Last Updated : Oct 30, 2020 08:48 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com

Coronavirus wrap October 30 | Centre asks states to constitute committees for COVID-19 vaccine drive; US breaks its single-day case record

Globally, more than 4.46 crore infections and over 11.76 lakh deaths have been reported due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

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India has recorded 80.8 lakh cases of the novel coronavirus and 1.21 lakh deaths. Of these, more than 5.9 lakh are active cases while over 73.7 lakh have recovered.

Across the country, 11.6 lakh samples were tested for the novel coronavirus on October 29, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally remains the highest among Indian states and Union Territories, according to latest update from the Union health ministry.

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Globally, more than 4.46 crore infections and over 11.76 lakh deaths have been reported due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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Here are all the latest updates:

>> The Centre has asked states to constitute committees for coordination and overseeing the COVID-19 vaccination drive while ensuring minimal disruptions in other routine healthcare services. It has stressed on early tracking of social media to dispel rumours which could impact the community acceptance of coronavirus inoculation.

>> The Maharashtra government is looking to restart local train services for the general public soon. A web-based app is currently being developed for the same and there are plans to introduce colour coding as well for the people who would travel by the local trains during non-peak hours.

>> During coronavirus tests of security personnel, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Gujarat's Kevadiya, as many as 23 policemen were found infected with COVID-19, officials said.

>> Moscow residents who want to be vaccinated against COVID-19 may be able to do so as early as next month if large volumes of doses are supplied by then, city authorities said, even as Russia's daily tally of cases surged past 18,000 to a record high.

>> The United States broke its single-day record for new coronavirus infections on October 29, reporting over 91,000 new cases, as hospitalisations hit new highs in many states, according to a Reuters tally.

>> The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Europe director said on October 29 that the 54-country region has again reached a new weekly record for confirmed cases, with over 1.5 million infections last week and more than 10 million since the start of the pandemic.

First Published on Oct 30, 2020 08:48 pm