India’s COVID-19 Resurgence: What the Numbers Reveal and Why Vigilance Matters

India is witnessing a fresh uptick in COVID-19 cases, with 257 active infections reported across nine states as of May 19, 2025. While the numbers remain relatively low compared to previous waves, health experts urge caution, particularly as new Omicron subvariants— JN.1 and its descendants LF.7 and NB.1.8 —drive infections

Where Are Cases Rising?

The states reporting the highest increases include:

• Kerala: 95 cases (sharpest rise)
• Maharashtra: 56 cases
• Tamil Nadu: 66 cases
• Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Sikkim: Smaller clusters.

Despite the rise, experts emphasize that no new variant of concern has emerged, and hospitalizations remain low. However, the actual number of infections may be higher than reported, as many individuals with mild symptoms are not getting tested.

Why Are Cases Rising Again?

Several factors contribute to the resurgence:

• Waning immunity: Many people have not received booster doses.
• Relaxed preventive behavior: Mask-wearing and social distancing have declined.
• Seasonal effects: Increased travel and gatherings may be fueling transmission.
• Global trends: Countries like Singapore and Hong Kong have seen spikes due to Omicron subvariants.

What Symptoms Should You Watch For?

The dominant JN.1 subvariant typically causes mild symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Runny nose
• Occasional shortness of breath (in vulnerable individuals).

What Can You Do?

Health officials recommend:

1. Wearing masks in crowded places and enclosed spaces.
2. Avoiding unnecessary travel if symptomatic.
3. Getting tested promptly if symptoms appear.
4. Following hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.
5. Staying up to date with vaccinations and booster doses.

The Bigger Picture: Lessons from the Pandemic

While India’s current COVID-19 situation is not alarming, it serves as a reminder that pandemic preparedness must remain a priority. The rise in cases highlights the importance of genomic surveillance, public health infrastructure, and community awareness in managing future outbreaks.

As the world moves beyond the peak of the pandemic, vigilance—not panic—is key. Staying informed and adopting basic preventive measures can help curb the spread and protect vulnerable populations.

Faridabad Gets India’s First Ferret Research Facility, for Vaccines R&D

Representative Image

The newly inaugurated Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) Ferret Research Facility is a significant milestone for India's biomedical research capabilities. 

Being India’s first ferret research facility, this state-of-the-art research facility is located in Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, Haryana, and was inaugurated on February 3, 2025. It's designed to adhere to global biosafety and research standards and will serve as a critical resource for vaccine development, therapeutic testing, and infectious disease research.

This facility will enable critical research on viral pathogens like influenza and SARS-CoV-2, bolstering India's pandemic preparedness.

The facility will enable studies on viral pathogens that require ferrets as an experimental model, such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and emerging zoonotic. This positions India at the forefront of global health security efforts and strengthens its ability to respond to future pandemics.

This pioneering facility will serve as a crucial resource for vaccine development, therapeutic testing, and research into emerging infectious diseases, significantly bolstering India's pandemic preparedness strategy and positioning the nation at the forefront of global scientific endeavors.

Ferrets

Ferret Research involves using ferrets as animal models to study various diseases, particularly those affecting the respiratory system. Ferrets are small, domesticated mammals that belong to the weasel family, Mustelidae.

Ferrets are especially valuable in research on influenza and other respiratory viruses because their respiratory system is similar to humans. Ferrets are susceptible to many human pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 and human influenza viruses.

Ferret research is crucial for advancing our understanding of infectious diseases and developing effective treatments and vaccines. It's a fascinating field that plays a significant role in global health security efforts

It's an important development for India's biomedical research capabilities.

However, Ferret research, like any animal research, raises important ethical considerations regarding animal welfare.

Research involving ferrets is subject to strict ethical standards and regulations to ensure humane treatment. These standards are designed to minimize pain and distress for the animals. Research facilities are often required to have oversight by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) or similar bodies to ensure compliance with ethical guidelines and to monitor animal welfare.

Researchers are encouraged to use alternative methods whenever possible and to reduce the number of animals used in experiments. This includes using in vitro (test tube) methods, computer modeling, and other non-animal techniques.

While ferret research is valuable for advancing medical knowledge and developing treatments, it is essential to balance scientific progress with the ethical treatment of animals.

Indian American Dr M.S. Reddy Discovers A Revolutionary Method to Control the COVID Pandemic by Inactivating RNA and DNA, Gets Patent

Dr. M.S. Reddy already holds 150 American patents to his credit. Dr. He was nominated over 9 times for the Nobel Prize for his contributions to science

Dr. M.S. Reddy, an Indian American Scientist, widely known as 'Cheese Reddy' gets a patent for his research to curb the spread of COVID. Dr Reddy, a global figure, who holds 150 American patents to his credit, discovered a method to control the COVID pandemic and disclosed this in a press note issued in Hyderabad today.

Dr Malireddy Srinivasulu Reddy (Dr M.S. Reddy) says by inactivating viral RNA we can control the spread of the COVID virus. He opines that in future we can control life-threatening viruses like COVID before they spread. Dr Reddy has registered for a patent on this method with the U.S. Patent Department. The good news is that the American Government has recently awarded a patent for him on this subject.

Experts say this is a revolutionary step in the field of science. It is learnt that we can curb the spread of viruses by inactivating RNA and DNA. So far experts have never thought that naked genetic material is more dangerous than the virus. Applauds are pouring in from different quarters for Dr Reddy for thinking in this direction and also for finding a solution. 

Many Indians, especially Telugus, who have settled in America made the country proud with their achievements. Prominent among them is Dr Malireddy Srinivasulu Reddy (Dr M.S. Reddy). Dr Reddy, who hails from Nellore and settled in the U.S., has got many patents to his credit. He graduated from A.P. Agriculture University in Tirupati and earned his M.S. PhD from Iowa University. He did his higher studies in Food Technology, Bacteriology and Virology and at present he is functioning as Chairman and President of American Dairy and Food Consulting Laboratories and International Media and Cultures. He was honoured with many awards for his research programmes.

Dr Reddy is a world-renowned scientist in the field of Microbiology. He has been conferred with 160 national and international awards. He got the prestigious American Dairy Science Association Richard M. Hoyt memorial award. It is worth mentioning that he is the only foreign-born U.S. Citizen to receive this prestigious national award. He has got many patents for his research work in America. His research on Cheese made him very popular and he is referred to as 'Cheese Reddy'.

He has got over 150 American patents, and written over 140 articles in scientific journals and over 30 e-journals and varied books which made him a global figure. Dr Reddy has been acting as Chairman and Advisor for many organisations. The famous Telugu association in America, NATA, honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Reddy has been nominated over 9 times for the Nobel Prize for his contributions to science, at the world level.

During the COVID crisis, through his shows on TV, he has created awareness among the people on steps to control the virus. His webinars and speeches have become viral with over 10 million hits on YouTube. Recently, he has got a patent for his research to curb the spread of COVID.

MGC Pharma in Collaboration With Hempstreet Launches Artemic, a Mouth Spray for Severe COVID-19 Symptoms

'ArtemiC' is a nutraceutical mouth spray that helps in recovering from severe COVID-19 symptoms

HempStreet, India's first research to retail medicinal cannabis venture, has launched 'ArtemiC,' a nutraceutical mouth spray to speed up recovery for patients with severe COVID - 19 symptoms. ArtemiC has been launched in collaboration with MGC Pharma, a company with which HempStreet announced a partnership earlier this year. Headquartered in the UK, MGC Pharma is a pharmaceuticals company working on polyherbal formulations based on cannabis and other phytopharmaceuticals.

Founded in 2019, HempStreet has been working towards amalgamating the ancient science of Ayurveda with modern cannabis research to develop sustainable and economical solutions for mass ailments. HempStreet, through its collaboration with MGC Pharma, aims to create and bring to market phytopharma products to tackle mass ailments. With ArtemiC, the companies expect to reduce the symptoms of long COVID-19, which still affects more than 15 million people in India.

ArtemiC, includes four natural-based ingredients consisting of Curcumin, Boswellia serrata, Artemisinin and Vitamin C. ArtemiC Rescue and ArtemiC Support are the two variations of this product that will be available via medical practitioners and leading pharmacies. ArtemiC Rescue is an adjunctive treatment for the symptoms of COVID-19, whereas ArtemiC Support is a daily supplement that does not contain artemisinin. According to the double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical research findings, ArtemiC may minimize the severity of symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, the clinical trial demonstrated a significant reduction in one of the primary inflammatory markers related to COVID-19, C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute inflammatory protein that increases up to 1,000-fold at sites of infection or inflammation.

Commenting on the launch, Abhishek Mohan, Founder & CEO of HempStreet, said, "HempStreet and MGC Pharma are committed to bringing thoroughly studied, incredibly effective, and ethically dispensed phytomedicines to treat widespread illnesses that affect people worldwide. An observational open-label controlled clinical trial of ArtemiC, showed that the formulation demonstrated its efficacy in treating patients with severe COVID-19 for the first time. An estimated 15 million people in India are said to be suffering from “long covid” symptoms, making it a hidden mass ailment on its own. We look forward to helping patients nationwide with our products."

Further, Roby Zomer, Managing Director and CEO of MGC Pharma, said, "Entry into significant global markets such as India is paramount to MGC Pharma's strategy of advancing phytomedicine adoption globally. The latest observational trial results have expanded the possibilities for using ArtemiC in patients with severe COVID-19. In addition, working with HempStreet has facilitated access to our proprietary plant inspired medicines for millions of people in India who are still affected by the symptoms of COVID-19. MGC Pharma has always placed the treatment of patients at the heart of everything we do, and these results are promising signs for those who the disease has most severely impacted."

With a vast range of cannabis-based medication in Ayurveda and partnerships with ayurvedic doctors, HempStreet is poised to reshape how mass ailments are addressed. Furthermore, the company recently partnered with the Amrita School of Ayurveda to receive clinically supported solutions to aid in their fight against mass ailments. Additionally, the company also expanded its product portfolio and launched Sarpagandha Vati recently to help treat Hypertension and Insomnia through ayurvedic formulations.

About HempStreet

HempStreet is India's first research to retail medicinal cannabis venture, working towards amalgamating the age-old science of Ayurveda with modern cannabis research to develop sustainable and economical solutions for mass ailments. All of this while ensuring end-to-end blockchain technology-based supply chain tracking to minimize any chance of abuse. HempStreet's dispensation network of more than 11000 partner clinics across 26 states of India is a testament to the efficacy of the formulations and the trust of medical practitioners in the brand. In addition, the company is India's first medicinal cannabis venture to have been awarded the prestigious Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) of BIRAC. Recently HempStreet partnered with Gynica, an R&D company based out of Israel focused on changing the culture of gynecological treatment through clinically proven, cannabinoid-based solutions.

About MGC Pharma

MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd (LSE: MXC, ASX: MXC) is a European based Pharmaceutical company, focused on developing and supplying accessible and ethically produced plant inspired medicines, combining in-house research with innovative technologies, with the goal of finding or producing treatments for unmet medical conditions.The Company’s founders and executives are key figures in the global pharmaceuticals industry and the core business strategy is to develop and supply high quality plant inspired medicines for the growing demand in the medical markets in Europe, North America and Australia. MGC Pharma has a robust development pipeline targeting two widespread medical conditions and has further products under development. MGC Pharma has partnered with renowned institutions and academia to optimize the development of targeted plant inspired medicines, to be produced in the Company’s EU-GMP Certified manufacturing facilities. MGC Pharma has a growing patient base in Australia, the UK, Brazil and Ireland and has a global distribution footprint via an extensive network of commercial partners meaning that it is poised to supply the global market.

The Future of Primary Care After COVID: Innovation and Technology

During the pandemic, it was a relief when you knew there was a primary care doctor near you. However, many of us know just how slow healthcare has been to change with the times. Some areas were quick to improve and innovate while some remained stagnant, like primary care.

Primary care has been struggling to manage the increased demands for its services. Part of this is due to competing priorities, like administrative work. The administration handles electronic health records, volume-based compensation, and insurance conglomerates. And this results in burnout that impedes innovative progress.

That’s not to say that innovation was completely non-existent in the field of primary care. For example, physicians once opted to use Direct Primary Care (DPC) models. This enabled more physician-patient interaction which improved patient satisfaction.

But the biggest step that primary care took was the adoption of telemedicine due to the pandemic.

The Momentum of Primary Care Offices Near Me

With the pandemic, there’s been a dramatic spike in the number of people who receive care online. In 2021, 64% of U.S. households used telehealth services in the span of 12 months. However, before the pandemic, telehealth services were barely used.

This proves that the healthcare system can quickly change in times of need, but that’s only the beginning. They need to keep moving to lay a solid foundation for the future of primary care. They need to maintain the momentum and focus on more innovations to improve care delivery.

Using Predictive Models For Medical Doctors Near You

With the help of data collected during daily telehealth encounters, some companies were able to use AI for insights and building predictive models. It enabled them to predict COVID cases and surges which allowed them for efficient allocation of PPE and ventilators.

Consequently, hospitals could deliver better healthcare services. Doctors were able to monitor patients even from opposite coasts during the surges. Pre-pandemic, sharing resources across geographies at a massive scale was unheard of. But the technology and predictive models helped transform how care is given across the U.S.

Improving the System Through Digital Technology

Four decades ago, it was costly and complex to adopt technology into health services. There were no technologies that are common to this day, like smartphones and tablets. As technology became more mainstream over the years, its value in the health sector shined.

Different parts of the healthcare system have been improved by technology.

a. Communication

With technology, finding primary care offices near you became much easier. This is especially true for the elderly who can’t leave the house. You can schedule virtual appointments with your primary care doctor.

With technology, they can diagnose and monitor your condition from afar. If you need to schedule follow-up sessions, it’s efficient and convenient through the internet. You can easily reach out to your primary care doctor for any concerns.

b. Clinical Support

Integrating clinical support into primary healthcare helps doctors coordinate and ensure its continuity. Electronic health records contain important information about an individual’s health. This includes their medical conditions and medications.

With the electronic health record, the information is shared for referrals so doctors can make timely decisions. Duplicate care processes and unplanned hospitalizations can be avoided. This increases the efficiency of treatment and can very well save lives.

c. Increased Capacity

Technology has redirected some hospital settings and treatments to people’s homes. Hence, remote care is moving health systems towards a people-centered health service model.

This involves home monitoring where they can keep an eye on blood pressure and medication adjustment. Hospitals also offer blood and urine testing despite being remote. Technology has given patients access to tools that will help manage chronic conditions in home settings.

This allows hospitals to have more capacity, especially during the surge of the pandemic. More patients had access to care despite the lack of vacancies to accommodate patients in person. There’s no doubt that this method will continue post-pandemic as well.

The Innovators

a. Startups

The biggest drivers of change tend to be the startups that challenge the status quo. They are pioneers who demonstrate alternative and innovative ways of delivering primary care.

They develop team-based care and full virtual care delivery models. They always push for more possible developments within the system. In effect, they force large and well-established medical organizations to think outside the box.

b. Big Health Organizations

The pandemic allowed the big healthcare organizations to set themselves apart. They had to implement new technology, like telemedicine, and adopt advanced systems.

They had no choice but to accelerate the healthcare system’s evolution process. It also showed how flawed the system was initially. However, not all organizations were comfortable with making changes. Hence, they relied on telephone visits and may return to “normal” procedures as soon as possible.

c. The Government

Innovations can only do so much until they receive government recognition and support. Moving forward, we need innovative policies that can control the costs related to pharmaceuticals. They also need to introduce shared cost savings and incentivize primary care.

They need to present coverage solutions that let doctors do their job: to care for patients. If medicare doctors near me are too busy with papers, patients' lives are at stake. Doctors shouldn’t be stuck pushing papers and jumping through administrative hoops.

Conclusion

Primary care has no doubt evolved due to the needs created during the pandemic. Telemedicine which was once negligible has become a vital means of getting treatment. It allowed for easier communication between patients and physicians.

Patients can be monitored in the safety of their homes thanks to various technological devices and software. Doctors also have access to electronic health records so they can avoid duplicate treatments. They can refer their patients to fellow doctors without worrying about shared information.

And because some patients are treated at home, the hospitals now have more capacity to accommodate those in serious conditions. Hence, treating more patients and giving them higher chances of survivability. The healthcare system will keep evolving and its future is bright. That is as long as startups, big health organizations, and the government all work together. Startups will keep being innovative and challenging large health organizations to do the same. Meanwhile, the government must develop and enact policies that will keep the innovations accessible.

Strand Life Sciences Sequenced 12,800 SARS-CoV-2 Samples from Bengaluru and Identifies 100 Lineages Circulating in the City

Strand Life Sciences presents ‘Report on Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the city of Bengaluru’

Strand Life Sciences has sequenced a total of 12800 samples from July, 2021 to June, 2022, and identified more than a 100 lineages circulating in Bengaluru

Strand Life Sciences, a genomics-based research and diagnostics company, presented insights from its COVID19 genomic surveillance initiative of sequencing 12,800 SARS-CoV-2 samples from the city of Bengaluru on Sunday, 17th July 2022, as a part of the ‘Celebrating Covid Genomic Sequencing and Surveillance effort in Karnataka’ event at Sir Puttanna Chetty Townhall, JC Road, Bengaluru.

The event was presided over by Dr Ashwath Narayan CN, Minister of Higher Education, IT & BT, Govt of Karnataka, Dr. Thrilok Chandra, IAS, Special Health Commissioner, BBMP, Dr. Ramesh Hariharan, CEO & Co-Founder, Strand Life Sciences, , Prof. Rajesh Sundaresan, IISc, Professor, Dr Vishal US Rao, Member of Genomic Surveillance Committee, Karnataka, and Director - Head and Neck Oncology, HCG Cancer Hospital, and Prof. Rakesh Mishra, Director, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society.

RTPCR +ve samples were collected between July, 2021 and June, 2022 from various laboratories in Bengaluru, Karnataka, with due permissions from BBMP. These samples were then sequenced and analyzed for variants and strains at Strand’s laboratories, and the findings were conveyed to the Karnataka State and BBMP public health officials in conjunction with INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium) labs like InStem, the key stakeholders for this project. The project was supported primarily by philanthropic funding from IN Covid Support, supplemented with funding from organisations like ACT Covid Response Collective.

L to R Naga karthik, IN covid support, Dr Balasundar CHO BBMP, Rajesh Sudaresan IISc Ashwath Narayan Ramesh Hariharan and Vishal US Rao

Key findings from the report 

A total of 12,800 RT PCR positive COVID-19 samples were sequenced at Strand Life Sciences during the time period between July 2021 and June 2022. These samples were collected from the various  wards across Karnataka, with a focus on Bengaluru.

Key findings

• In the 12,800 samples sequenced, more than 100 lineages were found.
• 44.4% of these were Delta and its 75 sub-lineages. 70% of these were the main B.1.617.2 sub-lineage and the remaining were the various AY.* sub-lineages.
• Delta and its sub-lineages were dominant from July to Oct 2021; the first Omicron presence in India was detected in late November 2021.
• Thereafter, Omicron grew rapidly to close to 100% by the end of January 2022 and the Delta sub-lineages were no longer visible. 
• There were a total of ~30 Omicron sub-lineages identified, of which BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.10, BA.3 were notable.
• A.2 and its sub-lineages dominated from Jan to May 2022, while BA.1 and BA.3 also retained some presence.
• A small presence for BA.5 was detected in April and May 2022.
• In June 2022, BA.2 and its sub-lineages continued to dominate at 74%, albeit reduced from 94%. 
• BA.5 and its sub-lineages recorded substantial growth to 20% in Jun 2022 and appeared as the leading contenders to unseat BA.2 and its sub-lineages. BA.4 also appeared at 2%.
• Continued genomic surveillance in the coming months will determine if BA.5 and its sub-lineages are able to phase out BA.2 and its sub-lineages, as has been the case in some other parts of the world.      

Key Contributions of the Initiative

• Strand Life Sciences developed ‘CoviSurve™’, a dashboard for real-time integration of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data with the clinical and epidemiological information. 
• CoviSurve™ helps identify how many had a given variant and where and when it was detected. It also serves as a tool for early identification of novel variants. 
• Strand Life Sciences played a key role in the detection of the first Omicron cases recorded in India from international travellers. Continuous monitoring in Bengaluru city allowed close tracking of the spread of Omicron in the community. 
• Strand Life Sciences provided timely information that AY.4.2 was not a variant of concern in Bengaluru. AY.4.2 is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant. It was highlighted as a potential  variant of interest in the UK in late October 2021. However, only 1 out of 948 sequences in October 2021 from Bengaluru belonged to this  lineage. 
• This information was shared with the relevant authorities in a timely manner.
• Strand Life Sciences sequenced samples from high profile outbreaks in schools and colleges. In November 2021, as schools and colleges reopened, a number of COVID-19 clusters were observed in Karnataka. Strand’s analysis showed that sequences in these clusters were not related, reducing concerns of potential broader spread.

Commenting on the report, Dr. Ramesh Hariharan, CEO & Co-Founder, Strand Life Sciences, said, “We are proud to have contributed 38% of the samples submitted from Karnataka to major public databases. In hindsight, there was an opportunity to spot the emergence of the Delta strain at least a month before it caused its tragic mayhem. We learned from that and have since been tracking the virus closely and providing timely information to the Government of Karnataka and BBMP. We would like to thank the Government of Karnataka and BBMP officials as well as all our funding partners for their invaluable support, which allowed us as a society to stay on top of the virus.”

Dr Ashwath Narayan CN, Minister of Higher Education, IT & BT, Govt of Karnataka, “A vital component of managing public health is keeping up with virus mutations and lineages. We have taken active measures to encourage genomic sequencing to enable detection of new variants proactively. This effort by Strand Life Sciences has played a significant role in understanding the spread and identifying relevant solutions to control the spread of the virus.”

Dr. Vishal US Rao, Member of Genomic Surveillance Committee, Karnataka, and Director - Head and Neck Oncology, HCG Cancer Hospital, said, “As new variants of coronavirus continue to emerge, genomic surveillance has an important role to play in bringing the pandemic under control. In order to contribute effectively, we must continue to build tools and sustainable systems for genomic surveillance which can then be leveraged to other pathogens. We plan to continue sequencing of human SARS-CoV-2 cases to ensure that public health officials stay informed and implement appropriate measures”

Dr. K.V Thrilok Chandra, IAS, Special Commissioner Health, BBMP, said “Genomic Surveillance has played a central role in ramping up health infrastructure as well as in introducing new measures to curtail the spread of Covid-19. I would like to congratulate the entire team of Strand Life Sciences for undertaking this ambitious project and sharing key insights on SARS-CoV-2 variants”

Dr. Vijay Chandru, Member Genomic Surveillance Committee of GoK and Chairman of the Science Advisory Board, Strand Life Sciences, said,  “The success of the new PPP triumvirate of public health, private technology and philanthropy in the delivery of cutting-edge and world-class genomic surveillance during the last one year in Karnataka, is a remarkable achievement that needs to be talked about and celebrated. It is testimony to the cooperation we have between industry, academia and the government in Karnataka. Genomic surveillance of this class requires a remarkable convergence of prowess in biotechnology and information technology and sophistication in health systems delivery and it is Bengaluru’s excellence in all these spheres that have come together in response to the pandemic to demonstrate that pandemic preparedness can be a very positive outcome of this challenging period that we have lived through."

Strand Life Sciences is a genomics-based research and diagnostics company that combines a long track record in bioinformatics with cutting-edge laboratory assays and a vast hospital partner network to drive newer generations of patient care. Strand’s customers include global instrument, diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies. Strand is also a pioneer of genomic testing in India. Strand’s long global bioinformatics track record makes it the most trusted company for genomic diagnostics in the areas of oncology, rare diseases, fertility, women’s health, and infectious diseases.

Event SaaS Firm EventX Offers 3-Month Free Corporate Trial to Support SMEs on Riding Out the COVID-19 Challenges

In response to the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak, EventX, an Asian-focused event SaaS company providing event lead generation and event management solutions for businesses and marketers, announces today that it will provide small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), marketers and event planners with a three-month free corporate trial to host virtual events and capture new business opportunities.

The pandemic has presented great challenges to SMEs. As people embraced social distancing, consumers shifted to online shopping and it has bloomed the digital economy. Holding online events to attract worldwide consumers digitally has become the new normal. The company also believes thatn technology can support SMEs to get through business challenges and will definitely enable SMEs to become powerhouse for digital transformation.

EventX aims to enable marketers to generate leads through running virtual events, which can save 90% of the cost. Built with smart features such as all-in-one CRM management, event analytics and email sending tools to streamline invitation, EventX’s virtual event platform strives to serve companies of all sizes to let them spot new business opportunities by enhancing audience reach, helping small and medium enterprises or even the startup community to strategically harvest leads through engaging and interactive events with its extensive expertise in event management.

Small enterprises can also explore potential business opportunities by using the EventX platform to conduct e-commerce livestreaming to attract online shoppers and expand their business on an international scale. EventX differs from other virtual event platforms in its interactive functions, such as clicking the raise hand button to ask questions, sending emojis, polling and more. Organizers can clearly capture the audience's real-time reactions and respond to questions instantly. Enterprises can also make good use of the product showcase function to customize their own virtual product catalogs, which allows attendees to browse the top recommended products.

“Understanding the urgent demand of SMEs for the need of capturing new business opportunities from the digital economy, we want to step up our efforts to relieve businesses’ operating pressures. We strive to be the pioneer in the industry to launch the initiatives and take an active part to tide over the hard time hand in hand with our community. SMEs can make best use of our virtual event platform to develop their business, discover potential customers and convert them into business opportunities, or even expand their overseas markets.” said Sum Wong, CEO of EventX.

Starting from today, businesses can leverage the platform to hold virtual events for free within three months after successfully registering as an EventX enterprise user, and there is no limit on a given quota. For more details, please visit https://bit.ly/357ZfjX.

About EventX 

EventX is an Asian-focued SaaS company providing hybrid event management solutions. We

enable brands and enterprises to unlock the power of virtual events, bringing authentic human

connections and connecting people without limitations. Equipped with a strong support network,

we provide both organizers and participants with a smooth online experience. EventX serves a

wide variety of industries ranging from financial institutions, entertainment, music, education to

large-scale concerts and conferences. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company currently

caters to 100+ countries and has organized 20,000+ events with 5+ million attendees, making it

the best end-to-end platform for any organization to broaden its audience.

Chennai-based Medical Device Firm Kriya Medical Technologies Gets Manufacturing License for KRIVIDA Novus RT-PCR Kit

Kriya Medical Technologies, a medical devices company headquartered in Chennai, has received its manufacturing license from the DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) for its product KRIVIDA Novus, an RT-PCR kit that can detect the Omicron variant and its sub-lineages in 45 minutes.

Priced at Rs 150 +taxes, the test is affordable and most suitable for entry point screening at airports. The kit is compatible with Real-Time PCR machines with a test run time of roughly 45 minutes. It provides early report to aid diagnosis and also gives precise variants to enable appropriate treatment.

KRIVIDA Novus will be produced at Kriya’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Oragadam in Chennai. The company currently has a production capacity of 5 million tests per month and plans to increase it to 10 million tests per month within the next two weeks.

Anu Moturi, CEO and Founder, Kriya Medical Technologies, said, “I thank the ICMR and DCGI for their swift action. Acquiring this license is yet another milestone and a step towards our vision of making good healthcare affordable and accessible to all. Our focus is to make testing for Covid-19 variants faster, affordable and accessible to everyone, thereby enabling swift prevention and timely treatment. Since KRIVIDA Novus can detect the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) and all its sub-lineages, such as BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3 in 45 minutes, it is most ideal and beneficial for entry point screening at airports and remobilisation of normal conditions in workplace and institutions.”

Kriya Medical Technologies has a pipeline of new products that will be released in the market over the next few months to address rapidly evolving mutations and other allied infections.

All you need to know about KRIVIDA Novus

• KRIVIDA Novus RT-PCR kit has been developed by KRIYA Medical technologies in collaboration with ImmuGenix Bioscience
• KRIVIDA Novus kit can detect COVID-19 and differentiate the other variants from Omicron in single-tube assay.
• Our KRIVIDA NOVUS kit is compatible with most Real-Time PCR machines with a test run time of 45 minutes, enabling the testing sites to conduct 2,160 tests within 24 hrs.
• The kit detects SARS-CoV-2 using five different gene targets and it has a variant specific S gene probe for the newly emerged Omicron.
• KRIVIDA Novus picks up all the sub-lineages of Omicron, such as, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3
• The test is most suitable for entry point screening at airports

About KRIYA

KRIYA is a Make in India initiative. It’s an emerging Medical Device company headquartered in Chennai, India. The company is focused on innovating digitally integrated diagnostic solutions designed to expand access to affordable health care delivering good health for all.

Website: https://www.kriyamed.com/

LAY SCIENCES Globally Launches 'ImmunIgY', the 1st Pre-formed Oral Antibody that Neutralizes SARS-COV-2 and All Known Variants Including DELTA and OMICRON

ImmunIgY, has been developed by ReaGene Biosciences, Kyntox Bio and ProdigY, and is an antibody-containing beverage (ImmunIgY™) that can potentially prevent viral entry, regardless of vaccination or infection status

Lay Sciences, Inc. announced today that its flagship product ImmunIgY, the first-in class product that contains pre-formed (instant) antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 virus. ImmunIgY is also effective against the Delta and Omicron variants of the virus. ImmunIgY when used as an “oral rinse and swallow” product is a useful addition in preventing the onset, transmission, and progression of the disease.

ImmunIgY – The “Instant Antibodies” in ImmunIgY is based on a futuristic IgY technology and established scientific principles which allows the antibodies to attach to the virus at the point of entry into our body and neutralizes it. The antibodies in ImmunIgY are derived from hyperimmunized chicken eggs and is safe for human consumption. It specifically targets the viral protein that binds to human cell receptors to gain entry to cells of the mouth and throat-a major access point for the virus. Formulated as an orange flavoured powder, ImmunIgY easily dissolves in drinking water and is used as a beverage following oral rinsing and swishing.

Passive immunity through preformed antibodies has the potential to provide immediate protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants. Preformed polyclonal antibodies in a single product that is safe, and which can broadly neutralize the binding of multiple viral variants to its human cell ACE2 receptors in oral and pharyngeal cavity may serve as a prophylactic measure to prevent onset of infection by current and future viral variants. ImmunIgY binds to SARS-CoV-2 viral variants and could offer an additional layer of protection unlike any other strategies currently employed, by neutralizing the virus in the oropharyngeal mucosa. ImmunIgY therefore, has the potential to prevent onset of infection for at least 3 hours following its use.

ImmunIgY may be used by both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals by augmenting the virus-neutralizing responses in the mucosal compartments where the infection onsets. Additionally, ImmunIgY has the potential to reduce viral burden and thus reduce transmission in infected individuals.

Lay Sciences officially launched ImmunIgY through its worldwide distributor HealthAngels Pvt. Ltd. (UK), in Europe, Asia and Africa, and is expected to be launched in other territories worldwide over this quarter. ImmunIgY has received the European market (CE-Mark) approval by the European Union.

“ImmunIgY offers yet another line of defence against the onslaught of rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 viral variants. ImmunIgY is simple to use: the orange flavoured powder is readily soluble in water, and the premeasured ImmunIgY in a sachet is pasteurized and manufactured under rigorous GMP and ISO conditions and is CE marked,” said Satish Chandran, Chief Executive Officer of Lay Sciences. He further added that, “This novel solution complements existing approaches by extending protection against Delta and Omicron strains. Our innovative approach of partnership amongst the three companies; Prodigy, ReaGene and Kyntox, through their proprietary technologies and skills have enabled us to rapidly bring ImmunIgY- a first-in class product to market.”

The ImmunIgY Discovery Team led by Dr. Uday Saxena, Chief Product Ideator of ReaGene Biosciences, added, “There is a significant unmet need for new technologies designed specifically to reduce the burden of COVID-19 pandemic. The future success of COVID-19 pandemic management and improving outcomes is dependent on the development of innovative technologies as ImmunIgY. ImmunIgY’s role is a critical one, cementing the gaps and in being able to deliver neutralizing antibodies to vaccinated, infected and unvaccinated individuals, including children.”

Dr. Abhay Chopada, a renowned Consultant Surgeon at NHS UK and a Strategic Advisor to Lay Sciences said, “ImmunIgY and its underpinnings of IgY technology opens a whole new exciting weapon in the fight against current pandemic and beyond.”

Speaking at the launch of ImmunIgY, Dr. Subrahmanyam Vangala, Chief Executive Officer, ReaGene Biosciences said, “Launch of ImmunIgY marks a major milestone for management of the pandemic and the company.” Dr. Gopi Kadiyala, Chief Executive Officer of Kyntox Biotech India, and Subramanian Iyer, CSO of ProdIgY Biotech welcomed this introduction of ImmunIgY as an Over the Counter (OTC) product and described it as, “a unique proactive and safe solution in combating the pandemic.”

About Lay Sciences

Inc. Lay Sciences is a global leader in the development and commercialization of innovative, high value-added solutions to advance clinical performance, define standard of care and improve patient outcomes. Using its patented and proprietary technologies licensed from its partnering companies, ReaGene Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. in Bengaluru, India, Prodigy Biotech, Inc. in the US and Kyntox Biotech India Pvt. Ltd. in Bengaluru, India, Lay Sciences is dedicated to developing and providing innovative products focused on treating and preventing diseases of the GI tract. The company’s flagship product, ImmunIgY, is the first-in-class antibody-based oral product developed to address the pivotal step in viral entry and infection.

For more information, please visit www.myimmunigy.com or www.laysciences.com

Hyderabad-based Biophore to Manufacture Indigenous Ingredients of Pfizer’s COVID Drug

Reduces dependence on China for Indian manufacturers

Paxlovid approved by US FDA for COVID treatment

Biophore India Pharmaceuticals has today announced that they have developed and started manufacturing the key intermediates of Nirmatrelvir, one of the active ingredients of Paxlovid, the latest anti-COVID therapy, approved by US FDA through the emergency use authorisation route. The manufacturing is being done in collaboration with Rakshit Group. This is expected to greatly reduce the dependence on imports, mainly from China, from where these intermediates are being procured currently. Biophore is also manufacturing Nirmatrelvir in a US FDA compliant facility and have announced that they will be filing for approval with DCGI soon.

Paxlovid’s breakthrough approval was given by the US FDA in Dec 2021 and is indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and paediatric patients as well and in those who are at high risk of progression to severe levels. It was the first oral pill that has been approved by US FDA and with a better safety profile than subsequently approved oral therapies. It is available in a co-pack of Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir Tablets.

Dr. Jagadeesh Babu Rangisetty, CEO at Biophore, says, “The development and manufacturing of these intermediates is extremely complex and is significantly more challenging than earlier antivirals that have been indicated for COVID. We have developed the intermediates that are required for the manufacturing of this product from basic raw materials and have the manufacturing capabilities in place to produce high volumes, to the scale of multi tons, catering to Indian as well as global markets. As and when the product gets approved in India, we can ensure that the manufacturers of this product can be self-reliant from within India itself and not be dependent on imports, which can be tricky in terms of control of quality and supply”

Mr. Rameswara Rao Chandana, Chairman of Rakshit Group, says, “Rakshit Group’s subsidiary, Sainor Laboratories, is the largest manufacturer of Lithium HMDS in India with a capacity of 500 MT per month and has the facilities to handle cryogenic reactions. Manufacturing of these intermediates require extreme temperatures and large volumes of Lithium reagents and with the above infrastructure that we have, we are well placed to ensure that the requirements for the market can be met locally. With a strong partner such as Biophore, we believe this is a perfect synergy to get these products to the market quickly”.

About Biophore India Pharmaceuticals:

Founded in 2007, Biophore India Pharmaceuticals is an established pharmaceutical company that develops and manufactures niche pharmaceutical products for the generic industry. Biophore’s state-of-the-art, multipurpose manufacturing facilities in Visakhapatnam comply with cGMP standards and meet the requirements of US and EU Drug regulatory authorities. Its technology development center in Hyderabad is equipped with infrastructure that facilitates the entire process of drug research from conceptualization to regulatory submissions. Biophore’s portfolio is spread across 30 therapeutic segments and specializes in development and manufacturing of pharmaceutical actives for Oncology medication, Contrast and Diagnostic media. To date, the company has filed about more than 100 drug master files and 150 patents for its unique portfolio.

AI COVID Warrior Global Contest - 'Unique, First of Its Kind' Global Online Contest

• Students from Grade 3 to 12 across the world Participated, and came up with innovative solutions to tackle Covid-19 Problems using AI with and without Code.
• 4000+ Registrations from 32 Countries all over the World
• Prizes include STEM Robotics Products, Phiro Robots, Virtual driverless Car course, and a lot more.
• Prestigious Guests at the Awards Ceremony:
  Dr Wolfgang Slany, Professor TU Graz, Austria & Dr Ken Kahn, Professor, Oxford University, United Kingdom.
• Our sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the student participants, parents, School leaders & Management for making the AI COVID Warrior Global Contest a grand success.

The Purpose of Conducting AI Covid Warrior Global contest was to make AI relevant in saving the world from ongoing pandemic” - Mr Ramana Prasad, Chairman, AI World School

Artificial Intelligence has enormous potential to support the global war on the Covid 19 disease. AI has helped us better understand the nature of the SARS CoV 2 virus, as well as, the manner in which it spreads. AI has also been utilized in multiple ways to fight against COVID-19.

At AI World School we believe that with the knowledge of how AI works and its impact, students have the potential to create innovative solutions to real-world problems. Students can then apply concepts to transform our society and shape the future of our planet.

Therefore, that is why we organized the AI COVID WARRIOR GLOBAL CONTEST to encourage students from all over the world to come up with their own ideas and simulations using Artificial Intelligence and find solutions against problems related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

AI COVID WARRIOR GLOBAL CONTEST Winner’s (Code and Without Code) From Grade 3 to 12.

Grades 9 to 12:

Winner | With Code | Matas Wasilewski, Kiddy School, Bournemouth | England
Created a game that teaches about the importance of vaccination and how quickly the virus’ infection can spread

Winner | Without Code | N.J. Sainishaanth, BVM Global, Bengaluru | India
Created an animated movie about how AI Scientists use data to find solutions towards problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winner | Without Code | Suryaansh Prithvijit Singh, Mount Litera Zee School, Bengaluru East I India
AI-for-Girls | Shatakshi Tiwari, Mount Litera Zee School, Bengaluru East | India

Created an animation about COVIPRO, an AI app that predicts the spread of COVID-19 and also assists people with any pandemic-related issues.

Grades 6 to 8:

Winner | With Code | Arihaan Srivastava, Legacy School, Bengaluru | India

Created an AI app that will help people avoid crowded areas

Winner | Without Code | Prapti Gireese Balaganur, Global Indian International School | Singapore

A presentation about how Paavan, a herbal sachet can help in enhance the air quality inhaled through face masks.

AI-for-Girls | Zeshtha Raina, D.Y. Patil International School, Navi Mumbai | India

Created an COVID-19 cases tracker app using AI

Grades 3 to 5:

Winner | With Code | Saanchi Agarwal, Centre Point School, Nagpur (India)
Created an AI Information App with Creative Corner & COVID News features

Winner | Without Code | Saisha Warambhe, Centre Point School, Nagpur (India)
Did a painting which shows how AI and people can work together in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

AI-for-Girls award | Ashrita Sharma & Mahira Chaudhary, The Shriram Millennium School, Noida (India)

Created an idea of a robot called as COVABOT-AAM which helps provide information to COVID-19 patients


The idea behind the AI COVID WARRIOR GLOBAL CONTEST:

The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020 and the subsequent shutdown of Educational Institutions has posed unprecedented challenges in the education sector. Viewing this as an opportunity, leaders of progressive Educational Institutions have introduced innovative online teaching-learning solutions and engagement programmes while preparing students and faculty for the digital world.

We at AI World School believe that this contest provided students from around the world with an avenue where they can create innovative solutions to real-world problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic with the knowledge of how AI.

We were really amazed by the projects that we received and glad to see the ideas of the little minds engaging themselves and expressing their ideas on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to solve real-world problems. In fact, our judges had a hard time in finalizing the winners as every project that was reviewed, was equally creative and the solutions were mind-blowing.

"The Purpose of Conducting AI Covid Warrior Global contest was to make AI relevant in saving the world from ongoing pandemic” Most of the time, it is too Theoretical or Esoteric for people to understand how to make it a reality. Initially, it was a challenge whether school students can take up this challenge and do something practical out of it but after we saw the number of entries we were greatly encouraged and excited.”

• Mr.Ramana Prasad

About the Chairman:

A true visionary Mr Ramana Prasad is also a successful entrepreneur and a widely respected Educationist. Started off his career with Intel in California USA as a New Technology Development Engineer and is now the Chairman and Managing Director AI World School. He holds a B.Tech degree from IIT Madras and two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from the University of Cincinnati USA.

With a background in STEM and Robotics, Ramana holds the Position of the Chairman of Robotix USA and India and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Department of Engineering Design and Centre for Innovation, IIT Madras. He was honored for his outstanding work in the field of Education. He was honored at the World Education Summit 2021 as a Global Initiative to recognize and promote innovation in the field of Education. A person with immense talent placed at the head of the institution surely paves way for success.

About AI World School:

AI World School is a learning platform that offers an online self-paced and self-learning AI education to students at home and to K12 Schools. We seek to empower children to explore, learn & create with AI in an age-appropriate environment. We are committed to providing both educators and parents with the most up-to-date curriculum and resources to accelerate learning and help students build a strong foundation of STEM skills preparing them for the future. We work with researchers, institutions, and companies, to enable the latest AI tech to students around the world.

As one of the fastest-growing edtech companies in this space, we have a unique vision to increase access to AI & coding and empower the inventors of tomorrow through both classroom and at-home learning.

We believe that AI learning should be fun, creative, collaborative, ethical, empathetic, inclusive, purposeful & for social good.

www.aiworldschool.com

BioGenex Life Sciences Launches Direct RT-PCR Kit Which Detects All Variants of Covid-19 Including Omicron Double Quick

Hyderabad based the USA headquartered BioGenex Life Sciences launches Direct RT-PCR Kit which detects all variants of Covid-19 including Omicron double quick

The kit is so efficient it was found to be 100% accurate, no false reports, negative or positive. The kits detect the Omicron variant in half the time than the standard RT PCR Test.

NIB, the autonomous institute under control of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt of India found that it performed with 100% accuracy

BioGenex Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, a Hyderabad based the USA headquartered company developed a RT-PCR kit for Covid-19 diagnosis, which detects COVID 19 caused by SARS COV 2 variants including “OMICRON” plus other variants. The kit detects Omicron without RNA extraction in half the time than standard PCR DR . Krishan Kalra, CEO of the company in a press note issued in Hyderabad today. The product is launched nationally at Hyderabad now, he added.

 
The National Institute of Biologicals(NIB), Noida, an ICMR designated lab, examined the performance of this kit and found that it performed with 100% accuracy &100% sensitivity which means no false negatives or positives, which will significantly control the pandemic through accurate diagnosis. The kit detects the Omicron variant in half the time than the standard RT-PCR tests.

The National Institute of Biologicals is an APEX autonomous Institute under the administrative control of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India engaged in Quality Control Evaluation of various biological products like vaccines, blood products, blood reagents, sera, Immuno-diagnostic kits etc. produced and imported into India.

The cost of the kit is Rs 150 plus taxes.

The TRIPLEX COVID-19 RT-PCR Direct is a real-time RT-PCR test intended for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 directly from the upper respiratory swab, nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs, collected in preservative media, (VTM/UTM), pH 7.2-7.4 to provide the molecular diagnostic basis for infected patients.

Due high sensitivity with specially protocol test analyses samples in VTM directly without the need for RNA extraction step. It helps scientists for rapid tracking of disease prevalence and aid in treatment insight (e.g. hospital beds, oxygen ventilators and expensive medications) for healthcare systems in making appropriate measures to combat COVID-19.

There are many challenges associated with ramping up testing capacity, due to supply chain delays and shortage of extraction reagents, this situation call-up for alternative protocols to ensure the continuity of testing in laboratories. Due to an increased demand in SARS-CoV-2 variants screenings, alternative protocol with similar sensitivity is required, said DR. Krishan Kalra, CEO BioGenex. “Sustained surveillance is essential for public health. Our latest tests reduce the cost of testing and turnaround time for the result.

As we learn from the pandemic, we are partnering with concerned organizations to understand and strengthen our diagnostic portfolio to develop-deliver reliable and sustainable diagnostic solutions in the future to help control the spread of Covid-19

For more info on COVID 19 products please visit: www.ingenuityd.com. IngenuityD is a special spinoff from BioGenex which caters to COVID 19 diagnostic market.

ENTOD Pharmaceuticals Set to Launch MOLENTOD™ (Molnupiravir), World’s 1st and Only Oral Anti-Viral COVID Treatment

Molnupiravir is the world’s first & only oral antiviral to be approved by the US FDA, UK MHRA & Indian CDSCO for treatment of COVID-19 (emergency restricted use). ENTOD Pharmaceuticals (including its subsidiaries and/or associate companies) today announced that it is launching a generic version of Molnupiravir under the brand MOLENTOD™ in India.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) last week, based on the review of clinical data of molnupiravir, approved molnupiravir for treatment of adult patients with Covid-19, with SpO2 > 93% and who have high risk of progression of the disease including hospitalisation or death.

“Emergency approval of Molnupiravir by DCGI is a very important decision taken by Indian Government and it will help to protect INDIA from the OMICRON wave” said Mr. Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director, Entod Pharmaceuticals.

ENTOD Pharmaceuticals said that it’s aim is to make the product available as early as possible and that its first batch is already under production. MOLENTOD™ will be available at retail chemists, pharmacy chains, hospitals & online stores across India at an affordable price to patients with an MRP of Rs 649 per strip of 10 capsules, MOLENTOD™ it is very competitively priced against other similar products in the market.

“In the backdrop of steadily rising omicron cases now also in India, the launch of this oral anti-viral drug is another potent addition to India’s arsenal in its fight against the ongoing pandemic. That top global regulatory bodies including our own DGCI have given a go-ahead to this molecule demonstrates the potential efficacy rate of this drug. Also, the short duration nature of this treatment would ensure enhanced compliance helping the country avoid unnecessary hospitalizations or even deaths in the coming months,” said Ms. Anjula Masurkar, Clinical Director, Entod Pharmaceuticals.

The recommended dose of the drug is four capsules (800 mg) twice a day for five days. The duration of treatment of molnupiravir is much shorter compared to other therapies, which is a significant advantage as it reduces the pill burden and enhances compliance. Molnupiravir improves patient compliance for non-hospitalized patients and reduces the chance of hospitalization or death for high-risk populations.

Disclaimer:

Statements in this “Document” describing the Company’s objectives, projections, estimates, expectations, plans or predictions or industry conditions or events may be “forward looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws and regulations. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward looking statements to reflect developments or circumstances that arise or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated developments/circumstances after the date hereof.

About ENTOD Pharmaceuticals Limited (CIN - U24230MH1981PLC025529):

ENTOD Pharmaceuticals is an international research-based pharmaceutical organisation with over three decades of pharmaceutical expertise in Ophthalmology, ENT, Dermatology & other speciality medicine. Globally we have over 200 products in our portfolio, a global field force of over 1000 and highly experienced Quality Assurance, Production and R&D teams. Our products are sold in over 55 countries including the EU, UK, Africa and Asia. Our quality systems are certified in Europe and our manufacturing quality standards adheres to international GMP norms. Our product range includes intracameral injections, eye drops, eye ointments, eye gels and soft gelatin capsules

For further information, please visit www.entodpharma.com & follow us on Twitter@EntodPharma

Paytm Users Can Now Download COVID-19 Vaccine Certificates for International Travel

Users can download WHO-DDCC: VS compliant vaccination certificates from the COVID-19 vaccine finder on the Paytm Mini App store

Launched earlier this year, Paytm COVID-19 Vaccine Finder has enabled over 32 lakh vaccine booking from over 14,000 pin codes across 1,400 cities in India to book their vaccine slots

India’s leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants Paytm(1) (Owned by One97 Communications Limited) has today announced the launch of international travel certificates on the Paytm app through the COVID-19 Vaccine Finder on its Mini App Store. With this, users can simply update their passport details to get WHO-DDCC: VS compliant vaccination certificates. Travel certificates for both Covaxin and Covishield are now accepted in most of the countries across the world. However, travellers are suggested to check for country-specific COVID-19 guidelines before finalizing their itinerary.

Launched earlier this year, Paytm’s COVID-19 Vaccine Finder helps users to check the availability of slots. It allows searching for slots based on PIN codes or districts and allows users to book slots directly using the tool. along with age and (18+ or 45+). Available in 11 languages, the platform allows users to choose between 1st and 2nd dose, and access all kinds of vaccination-related information such as the type of vaccine available and the fee charged for it.

Till now, over 32 lakh slots have been booked through the Paytm COVID-19 Vaccine Finder tool users from across 1,400 cities in India. Paytm’s COVID-19 Vaccine Finder has pushed over 100 crore vaccine availability alerts and has enabled users to download over 14 lakh certificates.

Over 85% of users of the platform chose the age group of 18-45 years and more than 40%% booked their vaccination appointment post 4 pm.

Paytm Spokesperson said, “We always strive to bring convenience to our users and the latest feature to download international travel certificates is just another step in the direction. Additionally, users can also add the Vaccine Certificate to their DigiLocker on Paytm. We will continue our efforts to provide the necessary features & services to help our country become safer from the pandemic.”

The COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder is one of the many initiatives that Paytm has undertaken as part of its Covid-19 relief measures. Under its #OxygenForLife initiative, Paytm Foundation has donated Oxygen concentrators and is also setting up Oxygen Plants in government hospitals

IIT Hyderabad Launches ‘covid19tracker.in’ for One-Stop COVID Updates

• Daily updates on case numbers, vaccinations, and tests for each state of India
• Some of the critical updates are available in 10 Indian languages
• Predictions for cases (including the post-Omicron scenario) using the SUTRA model
• External link to the CoWIN dashboard for vaccination data
• External link to the INSACOG database of coronavirus variants
• Served over 18 million requests from a quarter-million visitors over the past 30 days

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck India in early 2020, it became imperative to have a single consolidated “go-to” website for relevant information at national, state-wise, and even district-wise levels. The website covid19india.org was started at this time and was the most popular website for such information, in addition to the Ministry website.

In August 2021, the creators of this website announced that they would no longer maintain up-to-date statistics after October 31, 2021. Knowing how crucial this information is to Indians of all hues (researchers, students, and the public), the Director of IIT Hyderabad authorized a team of developers at IITH to carry on the work beyond November 1, 2021The outcome of our efforts is the website covid19tracker.in, which is built using the public code base of covid19india.org website.

Expressing his delight on this milestone during the launch, Prof B S Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad said, “IIT Hyderabad is delighted to host this website, which will be an important resource for everyone interested in data related to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Our site has attracted considerable traffic despite having been created so recently. In fact, we have noted with pleasure that the Worldometers website for India uses just two sources: our site, and that of MoHFW. I congratulate Prof Bheemarjuna Reddy Tamma and his team and Prof Vidyasagar for his mentorship for bringing up such an impressive site in such a short time. The Indian public can count on IIT Hyderabad to provide uninterrupted and up-to-date data on all aspects of the pandemic."

Speaking about the objective of the covid19tracker.in Prof M Vidyasagar FRS, Distinguished Professor at IITH said: “Currently, we have gone beyond the original website by including predictions for the future course of the pandemic, generated by the SUTRA Consortium of which IIT Hyderabad is a member. Most recently, we have included the projections for the post-Omicron scenario as well. In the future, we plan to enhance the website by including a search feature to highlight trends and raise alerts as and when required. If resources permit, we will monitor not just India but other countries as well. The emergence of the Omicron variant of concern shows that India cannot collect and monitor its data in isolation.”

Talking about the technical attribute of the portal, Prof Bheemarjuna Reddy Tamma, Chair, Computer Centre, IITH, said, “We are sourcing data mainly from state bulletins, official social handles, www.cowin.gov.in website, and www.mohfw.gov.in website while updating case numbers, vaccination doses administered, the number of tests conducted, etc. in our covid19tracker.in website. While the front-end of our website has the same user interface as that of the original website (covid19india.org), the back-end was developed in-house by a group of enthusiastic students of IIT Hyderabad and maintained by the staff members of Computer Center, IIT Hyderabad. The website has been hosted on a public cloud platform to make it highly scalable and responsive even when web traffic shoots up. As expected, the website has been attracting a lot of visitors. It has served over 18 million requests from a quarter-million visitors over the past 30 days.”

“I wish to place on record my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the following students/staff members of IIT Hyderabad for their unwavering commitment towards launching this new website on short notice and thereby keeping people informed about Covid-19 spread and vaccination status in the country: Anand Sai Dontu, Anurag Chandra Shukla, Imtiaz Ahmed, Karthik Reddy Puli, Krishnam Dhanush, Pradeepa Kumari N, Rahul Teja M, Rupa Bhavani Ponnuru, and Sharath Chandra Sheripally. If anyone has access to any data sources related to Covid-19 or wish to provide any feedback on the new website and APIs provided, please write to us at covid.tracker@iith.ac.in”, added Prof Reddy.

Link to the portal: https://covid19tracker.in/

Link to session recording: https://youtu.be/vwnofCPAZwM

India’s Top AI Covid Warrior Championship Awards - The Shriram Millennium School, Noida Emerges Overall Champion

The Shriram Millennium School, Noida emerges Overall Champion AI Covid Warrior Contest Winner’s 2021 –'Unique, first of its kind' Online Contest conducted in India, by AI School of India.

The Shriram Millennium School Noida emerges Overall Champion AI Covid Warrior Contest 2021.

India’s Top AI Covid Warrior Championship Awards were handed over by Mr Suresh Gurunathan, Vice President, AI School of India to the winning Students Neev Datta, Siddharth Rajpal , Naman Sonpar, Shashwat Shukla - Grade 8 & Aryaman Sharma , Adhiraj Mohan Chanana - Grade 11 in the presence of Shriram Millennium School, Noida. Director Ms. Uttara Singh and Vice Principal Ms. Piya Chatterjee.

• India's biggest Online Contest.
• 6000+ Registrations from 400+ Schools across India
• 45% all girls’ Teams.

Panel of International Judges for the Contest -

• Dr Wolfgang Slany, Graz University of Technology Austria,
• Dr Ken Kahn, Senior Researcher, Oxford University of Technology,
• Mr Roozbeh Aliabadi, CEO ReadyAI USA,
• Dr B Ravindran, Head of RBC-DSAI, IIT Madras,
• Mr Vipul Shah, Head Education & Skilling, TCS Global CSR.
• Prizes include Internships at IIT Madras, Azure, Laptops, Tablets, Vouchers worth over Rs 10 lacs.

India’s Top AI Covid Warrior Championship Awards:

Grade(9-12):

Prize: 1st Place

Name: Aryaman Sharma, Adhiraj Mohan Chanana

School: The Shriram Millennium School

City: Noida

Project Name: Mansik Ashriya

Description:

Our project aims to normalize mental health, create awareness and make an easily accessible diagnostic platform for everyone anywhere. We have asked basic questions about the feelings of a person. The person will be requested to enter a paragraph that will be judged on the basis of positivity and negativity. A questionnaire is provided to the user after they have been found majorly negative while expressing their feelings in the entered paragraph. Our project provides a psychological score of a person’s mental health which will suggest if the person needs any professional help or not.

Our project has endless possibilities and we will continue to work on it to help as many people as we can.

Grade(6-8):

Prize: 1st Place

Name: Neev Datta, Siddharth Rajpal

School name : The Shriram Millenium School, Noida

Project name: Introducing CoviBot

about project: Introducing CoviBot how to work on it.

Grade(9-12):

Prize: 1st Place

Name: Aryaman Sharma, Adhiraj Mohan Chanana

School name : Shriram Millennium School, Noida

Project name: Mansik ashriey

Mansik Ashriey is an algorithm developed by us which focuses on the mental health of its users. The program is an effort to help people know about their mental state. It provides a psychological score of one’s mental health which will suggest if you need any professional help or not. differences. It was fun as a beginner in whole programming stuff because we could get more and more accommodated to Scratch.

Grade(6-8):

Prize: 1st Place

Name: Naman Sonpar, Shashwat Shukla

School Name : The Shriram Millenium School, Noida

Project Name: Covid AIO Project report

COVID AIO (All In One), is an application (app) which helps to reduce the workload of the government, the citizens and the frontline healthcare workers.

Idea behind the Contest:

We at AI School of India believe that with the knowledge of how AI works and its impact, children have the potential to create innovative solutions to real-world problems transforming our societies and shaping the future of our planet.

We were really amazed by the projects that we received and glad to see the ideas of the little minds engaging themselves and expressing their ideas on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to solve real-world problems.

In fact, our judges had a hard time in finalizing the winners as every project that was reviewed was equally creative and the solutions were mind-blowing.

The purpose of conducting AI covid warrior contest was to make AI relevant to the ongoing pandemic. Most of the time, it is too theoretical or esoteric for people to understand how to make it a reality. Initially it was a challenge whether school students can take up this challenge and do something practical out of it but after we saw the number of entries we were greatly encouraged and excited.

– Mr.Ramana Prasad

About the Chairman:

Meritus AI 

The Director of Meritus AI Learning Experiences Private Limited
Shri. A. S. Ramanaprasad, 

Profile - Shri. Ramana Prasad holds a B. Tech. degree from IIT Madras in 1977 and two MS degrees in Engineering from University of Cincinnati USA from 1977 to 1979.Started his career with Intel in California USA as a New Technology Development Engineer. 

Ramana Prasad is on the Governing Council of Centre for Innovation {CFI} IIT Madras, A Mentor of Change Atal Tinkering Lab NITI Aayog Govt of India.Member of the Governing Council of the International Catrobat Foundation, Graz University of Technology, Austria,

Executive Committee member PAN IIT and on the board of Department of Engineering Design IIT Madras.

Member, YPO International (USA)

Managing Trustee of five BVM Global Schools affiliated to CBSE and NIOS) and one BVM International School affiliated to IGCSE, UK. at Chennai. The six schools are located in South India.

Chairman of Robotix Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (2010 to present)

Robotix Learning Solutions Private Limited is the maker of Phiro, Robobricks, Playbits, CSTEM

Math kit and STEM Maker kit which are products used in classrooms around the world.

Director on the board of Meritus AI Learning Experiences Pvt. Ltd. (2020 to present)

Working on transformational AI & Coding Learning experiences through proprietary AI Coding platforms and physical devices.

Played a key role in the recent launch of AI LAB for schools which involves providing AI based Global Curriculum for students at schools and making them future ready. The AI curriculum is specially curated by Engineers & Educators of AI School of India, trained and certified by ISTE, USA, Intel, IBM, and Professors from Oxford University UK and Graz University of Technology, Austria. Designed around the “5 Big Ideas” – Perception, Comprehension, Learning, Natural Interaction and Impact of AI as proposed by the USA based AI4K12 task force led by Dr David Touretzky Carnegie Mellon University, these courses are also aligned to CBSE and ATL-NASSCOM framework. The AI4K12 initiative is a joint project of CSTA, AAAI, CMU and National Science Foundation (NSF) Govt of USA.

Co-author of a research paper on "AI Snap! blocks for speech input & output, computer vision, word embeddings, neural net creation, training and use" which has been accepted for presentation at 12th AAAI Symposium on Educational Advances in Artificial Intelligence (EAAI-22) to be heldFebruary 26-27, 2022.

Was the MD of Solidaire TV from 1981 to 2000.

Is on a mission to inspire and educate young girls and boys to learn through online to code and develop real-world solutions for real-world challenges.

Is harnessing the power of robotics, coding, STEM & Maker-Space to make school education more interactive and immersive. In India, where technical degrees often lead to better jobs..

About AI School of India -

AI School of India is an online self-directed and tutor led platform providing AI & coding to Indian students, teachers and in K12 schools. We offer AI experiences to students and seek to empower children to explore, learn & create with AI in an age-appropriate environment.

AI School of India launches of India's first AI LAB with a global curriculum to provide students transformational Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Coding learning experiences. AI World School is the technology provider to AI School of India for the AI Lab.

We are committed to providing both educators and parents with the most up-to- date curriculum and resources to accelerate learning and help students build a strong foundation of STEM skills preparing them for the future. We work with researchers, institutions, and companies, to enable the latest AI tech to students around the world.

As one of the fastest-growing edtech companies in this space, we have a unique vision to increase access to AI & coding and empower the inventors of tomorrow through both classroom and at-home learning.

We believe that AI learning should be fun, creative, collaborative, ethical, empathetic, inclusive, purposeful & for social good.

AI School of India, www.aischoolofindia.com/covidwarriors

Twitter Recognizes Women Who Championed Pandemic Relief in India, Calls them ‘COVID Sheroes’

Twitter India and Breakthrough will be awarding six women from diverse backgrounds as India’s COVID Sheroes, namely: Mithila Naik-Satam (@mithilanasa), Maggie Inbamuthiah (@MaggieInbamth), Arpita Chowdhury (@Arpitapv3129), Sabita Chanda (@itsmesabita), Fathaheen Misbah (@MisbahFathaheen) and Seema Mishra (@SeemaM4)

The COVID Sheroes campaign was launched in August 2021 to recognise women across length and breadth of India who made exemplary contributions to relief work during the pandemic using Twitter

India, 15 November 2021: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter has played a critical role in keeping people connected and amplifying authoritative information from credible sources. With the onset of the second wave of COVID-19 in India, Twitter emerged as a real-time helpline as people supported one another on the service. Among these were many women from different parts of India, representing diverse backgrounds, cultures and languages, who used Twitter effectively to share reliable information and offer support to those in need.

To acknowledge the efforts of these women and their contributions to COVID-relief through their online communities, Twitter India and women rights organisation Breakthrough (@INBreakthrough) have come together to recognise them as ‘COVID Sheroes’.

Earlier this year, Twitter India in partnership with Breakthrough (@INBreakthrough) called upon the community to nominate women who made exemplary efforts towards providing support during the pandemic. These were women who used Twitter to connect people to resources, amplify SOS calls and provide on-ground aid however they could.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/TwitterIndia/status/1423232350012407813


Payal Kamat, Public Policy and Government, Twitter India, said, “As Indians came together to deal with the second wave of COVID-19, it was humbling to see women across all walks of life actively taking charge to have good faith public conversation and bring relief to those seeking help. Thanks to the Open Internet and the power of public conversation, people can create action, and thus we’re leaning into that by celebrating these COVID Sheroes. In partnership with Breakthrough, we’re proud to recognise these women, and hope that their achievements inspire many more to emerge as instruments of change.”

Sohini Bhattacharya, CEO, Breakthrough Trust, Breakthrough: "Time and again, we’ve witnessed the strength of community and camaraderie in helping people overcome the worst of adversities. During COVID-19, unprecedented as we call it, humanity was struck in a way that distanced communities themselves. The power of the internet, especially Twitter, is what rescued many of those suffering, and the wave of humanity, kindness and community support that emerged was humbling and inspiring. We saw people going out of their ways to connect others with help and resources, and the way some of the women on Twitter utilised their reach and equity on the platform is testimony to their spirit of leadership. It is our honour to be honouring these women and encourage them further as they continue to make society a better place."

After screening through 110 nominated profiles, Twitter and Breakthrough India (@INBreakthrough) are pleased to announce the following six women as COVID Sheroes:

Arpita Chowdhury (@Arpitapv3129), 20, New Delhi: 20 year old Arpita is an undergrad student at the Delhi University, and the founder of Jazbaat Foundation, a Delhi-based project to uplift underprivileged students. To support COVID relief work during the second wave in India, she started the #LetsFightCovidTogether initiative on the 21st of April. As part of the initiative, she created a live database of information around resources including hospital beds, oxygen supplies, medical aid, and more. Within a span of 60 days, Arpita, together with her friends Aarushi Raj (Kamala Nehru College) and Shivani Singhal (Kalindi College) who helped her verify information/leads, were able to help more than a thousand people. Using Twitter, they collected and updated their database to ensure that people find access to real-time and verified leads. Arpita’s work and the impact it made for people was covered by the BBC and CGTN AMERICA, further amplifying the initiative to reach more of those in need.

Back then I didn't know how much I would be able to accomplish but I always had this dream of enabling access to education to the tribal communities. Today with the help of a lot of people my NGO Jazbaat Foundation is trying to bridge the gap. pic.twitter.com/CrT4UhOxpL

— Arpita chowdhury (@Arpitapv3129) October 14, 2020

Fathaheen Misbah (@MisbahFathaheen), 35, Mysore: Fathaheen works in IT, but finds her calling in serving humanity and creating a positive change. It was this calling that led her to the forefront of COVID relief. She used her community and reach on Twitter to amplify requests for help, and connect those in need with resources. From arranging blood plasma, to sharing information around availability of beds, drugs and medicines - Fathaheen was able to bring hope to people. Not only did she get in touch with those seeking support on Twitter, but was also able to reach out to people not on the service and help them find resources.

🆘 Help #Mysuru Breathe!!!

*Bangalore/Mysore Covid -19 Relief* @MysuruMemes @MysuruCity_@CivicMysore @KannadaBO @KarnatakaWorld @voiceofmysuru
@NammaMysuruInfo @dp_satish @AshwiniMS_TNIE @ajavgal@samyuktahornad

*Donate Now To Help Rotary Mysore* - https://t.co/WcHSvwroBP

— Fathaheen Misbah (@MisbahFathaheen) May 19, 2021

Maggie Inbamutiah (@MaggieInbamth), 45, Bengaluru: Maggie works extensively across social welfare, diversity and inclusion. She works with Puppetica India to bring Indian stories to life, and also runs a non-profit called Mandram to promote discourses in regional languages in India, as well as an outdoor venture, Happifeet connecting people with nature. Amidst COVID-19, she led a team of volunteers in South Bangalore - dealing with more than 40 SOS requests per day. Discovering these requests and SOS calls via Twitter, her team was able to help find a BBMP bed for a crematorium worker; provide access to an EMCO machine for a patient from Ahmedabad with the help of two other NGOs; and help a pregnant woman with COVID-19 find appropriate medical help, amongst other achievements.

#Bangalore #COVID19 #nammateams Join us! pic.twitter.com/7BEJ3xPLlw

— Maggie Inbamuthiah (@MaggieInbamth) May 25, 2021

Mithila Naik-Satnam (@mithilanasa), 25, Mumbai: Mithila is a Communications Consultant from Mumbai, and works with the Charkha Development Communication Network, Delhi on a UNICEF India project. She also volunteers with the Khaana Chahiye Foundation (@khaanachahiye), where she looks at partnerships and digital outreach. Through Twitter, Mithila was able to amplify the work of the Foundation, and reach a wider audience. During the pandemic, she leveraged her digital expertise and the Khaana Chahiye community on the service to help people access beds, medical supplies and oxygen.




Sabita Chanda (@itsmesabita), 40, Delhi: Sabita is a career coach and HR advisor turned humanitarian, who spends her time lending support to people in need. She started the Migrant Workers Movement, extending food and ration support to over 8000 migrants who were left homeless, oftens starving, by the pandemic. She also helped underprivileged children from struggling families gain access to online classes through smartphones and laptops. Her work towards helping people find medical aid, especially that of catering to over 1200 requests for blood plasma, earned her the hat of Plasma Queen. She also worked with state governments in the north-east and Himachal Pradesh to help connect people with medical aid. Dedicated to social welfare, Sabita continues to support people to find access to ration and arrange funds for students seeking admission to schools.

Patient Name- Sulochana Das
53yr, Female
Blood Group- B+ve
Requirement- 4unit RDP
Contact Number- 7008876077
Sum Hospital,Bhubaneswar @indiacares_2020 @itsmesabita @arunbothra #Odisha #Blood #Bhubaneswar pic.twitter.com/XZW0joQ7KJ

— Gitadas (@Gitadas94499548) November 7, 2021

Seema Mishra (@SeemaM4), 47, Ghaziabad: Registrar and Academic Head at ICR ILAM group, Seema is a panel advisor and mentor to various startups. As a passionate humanitarian, Seema founded the Develop India Foundation NGO, and has been working extensively towards education equality, empowerment and environmental causes. During the pandemic, Seema started working with a group of volunteers to provide medical aid to those seeking resources for their family and friends. Along with her team, she connected people to food, blood plasma, and hospital beds by making the most of her network on Twitter. She also helped several stranded migrants find their way back home amidst the nation-wide lockdown. Currently, she’s working towards creating vaccine awareness and helping combat people’s hesitance towards the vaccine. Seema has found appreciation and recognition for her work over the years - being awarded as the ‘Influencer of Ghaziabad’ for Womennovator - the first virtual global incubator for women. She was also featured in a book, Changemakers, about social impact by 11 inspiring Indian women.

Consolidate list of all the #Verified #COVID19 helplines for all the districts in #Karnataka created by @chetanjeeral and team.#COVIDIndiaHelp https://t.co/00aTdTAzKB

— Prof.Seema Mishra 🇮🇳 (@SeemaM4) May 4, 2021

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/SeemaM4/status/1389584404469608452


Earlier this year, ahead of International Women’s Day, a research commissioned by Twitter had revealed that 20.8% women on Twitter in India actively engage in conversations about current affairs, and 8.7% are inclined to talk about social change. Acting as a testimony to these findings, these COVID Sheroes emerged as beacons of hope in times of hardship for thousands of people, and continue to inspire change through their entrepreneurial spirit.