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Pfizer vaccine less effective against Delta variant, Israeli study finds
Neri Zilber in Tel Aviv
·2 min read
The
BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine is less effective in halting the spread of the
Delta variant than that of previous strains of coronavirus, a study
released by Israel’s health ministry has revealed. Data collected over
the past month suggest the vaccine is 64 per cent effective at halting
infection among those who are fully inoculated, the ministry has found.
Cases have ticked up since Israel lifted all remaining Covid-19
restrictions on June 1, with many experts blaming the highly
transmissible Delta variant.
After COVID-19, 'black fungus' robs some in India of their eyesight
A doctor examines mouth of Bhalabhai Dhulabhai Rathod, who is suffering from Mucormycosis, at a hospital in Ahmedabad
Francis Mascerenhas and Adnan Abidi
·2 min read
By Francis Mascerenhas and Adnan Abidi
(Reuters)
- Saheb Rao Shinde's family thought the worst was over when the
65-year-old recovered from COVID-19 last month at his home in western
India. But a few weeks later, the revenue-stamp vendor lost sight in one
eye.
After a catastrophic second wave of COVID-19 in India since
April which has seen its overall death toll climb to almost 400,000,
thousands who contracted the virus also suffered from a rare fungal
disease called mucormycosis, or "black fungus".
The South Asian
country — which has more than 30.4 million confirmed COVID-19
infections, second only to the United States — has so far reported more
than 40,845 cases of mucormycosis.
Many like Shinde may never be
able to regain their sight after the fungal disease which causes
blackening or discoloration over the nose, blurred or double vision,
chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing blood.
Related video: Black fungus cases spike in India
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"Father
was fit and healthy, now he doesn't feel like eating ..." said his
daughter, who did not want to be named. "His teeth have also been
removed, it's very sad."
Shinde, from the arid western Indian
region of Marathwada, will resume work after he recovers from this, his
daughter told Reuters in Mumbai.
Reuters spoke to several other sufferers of mucormycosis across India.
Adesh
Kumar, a 39-year-old farmer in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh,
lost sight in his left eye. He had to borrow money to pay for medicine,
secured against some of his land.
India ordered tighter
surveillance of mucormycosis in May as it compounded the challenge for
COVID-19 patients, especially those on steroid therapy and with
diabetes. Experts say an overuse of certain drugs which suppress the
immune system could be causing the surge of the fungal infection.
"We
are seeing a lot of mucormycosis cases post COVID infections, since
COVID itself is known to decrease the immunity," said Charuta Mandke of
the ophthalmology department at Dr R N Cooper Municipal General Hospital
in Mumbai.
(Reporting by Amit Dave in Ahmedabad, Adnan Abidi in
New Delhi and Francis Mascarenhas in Mumbai, Writing by Ankur Banerjee
in Bengaluru; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
