Black fungus
India, cases, 9,000

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia...

Mortality rate, 50%

Most cases 12 to 18 days after CoViD recovery

Gujarat and Maharashtra and 15 more states

(All 29 states have been told to declare an epidemic)

Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, Indore

Last week, 8 patients

Last weekend, 185 patients

More than 80% need surgery immediately

Hospital has set up 11 wards, 200 beds to treat black fungus

(400 sufferers in Indore)

Dr VP Pandey

This surge in patients was definitely unexpected

We used to see one or two cases a year previously

The black fungus infection has now become more challenging than Covid-19

If patients are not treated in time and properly, than the mortality rate can go up to 94%

The cost of treatment is expensive, and the drugs are in short supply

Amphotericin B or "ampho-B" anti-fungal intravenous injection

Every day for up to eight weeks

Majority of the patients had recovered from Covid-19 and were male

Most had been treated with steroids, all had underlying conditions, mainly diabetes

A separate study

100 cases of Covid-19 patients who contracted Mucormycosis

79 were men

83 were diabetic

Dr Akshay Nayar, eye surgeon

No patient of mucormycosis has normal blood sugar

Caused by exposure to mucor mould

Commonly found in soil, plants, manure, decaying fruits and vegetables

Ubiquitous, found in soil and air and even in the nose and mucus of healthy people

Sinuses, brain, lungs

Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs effective against Indian variant (PHE)

https://khub.net/documents/135939561/...

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/va...

The B.1.617.2 COVID-19 variant

First detected in India in December 2020

Most commonly variant in India from mid-April 2021

Now detected, 43 countries

We estimate the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccines against symptomatic disease

Data on all symptomatic sequenced cases of COVID-19 in England was used

Compared to vaccination status

12,675 sequenced cases

11,621 had B.1.1.7

1,054 had B.1.617.2

Results for both vaccines were similar after one dose

B.1.617.2, 33.5%

B.1.1.7, 51.1%

Results after 2 doses of BNT162b2 Pfizer

B.1.1.7, 93.4%

B.1.617.2, 87.9%

Results after 2 doses of ChAdOx1 Oxford AZ

B.1.1.7, 66.1%

B.1.617.2, 59.8%

Interpretation

These findings suggest a modest reduction in vaccine effectiveness

A clear increase in levels of effectiveness after two doses

Rollout of second doses of ChAdOx1 was later than BNT162b2

Oxford AZ effectiveness probably increases beyond two weeks after second dose

Numbers of cases and follow-up periods are currently insufficient to estimate effectiveness against severe disease, including hospitalisation and mortality

Previous vaccine effectiveness estimates with other variants have shown higher levels of effectiveness against more severe outcomes

Therefore, higher levels of effectiveness against severe disease may be anticipated with the B.1.617.2 vaccine.

Matt Hancock

This new evidence is groundbreaking – and proves just how valuable our COVID-19 vaccination programme is in protecting the people we love.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE

This study provides reassurance that 2 doses of either vaccine offer high levels of protection against symptomatic disease from the B.1.617.2 variant.

We expect the vaccines to be even more effective at preventing hospitalisation and death, so it is vital to get both doses to gain maximum protection against all existing and emerging variants.

Nadhim Zahawi

with 13,000 lives saved and 39,100 hospitalisations prevented overall

Today’s data is astounding and a true reflection of just how important it is to get both your jabs when offered.