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<ul><li><keyword id="7716660" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pristyn-care" source="Orion">Pristyn Care</keyword>, a Gurugram-based health-tech startup, has reportedly laid off 300 employees.</li><li>The company has recently fired 45 employees, citing underperformance.</li><li>Pristyn Care is backed by investors such as <keyword id="122716" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sequoia-capital" source="Orion">Sequoia Capital</keyword> and <keyword id="526777" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tiger-global" source="Orion">Tiger Global</keyword>.</li></ul>Gurugram-based health-tech startup Pristyn Care is the latest to join the list of companies laying off its workforce. In its latest round of layoffs, the company has fired 45 employees. The layoff wave has been arriving in ripples across the Indian companies after affecting thousands in the global market, including big names like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musks-twitter-laid-off-more-than-90-of-staff-in-india-now-only-about-12-employees-remain-report-says/articleshow/95383606.cms">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/meta-says-it-will-lay-off-more-than-11000-employees/articleshow/95405068.cms">Meta</a>, among many others. According to a<a href="https://inc42.com/buzz/exclusive-healthtech-unicorn-pristyn-care-trims-workforce-gst-officials-seek-clarity-on-biz-model/"> report</a> by Inc42, the Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global-backed health-tech firm has fired around 300 employees across departments in the last two months. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What does Pristyn Care do?" comment="subhead" text="What does Pristyn Care do?">What does Pristyn Care do?</cmsannotation> Pristyn Care is a health-tech company founded in 2018 by Dr <keyword id="345234" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vaibhav-kapoor" source="Orion">Vaibhav Kapoor</keyword>, Dr <keyword id="12305824" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="garima-sawhney" source="Orion">Garima Sawhney</keyword>, and <keyword id="11127890" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="harsimarbir-singh" source="Orion">Harsimarbir Singh</keyword> that offers advanced secondary care surgeries across 800 hospitals, 200 clinics, and over 400 super-specialty surgeons. The company has so far <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/surgical-care-startup-pristyn-care-is-the-42-startup-to-be-valued-over-1-billion/articleshow/88157965.cms">raised</a> $177 million from Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, Winter Capital and others. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="15% of employees laid off" comment="subhead" text="15% of employees laid off">15% of employees laid off</cmsannotation> The fired employees make up around 15% of the company’s total workforce. The fired employees were junior and mid-level employees working in sales, administration, city teams, and others. The company has claimed that it has fired only 45 employees, and they were let-go due to underperformance. "We have a comprehensive performance evaluation process that helps us understand the efficiency levels across the board. This is a regular process and we found around 45 employees across the organization who were performing consistently below expectations and we had to part ways," a Pristyn Care spokesperson told Inc42. The company has, however, denied claims about a mass layoff and has claimed that it has hired over 300 employees in the last four months. The layoffs come at a time when the company is<a href="https://yourstory.com/2023/03/sequoia-backed-pristyn-care-lays-off-300-employees-shuts-medical-tourism-vertical"> reportedly</a> scaling down its international expansion segment focused on medical tourism. The segment reportedly failed to generate sufficient revenue. Pristyn Care is not the only healthcare startup that has laid off employees. Companies like PharmEasy, MediBuddy, and Innovaccer have recently announced layoffs. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/you-are-not-safe-from-air-pollution-anywhere-in-the-world-finds-a-new-study/articleshow/98471370.cms">You are not safe from air pollution anywhere in the world, finds a new study</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/wedding-bells-ring-in-16-rise-in-february-auto-sales-2-wheeler-sales-yet-to-hit-pre-pandemic-levels-fada/articleshow/98443213.cms">Wedding bells ring in 16% rise in February auto sales, 2 wheeler sales yet to hit pre-pandemic levels: FADA</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/noise-and-fire-boltt-entered-in-top-five-in-global-smartwatch-shipments/articleshow/98171390.cms">These two Indian brands have together sold more smartwatches than Samsung in 2022</a>

Health-tech startup Pristyn Care has reportedly fired 300 employees in the last two months

<ul><li><keyword id="74945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">Women entrepreneurs</keyword> are not far behind in founding the most valuable businesses of this millennium. </li><li>Ghazal Alagh of Mamaearth, and Saumya Singh Rathore of Winzo, aged 35, each is the youngest woman in the list. </li><li>Ruchi Deepak, co-founder of Acko, and Amrita Sirohia, co-founder, Amrita Sirohia, co-founder, INDmoney, at 41, are the eldest women in the list </li></ul>When it comes to founding valuable new businesses, women <keyword id="53533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs" source="Orion">entrepreneurs</keyword> are giving men a run for their money. We take a look at top ten <keyword id="19669428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youngest-women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">youngest women entrepreneurs</keyword> in India according to the first edition of ‘India's Top 200 Self-made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2023’ launched by I<a href="https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/personal-banking/wealth/First-Private#home">DFC FIRST Private</a> Banking and <a href="https://hurunindia.com/">Hurun India</a>. Ghazal Alagh, 35, Gurugram Ghazal Alagh is a self-made woman entrepreneur and the co-founder of Mamaearth, one of India's leading brands of natural and toxin-free skincare and baby care products. Alagh's journey started with a personal need – she was struggling to find safe and effective skincare products for her son. This inspired her to create her own brand, Mamaearth, which has since become a household name in India and recently went public. Saumya Singh Rathore, 35, New Delhi Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of WinZO, has contributed to building India's leading social gaming platform in local languages, boasting a user base exceeding 100 million. Since its inception in 2018, WinZO has secured funding surpassing $100 million, supported by key investors like Griffin Gaming Partners, Makers Fund, Courtside Ventures, and Steve Pagliuca. Rajoshi Ghosh, 36, Bengaluru Rajoshi Ghosh, a serial entrepreneur, serves as the COO and co-founder of Hasura, a software technology company based in San Francisco. Beyond her role at Hasura, she has initiated five other startups. She holds the title of a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and commenced her professional journey as a published bioinformatics researcher specialising in genomics at the Genome Institute of Singapore. Dr. Garima Sawhney, 37, Gurugram Dr. Garima Sawhney, a co-founder at Pristyn Care, is a leading figure in India's healthcare. Renowned for her expertise in gynaecology, she embarked on her career as a doctor, honing crucial life skills during her tenure at a government hospital. Her leadership, born from compassionate patient care, has steered Pristyn Care to a valuation of $1.4 billion. Kanika Gupta, 39, Gurugram Kanika Gupta Shori holds the position of co-founder and COO at Square Yards, an integrated real estate marketplace. With an educational background from Wharton Business School, she brings more than 11 years of experience in both banking and entrepreneurial pursuits. Beyond her professional roles, Kanika actively contributes to initiatives centred around empowering women and supporting children's welfare. Vineeta Singh, 40, Mumbai Vineeta Singh is an Indian entrepreneur and investor who is the co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics, a popular Indian beauty brand. Singh is also a judge on the Indian reality television show Shark Tank India. Singh is known for her tough questioning and her willingness to invest in businesses that she believes have the potential to succeed. Ruchi Kalra, 40, Gurumgram Ruchi Kalra, an entrepreneur from Gurgaon, has co-founded two unicorn startups – OfBusiness and Oxyzo with her husband, Ashish Mohapatra. Ruchi's successful business approach centres on extracting profit from each transaction, a strategy that has proven effective. She and her husband are the first couple who has founded two unicorns. Mabel Chako, 40, Bengaluru Mabel Chako, co-founder and chief operating officer at Open, boasts a 13-year entrepreneurial journey in financial technology. Her expertise spans intricate financial landscapes, honed through roles at Citrus Payment Solutions and PayU. Her founding of CashNxt in 2007 and Zwitch in 2013 (later acquired by Citrus Payments) underscores her entrepreneurial acumen and commitment to innovative solutions. Ruchi Deepak, 41, Mumbai Ruchi Deepak, co-founder of Acko, hails from Jamshedpur and pursued her bachelor's degree at Lady Shri Ram College, followed by Law at Delhi University. Ruchi aimed for meaningful innovation in financial services. Witnessing the industry's focus on selling to distributors rather than customers directly, she envisioned a shift. Co-founding Acko with Varun Dua, they leveraged technology to revolutionise insurance experiences. Amrita Sirohia, 41, Gurugram Amrita Sirohia, co-founder of INDmoney, embarked on her journey in the financial sector driven by a passion for technology and finance. Amrita's professional trajectory includes roles at renowned companies like Google and Barclays, which led to her understanding of financial complexities and technological innovation. Co-founding INDmoney, her aim was to democratise wealth management through tech-enabled financial solutions, empowering individuals to navigate and optimise their financial portfolios efficiently.

She power: The top 10 youngest women entrepreneurs in India

US-based technology startup accelerator <keyword id="610465" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="y-combinator" source="Orion">Y Combinator</keyword> is laying off 17 employees -- or 20 per cent of its staff -- as it announced to scale back late-stage funding. The layoffs came as Y Combinator, which has invested in thousands of startups including at least 200 from India, wrote a petition to US Treasury Secretary <keyword id="116249" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="janet-yellen" source="Orion">Janet Yellen</keyword> and others in the wake of the <keyword id="630197" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="silicon-valley-bank" source="Orion">Silicon Valley Bank</keyword> (<keyword id="675965" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="svb" source="Orion">SVB</keyword>) collapse, asking them to prevent shockwaves that could lead to financial crisis and layoffs of more than 100,000 workers. The company, however, said the layoffs were planned before the SVB collapse. Y Combinator CEO <keyword id="4836111" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="garry-tan" source="Orion">Garry Tan</keyword> said in a statement that YC is rightly known for early stage investing. "In recent years, we have also done some late-stage investing. But late-stage investing turned out to be so different from early-stage investing that we found it to be a distraction from our core mission. So we're going to decrease the amount of late stage investing we do," he mentioned. As a result, "we will no longer need some of the roles on the late stage investing team. Seventeen of our teammates are impacted today," <keyword id="52681" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tan" source="Orion">Tan</keyword> wrote. The YC CEO said this shouldn't have any noticeable effect on the companies it has funded. "YC is known primarily as a place where very early founders create something from nothing by simply applying online and joining the world's best founder community," said Tan. Over 1,200 CEOs and founders representing over 56,000 employees had signed the YC petition to save startups and hundreds of thousands of jobs. In the Y Combinator community, one-third of startups with exposure to SVB used SVB as their sole bank account. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/pristyn-care-has-reportedly-fired-300-employees/articleshow/98514449.cms">Health-tech startup Pristyn Care has reportedly fired 300 employees in the last two months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/you-are-not-safe-from-air-pollution-anywhere-in-the-world-finds-a-new-study/articleshow/98471370.cms">You are not safe from air pollution anywhere in the world, finds a new study</a>

Y Combinator lays off 20% staff, scales back on late-stage investments

New Delhi, The current Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 has several limitations, including the lack of comprehensive provisions on user rights, trust and safety. The proposed <keyword id="13582784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-India-Act" source="Orion">Digital India Act</keyword> (<keyword id="986" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dia" source="Orion">DIA</keyword>) will give a much-needed thrust to the current regulatory landscape in India to tame Big Tech and empower millions of citizens, the government has emphasized. The country needs Global Standard Cyber Laws to act as a catalyst and enabler for the $1 trillion <keyword id="50691" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital" source="Orion">digital</keyword> economy, according to <keyword id="205969" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rajeev-chandrasekhar" source="Orion">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword>, Minister of State for Electronics and IT. This is how the DIA will become a game-changer once it comes into practice. According to Chandrasekhar, only 5.5 million Indians were on the Internet and today, 850 million citizens are connected on the web, making the country the "largest digitally connected democracy". In his presentation to various stakeholders this week, the minister said that from one type of Internet intermediary in the year 2000 to multiple types of intermediaries today (e-commerce, digital media, social media, AI, OTT, gaming etc.), we are facing new complex forms of user harms -- catfishing, doxxing, cyber stalking, cyber trolling, gaslighting and phishing, etc. The proliferation of hate speech, disinformation and fake news are other serious concerns that the old IT regime cannot address. Hence, there is an urgent need for DIA rules which will "manage the complexities of the Internet and rapid expansion of the types of intermediaries". "The new digital law should be evolvable and consistent with changing market trends, disruption in technologies, development in international jurisprudence and global standards for qualitative service/products delivery framework," Chandrasekhar mentioned. Emphasizing the need for an open Internet, the minister said that it should offer Choice, Competition, Online Diversity, Fair Market Access, and Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Compliance for Startups. The proposed DIA will offer adjudicatory and appellate mechanisms for accountable and responsive digital operators; updated intermediary framework; obligations on significant digital operators through classification/ mandates; algorithmic transparency and periodic risk assessments by digital entities. The DIA will have a core Team in the IT Ministry (MeitY) -- Minister of State (MoS) IT, Additional Secretary, GC Cyberlaw, ASG, an outside legal expert and an industry expert. There will be a comparative study of all relevant global laws pertaining to the Internet and technology in other countries for the draft Digital bill. "There will be consultations with experts, general public, industry, media, academia, student community, Internet governance forums and consumer forums for the DIA," according to the minister. The aim is to fulfill Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword>'s 'Digital India Goals 2026' and create a $1 trillion digital economy by 2025-26. "India will be a significant trusted player in the global value chains for digital products, devices, platforms and solutions," said Chandrasekhar. The draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill would be among the initiatives under the broad DIA -- the others being National Data Governance Policy, amendments in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to cyber crimes and DIA rules. "The Indian laws should be able to handle the rapid expansion of social media intermediaries," said the minister. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/pristyn-care-has-reportedly-fired-300-employees/articleshow/98514449.cms">Health-tech startup Pristyn Care has reportedly fired 300 employees in the last two months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/you-are-not-safe-from-air-pollution-anywhere-in-the-world-finds-a-new-study/articleshow/98471370.cms">You are not safe from air pollution anywhere in the world, finds a new study</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/wedding-bells-ring-in-16-rise-in-february-auto-sales-2-wheeler-sales-yet-to-hit-pre-pandemic-levels-fada/articleshow/98443213.cms">Wedding bells ring in 16% rise in February auto sales, 2 wheeler sales yet to hit pre-pandemic levels: FADA</a>

Explained: How Digital India Act will replace old IT regime to tame Big Tech, safeguard users

<ul><li>India has wasted 4.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine since the vaccine drive began to April 11. </li><li>Eight states, including Kerala, West Bengal and Goa, reported zero wastage.</li><li>Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, has the highest vaccine waste rate of 12% followed by Haryana at 9%.</li></ul><keyword id="10644234" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vaccine-wastage">Vaccine wastage</keyword> is lower than it was in March, but it’s still happening at a time when doses are in short supply — and the number of cases across India are surging. India has wasted 4.6 million doses so far since the drive to vaccinate the population kicked off in January, according to data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query. 4.6 million doses are enough to inoculate half of Bangalore. In a smaller city like Chandigarh, those doses are enough to vaccinate every citizen four times over. The RTI filed by Vivek Pandey and reported by <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-huge-vaccine-wastage-by-states-till-april-11-most-in-tamil-nadu-rti-shows-2417643">NDTV</a> also reveals that the state with the highest wastage was Tamil Nadu, followed by Haryana. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Top 5 five Indian states with the highest vaccine wastage" comment="subhead" text="Top 5 five Indian states with the highest vaccine wastage">Top 5 five Indian states with the highest vaccine wastage</cmsannotation> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Percentage of vaccine wastage </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tamil Nadu </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Haryana </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">9.74% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Punjab </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.12% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Manipur </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.8% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Telangana </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.55% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: MoHFW’s response to Vivek Pandey’s RTI via NDTV The list looks very <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/telangana-and-andhra-pradesh-have-the-highest-covid-19-vaccine-wastage-in-india/articleshow/81551251.cms">different from a month ago</a>, when the states with the highest vaccine wastage were Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir. At the time, vaccine wastage in Telangana was as high as 17.6% — higher than Tamil Nadu right now. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Kerala, West Bengal and six other states have no vaccine wastage whatsoever" comment="subhead" text="Kerala, West Bengal and six other states have no vaccine wastage whatsoever">Kerala, West Bengal and six other states have no vaccine wastage whatsoever</cmsannotation> Eight states were also on the opposite side of the scales. Kerala, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Goa, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands as well as Lakshadweep had ‘zero wastage’. When there’s a vaccine shortage, it goes without saying that responsible use is key to ensuring that not a drop goes wasted. And the zero vaccine wastage rates in states like Kerala and West Bengal show that the task is not impossible. To boost the supply of vaccines in the market, the government has also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/if-you-are-18-years-or-older-you-can-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-from-may-1/articleshow/82147121.cms">proposed</a> a 50/50 model. This where half of the supply of Covaxin and Covishield will go directly to the central government, whereas the other half will be available in the open market to private hospitals and state governments. International players are also free to join the fray with any ‘ready to use’ vaccines. The imports of these vaccines will go into the non-central government route of procurement. The <keyword id="95879" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serum-Institute-of-India">Serum Institute of India</keyword> (SII) has <a href="https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/finance/india-to-fund-capacity-boost-at-serum-institute-as-covid-19-vaccines-run-short-source/82144992">reportedly</a> received an advance of ₹3,000 crore from the Indian government to scale up production. Bharat Biotech, which makes Covaxin, has received another ₹1,500 crore. According to Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, the issue isn’t that there is a shortage of vaccines — despite what some states may claim — but the lack of better planning. “We have made available vaccine doses to states and union territories from time to time and as we told you earlier that to bigger states we give supply of four days at once and on fourth and fifth day we replenish the supply. For smaller states, at once we supply 7-8 days vaccine doses and on the seventh or eighth day their supply is replenished," explained Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, last week. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/for-saas-y-salaries-indian-engineers-are-skipping-the-traditional-it-services-queue/articleshow/82157280.cms">SaaS-y salaries are 30% more than traditional IT services — and they’re making it tougher for traditional IT service firms to find the right talent</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/tiger-global-invests-in-healthcare-startup-pristyn-care-valuation-more-than-doubles-in-six-months/articleshow/82158467.cms">Tiger Global invests in healthcare startup Pristyn Care, valuation more than doubles in six months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-has-the-142nd-rank-of-the-180-countries-in-the-world-press-freedom-index-falls-behind-myanmar-sri-lanka-and-nepal/articleshow/82158331.cms">India still has the ‘bad’ classification in the World Press Freedom Index, falls behind Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal</a>

4.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine were wasted in India — enough to vaccinate half of Bangalore

<ul><li><keyword id="8775508" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="remdesivir">Remdesivir</keyword>, steroids, plasma, <keyword id="6284162" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tocilizumab">Tocilizumab</keyword>, and Favipiravir are some of the most widely used treatments for COVID-19.</li><li>According to <keyword id="40458" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="AIIMS">AIIMS</keyword>’ director Randeep Guleria, the timing of using these drugs — depending on the condition of a COVID-19 patient — is critical in their effectiveness.</li><li>Using them too early or too late could result in harmful side-effects.</li><li>Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about COVID-19 drugs.</li></ul>(Disclaimer: This should not be considered medical advice. The views and opinions expressed belong to Dr.Randeep Guleria, the director of AIIMS. Please check with your doctor before taking treatment.) It’s been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic has been ravaging humanity. Despite predictions that the world would be out of the woods by now, the second wave of the virus is wreaking havoc in countries everywhere, including India. As the number of cases has increased, so has the demand for the drugs that offer potential treatment. This includes everything from the overhyped Remdesivir to less known drugs like Tocilizumab and Favipiravir. These drugs, however, are in short supply. Pharmacies across the country are reporting shortages. Moreover, this has led to a boom in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/remdesivir-injection-price-jumps-five-times-as-covid-19-cases-rise/articleshow/82083414.cms">blackmarket sales</a> of these drugs. According to Randeep Guleria, director of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), these drugs aren’t just something that you can take at home. And the timing of when they should be administered is critical in ensuring that a bad situation isn’t made worse. In a press conference on April 19, Guleria answered some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) around COVID-19 and the drugs that fight it. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Here’s a quick look at his responses:" comment="subhead" text="Here’s a quick look at his responses:">Here’s a quick look at his responses:</cmsannotation> <ol><li>Is Remdesivir effective in the treatment of COVID-19? No study has conclusively been able to prove that Remdesivir is beneficial in the treatment of COVID-19. “It’s important to understand that Remdesivir is not a magic bullet and it’s not a drug that is reducing mortality,” said Guleria.</li><li>If there is not enough evidence to support the use of Remdesivir to treat COVID 19, why are doctors still prescribing it? “It [Remdesivir] does have a role,” Guleria explained. While everyone has been focused on coming up with a vaccine to fight off the pandemic, the same push has not been seen in the development of antivirals. So, in absence of a good drug that can treat COVID-19, doctors and patients are turning to Remdesivir in hopes of relief.</li><li>When should a patient of COVID 19 take Remdesivir? More important than the drug itself, is the timing of when it is administered. Taking it too early or too late, could do more harm than good.“Remdesivir has been shown to be useful only in those patients who were hospitalised, who showed oxygen saturation and had infiltrates on their chest X-ray or CT scan,” said Guleria. According to him, the optimal timing for Remdesivir is usually after five to seven days of having the virus. “It is of no use if given early to mild or asymptomatic patients,” he told the press. “It is of no use if it’s given very late because it would create a cytokine storm.” A cytokine storm is when the immune system goes into overdrive. The body starts to attack its own cells and tissues instead of just the virus.</li><li>Is Remdesivir something you can take at home? Remdesivir isn’t just a pill that you can down with a glass of water. It comes in a vial and has to be injected into the body. So, ideally, one should not be taking it at home.“It is for patients who are hospitalised and severe. Therefore it should not be given at home. It is for patients who need to be admitted and need hospital care,” said Guleria. </li><li>Are steroids effective in the treatment of COVID 19? Unlike Remdesivir, there is evidence to support the use of steroids in the treatment of COVID-19. The <keyword id="6356311" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organisation">World Health Organisation</keyword>’s (WHO) recovery trial showed that steroids do have a beneficial effect. “But again, the timing is critical. The recovery trial clearly showed that if we give steroids too early, before oxygen saturation, it showed a harmful effect. Those who got it early had higher mortality than those who did not,” warned Guleria.According to him, steroids are most effective during the later part of the disease, when there is more inflammation and oxygen saturation is falling. “Steroids are only useful for moderate or severe cases,” he said.</li><li>Is plasma a good way to fight off COVID-19? Plasma was popular when COVID-19 initially came around but studies in India, and around the world, have determined that it is not effective in the treatment. “Subsequently, other studies have been done and a large meta analysis as well which combines results of all the studies, have shown that plasma is not effective in treating COVID-19,” said Guleria.</li><li>Should a person with COVID-19 take Tocilizumab? Tocilizumab is a drug of last resort. According to Guleria, it should only be used when a COVID-19 infection in a patient is worsening despite steroids, Remdesivir, and other treatments like anticoagulants. “Tocilizumab is required in less than 2% of COVID 19 patients. Very few patients need this drug because it's only for treating a cytokine storm… And, therefore, it has a limited role,” he explained.</li><li>Is Favipiravir effective in treating COVID-19? Favipiravir is another antiviral that is being promoted for the treatment of COVID 19. It was initially doled out as a treatment of influenza after the H1N1 pandemic.“There is not enough evidence in robust studies to show that it is a good drug. In most countries, it is not being used. They’re not finding higher mortality,” said Guleria. And, since it’s not a proven treatment, India’s national guidelines also don’t recommend its use. </li><li>Is it possible to treat COVID-19 without any of the drugs mentioned above? According to Guleria, people with mild COVID-19 or those who are asymptomatic will improve with just symptomatic treatment.“Outside [in other countries] they treat COVID-19 with paracetamol, good hydration and multivitamins — all of them have recovered without any treatment,” he told reporters. “Giving treatment when it is not required, you may be doing more harm than good.”</li></ol>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/for-saas-y-salaries-indian-engineers-are-skipping-the-traditional-it-services-queue/articleshow/82157280.cms">SaaS-y salaries are 30% more than traditional IT services — and they’re making it tougher for traditional IT service firms to find the right talent</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/tiger-global-invests-in-healthcare-startup-pristyn-care-valuation-more-than-doubles-in-six-months/articleshow/82158467.cms">Tiger Global invests in healthcare startup Pristyn Care, valuation more than doubles in six months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-has-the-142nd-rank-of-the-180-countries-in-the-world-press-freedom-index-falls-behind-myanmar-sri-lanka-and-nepal/articleshow/82158331.cms">India still has the ‘bad’ classification in the World Press Freedom Index, falls behind Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal</a>

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