At least three U.S. Senators tested positive for COVID-19, a day after President Donald Trump was admitted to a military hospital after contracting the virus. Amidst conflicting reports of his health, President Trump said in a video from his hospital room that he felt “much better” and hoped to be “back soon.”
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Delhi Police used drones for effective surveillance of containment zones
The Delhi Police used drones for effective surveillance of containment zones to combat the threat of coronavirus, a police official said.
During the lockdown period, we hired drones from Aerodyne India. It helped the police in fighting the pandemic, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Rajendra Prasad Meena said.
He said drones helped policemen to monitor the situation from a safe distance, thereby ensuring some distancing.
The drones carried both day and night day surveillance and successfully collected data in the form of images and videos, Mr. Meena said.
Around 8,000 COVID-19 patients discharged from LNJP hospital since March, highest in India: Official
Around 8,000 coronavirus patients have so far been discharged from the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital here after recovering from the infection, the highest in any government hospital across the country, according to officials.
As many as 331 women, who tested COVID-19 positive, have given birth in the hospital, also the highest in the country. Of these 149 were cesarean deliveries, they said.
According to the hospital’s Medical Director Suresh Kumar, LNJP was declared a dedicated COVID-19 facility on March 17 and since then 11,415 patients were admitted there. These included people who suspected they had the disease but their test reports came out negative, he said.
COVID-19 cases in India cross 65-lakh mark
India’s COVID-19 caseload went past 65 lakh, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 55 lakh pushing the recovery rate to 84.13%, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The total coronavirus cases mounted to 65,49,373 with 75,829 people testing positive for the infection in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,01,782 with the virus claiming 940 lives in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 a.m. showed. - PTI
Pulwama sees antibody prevalence jump from 2% to 27% in just two months
South Kashmir’s Pulwama district has witnessed a jump from 2% prevalence of the COVID-19-generated antibodies among the location population to 27.3% in just two months, indicating the trend of “fast-growing prevalence” in the Valley.
According to the latest survey of the premier Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 413 blood samples were collected in 10 different clusters of Pulwama.
“Of the 413, 113 reported to be positive for IgG antibodies against SARS CoV-2 [COVID-19] infection, which makes it to 27.3% prevalence, with Sona Samilo village cluster showing highest 52.5% positive prevalence,” the survey suggested.
The first round of the ICMR’s national sero-survey in Pulwama district carried out between May-June showed only 2% prevalence.
Coronavirus | Pulwama sees antibody prevalence jump from 2% to 27% in just two months
Avoid large gatherings, HC tells parties in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh
Ahead of by-elections in the State, Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday said that coronavirus-related restrictions must not be violated at any gatherings or events.
It also advised political parties not to conduct a physical political campaign but opt for digital media.
The by-polls to 28 Assembly seats, 18 of them in Gwalior and Chambal region, will take place on November 3. - PTI
What does herd immunity mean for COVID-19?
Right from the time it became obvious that the SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak was not confined to China, but scaling other shores too, the theory of herd immunity has been floating around.
Watch | Explained: Herd immunity and herd masking
Initially, herd immunity, an important tool in epidemic control, was proposed as a means to overcome the pandemic. Only a certain proportion of the population needs to be infected in order to stop large outbreaks, either through naturally-acquired disease, or through vaccination. Since a vaccine is not available for COVID-19 yet, some people advocated that the infection be allowed to spread in the community until herd immunity is achieved.
However, scientists and experts say that this is not a viable option.
The Hindu Explains | What does herd immunity mean for COVID-19?
