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Lucknow, Apr 29: Tablighi Jamaat members, who got cured of COVID-19, have been asked by their organisation to donate their plasma for treatment of other coronavirus-infected patients, a move that the outfit thinks will help it shed its “villain” tag.

"Maulana Saad, in an open letter on April 21 to all Jamaatis who have recovered from the coronavirus (infection), has appealed them to donate their plasma to help others. The message has reached all the members," Maulana Anees Ahmad Nadvi, the manager of Tablighi Jamaat’s Lucknow branch, told PTI PTI on Wednesday.

"As per the Health Department data, over 50 per cent of corona patients are Jamaatis. Among them those who have recovered are being contacted and all of them are ready to donate their plasma," claimed Nadvi.

"We have till now contacted 400 Jamaatis. In the entire country, those who have recovered are also giving their plasma. Markaz has given instructions that no one should be left from donating plasma," he said. "Jamaatis are not doing any favour to anyone by giving their plasma.

This is a humanitarian step. This is true that Jamaatis are being presented as villains after coronavirus spread, but Maulana Saad has asked us to forgive those doing this," he said. Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi is on the run after an FIR was registered against him by the Delhi police for organising a religious gathering in March this year despite restrictions to combat the coronavirus spread.

With some plasma therapy trial results rekindling hopes of it being a likely cure for COVID-19, the Uttar Pradesh government too had begun contracting patients cured of it for plasma donation, but the move was suspended after the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said the therapy was only at an experimental stage and there was no evidence yet to support that it can be used as treatment for COVID-19.

Uttar Pradesh Surveillance Officer, Dr Vikasendu Agarwal, said all those who have recovered from coronavirus, including Jamaatis, were being contacted for plasma donation, but the move has been suspended after the Centre’s statement on the issue.

Refusing to divulge the number of cured Jamaatis, he said "We were contacting them. They are not different from us. We were contacting all our patients and asking them that they could donate if they find it appropriate, as it would help other patients." "All of those contacted by us are ready for giving plasma," he said.

Chief Medical Officer, Lucknow, Dr Narendra Agarwal said all 28 Jamaatis, who were admitted in KGMU were contacted to donate their plasma and all of them agreed. "A proposal in this regard has been sent to the government.

After approval, their plasma will be taken," he said. With the plasma therapy gaining a lot of traction as a possible cure for coronavirus, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday clarified that it is at an experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as treatment for COVID-19. Till the effectiveness of this mode of treatment is scientifically proven, its application except for research and clinical trial is illegal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lav Agarwal said.

Dr Vikasendu said after the Centre's clarification contacting people for plasma donation has been put on hold. A further step will be taken on decision of KGMU which is working on plasma therapy here, he added.

Bengaluru, May 25: With the reporting of 93 more fresh cases of COVID-19, the total number of pandemic cases were surged to 2182 in Karnataka on Monday.

According to official sources, highest number of new cases of COVID-19 pandemic, were reported from Udupi (32), Kalaburagi (16), Yadagiri (15), Bengaluru Urban (08), Dakshina Kannada (04) in the last 24-hours in the state.

The fresh cases were also reported form Mandya, Belagavi, Ramanagara, Vijayapura, Kolara, Ballari and Dharwada district.

New Delhi, Jul 16: India’s Covid-19 tally on Thursday jumped to 968,876 after the country reported highest-ever single-day spike in coronavirus cases registering 32,695 new infections in the last 24 hours. According to the government data, India’s Covid-19 death toll stands at 24,915 after 606 fresh fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours.

The number of recovered patients in India stands at 612,814. On Wednesday, the government said that a record 20,572 patients recuperated from Covid-19 disease in the last 24 hours (between Tuesday and Wednesday), taking the country’s recovery rate to 63.24 percent.

While the Covid-19 tally runs in lakhs in states like Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu, other states have been reporting a surge in coronavirus infections. Karnataka has reported over 47,000 coronavirus cases till date but its active cases are more that of Delhi. It has overtaken Gujarat as the fourth worst-hit state in the country. Gujarat’s Covid-19 tally stands at 44,552.

Here’s taking a look at the Covid-19 situation across worst-affected states:

Maharashtra

The state Covid-19 tally jumped to 275,640 on Thursday. As many as 152,613 people have recovered from coronavirus in Maharashtra while 10,928 have died.

Tamil Nadu

With 151,820 coronavirus cases, Tamil Nadu is the state with second-highest coronavirus cases in the country and has witnessed 2,167 coronavirus fatalities. The number of patients who have recovered from coronavirus in the state stands at 102,310.

Delhi

The national capital is the third worst-hit in India with coronavirus cases jumping to 116,993 on Thursday. As many as 95,699 patients have recovered from Covid-19 in the national capital while 3,487 have succumbed to the infection.

Karnataka

The South Indian state has witnessed 47,253 coronavirus cases till date and is now the fourth worst-affected in the country. While 928 have lost their lives to the deadly contagion in the state. Nearly 18,466 patients have recovered from the disease in Karnataka.

Gujarat

Gujarat has seen Covid-19 cases reach 44,552 on Thursday. The state has seen 31,286 people recover from coronavirus while 2,079 people have died.

Uttar Pradesh

The Covid-19 tally in Uttar Pradesh has jumped to 41,383 while the number of recoveries has touched 25,743. The state’s death toll has crossed 1,000.

Telangana

The state’s Covid-19 tally stands at 39,342 coronavirus cases. While 25,999 people have recovered from the disease, the Covid-19 death toll has jumped to 386 in the state.

Andhra Pradesh

The state has reported 35,451 Covid-19 patients till date. While 18,378 people have recovered from the virus across the state, the death toll stands at 452.

West Bengal

As many as 34,427 people have contracted Covid-19 in West Bengal till date. The state has seen 20,680 recover from coronavirus while 1,000 people have been killed.

Rajasthan

The state has reported 26,437 Covid-19 cases till date. Covid-19 death toll in Rajasthan stands at 530 while 19,502 patients have recovered.