Top 10 Omicron updates: Vaccine efficacy report against new strain in a week, says health minister

Here are the latest updates on the new coronavirus variant:

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha on Monday that a report on the effectiveness of available vaccines in the country against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus will be available in a week, The Hindu reported. He added that 161 cases of the new variant have been reported in India till now.Out of the 54 patients found infected with the Omicron variant in Maharashtra, 31 have been discharged from hospitals, PTI quoted the health department as saying. The official added that no new case of the Omicron variant was reported from Maharashtra on Monday.Biotechnology company Bharat Biotech has applied to the Drugs Controller General of India for permission to conduct Phase 3 trials of a booster dose of its intranasal Covid-19 vaccine, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for the company said that a booster dose in the form of an intranasal vaccine will be easier to administer during mass vaccination campaigns.Most people who tested positive for the Omicron variant in Delhi have a travel history to the United Arab Emirates, The Indian Express reported. The Capital has recorded 24 cases of the variant till now. The newspaper quoted data shared by an official on 22 cases as showing that 19 patients had returned from…

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