HYDERABAD: At a time of paranoia and panic over how long this corona-fuelled lockdown may stretch, internationally renowned medical expert Dr D Nageshwar Reddy has good news. “This is something we can easily conquer. There’s no need to panic,” he says, while adding that the current lockdown “should not prolong beyond 3-4 weeks”.

In a chat with GS Vasu, the Hyderabad-based gastroenterologist, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2016 and currently serves as the Chairman of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, shares two key findings that give India reason to hope – one emerging from a study on genome sequencing and another from research on the impact of temperature on the virus. He also elaborates on why he abhors the term social distancing and how staying positive could prove vital. Excerpts:

GS Vasu: You have studied the origin of the virus and the way it has spread. What, in your view, is the risk to India?

Dr N Reddy: If you look at its history, the virus originated somewhere in the middle of December in China at a live seafood market and then, spread to the Wuhan area. From the Wuhan area, it travelled to Western countries like Italy, the USA and Europe. With a lag of about two or three weeks, it came from these areas to India, indirectly. So, we had a gap of three or four weeks to study this virus.

Coronavirus is an RNA virus. This particular strain seems to be in bats but whether it directly came from the bat or not, we are still not sure. A small mutation occurred which allowed it to get transmitted from bats to humans. But the most important thing is that when this virus spread to say Italy or the US to India, the genotypes of this virus turned out to be different. Sequencing of the whole virus has been done in four countries — the first in the USA, second in Italy, third in China and fourth in India.

What they are finding is that this virus has a different genome sequencing in India compared to say Italy. This has a lot of significance because in the Indian virus, there is a single mutation occuring in the spike protein of the genome. Spike protein is the area that attaches to the human cell. One small mutation has happened, making that attachment weak. So, this will become an important factor for us in India.

Whereas in the Italian virus, three mutations have occurred, making it more deadly to these people. In Italy, the other aspects are also at play. The age of many patients being above 70-80 years, smoking, alcohol, comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension and so on. Therefore, with this combination, mortality levels are higher than usual, sometimes 10%. Whereas in India, in the USA, in China, the mortality is only about 2%. There is variation in mortality and infection rate based upon the genome of the virus and the host immunity is also playing a role.

No, we can’t directly say that but what we can say is that there is a definite difference in the gene sequence and we are hoping that will result in the virus being less harmful because its attachment to the cell is not as good. But clinically, unless we do large-scale studies we won’t know and whether this is 100% true. But there is definitely a difference in the genotype.

There are contrarian views on the complete lockdown that we have imposed, doctor. Some feel we should have just shut the red zones while others are of the view that complete shutdown is the only solution. What are your thoughts on that?

So, this is a very controversial area. There are two extremes — one is complete shutdown, the other extreme is to keep everything open and test everybody. This is what South Korea did. Everything is still open in South Korea but they did extensive testing of the population and those people who are positive have been isolated quickly. This is called the red zone or selective isolation.

In our country, because of the demographics and because of the scale involved, extensive testing is not feasible. For us, the only alternative is to do a complete lockdown, which has been done. This also has economic consequences but I think the temporary lockdown of two or three weeks was a must at that point in time for the country. But after the lockdown time is over comes the crucial question -What should we do in the future?

There I think we should follow a more balanced approach, where we can do more testing now that the test kits are becoming cheap and easily available and do selective isolation. More important is that only certain people above a certain age and with comorbidities are having problems. So, those people must be extensively checked and isolated and the younger population which does not have comorbidities can be left a little more free. But this is only after this lockdown period is over. In my opinion, at present because of the fear of community spread, the lockdown is something that I think was essential although it has its economic consequences. But prolonged lockdown is going to be a big problem. We should limit it to three weeks.

That’s the maximum you feel it should be?

Yes, unless there is a high community spread that we still can’t control. But looking at the curves that we are getting now, it looks like, to some extent, the community spread is being controlled. In a country like ours, it is very difficult to have a complete lockdown for long periods because social unrest will increase.

From the time this virus has started spreading to our country, alongside the scientific evidence being put forth, we are also seeing a lot of unscientific stuff that is getting circulated on social media. Some are saying that the virus will not survive in hot weather, some are of the view that the young won’t get affected and that only if you are 60+ there is a high risk of death.

There is fear, there is panic — maybe genuine, maybe unfounded. Can you kindly elaborate?

So, I think the first thing is there are a lot of myths and a lot of fake news going around. The most important thing is that we should not panic. This is not such a dangerous situation that we should panic. We should not look at what is happening in Italy and France and think that this will happen here.

The second thing is that this virus, for some reason, does not affect children below the age of 10 years. There are some case reports but not so many.

And in the elderly, it is not the biological age that is important, it is the physical age. So, generally, above the age of 70 years, if somebody has comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension, cancer and so on, then this virus can attack in a more severe way. Otherwise, those who are above the age of 60-65 should not worry. For a normal person, as long as he/she is healthy, it does not cause any major issues.

The mortality rate, even among very old people in India, is still not so high as you see in Italy. So, I believe that the panic should go.

What is not being emphasised is mental health. That is becoming very important because of this panic. Thanks to this isolation and social distancing, people are developing psychiatric problems. Recently, the British Psychiatric Association had a paper that suggested that depression, alcoholism, home abuse, child abuse, suicide are all increasing because of this.

If the lockdown goes on for a long time, this becomes very important.

I think mental health is important because studies have shown that those who are mentally strong and happy, have strong immunity. If we get depressed, we are not happy. So, there are more chances of catching the virus infection. We should concentrate on that.

Positive messages should go to the public. Don’t worry, this lockdown is inevitable and enjoy your freedom during this time. I know with economic problems, other things will also come up but this has to be tackled at the government level.

Now, regarding temperature, there was and there is still a lot of controversy, but a paper was published by MIT, USA, where they have shown the heat-sensitivity of this virus. , This virus is unable to exist for long periods above 32 degrees .

Now, this means several things. In India, it means that hopefully, as we progress into May — when the heat rises — maybe the virus transmission may come down. But indoors, where we are living in air-conditioning or where the temperature levels are cool, the problem still persists. So, temperature may have a role but it might start having an effect only after May.

Is this research conclusive?

The MIT research is peer-reviewed. It has not been completely published but the peer reviews look positive. There is some evidence that it is a heat-sensitive virus, which may be beneficial, but as I said, this is still preliminary data in an experimental lab. It is not clinically proven.

It might be a bit early to ask you but do you suspect there could be behavioural change post the lockdown? What, in your view, are the precautions that people in general need to take?

I am already seeing these behavioural changes during the lockdown. People are becoming more paranoid, they are becoming withdrawn. I think communication is coming down. So, behavioural change is already seen and is going to increase. I think to counter this, we have to have a message which also gives true scientific facts about this virus because people are watching TV and hearing of people dying and are getting worried. I think we should give a clear indication of what is going to be the outcome of this virus.

Number two, it is difficult in our country but at least in Western countries, they have started home counselling. But I think ultimately, we have to give a positive message. We know that this is a problematic time but the message has to be positive so that the public in general don’t panic because we are already hearing incidents of suicide.

If you look at it, this is a small blip in human history. It is going to go out. In the next two to three months, we will get medicines and in the next 16 months, we will have a definite vaccine. So, by 2022, everybody will forget about the virus because the vaccine is available. But this one year is troublesome, we have to be very strong. There is nothing to panic about, this is something we can easily conquer.

There is also a view that even if it stops for now, there is a risk of recurrence, maybe a couple of months down the line or six months down the line. Is that a possibility?

All coronaviruses which have been seen before are seasonal in nature. The SARS virus, the MERS virus, the Swine Flu — these are all coronaviruses and they are seasonal

But with this lockdown, it is going to be only for one season because after this we are going to get a vaccine and it won’t be a problem anymore. What we have to be guarded against is the next season. Suppose this virus goes down by May/June, we have to be very careful in December, January, February because it might come again next year. But what will happen by that time, in my opinion, is we might not only have medical treatment, but also, testing will become cheap and widespread. So, isolation policies will become more formed and it won’t be like what is happening now and so widespread in nature.

If one is isolating, what are the basic precautions that we need to take?

So, one of the basic precautions of course is physical distancing — I believe the term social distancing should be replaced by physical distancing. We have to keep a distance of 1 metre from individuals when we are talking and so on. Hand hygiene is very important — now everybody is following hand hygiene. And also, there is strong talk of mobile hygiene. Mobile phones can carry this virus for 48 to 72 hours. So, we should see that we don’t take somebody else’s phone and use it. If you are, use a sanitiser to clean the phone or clean your hands before taking a new phone or giving someone your phone.

Second, we must maintain adequate nutrition. Vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D are very important to build immunity against this virus — you can take these three either as supplements or adequately in your diet.

Some minimal physical activity is important. You should not remain confined to only your house and room.

And of course, fourth is mental health — being positive. These four things I think will help us a lot.

What are the lessons that, in your view, we need to take in terms of improving our public health infrastructure in light of what we have seen post the virus outbreak?

I think this is a big lesson for us but unfortunately there are also issues in terms of health infrastructure, it can’t be changed in just a few months or years. This is a very long process and it can sometimes take more than decades. You can see that in our country, compared to other countries, health infrastructure is definitely lacking especially when we are dealing with an epidemic like this. We have to work on it. We can’t do it on a massive scale like in other countries but at least we can improve by having more epidemiologists, and having in each state a centre that can deal with epidemics in a very specific way. Also, what will help is having hospitals that are specifically dedicated to epidemics and encouraging doctors and health workers to specialise in this area. So, I think all these are important steps.

Right now, I think our government’s actions have been positive. Hopefully this will also lead them to develop at least a basic infrastructure to deal with epidemics like this in the long term.

As the nation entered the 21-day lockdown, serpentine queues, crowded markets, and harassment of e-commerce and food delivery people by police departments seemingly unaware of what was allowed and what wasn’t, marked the first day of this three-week lockdown to cease the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

The US finally agreed on a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus package to help individuals and companies affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In India, several states and some central government departments have announced similar packages – but for specific worker groups. A larger relief package is expected.

As on Thursday, India had total 694 cases of Covid-19 and had seen 16 deaths. 44 people among these 694 have been cured and discharged.

Here Are The Live Updates On The Coronavirus Outbreak:

Coronavirus cases soar in India, 694 people affected

So far coronavirus has killed 16 people nationwide but cases soared on Thursday and now 694 cases have been reported so far of which only 45 patients have been cured.

---

08:19 PM 
Chinese President Xi Jinping says removal of trade barriers necessary
Chinese premier Xi Jinping says global economic recovery can only begin if G20 countries remove trade barriers at G20 meet. #BREAKING Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged G20 countries to remove trade barriers as part of efforts to spur a global recovery after the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic.

---

07:46 PM
Bihar registers fresh coronavirus case, 20-year-old affectedA 20-year-old boy has tested positive for Covid-19, cases in Bihar reach 7.

Bihar: One more #COVID19 case in the state, a 20-year-old boy from Patna with no travel history, confirms Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH). The total number of positive cases in the state rises to 7. pic.twitter.com/AYsjG7ElGu

— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2020

---

07:43 PM

IGMC dean Dr. Keoliya said a patient who had coronavirus has been discharged after the second sample tested negative.

---

07:39 PM

‘Will reach level of community spread soon’: Nigerian govt
Information Minister Lai Mohammed fears that coronavirus cases will explode in the coming days in Nigeria. The most populous country in Africa has reported 51 cases and 1 death.

 

---

07:35 PM
Assam to set up four 300-bed hospitals to tackle coronavirus
Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he “had discussions with a leading private sector construction company regarding the temporary hospitals. Almost all parliamentarians from both ruling and opposition parties of Assam have also offered to contribute funds to set up the hospitals.” Sarma said the facility will be built in Sarusajai Sports Complex and will be ready within a week.

---

07:07 PM
Agriculture ministry says 300 more mandis will begin operation from Friday
The agro ministry said to PTI that 1,600 mandis are functioning across the country, more 300 mandies will be made operational by Monday.

---

07:02 PM
Our responsibility to help least developed nations: Saudi King at G20
King Salman of Saudi Arabia who is chairing the G20 meet says that it is the responsibility of G-20 nations to help impoverished nations overcome this coronavirus-stemmed crisis.

---

06:51 PM

DGCA has extended suspension of commercial flights due to pandemic
Suspension of international commercial passenger flights has been extended by DGCA until April 15, 2020. It has been decided that scheduled international commercial passenger services shall remain closed till 6:30 hrs (GMT) of April 14, 2020. This will not apply to approved international all-cargo operations & flights: Directorate General of Civil Aviation

---

06:39 PM
Maharashtra CM says essential goods shops can remain open for 24 hours
After holding a review meeting Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said in order to prevent inconvenience to people during coronavirus lockdown essential goods shops can remain open for 24-hours.

---

06:37 PM
CRPF donates ₹33.81 crore for PM relief fund
CRPF officers have donated their one day salary to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The paramilitary force said in a statement, “CRPF personnel have decided to make a humble contribution of one day salary to Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. We are dutifully commited to stand firmly with our Nation in this challenging time of COVID-19 spread.It’s an unanimous decision and a sincere effort by our personnel. The effort was to make the immediate contribution with the noble intent to keep it unrevealed. The CRPF remains steadfast towards its motto of service and loyalty.”

---

06:19 PM
China fears second wave of coronavirus infectionImported coronavirus cases are on the rise in China, as the nation reported 67 new cases, bringing the imported cases to 541 in the country. The total number of cases now stands at 81,285 while the NHC reported a total of 3,287 deaths at the end of Wednesday, up six from the previous day. 

---

06:16 PM
London hospitals experience ‘tsunami of patients’ as coronavirus cases riseEngland’s National Health Service is buckling under the stress of rising coronavirus cases. NHS has asked people to volunteer and has reemployed retired doctors.

---

06:04 PM
Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Jammu and Kashmir, 2 more test positive
2 more persons, according to PTI, have tested positive for coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir. The statewide affected numbers have now reached 13.

---

05:52 PM
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee inspects social distancing exercise
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee took to the streets to explain social distancing to common people in Kolkata. In a 173 second video, CM Banerjee can be seen in a protective mask directing vendors and officials.

---

05:47 PM
Survey says 64% of India businesses will survive Covid-19 onlsaught
An Indeed.com survey says that 64 per cent of Indian businesses are ready or getting ready to ride through the ongoing crisis due to COVID-19. 3% of small and medium businesses also remain assured that this crisis can be overcome.

---

05:52 PM IST
Germany ramps up testing capabilities
Germany has boosted its testing capabilities to 500,000 a week, according to a AFP report. Christian Drosten, head of Institute of Virology at Berlin’s Charite University Hospital, said, “The reason why Germany has so few deaths compared to the number of infected people can be explained by the fact that we carry out an extremely large number of laboratory diagnostic tests.” Germany carried out 50,000 tests last week.

---

05:05 PM
More than 2,50,000 people are affected by Covid-19 in Europe
As cases continue to surge in Spain, Europe has become one of the epicenters of the Covid-19 disease. With 258,068, including 14,640 dead, Europe’s healthcare faces a tough battle ahead. These numbers are compiled by WHO and national health ministries of Spain, Italy and other European nations.

---

04:52 PM
Spanish MotoGP cancelled due to Covid-19
The Spanish Moto Grand Prix is the latest sporting event which was to be held at the Jerez circuit was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The organisers said, “The ongoing coronavirus outbreak has obliged the event to be rescheduled.”

---

04:47 PM
No rise in cases if people strictly adhere to rules: Health Ministry
ICMR’s R Ganga Ketkar while speaking to the press said that the steps taken by the Centre are followed then there will no rise in cases in the country. The steps taken by the government are so effective that if we follow them strictly, the #coronavirus cases will hardly increase in the country: R Ganga Ketkar, Indian Council of Medical Research

---

04:33 PM
‘No hard evidence of community transmission of covid-19 in India’: Health Ministry
The Health Ministry, according to PTI said that there is no evidence of of community transmission of covid-19 in the country.

---

04:31 PM
Ambulances, doctors struggle to contain outbreak in Spain
Healthcare workers in Spain are in a race against time to save coronavirus patients as cases spiked in the European nation as overall number of coronavirus cases soared to 56,188 from 47,610.

---

04:25 PM IST
PM Modi asks Centre to scale up medical equipment supply
PM Modi in his cabinet meeting on Wednesday asked Centre’s ministries to scale up production of medical equipments.

---

04:02 PM IST
China asks Pakistan to reopen border to transfer medical supplies
China has asked its ‘all-weather ally’ Pakistan to reopen its borders so that the nation can send medical supplies to coronavirus-hit nation. The Chinese embassy in a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the governor of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China would like to donate a batch of medical materials to Gilgit-Baltistan, according to a news agency in Pakistan.

---

03:42 PM IST
Nagpur reports one more coronavirus positive case
Cases in Maharashtra continue to spike as one person has tested positive for coronavirus in the state. Mahahrashtra has reported 125 cases so far.

---

03:35 PM
Singaporean economy, a barometer of global trade health, shrinks sharply
The Singaporean economy which is headed for a recession after shrinking by 2.2 per cent signals that the world is heading for a deep, painful recession with more than three billion people now under lockdown, according to a report by AFP.

---

03:22 PM

Kotak Mahindra employees will get reimbursement for Covid-19 test
Kotak Mahindra, a financial services company, told its employees that family members and employees themselves will be reimbursed if they have been advised to take the Covid-19 confirmatory test. In a statement, Kotak Mahindra Bank, “All employees or immediate family members that are advised to go for COVID-19 testing will have the cost of the test done through private labs reimbursed to them.”

---

03:19 PM
Iran coronavirus death rates continue to rise as 157 people reported dead
Iran’s death toll due to coronavirus has reached 2,234 according to AFP, as 157 new deaths due to Covid-19 were reported on Thursday.

---

03:16 PM
Coronavirus financial package first step in the right direction: Rahul Gandhi
Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi says India owes a debt to its farmers and the financial package assisted is what was really needed for the daily wage labourers who were bearing the brunt of the ongoing lockdown. The Govt announcement today of a financial assistance package, is the first step in the right direction. India owes a debt to its farmers, daily wage earners, labourers, women & the elderly who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing lockdown.

The Govt announcement today of a financial assistance package, is the first step in the right direction. India owes a debt to its farmers, daily wage earners, labourers, women & the elderly who are bearing the brunt of the ongoing lockdown.#Corona

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 26, 2020

---

02:34 PM IST

Septuagenarian dies in Rajasthan due to Covid-19
A 73-year-old man who died tested positive for Covid-19 died in Bhilwara, PTI said quoting Rajashtan Health Department officials. Co-morbidity was also one of the primary reasons for the man’s death.

---

02:13 PM
₹1.7 lakh cr package to be immediately implemented
₹1.7 lakh crore economic package will be implemented with immediate effect; cash doles from April 1: FM.

---

02:04 PM
Centre requests states to use district mineral fund
District Mineral Fund: Central Govt to request State Govts to use this fund to augment medical testing and screening and providing health attention, announces FM Sitharaman

---

02:04 PM

Centre orders state govts to use welfare fund for construction workers
Welfare for building and construction workers, registered 3.5 crore workers to be benefited, Central Govt has given orders to State Govts to use fund (Rs31,000 crore) to provide relief, announces FM Sitharaman

---

01:57 PM IST
EPFO scheme regulation amended
EPFO scheme regulation will be amended, to allow non-refundable advance of 75% of the amount, now workers can withdraw 3 months wages, whichever is lower. It will benefit 4.8 crore workers registered with EPF.

---

01:53 PM
PF contributions for those firms with upto 100 employees in organised sector
PF contributions for those firms with upto 100 employees and those who earn upto than ₹15,000 per month

---

01:51 PM
Govt of India will pay the PF contribution for both the employer and employee for next months
Govt of India will pay the EPF contribution for both the employer and employee for next 3 months

---

01:47 PM
Free cylinders for 3 months to women under Ujjawala scheme
Women under Ujjawala scheme: Three cylinders free of cost for three months t be provided to them. Eight crore women to benefit

---

01:45 PM
₹500 per month for 3 months to women jan dhan account holders
Women jan dhan account holders will get an amount of ₹500 per month for next 3 months

---

01:43 PM IST
Farmers to benefit from direct cash transfers
8.69 crore farmers to be immediately benefited through Direct cash transfers. Instalment of ₹2000 in the first week of April will be transferred: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

---

01:42 PM IST
One time ex-gratia payment of ₹1000 to old, widowed, disabled
Old age people, widowed, disabled: Additional one time ex-gratia amount of ₹1000 in two instalment. Expected to benefit 3 crore people.

---

01:37 PM
FM announces food allocation for poor
Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Ann Yojna(for next 3 months):80 cr poor ppl covered(2/3rd of India’s population), in addition to already allotted 5Kg of rice/wheat per person,an additional 5kg will be free. Additional 1kg pulse (acc to regional preference) will be given,announces FM

---

01:28 PM
Medical insurance for those at risk and attending to coronavirus patients
Medical insurance for those at risk and attending to coronavirus patients

---

01:27 PM IST
Package worth ₹1.7lakh cr for poor
FM Sitharaman addresses media: A package is ready for the poor who need immediate help like migrant workers and urban and rural poor. No one will go hungry. The package is worth ₹1.7 lakh crore: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

---

01:25 PM
Don’t want anyone to remain hungry
Don’t want anyone to remain hungry, without money in hand: FM Sitharaman

---

01:21 PM
Delhi Metro to remain closed till April 14
Delhi Metro will remain closed till April 14, 2020, according to a DMRC statement. “We have received a few queries regarding the tenure of the closure of the Metro services. It is hereby informed that, in light of the lockdown issued by the government, Metro services will remain closed till 14 April 2020.”

---

01:19 PM
Bihar CM announces ₹100 relief package for poor
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a ₹100 crore relief package for the poor in wake of coronavirus lockdown.

---

12:51 PM
Food delivery executives who have ID cards will be allowed during Covid-19 lockdown, says Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also said that all food delivery executives who have indentification cards will be allowed to move in Delhi during the 21-day nationwide lockdown.

---

12:50 PM
Will allow all essential service providers during lockdown: Delhi CM
Along with the Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s announcement of keeping essential services shops for 24 hrs, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that all essential service providers will be allowed to move during lockdown.

---

12:39 PM
Essential services shops to open 24 hrs in Delhi, says Lt Governor
Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal said that all essential services shops can remain open 24 hours in Delhi so that there is no rush of people.

12:20 PM
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to address media at 1 PM
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address the media at 1 PM this afternoon on the coronavirus outbreak in India She will be announcing an economic package soon to deal with the COVID 19 impact, reports PTI.

---

12:18 PM
Four new COVID-19 cases reported in Lucknow
Four new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lucknow, taking the total tally of coronavirus cases in the state to above 40 on Thursday, reports ANI.

---

11:58 AM
Air quality in Ghaziabad and Noida improves amid COVID-19 lockdown
An improvement in the Air Quality Index was seen in Noida and Ghaziabad on Thursday due to the 21 day national lockdown imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The AQI in Noida stood at 76 (satisfactory) and 92 (moderate) in Ghaziabad.

---

11:52 AM
Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi, lists suggestions to govt
Congress President Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that the 21 day nationwide lockdown announced is a welcome step. She urged the need to provide N 95 masks and hazmat suits to doctors, nurses and health workers. She also asked the Union government to begin construction of temporary facilities and come up with ICUs and ventilators in geographical areas where the outbreak is expected to be concentrated in the near future.

10:49 AM
Thailand reports 111 new coronavirus infections
Thailand reported 111 new coronavirus infections, taking its tally to 1,045, the government said on Twitter on Thursday. A state of emergency took effect. Authorities in Thailand, which has suffered four deaths in the pandemic, set up checkpoints on major roads linking provinces so as to increase screening in a bid to limit spread of the virus., reports Reuters.

---

 

10:44 AM
Positive cases touch 649, include 13 deaths, says Health Ministry
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that a total of 13 people have died and 649 cases have been confirmed due to the novel coronavirus.

---

 

09:44 AM
2 new positive cases of Coronavirus in Mumbai and Thane
Maharashtra’s health ministry confirmed 2 new cases of coronavirus,taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 124, reports ANI.