Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Delhi high court urges government to 'ration' use of drugs to treat black fungus

Delhi high court urges government to 'ration' use of drugs to treat black fungus

THE Delhi high court has asked the government to ration use of drugs to counter black fungus infections as supply is scarce.

The court made its recommendation on Tuesday (1) on the treatment of mucormycosis, a potentially lethal infection running rampant through recovering Covid patients, as stocks of amphotericin B run low, reported The Times.


The drug is the only last-line defence against a condition that can kill as many as half of those infected if left untreated.

At least 59 people have died of the fungus and almost 750 patients are battling the infection in India's capital alone.

According to reports, the state government recently received only 1,000 doses of amphotericin B. Patients require three to five shots a day over several weeks to ensure the best chance of a full recovery.

The division bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh has urged the government to draw up a “protocol” based on the reality that a 35-year-old with young children should get the drug rather than someone in their eighties who was nearing the end of their lives, the report added.

The court added that it was unfair to leave the “cruel decision” to doctors and urged the government to create guidance.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection that usually affects the mouth, nose, and eyes, and may then spread to the brain.

It is more common among people with impaired immunity, due to Covid-19, diabetes, kidney disease, liver or cardiac disorders, age-related issues, or those on medication for auto-immune diseases. The use of steroids on recovering Covid patients is also believed to raise the risk of infection.

Figures show that in May, India recorded the highest monthly count for fresh coronavirus infections of any country in the world, with over nine million infections and 119,189 deaths.

India on Wednesday (2) reported a daily rise in new coronavirus infections of 132,788 cases over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,207.

The South Asian nation's tally of infections now stands at 28.3 million, while the death toll has reached 335,102, health ministry data showed.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less