New Delhi, May 11 (IANSlife) While vaccinations remain the most effective prevention strategy to maintain immunity for a prolonged period, adult immunisation remains neglected. Adult immunisation myths prevail as a result of inadequate awareness, lack of an established body of official recommendations and vaccine hesitancy, which contribute to reduced vaccine coverage across India. For instance, there are rising incidences of typhoid cases in India, despite the availability of vacci

Panaji, May 10 (IANS) As Goa continues to top the country's Covid positivity rate chart, the state government on Monday cleared a new Covid treatment protocol which recommends all residents above the age of 18 to take five tablets of the ivermectin drug, in order to prevent the steep and sometimes fatal viral fever, which accompanies a Covid-19 infection. Speaking to reporters here, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, the ivermectin drug would be made available at all health centres

New Delhi, May 9 (IANSlife) A large number of recovered patients from Covid-19 have encountered heart problems and even patients with existing heart problems have felt its affects. The virus can lead to heart injury, heart failure, stroke, and damage to your heart, say doctors. "People with heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other co-morbidities fall into the high-risk category as they get sick from Covid. The virus not only affects the lungs and the brain but y

Washington, May 9 (IANS) Exposure to respiratory fluids -- very fine respiratory droplets and aerosol particles -- present in air and which carry viruses are the main reason for contracting Covid-19 infection, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. People release respiratory fluids during exhalation -- quiet breathing, speaking, singing, exercise, coughing, sneezing in the form of droplets. While large droplets settle out of the air within seconds to minutes,

Washington, May 8 (IANS) A peer-reviewed research has claimed that global ivermectin use can end Covid-19 pandemic, as the medicine significantly reduces the risk of contracting the deadly respiratory disease when used regularly. The common antiparasitic ivermectin is being touted as a miracle cure for Covid-19 by doctors and campaigners the world over. Peer reviewed by medical experts that included three US government senior scientists and published in the American Journal of Th

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The Drugs Controller General of India has approved an anti-COVID-19 drug developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) for emergency use, the Defence Ministry has said. An anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by INMAS, a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL), Hyderabad. Clinical trial resul

London, May 8 (IANS) Mild Covid-19 infection is very unlikely to cause lasting damage to the structure or function of the heart, a new study suggests. The researchers, including Thomas Treibel from the University College London (UCL), said that the findings should reassure the public, as they relate to the vast majority of people who had Covid-19 infections with mild or no symptoms. "Disentangling the impact Covid-19 has on the heart has been a challenge. But we're now a

New Delhi, May 8 (IANSlife) Mothers are the pivot of a family's health and nutrition, often acting as caregivers to their partners, children and ageing parents. Their own health, however, often takes a backseat while prioritising others. A new survey on women's health from MDVIP and Ipsos reveals that the Covid-19 crisis has been especially trying on women's physical and mental health. Over 2 in 5 admit they've developed unhealthy habits such as overeating and drinki

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) Two days after warning that the third wave of Covid is inevitable, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government, K. VijayRaghavan on Friday stepped back, saying that it may not happen if strong steps and measures are taken. Addressing the Union Health Ministry press briefing, he said: "If we take strong steps and measures, the third wave may not happen in all the places or indeed anywhere at all. "It all depends on how much the guidelines are e

Mumbai, May 7 (IANS) India would be able to achieve "herd immunity" only after October, and the country needs to drastically scale up its vaccination drive, a SBI Ecowrap report said on Friday. The report said that till date, the country has given around 16.50 crore vaccine doses with around 13.10 crore having taken the first round and the remaining 3.15 crore have taken both the required doses. Accordingly, the percentage of people who have availed both doses is around

London, May 7 (IANS) Most patients hospitalised for Covid-19 infection return to full health, but one in three may develop lung damage even after a year, according to a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. People are most commonly hospitalised for Covid-19 infection when it affects the lungs -- termed Covid-19 pneumonia.A The study showed that even after a year, a third of patients' measures of lung function were reduced, particularly how efficiently oxygen is tra

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) The Union Health Ministry has issued revised guidelines for home isolation for patients with mild or asymptomatic symptoms. The new revised guidelines said, "Patient under home isolation will stand discharged and end isolation after at least 10 days have passed from onset of symptoms (or from date of sampling for asymptomatic cases) and no fever for 3 days. There is no need for testing after the home isolation period is over." As per the revised

Washington, May 6 (IANS) A third booster shot of US pharmaceutical Moderna's Covid vaccine can rapidly increase the level of antibodies in previously inoculated people, according to data from its Phase 2 study. The Phase 2 trial showed that antibodies produced by a single 50 mg dose of its booster shot was effective against the original form of the virus, as well as against two variants of concern first identified in South Africa (B1351) and Brazil (P1). "We are encourag

NEW DELHI, MAY 5 (IANS): Coronavirus variant N440K is prevalent since last year in south India and it is diminishing, say scientists at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). Various reports have emerged suspecting the role of the variant behind the surge in Covid cases in Andhra Pradesh. "The mutant is not new. We have been seeing it in south India since last year," the scientists said in a tweet on Wednesday. The new Covid variant, named as the

NEW DELHI, MAY 5 (IANS): The last decade has seen the Caesarean Section rates in India jump from 300 per cent in public hospitals to 400 per cent in private hospitals. These numbers and the trending increase in Caesarean Section deliveries has forced many to assume that the procedure is unjustified. Some strongly believe that the birthing mother often chooses to take the 'easier' way out by opting for a C-section so as to avoid withstanding the long hours of labor. Often it

New York, May 4 (IANS) Exposure to high levels of air pollutants during childhood increases the likelihood of high blood pressure in children and adolescents, and their risk for high blood pressure as adults, according to a meta-analysis of 14A studies. The findings showed that short-term exposure to PM10 was significantly associated with elevated systolic blood pressure (the top number on a blood pressure reading) in young adults. Long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen d

New Delhi, May 4 (IANSlife) Mostly women are aware of reproductive facts and something called a biological clock ticking away. This comes into prominence especially when couples plan their pregnancy. One should keep in mind that fertility is age-related for both men and women and this understanding is pivotal because it helps in conceiving, the baby's health depends on it and one can make informed choices during pregnancy. How age affects a women's fertility as compared to m

Washington, May 4 (IANS) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to open Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15 years by early next week, according to federal officials, the media reported. The FDA authorisation would be a welcome news to parents anxious to protect their children, The New York Times reported. Earlier in March, results of a clinical trial led by the companies showed that the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is extremely

Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Preparing for a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic which is expected to hit kids, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra government are gearing up by setting up Pediatric Covid Care Wards in the city and elsewhere, officials said here on Tuesday. Taking an early initiative, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last week directed all district collectors and municipal commissioners in the state to be ready for the Covid third onslaught which may

New Delhi, May 3 (IANSlife) Turmeric is known as the wonder spice because of its magical properties which benefit us in different ways. It is used as a medicinal herb from old times. Dry turmeric is rich in vitamin A, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), vitamin C also contains a good amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium and potassium. Recently science has started doing research with clinical proven studies, saying it contains compounds known as "curcuminoids" used as a