Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant

The variant is a hybrid of the strains first found in India (B.1.6172) and the United Kingdom (B.1.17)

AI helps scientists keep up in COVID-19 mutation race

Artificial intelligence can help predict mutations in COVID-19. Some have achieved a perfect strike rate.  

Should we worry about the XE variant? Maybe not yet, but ‘hybrids’ will become more frequent as COVID-19 evolves

XE has a slight transmission advantage over BA.2

Omicron reinfection: How likely is it? Experts weigh in

The sensitivity of RT-PCR tests may play a role in this phenomenon, Indian researchers think

New sublineages of Omicron’s BA.2 detected in India: How the virus has evolved over time

Sublineages might be behind recent rise in COVID-19 cases  

New coronavirus variant: Reconsider entry ban to UK, urges South Africa government 

The South African government will take up the matter with UK soon

Omicron’s BA.5 sub-variant is 4 times more vaccine-resistant

Study finds sub-lineage behind rise in COVID-19 cases in Europe, US

Omicron can partially evade vaccines, booster dose needed : Studies

Vaccinated persons who had contracted COVID-19 in the past have better protection against the disease  

COVID-19: What’s driving Portugal’s high caseload, toll despite impressive vaccination rates?

Around 87% of Portugal’s population is fully vaccinated & over 65% received boosters 

Are booster doses for COVID-19 vaccines the new normal?

Making boosters integral to India’s containment strategy can trigger medical, ethical dilemmas 

COVID-19: How 2021 has become the ‘year of the variant’ as predicted

More dangerous variants are likely to emerge and spread across the world, according to the WHO

Fourth wave on in Bengal but experts say COVID-19 endemic, less virulent this time

INSACOG plans sewage testing for early prediction future waves  

There’s a ‘weak spot’ in all major novel coronavirus variants — and scientists have found it

The weakness can be targeted by neutralising antibodies, paving the way for universally effective treatments  

COVID-19: Pfizer, AstraZeneca efficacy significantly reduced against omicron, says UK health agency 

Omicron is displaying growth advantage over delta and is poised to become dominant variant in UK

Is COVID-19 pandemic nearing its end? Experts weigh in

Whether or not to ‘call off’ a pandemic goes beyond epidemiology of disease    

As told to Parliament (February 10, 2023): Smriti Irani says her ministry ‘unaware’ of CSE report on malnutrition deaths

The report by Centre for Science & Environment and DTE shows over 1.7 million Indians die every year due to poor diet

Wealthy nations starved the developing world of vaccines. Omicron shows the cost of this greed

10 high-income countries will be sitting on more than 870 million excess doses by end of 2021

India needs to revise COVID-19 response strategy, flag experts

Let-ups in vaccination campaigns, COVID-19 protocol implementation observed