<p>While new Covid-19 infections in India have plateaued around 30,000 a day as vaccinations surged, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-administers-lowest-number-of-covid-19-tests-in-a-month-1032323.html" target="_blank">health experts say the numbers could have been low due to reduced testing</a>. India conducted the lowest number of daily Covid-19 tests since mid-August on Sunday. The country carried out about 11.8 lakh tests on Sunday, down from about 15.6 lakh on Saturday and against a capacity of more than 20 lakh.</p>.<p>India on Monday reported <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-logs-30256-covid-19-cases-295-deaths-1032288.html" target="_blank">30,256 new coronavirus infections and 295 fatalities</a>. India's total tally of Covid-19 cases rose to 3,34,78,419, while the active cases declined to 3,18,181, the lowest in 183 days, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday.</p>.<p>In a major development, India will <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-to-resume-export-of-surplus-covid-19-vaccines-next-month-mandaviya-1032385.html" target="_blank">resume export of surplus Covid-19 vaccines next month,</a> Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday. The export of surplus vaccines would begin in the next quarter (October-December) under the Vaccine Maitri programme.</p>.<p>Following the same trajectory, Karnataka's Covid-19 numbers continued their descent - a trend which first set in eight weeks ago. Considering weekly averages, Karnataka’s Covid-19 numbers fell by 29 per cent over the last 30 days, but of equal concern is that the statewide testing numbers, which despite getting a boost in the middle part of last week, have been steadily declining. The average number of tests conducted has <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-continues-to-see-dip-in-weekly-covid-cases-testing-1032209.html" target="_blank">declined by 20.4 per cent over the course of the last 30 days</a>.</p>.<p>An ambitious programme to conduct large-scale and in-depth genome sequencing of samples from Covid-19 patients in four cities — Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi — is set to begin. Scientists say the project, which will sequence samples independent of the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium (Insacog), will not only boost India’s genomic efforts, but will deliver near <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/bengaluru-3-more-cities-to-participate-in-mega-covid-genome-sequencing-1032161.html" target="_blank">real-time insights to municipal authorities in these four cities about how the novel coronavirus has been evolving</a>.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the government over the record Covid-19 vaccinations on Modi's birthday, and said <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/event-over-rahul-gandhi-takes-dig-at-government-over-record-covid-vaccinations-on-pms-birthday-1032055.html" target="_blank">the "event" is over now</a>. He also shared a graph of the vaccination trend in the last 10 days as per data from the Co-WIN website to show the decline in inoculations after the record. I<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/bjp-ruled-states-fuelled-vaccination-push-on-modis-birthday-1031869.html" target="_blank">ndia vaccinated 2.5 crore people in a single day on Friday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday</a>.</p>.<p>With the Covid-19 situation easing in India, the government is mulling reopening the country for foreign tourists over a year after the doors were shut in March 2020. Officials said the plan is to issue visas free of cost to the first five lakh foreign tourists in a bid <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-mulls-reopening-doors-to-foreign-tourists-as-covid-19-situation-eases-1032103.html" target="_blank">to help in the revival of the tourism sector</a>.</p>.<p>With Covid jab side-effects becoming more common, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shared a list of side effects and asked people to consult a doctor if certain symptoms occur within 20 days of receiving the vaccine. These include abdominal pain, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/side-effects-of-covid-jab-recurring-within-20-days-that-need-immediate-medical-attention-1032084.html" target="_blank">vomiting and chest pain</a>.</p>.<p>Even as the debate on whether booster shots help or not goes on, US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said that <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/booster-shots-necessary-to-beat-covid-19-anthony-fauci-1032124.html" target="_blank">boosters will soon be mandatory</a>. Booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines will soon become necessary for people to gain maximum protection against Covid-19, Fauci said on Sunday, after a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel rejected the broader use of the third dose among people aged 16 and above.</p>.<p>On the research front, what could prove to be an end to the lab leak theory, a new study has found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/coronavirus-might-have-multiple-animal-origins-study-1031978.html" target="_blank">could have spilled from animals to people multiple times</a>. This is based on a preliminary analysis of viral genomes sampled from people infected in China and elsewhere early in the pandemic.</p>.<p>Studying bats' responses to SARS-CoV-2 may also provide key insights into how and when to best use <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/understanding-how-bats-resist-covid-19-can-help-develop-new-treatments-in-humans-1032243.html" target="_blank">existing therapies for Covid-19, and to develop new treatments</a>, suggests a review. The review, published in the journal Science Immunology, explores how the virus that has caused the current pandemic wreaks havoc on the human immune system.</p>.<p><em><strong>Check out the latest DH videos here:</strong></em></p>
<p>While new Covid-19 infections in India have plateaued around 30,000 a day as vaccinations surged, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-administers-lowest-number-of-covid-19-tests-in-a-month-1032323.html" target="_blank">health experts say the numbers could have been low due to reduced testing</a>. India conducted the lowest number of daily Covid-19 tests since mid-August on Sunday. The country carried out about 11.8 lakh tests on Sunday, down from about 15.6 lakh on Saturday and against a capacity of more than 20 lakh.</p>.<p>India on Monday reported <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-logs-30256-covid-19-cases-295-deaths-1032288.html" target="_blank">30,256 new coronavirus infections and 295 fatalities</a>. India's total tally of Covid-19 cases rose to 3,34,78,419, while the active cases declined to 3,18,181, the lowest in 183 days, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Monday.</p>.<p>In a major development, India will <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-to-resume-export-of-surplus-covid-19-vaccines-next-month-mandaviya-1032385.html" target="_blank">resume export of surplus Covid-19 vaccines next month,</a> Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday. The export of surplus vaccines would begin in the next quarter (October-December) under the Vaccine Maitri programme.</p>.<p>Following the same trajectory, Karnataka's Covid-19 numbers continued their descent - a trend which first set in eight weeks ago. Considering weekly averages, Karnataka’s Covid-19 numbers fell by 29 per cent over the last 30 days, but of equal concern is that the statewide testing numbers, which despite getting a boost in the middle part of last week, have been steadily declining. The average number of tests conducted has <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-continues-to-see-dip-in-weekly-covid-cases-testing-1032209.html" target="_blank">declined by 20.4 per cent over the course of the last 30 days</a>.</p>.<p>An ambitious programme to conduct large-scale and in-depth genome sequencing of samples from Covid-19 patients in four cities — Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Delhi — is set to begin. Scientists say the project, which will sequence samples independent of the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium (Insacog), will not only boost India’s genomic efforts, but will deliver near <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/bengaluru-3-more-cities-to-participate-in-mega-covid-genome-sequencing-1032161.html" target="_blank">real-time insights to municipal authorities in these four cities about how the novel coronavirus has been evolving</a>.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the government over the record Covid-19 vaccinations on Modi's birthday, and said <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/event-over-rahul-gandhi-takes-dig-at-government-over-record-covid-vaccinations-on-pms-birthday-1032055.html" target="_blank">the "event" is over now</a>. He also shared a graph of the vaccination trend in the last 10 days as per data from the Co-WIN website to show the decline in inoculations after the record. I<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/bjp-ruled-states-fuelled-vaccination-push-on-modis-birthday-1031869.html" target="_blank">ndia vaccinated 2.5 crore people in a single day on Friday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday</a>.</p>.<p>With the Covid-19 situation easing in India, the government is mulling reopening the country for foreign tourists over a year after the doors were shut in March 2020. Officials said the plan is to issue visas free of cost to the first five lakh foreign tourists in a bid <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-mulls-reopening-doors-to-foreign-tourists-as-covid-19-situation-eases-1032103.html" target="_blank">to help in the revival of the tourism sector</a>.</p>.<p>With Covid jab side-effects becoming more common, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shared a list of side effects and asked people to consult a doctor if certain symptoms occur within 20 days of receiving the vaccine. These include abdominal pain, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/side-effects-of-covid-jab-recurring-within-20-days-that-need-immediate-medical-attention-1032084.html" target="_blank">vomiting and chest pain</a>.</p>.<p>Even as the debate on whether booster shots help or not goes on, US top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said that <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/booster-shots-necessary-to-beat-covid-19-anthony-fauci-1032124.html" target="_blank">boosters will soon be mandatory</a>. Booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines will soon become necessary for people to gain maximum protection against Covid-19, Fauci said on Sunday, after a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel rejected the broader use of the third dose among people aged 16 and above.</p>.<p>On the research front, what could prove to be an end to the lab leak theory, a new study has found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/coronavirus-might-have-multiple-animal-origins-study-1031978.html" target="_blank">could have spilled from animals to people multiple times</a>. This is based on a preliminary analysis of viral genomes sampled from people infected in China and elsewhere early in the pandemic.</p>.<p>Studying bats' responses to SARS-CoV-2 may also provide key insights into how and when to best use <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/understanding-how-bats-resist-covid-19-can-help-develop-new-treatments-in-humans-1032243.html" target="_blank">existing therapies for Covid-19, and to develop new treatments</a>, suggests a review. The review, published in the journal Science Immunology, explores how the virus that has caused the current pandemic wreaks havoc on the human immune system.</p>.<p><em><strong>Check out the latest DH videos here:</strong></em></p>