Over 60m Indians may have caught Covid-19 –Report

A report in India, citing a nationwide study measuring antibodies has revealed that more than 60 million people in India – 10 times the official figure – could have contracted the novel Covid-19.

The study by the country’s lead pandemic agency on Tuesday revealed that India, home to 1.3 billion people, is the world’s second most infected nation, with more than 6.1 million cases, just behind the United States.

Nearly 100,000 Indians have died due to COVID-19 – the disease caused by the virus.

“The main conclusions from this sero survey are that one in 15 individuals aged more than 10 have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by August,” Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava said at a health ministry press conference.

This came as Uganda revealed that it will soon begin human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine called Self Replicating RNA, which it has developed through a partnership between Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Imperial College in the UK.

The Daily Monitor newspaper with reports quoting ministry of health officials on Monday said that the trials will begin in November, with the head of a presidential task force on epidemics, Monica Musenero, quoted as saying that the first trial will be conducted on 10 Ugandans.