B.A. Journalism

#Anushkashankar,enroll-jv-u/19/3812 #BAJournalism5thSEM #jyotividyapeethwomensuniversity #latestupdatesfromWHO A Report On COVID-19 (Source WHO) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the disease and how the virus spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by staying at least 1 metre apart from others, wearing a properly fitted mask, and washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently. Get vaccinated when it’s your turn and follow local guidance. The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. It is important to practice respiratory etiquette, for example by coughing into a flexed elbow, and to stay home and self-isolate until you recover if you feel unwell. Vaccination Equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is hugely encouraging to see so many vaccines proving and going into development. WHO is working tirelessly with partners to develop, manufacture and deploy safe and effective vaccines. Safe and effective vaccines are a game-changing tool: but for the foreseeable future we must continue wearing masks, cleaning our hands, ensuring good ventilation indoors, physically distancing and avoiding crowds. Being vaccinated does not mean that we can throw caution to the wind and put ourselves and others at risk, particularly because research is still ongoing into how much vaccines protect not only against disease but also against infection and transmission. But it’s not vaccines that will stop the pandemic, it’s vaccination. We must ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines, and ensure every country receives them and can roll them out to protect their people, starting with the most vulnerable. How It Spreads The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are near someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus spreads more easily indoors and in crowded settings. COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

#GunjanRupani #BAJournalism5thSEM #jyotividyapeethwomensuniversity #latestupdatesfromWHOCorona Virus On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On 12 January 2020, it was announced that a novel corona virus had been identified in samples obtained from cases and that initial analysis of virus genetic sequences suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak. This virus is referred to as SARS-CoV-2, and the associated disease as COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold (which is also caused by other viruses, predominantly rhinoviruses) Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with nearly 300 million confirmed cases and more than five million deaths reported across 200 countries. Corona Virus around the world Total reported deaths 5.4 million 5,844 new deaths Total confirmed cases 292.5 million 2.3m new cases India: Corona Virus Cases: 35,708,442 Deaths: 483,936 Recovered: 34,500,172 COVID waves: What causes a spike in coronavirus cases? So far during the pandemic, several factors have had an impact on whether new COVID-19 cases are increasing or declining in particular locations. These factors include the effectiveness of vaccines over time, human behavior, infection prevention policies, changes to the coronavirus itself, and the number of people who are vulnerable because they have not developed some immunity, whether from natural infection or through vaccination. For instance, a large spike in U.S. COVID-19 cases occurred over the winter months of 2020–21 when people traveled and gathered for the winter holidays. The arrival of FDA-authorized vaccines in December 2020 helped bring new infection levels back down in many areas through the spring of 2021. Another surge began in July 2021 as the contagious delta variant began to circulate and eventually become dominant. Waning immunity and relaxation of public policies and infection prevention measures also played a role. Following COVID-19 precautions, such as getting vaccinated for the corona virus practicing physical distancing, hand-washing, mask-wearing, helps to keep viral transmission lower. Cases tend to rise in areas where: • Fewer people are vaccinated, which means a large number of people are vulnerable to infection. • Fewer people are wearing masks. • More people are gathering indoors to eat, drink, celebrate and socialize without physical distancing.

Name-Ananya Verma Enrollment- JV-U/21/5071 class BA Jounalism (1st Sem) Jyoti Vidyapeeth Women’s Univrersity #ananyaverma#jyotividyapeethwomensuniversity#latestnewsoncovid-19#omicronvariant Covid-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered . Viruses are always changing, and that can cause a new variant, or strain, of a virus to form. A variant usually doesnt affect how the virus works. But sometimes they make it act in different ways. Scientists around the world are tracking changes in the virus that causes COVID-19. Their research is helping experts understand whether certain COVID-19 variants spread faster than others, how they might affect your health, and how effective different vaccines might be against them. Coronaviruses didnt just pop up recently. Theyre a large family of viruses that have been around for a long time. Many of them can cause a variety of illnesses, from a mild cough to severe respiratory illnesses. The new (or “novel”) coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is one of several known to infect humans. Its probably been around for some time in animals. Sometimes, a virus in animals crosses over into people. Thats what scientists think happened here. So this virus isnt new to the world, but it is new to humans. When scientists found out that it was making people sick in 2019, they named it as a novel coronavirus. Experts call these strains SARS-CoV-2. Scientists first identified a human coronavirus in 1965. It caused a common cold. Later that decade, researchers found a group of similar human and animal viruses and named them after their crown-like appearance. Seven coronaviruses can infect humans. The one that causes SARS emerged in southern China in 2002 and quickly spread to 28 other countries. More than 8,000 people were infected by July 2003, and 774 died. A small outbreak in 2004 involved only four more cases. This coronavirus causes fever, headache, and respiratory problems such as cough and shortness of breath. MERS started in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Almost all of the nearly 2,500 cases have been in people who live in or travel to the Middle East. This coronavirus is less contagious than its SARS cousin but more deadly, killing 858 people. It has the same respiratory symptoms but can also cause kidney failure.

Name- Nibedita Bhowmick Enrollment- JV-U/21/5004 Class- BA Journalism (1st Sem) University- Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women’s University #nibeditabhowmick #jyotividyapeethwomensuniversity #latestnewsoncovid-19 #omicronvariant Covid-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. The outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The Omicron variant is a new variant of 3rd wave of Novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). It is of SARS-COV-2. It was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021. On 26 November 2021, WHO designated it as a variant of concern and named it as Omicron, which is the fifteenth letter of Greek alphabet. The variant has an unusually large no. of mutations. Omicron is believed to be far more contagious to spread around 70 times faster than any previous variants. Signs and Symptoms: A study performed between 1 and 7 December by the center for disease control found that the most commonly reported symptoms are- cough, fatigue, congestion or runny nose. The serious symptoms are difficulty in breathing, shortage of breath, loss of speech, mobility, confusion and chest pain. Diagnosis: The FDA has published guidelines on how PCR tests will be affected by Omicron. Tests that detect multiple gene targets will continue to identify the testee as positive for Covid-19. S-gene dropout or target failure has been proposed as a shorthand ways of differentiating Omicron. Types of tests used to detect: a) Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) b) Antigen test Prevention: As with other variants, the WHO recommended that people should avoid crowding and close contact, wear well fitting masks, clean hands frequents and properly and get vaccinated. Treatment: There are rumours that vaccination is not effective as vaccinated people are getting affected with the new variant of Covid. Its not right as because vaccination are 100 percent effective to protect us from severe illness, hospitalization and deaths caused by Omicron variant. Some countries including India are also providing Booster Dose because vaccination is effective. Talking about the treatment of people of people infected with omicron variant, scientist are doing research to determine how well existing treatments for COVID-19 will work on omicron variant. Number of cases: Globally, there have been 298,915,721 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 5,469,303 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 8th January 9,126,987,353 vaccine doses have been administered. America- 108,806,129 Europe- 108,040,601 South East Asia- 45,406,693 Eastern Mediterranean- 17,277,716 Western Pacific- 11,841,165 Africa- 7,542,653 India saw a single day rise of 1,79,723 new coronavirus cases, raising the tally to 3.57 crore, which included 4,033 cases of Omicron variant reported across 27 states and union territories. The country has reported 146 deaths linked to the virus.

#Anushkashankar,enroll-jv-u/19/3812 #BAJournalism5thSEM #jyotividyapeethwomensuniversity #latestupdatesfromWHO A Report On COVID-19 (Source WHO) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone can get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the disease and how the virus spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by staying at least 1 metre apart from others, wearing a properly fitted mask, and washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently. Get vaccinated when it’s your turn and follow local guidance. The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. It is important to practice respiratory etiquette, for example by coughing into a flexed elbow, and to stay home and self-isolate until you recover if you feel unwell. Vaccination Equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is hugely encouraging to see so many vaccines proving and going into development. WHO is working tirelessly with partners to develop, manufacture and deploy safe and effective vaccines. Safe and effective vaccines are a game-changing tool: but for the foreseeable future we must continue wearing masks, cleaning our hands, ensuring good ventilation indoors, physically distancing and avoiding crowds. Being vaccinated does not mean that we can throw caution to the wind and put ourselves and others at risk, particularly because research is still ongoing into how much vaccines protect not only against disease but also against infection and transmission. But it’s not vaccines that will stop the pandemic, it’s vaccination. We must ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines, and ensure every country receives them and can roll them out to protect their people, starting with the most vulnerable. How It Spreads The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols. You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are near someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus spreads more easily indoors and in crowded settings. COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization. ________________________________________ Most common symptoms: fever cough tiredness loss of taste or smell Less common symptoms: sore throat headache aches and pains diarrhoea a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes red or irritated eyes Omicron On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known. Current knowledge about Omicron Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available. Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors. Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks. All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key. Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe 21 December 2021 Last week, Europe and central Asia saw 27 000 additional COVID-19 deaths and 2.6 million new cases. Infections, still predominantly from the Delta variant, are 40% higher now than during the same period last year. Since its identification, 27 days ago, the Omicron variant of concern has been detected in at least 38 of the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region. There are still numerous unanswered questions around Omicron, but here is what we know today: We can see another storm coming – Omicron is becoming, or already has become, dominant in several countries, including in Denmark, Portugal and the United Kingdom, where its numbers are doubling every one and a half to 3 days, generating previously unseen transmission rates. Within weeks, Omicron will dominate in more countries of the Region, pushing already stretched health systems further to the brink. Omicron is likely to become the dominant variant circulating in our Region. The sheer volume of new COVID-19 infections could lead to more hospitalizations and widespread disruption to health systems and other critical services. It has unfortunately already resulted in hospitalizations and deaths. This variant can evade previous immunity in people – so it can still infect those who have had COVID-19 in the past, those who are unvaccinated, and those who were vaccinated many months ago. Individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 are 3 to 5 times more likely to be reinfected with Omicron compared to Delta. We don’t yet know whether Omicron causes more severe disease than the Delta variant. On a positive note, early evidence supports the assumption that COVID-19 vaccines continue to do their job and save lives. Based on the earliest Omicron cases reported to WHO/Europe, 89% of those people reported common COVID-19 symptoms – cough, sore throat, fever. Up until now, the virus has been transmitted mostly among adults in their 20s and 30s, spreading initially in large cities and in clusters associated with social and workplace gatherings. So, there are 3 things that we need to do urgently: protect ourselves through vaccination, prevent further infections, and prepare health systems for a surge in cases. Number 1: It is vital that we scale-up vaccine uptake, be it a first, second or an additional/booster dose, starting with people at risk of severe COVID-19 and health care workers. We must protect the vulnerable. And we must also protect our health workforce to safeguard health systems. If you are unvaccinated – get the jab. If you have had COVID-19 in the past – get the jab. If you are due a booster – get the jab. Number 2: Vaccination offers the best protection against severe disease and death, and this goes hand-in-hand with other measures we can all take to prevent infection. We all know this means: avoiding crowded, closed, and confined spaces; keeping a physical distance from others; frequently washing hands; wearing a mask; coughing or sneezing into a bent elbow or tissue; and properly ventilating indoor spaces. At this time of year when there are many social gatherings, evaluate your risk, and the risk to others and prioritize those events that are most important to you. And number three: governments and authorities need to prepare our response systems for a significant surge. Health authorities must strengthen capacity: increasing testing and trace capacities; engaging primary health care in case management; preparing hospitals for a surge; and supporting health and frontline workers. 2 years in, our health workers are being severely tested once again. It is deeply worrying that one in 5 is suffering from anxiety and depression from the pandemic. Their concerns must be addressed and their need for manageable working conditions supported. This remains a difficult time for all of us. But none of our tools are made redundant by Omicron. All are as relevant as before, and we know what to do. Stay safe, stay healthy this holiday season. Globally, till 7 January 2022, there have been 298,915,721 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,469,303 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 9 January 2022, a total of 9,126,987,353 vaccine doses have been administered.

#GunjanRupani #BAJournalism5thSEM #jyotividyapeethwomensuniversity #latestupdatesfromWHOCorona Virus On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On 12 January 2020, it was announced that a novel corona virus had been identified in samples obtained from cases and that initial analysis of virus genetic sequences suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak. This virus is referred to as SARS-CoV-2, and the associated disease as COVID-19. Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold (which is also caused by other viruses, predominantly rhinoviruses) Covid-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with nearly 300 million confirmed cases and more than five million deaths reported across 200 countries. Corona Virus around the world Total reported deaths 5.4 million 5,844 new deaths Total confirmed cases 292.5 million 2.3m new cases India: Corona Virus Cases: 35,708,442 Deaths: 483,936 Recovered: 34,500,172 COVID waves: What causes a spike in coronavirus cases? So far during the pandemic, several factors have had an impact on whether new COVID-19 cases are increasing or declining in particular locations. These factors include the effectiveness of vaccines over time, human behavior, infection prevention policies, changes to the coronavirus itself, and the number of people who are vulnerable because they have not developed some immunity, whether from natural infection or through vaccination. For instance, a large spike in U.S. COVID-19 cases occurred over the winter months of 2020–21 when people traveled and gathered for the winter holidays. The arrival of FDA-authorized vaccines in December 2020 helped bring new infection levels back down in many areas through the spring of 2021. Another surge began in July 2021 as the contagious delta variant began to circulate and eventually become dominant. Waning immunity and relaxation of public policies and infection prevention measures also played a role. Following COVID-19 precautions, such as getting vaccinated for the corona virus practicing physical distancing, hand-washing, mask-wearing, helps to keep viral transmission lower. Cases tend to rise in areas where: • Fewer people are vaccinated, which means a large number of people are vulnerable to infection. • Fewer people are wearing masks. • More people are gathering indoors to eat, drink, celebrate and socialize without physical distancing. Also, places where people live or work closely together (multigenerational households, long-term-care facilities, prisons and some types of businesses) tend to see more spread of the coronavirus. On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known. Current knowledge about Omicron Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available. Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors. Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks. All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.