<p>Two Indian vaccines against Covid-19 have completed Phase-I clinical trials, three weeks after the first injections were administered on participants three weeks back, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday.</p>.<p>“At the present moment, we have three Indian vaccines in different levels of clinical testing. The first one is the inactivated virus vaccine, which is the Bharat Biotech vaccine, which has completed its Phase I study in 11 sites, and has started its phase II study... Similarly, for the DNA vaccine for Zydus Cadila, India has completed the phase-I and has embarked on the phase-II studies at 11 sites,”’ Bhargava told a press conference here.</p>.<p>The third recombinant vaccine to be manufactured by Serum Institute of India has got the clearance from the Drug Controller General of India for conducting Phase-II and Phase-III trials which are expected to begin next week at 17 sites, Bhargava said.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-unlock-30-rules-india-maharashtra-karnataka-delhi-tamil-nadu-mumbai-bengaluru-chennai-ahmedabad-new-delhi-total-cases-deaths-recoveries-today-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-covid-vaccine-updates-869265.html" target="_blank"><strong>Follow live updates on the coronavirus here</strong></a></p>.<p>Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the cumulative test positivity rate for India was 8.89%. However, the positivity rate for the last week was 11%, when Covid-19 cases have seen an increase of more than 50,000 every day.</p>.<p>“Last week’s positivity of India was 11%, which means a few States are showing a rise in Covid-19 cases,’’ he said.</p>.<p>Bhushan said while the disease had spread to newer areas, 66% of India’s current caseload was from 50 districts and 82% cases were being reported from 10 States.</p>.<p>On ventilators, Bhushan said the Centre had delivered 18,000 breathing machines to 700 hospitals across the country, most of them financed through the PM-CARES fund.</p>.<p>Asked about the mutation of the SARS CoV-2 virus, Bhargava said the three virus strains found in India were similar and minor mutations appear to have happened.</p>.<p>“It takes anywhere between 10 and 50 years for a virus to undergo major mutation. So, if you ask me, has the virus undergone major mutation. The answer is no,” he said.</p>
<p>Two Indian vaccines against Covid-19 have completed Phase-I clinical trials, three weeks after the first injections were administered on participants three weeks back, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday.</p>.<p>“At the present moment, we have three Indian vaccines in different levels of clinical testing. The first one is the inactivated virus vaccine, which is the Bharat Biotech vaccine, which has completed its Phase I study in 11 sites, and has started its phase II study... Similarly, for the DNA vaccine for Zydus Cadila, India has completed the phase-I and has embarked on the phase-II studies at 11 sites,”’ Bhargava told a press conference here.</p>.<p>The third recombinant vaccine to be manufactured by Serum Institute of India has got the clearance from the Drug Controller General of India for conducting Phase-II and Phase-III trials which are expected to begin next week at 17 sites, Bhargava said.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-news-live-updates-unlock-30-rules-india-maharashtra-karnataka-delhi-tamil-nadu-mumbai-bengaluru-chennai-ahmedabad-new-delhi-total-cases-deaths-recoveries-today-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-covid-vaccine-updates-869265.html" target="_blank"><strong>Follow live updates on the coronavirus here</strong></a></p>.<p>Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the cumulative test positivity rate for India was 8.89%. However, the positivity rate for the last week was 11%, when Covid-19 cases have seen an increase of more than 50,000 every day.</p>.<p>“Last week’s positivity of India was 11%, which means a few States are showing a rise in Covid-19 cases,’’ he said.</p>.<p>Bhushan said while the disease had spread to newer areas, 66% of India’s current caseload was from 50 districts and 82% cases were being reported from 10 States.</p>.<p>On ventilators, Bhushan said the Centre had delivered 18,000 breathing machines to 700 hospitals across the country, most of them financed through the PM-CARES fund.</p>.<p>Asked about the mutation of the SARS CoV-2 virus, Bhargava said the three virus strains found in India were similar and minor mutations appear to have happened.</p>.<p>“It takes anywhere between 10 and 50 years for a virus to undergo major mutation. So, if you ask me, has the virus undergone major mutation. The answer is no,” he said.</p>
