Despite the GRAP-III being enforced in Delhi-NCR, pollution has continued to rise. AQI at several places in Delhi-NCR stands at 500, including New Friends Colony, Anand Vihar, ITO (Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg), Saket, and India Gate.

Amid this, the government has enforced GRAP-IV from Monday to combat air pollution.

What's allowed, what's not?

• Diesel-run medium and heavy goods vehicles running on BS-IV or below are banned, except those carrying essential goods.
• Non-essential light commercial vehicles from outside Delhi are prohibited, unless it runs on cleaner fuel like CNG, BS-VI diesel, or are electric vehicles
• Truck carrying non-essential items are barred from entering Delhi unless they operate on LNG, CNG, or BS-VI diesel.
• For school, students from classes 6 to 9 and 11 will be shifted to online mode. Primary classes have already been following it.
• NCR offices to operate at 50% capacity, with remaining workforce working from home.

Breathing in Delhi is like smoking 30 cigarettes in a day

A report by the University of Chicago revealed that air pollution is reducing the life expectancy of Delhi residents by 7.8 years. As per a US-based NGO report by the Health Effects Institute, there has been 30 to 50% increase in lung cancer rates associated with pollutants. A recent 2024 study also revealed that air pollution is not just linked to lung cancer but it can also cause head and neck cancer.

"Head and neck cancer is a harder link to show, and it has a much lower occurrence than lung cancers, but since they also occur as a result of smoking, similar to lung cancers, we wanted to explore any connections," said John Cramer, the study's lead researcher. "Presumably, the link to head and neck cancer comes from what we breathe to that material affecting the lining in the head and neck. We see a lot of occurrences of where carcinogens touch or pool in the body to where cancers can occur," he explained.

Tata Memorial Hospital published a study in July that revealed most people who had lung cancer in India never smoked.

On average, if you smoke a cigarette, you consume 1-2 milligram of nicotine. With nicotine, you are smoking somewhere between 7,000 to 8,000 different chemicals, which can cause cancer. These chemicals include carbon monoxide, nickel, PAHs, ammonia, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and many more such chemicals that also constitute air pollution.

Our body has many structures which are capable of repairing themselves, however, the lung is not one of them. When you smoke, it causes damage to alveoli, and small air sacks in our lungs. It becomes more fibrous and makes it harder for people to expand their lungs to fully inhale. Less lung tissue and less expansion means less oxygen is getting to the places where your body needs. Since our lungs have around 500 million air sacs, the damage that is done happens over time. It takes around 15 to 20 years to lose enough of these air sacks to become obvious. However, living in Delhi is like experiencing the same, without having to smoke any cigarettes at all.

This is why experts suggest to always wear an N-95 mask whenever you are out, or avoid going out altogether. If you must, go out in the afternoon, as the pollution is at its lowest during that time, even then, do not forget to wear your mask.

In a promising step towards tackling the global health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), researchers from the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), India, and Inria Saclay, France, have developed a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tool. This new system is designed to help clinicians identify effective treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections by repurposing existing antibiotics, potentially transforming infection management worldwide.

Understanding the Threat of AMR

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria evolve to resist the effects of antibiotics, making once-effective drugs useless. This growing issue threatens to turn minor infections like urinary tract infections or pneumonia into life-threatening conditions. The problem is especially severe in low- and middle-income countries, where over 70% of hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one widely used antibiotic.

Adding to the challenge is the slow pace of antibiotic development. Creating a new drug often takes over ten years and involves substantial financial investment. As a result, scientists and clinicians are increasingly looking to drug repurposing—finding new uses for existing medications—as a faster, more cost-effective solution.

How the AI Tool Works

To support this strategy, a team led by Dr. Emilie Chouzenoux from Inria Saclay and Dr. Angshul Majumdar from IIIT-Delhi has developed a hybrid machine learning algorithm that can recommend treatment alternatives for resistant infections. Other key team members include research engineer Stuti Jain and graduate students Kriti Kumar and Sayantika Chatterjee.

What sets this tool apart is its unique blend of clinical and molecular data. Instead of relying solely on rigid databases or predefined rules, the AI model learns from real-world treatment guidelines provided by top Indian hospitals. It then integrates this information with bacterial genomic data and the chemical structures of antibiotics to identify effective, lesser-known alternatives.

Tested Against Deadly Pathogens

The AI system was tested on several challenging pathogens known for their resistance to treatment:

• Klebsiella pneumoniae, which causes hospital-acquired pneumonia and bloodstream infections
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae, responsible for gonorrhea, which is increasingly difficult to treat
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis

In each case, the AI tool successfully recommended antibiotics that had either proven effectiveness or strong potential for repurposing. These results were validated by resistance data and clinical experts.

A Global Solution for a Global Problem

“This is an excellent example of how AI and international collaboration can come together to solve real-world medical challenges,” said Dr. Majumdar. He added that this approach makes better use of existing medical knowledge and enables quicker, smarter responses to the AMR crisis.

Designed for scalability, the AI system can be integrated into hospital networks or public health programs, especially in settings with limited diagnostic tools. It not only aids in timely treatment decisions but also supports responsible antibiotic use.

By linking clinical expertise with molecular science, this innovation marks a significant leap in the global fight against AMR—showcasing how collaborative, data-driven technologies can pave the way for better healthcare solutions.

The new variant of COVID-19 has hit parts of Asia, cases have surged in Hong Kong and Singapore, and Thailand too has reported new cases. Amid all this, in India too, health authorities are monitoring the cases closely. While the numbers remain low, as compared to previous wave of COVID-19, certain Indian cities have reported low, but significant surge in infections.

Two mild cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Gurgaon— a 62-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, both recently returned from Mumbai. District health officials, including Chief Medical Officer Dr. Alka Singh, assured that there’s no reason for alarm as both are in home isolation and recovering well.

“This is now an endemic. Many with symptoms may test positive, but there’s no cause for panic,” Dr. Singh told reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a 28-year-old security guard from Faridabad tested positive at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital during treatment for similar symptoms. None of the three individuals have recent foreign travel history or contact with known Covid-positive persons. Variant identification is pending further lab testing.

Maharashtra

In May, Mumbai has reported 95 new cases of COVID-19. This has put the state's total number to 106 since January. The data is corroborated by the Maharashtra Health Department.

Currently, at least 16 people are hospitalized, and most have been shifted from KEM Hospital to Seven Hills Hospital to curb the transmission. Authorities have also increased testing all patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) or with severe cute respiratory infection (SARI). The same patients are now being tested for COVID-19.

Pune too is on high alert, though there are no active cases at the moment. The municipal officials have reserved 50 beds at Naidu Hospital as a precautionary measure. Dr Nina Borade, who is the health chief at Pune Municipal Corporation said, "We had only one patient in May - an 87-year-old from Manjari - who has since fully recovered," as reported by TOI.

Dr Borade also noted that tests are not being conducted at any civic hospitals, however, the guidelines will be updated, as and when it is required.

Tamil Nadu

There has been a surge in cases in Tamil Nadu, with 12 new COVID-19 cases being reported in Puducherry. In Chennai too, doctors have reported a shift where fevers which were previously linked with influenza are now being linked to COVID-19.

There is also a rise of COVID-19 cases among viral cases, and many of the patients who may have been diagnosed with influenza A or B, are now being checked for COVID-19 cases.

TOI reported that the public health director Dr TS Selvavinayagam has told the public to not panic, however, he has urged them to remain cautious when in crowded spaces.

Karnataka

At this moment, Karnataka has confirmed 16 active cases of COVID-19. The data is corroborated by the state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

ALSO READ: Covid Cases Surge In Singapore: What Do We Know About The New Variant On The Loose?

Gujarat

Seven cases as of now are detected in Ahmedabad. All these cases were detected on a single day, which made the city to witness an unusual spike in just one day, that has averaged just one cases per month over the past year.

The 7 patients are kept in home isolation, and authorities have sent their samples for genomic testing.

The state health officials on Thursday confirmed that among the 15 active cases in Gujarat, all of them are milder Omicron JN.1 variant.

Singapore And Hong Kong

As per the Ministry of Health, Singapore, the spike in cases is attributed to the new variant which may be on the loose - LF.7 and NB.1.8. These two are descendants of the JN.1 variant.

The cases have also spiked in Hong Kong. Thus Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said that the rising COVID activity reached a 1-year high and have urged people to take precautions and receive an initial dose of COVID vaccine as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Health, Singapore, informed, ""LF.7 and NB.1.8 are the main Covid-19 variants circulating in Signapore." They are the descendants of the JN.1 variant that is used in COVID-19 vaccines.

What are The Symptoms Of This New Variant?

The symptoms which are associated with this current Covid wave are a bit different from what we have seen before. While cough and sore throat are there, the symptoms also include nausea, vomiting, brain fog, and conjunctivitis.

The symptoms however are mild. The experts have for now asked people to monitor their health and seek medical attention in case it is required.

A new, not binding legally, 69-page long document was released on Thursday by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), titled Make America Healthy Again. The report revealed the health priorities of Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and has stirred debate across medical and agricultural communities. The report is expected to guide health policies during the remaining term of President Trump's term. The report has, as expected questioned vaccine safety, and brought the spotlight to the dangers of ultra processed foods.

Vaccine Under The Microscope

The report has called for heightened scrutiny of childhood vaccine schedule. It has also raised concerns about mandatory school vaccinations and the lack of placebo-based trials. While vaccines has been credited for a long time for eliminating deadly diseases like measles and polio, Kennedy has remained a vaccine skeptic. He has further suggested an investigation. As the US News also reports, this report has been criticized by Dr Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins for presenting a report without any scientific evidence that links vaccine to rising conditions like autism or obesity.

“It’s not as if they’re positing any kind of causal link,” Adalja said. “Kennedy is trying to devalue vaccines in the minds of Americans.”

The report also notes to limit access to COVID-19 shots.

Chemical Safety In Food

Farming chemicals, particularly glyphosate—a widely used herbicide—are another focal point. The report cites World Health Organization findings that label glyphosate a probable carcinogen, although the EPA disputes this. Critics, including the National Corn Growers Association, condemned the report for spreading fear without solid evidence.

Yet, MAHA supporters like Dave Murphy, as US News reported, argue the report doesn’t go far enough in addressing pesticide-related health issues, warning of potential political consequences if the concerns are overlooked.

Ultra-processed Foods and Poor Nutrition

The strongest health key point that the report highlights is the industry of ultra-processed foods. This accounts for about two-thirds of American children and teens' diets. These foods are rich in sugar, refined grains, and additives. They are linked with chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and many more. As the US News reports, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University called the report a “pretty accurate depiction” of America’s nutrition crisis.

The report urges the National Institutes of Health to conduct wide-scale studies on these products. However, the call comes amid proposed budget cuts of $18 billion to NIH, raising concerns about how this research will be funded.

Physical Inactivity And Over Medication

Kennedy’s report also flags concerns about overprescription in children, including common medications like antibiotics and ADHD treatments. It argues that children are “overmedicated and undernourished,” and that even the use of everyday painkillers should be reconsidered.

Additionally, the report laments the declining levels of physical activity among American youth, framing it as a contributor to the rise in chronic disease.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged the challenges of satisfying both health advocates and industry stakeholders. The report attempts to balance these perspectives, though some in the administration remain wary of adopting stricter regulations.