April 1, 2026

Science Chronicle

A Science and Technology Blog

April 1, 2026

Science Chronicle

A Science and Technology Blog

Author: Prasad Ravindranath

CoronavirusDrugsHealthPharmaceutical companiesPublic HealthSARS-CoV-2

Eight Indian generic drug companies join international coalition, pledge to make COVID-19 drugs

The companies have come together under the umbrella of the non-profit Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). Indian companies that have pledged

Read More
CoronavirusPublic HealthSARS-CoV-2Vaccines

It makes sense to bring people to the vaccine instead of taking COVID-19 vaccine to people in some settings: Gagandeep Kang

The government recently said it will procure the vaccine and distribute it under a special COVID-19 immunisation programme to certain

Read More
CoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2World Health Organisation

No evidence to suggest cluster 5 variant increases coronavirus transmissibility, disease severity

So far, six countries — Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Italy and the U.S. — have reported SARS-CoV-2 in farmed

Read More
Clinical trialCoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2VaccinesWorld Health Organisation

India’s potential participation in COVAX advance market commitment is under way: Trevor Mundel

Trevor Mundel, President of the Global Health Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has led the foundation’s efforts to support

Read More
CoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2

How an asymptomatic caused a super-spreading event

The Major League Baseball developed new health and safety protocols before the July 24 start of the 2020 season based

Read More
CoronavirusCOVID-19ICMRIndiaPandemicPublic HealthSARS-CoV-2Testing

Cannot emphatically say India has passed the COVID-19 peak

In a conversation, Dr. Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology at Ashoka University and co-author of COVID-19 modelling studies,

Read More
CoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2Testing

Coronavirus: Two rapid tests developed by Indian labs show why funding for R&D should increase

While the low sensitivity of rapid antigen tests arises from not isolating the viral RNA from the swab samples and amplification of the DNA before detection, the two indigenously developed tests follow these two vital steps, the reason why the sensitivity and specificity are far superior than that of the rapid antigen tests.

Read More
Clinical trialCoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2WHO

WHO supported Solidarity trial finds remdesivir ineffective but WHO prequalifies it anyway

Even as WHO supported Solidarity Therapeutics Trial found remdesivir to be ineffective in reducing mortality and duration of hospital stay,

Read More
CoronavirusCOVID-19IndiaPandemicPublic HealthSARS-CoV-2Tuberculosis (TB)WHO

Pandemic causes 25% dip in TB notifications in India

While India accounts for 26% of TB cases in the world, the TB notifications during the period January-June 2020 in

Read More
Clinical trialCoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2WHO

Remdesivir, other repurposed drugs ineffective, says WHO’s Solidarity trial

WHO’s Solidarity Therapeutics Trial, the largest randomised control trial carried out in the world during the pandemic, has found that

Read More
Communicable diseaseCoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthResearchSARS-CoV-2

IISER Pune’s novel method uses sense of smell to identify asymptomatic coronavirus infection

Using a custom-built olfactory action meter, which determines how well one can smell, a team led by Dr. Nixon Abraham

Read More
Communicable diseaseCoronavirusDiagnostic toolPublic HealthSARS-CoV-2Testing

A few U.S. universities rely on rapid tests for safe return to campuses

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign began an ambitious initiative in mid-August to repeatedly test for free all students, faculty and

Read More
Clinical trialCommunicable diseaseCoronavirusCOVID-19Public HealthSARS-CoV-2Vaccines

FDA shows spine, rules out COVID-19 vaccines before Presidential election

With at least two months follow-up data likely to be available earliest only by November or December, the guidance essentially

Read More