Covid-19 Wrap-up: All eyes on ZyCoV-D rollout, WHO's word on Covaxin EUL

As India marches ahead in the fight against Covid-19 with steady decline in new cases and speeding up the vaccination drive, the nation witnessed success in first-of-its-kind delivery of jabs using drones. India added 18,833 new coronavirus infections taking the country's tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,38,71,881, while the active cases declined to 2,46,687, the lowest in 203 days.

The Health Ministry successfully delivered Covid vaccines to some parts of the North East using drones on Monday. An indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle transported the vaccines from Bishnupur district hospital to Karang island, Loktak lake in Manipur, covering an aerial distance of 15 km in about 12-15 minutes. The actual road distance between these locations is 26 km.

In a bid to avoid any further spread of the virus, the West Bengal government, for the second year in a row, has decided to cancel the annual Durga Puja festival. The state has made wearing of masks and carrying of hand sanitisers mandatory for all revellers, while also underlining that cultural programmes will not be allowed anywhere near the marquees.

Considering the possibility of a rise in footfalls in tourist spots during the festival season, the ICMR has asked States to check complete vaccination certificates or a recent Covid negative certificate of people to allow stay at hotels at tourist destinations. The caution is being taken to avoid the arrival of a third wave of Covid-19.

India is inching close to administering first vaccine dose to entire adult population as it has already crossed the 92 crore mark. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started on February 2.

Although many countries are witnessing a drop in new cases, the WHO has warned that "we're not out of the woods" in the fight against Covid-19. "The situation is still incredibly dynamic. And it's dynamic because we don't have control over this virus," the global health organisation said.

As the Covid situation is easing in the country, some experts suggest that hospitals must be for only those who are really sick or need surgical intervention and the rest should be managed at home in the post-Covid era.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said a decision on the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's Covaxin will be finalised next week after an assessment of the risks and benefits of the vaccine. Bharat Biotech is yet to publish the results of phase 3 trials of the indigenously developed Covaxin, which is being administered as part of the country's immunisation drive against Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson said that it had sought emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration for a booster shot of its Covid-19 vaccine in people aged 18 years and older.

Also, AstraZeneca has asked the US Food and Drug Administration to authorise the emergency use of an antibody treatment to prevent the disease.

As India nears the rollout of ZyCoV-D, the world's first DNA-based needle-free Covid vaccine for individuals aged 12 years and above, one Bengaluru trial site gave the low-down on how the much talked about jab works. Apollo Hospital, Jayanagar, NRR Hospital, Hesarghatta, and KIMS Medical College Hospital, Banashankari, were part of the ZyCoV-D clinical trials.