Coronavirus News September 30: More than 60 million people in India may have contracted the virus | CNN

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4 hours ago

More than 60 million people in India may have contracted the virus

By Jessie Yeung and Esha Mitra

More than 63 million people in India may have contracted COVID-19, about 10 times more than the official figures reported, health authorities said on Tuesday.

A national survey of more than 29,000 people in 700 villages and districts found that about one in 15 people over the age of 10 had antibodies to the coronavirus, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The survey was conducted from mid-August to mid-September.

Antibody tests, also known as serological tests, check for proteins called antibodies in the immune system, which indicate whether someone has been exposed to the virus.

Of the country's 1.3 billion citizens, more than 966 million are 10 years old or older, according to the most recent government census in 2011. If one in 15 people in this group has been infected with covid-19, that's a total of 63.78 million people.

As of Wednesday, India has reported more than 6.1 million cases and 96,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The survey suggests that for every officially reported infection, there are actually between 26 and 32 infected people sneaking out, Dr. Balram Bhargava, director of the medical council, said at a news conference Tuesday.

This is in line with what many experts have warned for months: that the coronavirus crisis in India may be much more serious than official figures suggest.

There are numerous reasons for this: People are simply not getting enough tests.

Sometimes there are errors when reporting and registering cases.

Changing government strategies can confuse the numbers and paint a misleading picture of the situation.

The government began to roll back restrictions in May after a months-long shutdown and ministers turned their attention to reopening the economy and public services.

But experts, including Bhargava, warn that it is too early to relax.

"Since a large proportion of the population is still susceptible, prevention fatigue must be avoided," Bhargava said, adding that the risk of infection was higher in urban slums where millions live in crowded conditions, often with limited sanitation or running water.

5 hours ago

The United States reports more than 42,000 new cases

By Joe Sutton

The United States recorded 42,185 new coronavirus infections and 914 virus-related deaths on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

National totals now stand at 7,190,230 cases, including 205,986 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins tally.

Totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

5 hours ago

Americans 30+ Have Been Drinking More During Pandemic

By Lauren Mascarenhas

Americans 30 and older have been drinking more during the coronavirus pandemic compared to this time last year and there could be consequences for their physical and mental health, researchers reported Tuesday.

The overall frequency of alcohol use has increased by about 14% since 2019, researchers reported in the JAMA Network Open magazine.

That raises the averages to about one additional drinking day per month in 75% of adults.

RAND Corporation sociologist Michael Pollard and his colleagues analyzed a nationally representative sample of 1,540 people ages 30 to 80.

Participants completed a survey on their drinking habits between April 29 and June 9, 2019 and then again between May 28 and June 16, 2020.

The volunteers reported that they drank alcohol more days a week.

They also reported increases in the number of drinks they drank, the number of days of binge drinking, and the number of alcohol-related problems during the past 30 days between 2019 and 2020.

The frequency of use increased by 17% among women, 19% among people aged 30 to 59 years and 10% among whites.

Binge drinking among women increased by 41%, about an additional day of binge drinking for one in five women.

Nearly one in 10 women, or 39%, reported an increase in alcohol-related problems, the researchers found.

"In times of confinement during the covid-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption can exacerbate health vulnerabilities, risky behaviors, mental health problems and violence," the World Health Organization said in April.

The researchers say it is important to be aware of whether increases in alcohol consumption persist during the pandemic and whether there will be consequences for physical and mental health as a result.

5 hours ago

India's vice president tests positive for covid-19

By Luke Henderson

India's Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a tweet posted on his official Twitter account.

The tweet says Naidu is asymptomatic and in good health after undergoing a routine covid-19 test on Tuesday morning.

It has been recommended that you self-quarantine yourself at home.

His wife, Usha Naidu, tested negative and is in isolation.

6 hours ago

Merkel warns of drastic increase in infections during winter

By Fred Pleitgen

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a series of new measures aimed at halting a recent spike in new coronavirus infections in the country.

At a press conference after a meeting with Germany's state governors, Merkel announced that meetings in public places would be limited to no more than 50 people in areas with a high number of coronavirus infections.

"We know that a more difficult time is coming, autumn and winter," Merkel said in justifying the new restrictions, which also include fines of at least 50 euros ($ 60) for customers of bars and restaurants who provide false contact details, used by authorities for tracking.

Merkel also issued a strong warning, saying that if the current trajectory of rising coronavirus infections continues unabated, Germany could see up to 19,200 new infections per day in the winter months.

"This underscores the urgency to act," Merkel added.

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