Coronavirus India update: COVID-19 cases rise unabated in some states even as national caseload falls

Only nine states reported an increase in active COVID-19 cases on October 27. However, according to the NITI Aayog, Kerala, West Bengal and Delhi are moving towards a third peak.

Moneycontrol News

October 28, 2020 / 11:02 AM IST

File image: AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan

While the five most-affected states in India have recorded a consistent fall in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported on a daily basis, infections are rising unabated in some of the other regions.

On October 27, Maharashtra – the worst-affected state with over 16.5 lakh total cases so far – reported around 5,000 new infections. This is significantly lower than its peak of around 25,000 new cases per day in mid-September. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, have reported 2,000-3,000 new cases – significantly less than what was being recorded during their peaks.

Check the state-wise tally here

Only nine states reported an increase in active cases on October 27. However, Kerala, West Bengal and Delhi are proceeding towards a third peak according to the NITI Aayog.

This is a matter of concern and there can be no complacency in following COVID-19 "appropriate behaviour" in the coming times as more challenges will emerge, said VK Paul, NITI Aayog (health) member and head of the national COVID-19 task force.

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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