 hours, 6 more fatalities
The number of active Covid cases in India mounted to 25,587 as the country witnessed a surge in coronavirus infections, registering 5,335 fresh cases of the deadly virus in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active Covid cases in India mounted to 25,587 as the country witnessed a surge in coronavirus infections, registering 5,335 fresh cases of the deadly virus in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.
On Wednesday, India has registered 4,435 new Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day jump since September 2022.
As per the data at 8 am today on the Union Heath Ministry’s website, six more fatalities due to the deadly viral infection were reported during the past 24 hours taking the overall death toll since the pandemic hit to 5,30,929 while the active cases jumped by 2,496 and the current caseload in the country stands at 25,587
According to the health ministry’s data, the active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections since the viral outbreak while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.75 per cent with 2,826 people recovering from the contagious virus during the past 24 hours
The data stated that at 8,229 Kerala, which registered 1,404 new cases, has the most number of active cases, Maharashtra has 3,874 while Delhi has 1,795 coronavirus cases.
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Himachal Pradesh has reported 212 new cases while 130 fresh infections were registered in Tamil Nadu.
The data also revealed that a total of 1.6 lakh Covid-19 tests were conducted during the past 24 hours.
Scientists have attributed the recent uptick in Covid-19 cases to the Omicron variant XBB.1.16 of the coronavirus diseases which is being closely monitored by the World Health Organization
On March 22, the WHO had added the XBB.1.16 to its list of variants under monitoring. The global body has said that the XBB.1.16 variant has a similar to its predecessor XBB.1.5, but contains additional changes in the spike protein, adding that lab studies have revealed that XBB.1.16 show signs of increased infectivity as well as potentially increased pathogenicity.
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