NEW DELHI: The number of positive coronavirus cases in India swelled to 125 on Tuesday. The stock markets around the world, including India's BSE and NSE, continued to tumble as the deadly coronavirus remained a major risk to economic growth.
Here is a look at the latest developments on the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID19) from India and around the world —
India enters critical phase in fight against Covid-19
With confirmed cases of Covid-2019 crossing 100 in India, we seem to have entered the most crucial phase in the spread of the virus. Analysis of week-wise data of confirmed cases in other countries that are struggling to contain this outbreak shows that confirmed cases spike after the number crosses 100.
In France, for instance, the first case was reported on January 25; five weeks later, the number rose to 57, but in the sixth week, there were 613 cases, which went up to 3,640 and 4,469 in the next two weeks. Similarly, in Italy, till the third week after the first confirmed case, the number was only 3. The cases then shot up to 650, 3,858, 15,113 in the subsequent weeks.
Why 6ft of separation is our best weapon
As health officials everywhere race to bolster capacities and identify patients and at-risk persons, social distancing has emerged as the watchword for fighting the pandemic. Social distancing is a means of preventing anybody who may have picked up the coronavirus germ from coming in close contact with healthy people in order to reduce opportunities for disease transmission.
Even Indians from EU, Turkey, UK barred entry
In measures aimed at containing Covid-19, the government on Monday extended the travel ban beyond affected countries and prohibited entry of all passengers, including Indian nationals, from the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the UK to India with effect from March 18.
The Centre also expanded compulsory quarantine for 14 days for passengers coming from or transiting through the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.
Sensex falls 2,713 pts, 2nd biggest drop ever
On Monday, the sensex lost another 8%, or 2,713 points, its second worst single-day loss after the 2,919-point pounding last Thursday. It is expected to crash again on Tuesday after the Dow Jones in the US crashed over 12% in early trades on Monday. In less than a month, the sensex has lost nearly 10,000 points, or 24%, a bear market like many other global indices.
Govt orders 10L kits, readies to test for community spread
India will take a call on community testing after it gets results on Wednesday from randomly collected samples of people suffering from severely acute respiratory infection (SARI) such as pneumonia but do not have a history of foreign travel or record of coming in contact with such travellers.
The results hold key to the crucial question of whether the virus has been spreading through community transmission. The government, however, has already started ramping up its preparations for the risk of community transmission and the community testing that it might require by ordering one million additional testing kits, besides extending the network of testing laboratories.
Corona will live through summer in India, reappear
The new coronavirus, in all likelihood, will live through the summer in India and re-emerge next winter.
The World Health Organisation and experts currently involved in research and treatment have said that the virus, SARS-CoV-2, which is the third highly pathogenic human coronavirus to impact the planet in the last two decades after SARS and MERS, can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid weather.
Researchers said the new virus, against which there is no natural immunity yet in humans, could continue to spread within populations via respiratory droplets and close contact. These droplets, ejected by a cough or sneeze, may not last long in the open in the April or May heat. However, the experts insisted that instead of hoping for some favourable weather, shutting down of public spaces and discouraging of mass gatherings are important steps in curbing fresh infections.
G-40 from Dubai makes up nearly 40% of Maharashtras cases
One more person from the Dubai group of 40 travellers has tested positive for coronavirus after initially testing negative. With this, the group alone has contributed to nearly 40% of Maharashtras 40 positive cases as on Monday.
The state is currently observing nearly 300 contacts of these travellers, who landed in Mumbai on March 1 and dispersed to 10 districts, including Belagavi in Karnataka.
Temples put faith in social distancing, stop darshan
Siddhivinayak and Mumbadevi temples in Mumbai and Mehandipur Balaji in Rajasthan announced on Monday that they were shutting down for devotees as a precaution against the outbreak of coronavirus while other famous temples across the country like Mahakal in Ujjain and Kamakhya in Guwahati announced stringent curbs to tackle tRead More – Source
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