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Corona update: India cases cross 1 million mark; Covaxin clinical trials done

With record number of 34,884 Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of cases in India crossed the 1 million mark as it reached to 1,040,457.

With a surge in Covid-19 cases in Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Odisha, the Union health ministry has asked these states to make renewed efforts to suppress transmission of the virus and keep case fatality rate below one per cent.

More than 25,000 people have died in India after testing positive for COVID-19.

While some of the top affected states in the country are showing signs of the virus slowing down, new hotspots are emerging from states like Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh where Covid-19 infections are cases on the rise.

A massive chunk of India’s coronavirus load comes from the top affected cities – most in Maharashtra. Among the top 10 cities based on active cases, Delhi has the lowest proportion of active cases – 15.2 percent.

Meanwhile, in another development, Human clinical trials for Covaxin, a vaccine candidate for Covaxin, a vaccine candidate for Covid-19 being developed by Bharat Biotech has been initiated across the country in 375volunteers, the company sources said on Friday.

“India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin initiated phase-1 clinical trials across the country on 15th July 2020. This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo- controlled clinical trial in 375 volunteers in India,” the sources said.

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After successful trials, Russia to soon launch first ever COVID-19 vaccine

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, there has come a ray of hope as Russia’s Sechenov University is claiming to have developed one of the world’s first coronavirus vaccine.

The researchers claimed that Russia might be one of the first countries in the world to develop a coronavirus vaccine as it has completed the tests on volunteers.

The Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University conducted human trials on a group of a total of 38 volunteers in two batches. It seems that the vaccine has proved to be effective and the volunteers are safe. They will soon be discharged from the facilities in two batches – Wednesday, 15 July and five days after that on Monday, 20 July.


According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three phases in the development of a vaccine. During Phase I, small groups of people receive the trial vaccine. In Phase II, the clinical study is expanded and the vaccine is given to people who have characteristics (such as age and physical health) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended. In Phase III, the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety.

In the Russian vaccine trials, the first stage of research on the vaccine began on 18 June when a group of 18 volunteers were vaccinated. The second stage had 20 volunteers and they were vaccinated on 23 June.

According to a report, the Russian scientists are hopeful to launch the world’s first coronavirus vaccine by mid-August. Officials add that mass production of the same by the drugmakers may begin by September 2020.