HomeNewsTrendsTravelCovid test must for fliers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand

Covid test must for fliers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand

The current surge in Covid-19 infections is believed to be driven by Omicron sub-variant BF.7. In India, four cases of the variant have been detected so far.

December 24, 2022 / 14:54 IST
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Random testing of international passengers has started at the Delhi airport
Random testing of international passengers has started at the Delhi airport

Fliers from from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand will have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test. "On arrival, if any passenger from these countries is found symptomatic or tests positive, then he/she will be put under quarantine," health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

Air Suvidha form filling for current health status has also been made compulsory for passengers arriving from the above countries.

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Also Read: In China, people are learning to live with Covid

Airlines have also been directed to tell their crew members to notify passengers with symptoms for tests. The current surge in Covid-19 infections is believed to be driven by Omicron sub-variant BF.7. In India, four cases of the variant have been detected so far.

COVID-19 Vaccine
Frequently Asked Questions

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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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