The daily Covid-19 figures dropped below the 3-lakh mark for the first time today since April 21. In the last 24 hours, 2,81,386 new corona cases were reported — lowest in 25 days, and 4,106 fatalities, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. On May 12, India recorded 4,205 fresh Covid deaths, the highest ever, while on May 7, the country had recorded its highest ever cases of 4,14,188. India’s total tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,49,65,463 with 35,16,997 active cases and 2,74,390 deaths so far.
Meanwhile, the first batch of anti-COVID drug 2-DG, developed by the DRDO, will be released today by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, officials said. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the oral drug for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate to severe coronavirus patients, the defence ministry said earlier this month. The officials said the first batch of the drug will be released by the two ministers at an event at the headquarters of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) here. The ministry, on May 8, said the clinical trials of the drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), showed that it helps in a faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.