By James Gallagher Health and science correspondent The vision of a completely blind man has been partially restored using light-sensing proteins first found in algae. The man was treated with a type of therapy called optogenetics, which uses the proteins to control cells at the back of his eye. He first knew it was working […]
By Dulcie Lee & Alex Kleiderman BBC News Coronavirus pandemic The Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines are highly effective against the variant identified in India after two doses, a study has found. Two jabs of either vaccine give a similar level of protection against symptomatic disease from the Indian variant as they do for the […]
By Soutik Biswas India correspondent Coronavirus pandemic IMAGE COPYRIGHTAFPimage captionIndia has seen thousands of cases of “black fungus” affecting recovered and recovering Covid-19 patients India has reported more than 8,800 cases of deadly “black fungus” in a growing epidemic of the disease. The normally rare infection, called mucormycosis, has a mortality rate of 50%, with […]
By Shruti Menon BBC Reality Check Reality Check India’s largest vaccine producer is struggling to meet domestic demand and says it won’t be making doses available for export until the end of the year. The Indian government aims to ramp up production to cope with the pandemic, with a pledge to produce at least two […]
Coronavirus pandemic India’s government has instructed social media companies to remove any content that refers to the “Indian variant” of Covid-19. The IT ministry said the World Health Organization (WHO) listed the variant as B.1.617 and any reference to “Indian” was false. Geographical terms have been used to describe a number of other variants, including […]
Coronavirus pandemic India’s states should declare an epidemic following a rise in deadly “black fungus” cases, the country’s health authorities has said. The normally rare infection, called mucormycosis, has a mortality rate of 50%, with some only saved by removing an eye or jaw bone. But in recent months, India saw thousands of cases affecting […]
By Sophie Hutchinson & Philippa Roxby BBC News Thousands of women who were victims of the PIP breast implant scandal should receive compensation, a French appeal court has decided. Women involved in the case say they are elated and exhausted after 10 years of fighting for justice. The court also upheld an earlier judgement finding […]
Coronavirus pandemic An anti-fungal drug used in the treatment of a rare infection called mucormycosis, or “black fungus”, is in short supply across states in India. Amphotericin B, which is manufactured by many Indian firms, is also on sale on the black market. There are many emergency appeals on social media for the drug as […]
India Covid-19: The ‘tuk-tuk ambulance’ helping patients Raj Kumar, a tuk-tuk driver, in India’s capital, Delhi, wants to do his bit to help his fellow citizens weather the pandemic. So, he has turned his humble vehicle into an ambulance, ferrying people to and from hospitals for free. This is a huge help given the shortage […]
Kolkata, one of the most densely-populated cities in India, hasn’t escaped the country’s second Covid-19 wave. Stories of the surge have dominated global news – people gasping to stay alive as they wait for critical care beds and treatment; desperate families scrambling for everything, from oxygen cylinders to a doctor’s appointment; mass funeral pyres and […]
