Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
clear sky
weather
OMAN
25°C / 25°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

India boosts arsenal against Covid with Merck pill, 2 more vaccines

STRAP: China's local cases up for 4th day as Xian outbreak expands
A woman reacts as she receives a dose of the Covishield vaccine against Covid-19, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday. - Reuters
A woman reacts as she receives a dose of the Covishield vaccine against Covid-19, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a vaccination centre in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday. - Reuters
minus
plus

BENGALURU/BEIJING: India has approved Merck's Covid-19 pill and two more vaccines for emergency use as the world's second most populous country braces for a possible spike in coronavirus cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.


Asia's third-largest economy has already said it will allow Covid-19 booster shots for some of its population as some Indian states logged an uptick in Omicron cases.


The emergency approvals come at a time measures are being taken to ramp up oxygen supplies and strengthen the country's health infrastructure.


Molnupiravir will be manufactured in India by 13 companies for restricted use under emergency situation for treatment of adult patients with Covid-19, the country's Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.


Merck's anti-viral pill molnupiravir was authorised by the United States last week for certain high-risk adult patients and has been shown to reduce hospitalisations and deaths by around 30% in a clinical trial.


Earlier this year, Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla , Sun Pharmaceuticals and some others signed non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements with Merck to manufacture and supply molnupiravir in India.


Two other Covid-19 vaccines, Serum Institute of India's version of Novavax Inc's shot, Covovax, and homegrown drugmaker Biological E's Corbevax were also granted emergency use approval, Mandaviya said on Twitter.


Medical experts have said India needs to double down on its vaccine campaign and some states have imposed night curfews and other restrictions in the run up to New Year festivities to prevent a spike in infections and a repeat of summer 2021 when a devastating second wave of infections left tens of thousands dead.


The country's inoculation drive so far has been dominated by a domestically produced version of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot by Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech's inactivated vaccine Covaxin.


India has so far administered 1.43 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses and 62% of its eligible population have received both doses. The country plans to start vaccinating those aged 15-18 from January 3.


CHINA CASES RISE


Meanwhile, China's local coronavirus cases rose for a fourth day, with the majority of infections reported by Xian, a northwestern city that has put its 13 million people under lockdown.


Xian reported 175 symptomatic cases for Monday, up from the previous day's 150. No Omicron infections have been announced yet from the more than 800 confirmed cases in Xian since December 9.


Case numbers in Xian are small compared with many clusters in other countries, but Chinese officials have imposed tough curbs on travel within the city and on leaving it, in line with national guidelines to immediately contain any Covid-19 outbreak.


Some residents in Xian were anxious to know when they could next stock up on daily necessities such as vegetables, as officials had barred people from going out to shop during a new round of mass testing that started on Monday.


Officials had said shopping could resume for people in less risky areas once test results came back negative, but did not say exactly when the suspension would be lifted. Prior to the restriction, each household had been allowed to send only one person out to shop for essentials every two days.


"It feels like a long time," said a 22-year-old resident surnamed Jin.


"The fact that I haven't yet been told when I could shop again makes me a bit anxious," Jin, who ran out of fresh greens by Tuesday and couldn't make orders online without waiting for nearly a week before delivery, told Reuters.


Since last week, Xian residents have not been allowed to leave the city without clearance from their employer or community authorities. Officials have also banned non-essential vehicles.


Zhang Boli, who advised the Chinese government in formulating early Covid-19 response and treatment strategies, told state media earlier this month that Xian may contain the outbreak by around mid-January. - Reuters


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon