The World Health Organization said today, Wednesday, that India recorded 46% of new global infections globally last week, along with a quarter of deaths due to the Corona virus.

The high incidence of the virus in India - which includes the highly contagious Indian strain - has left hospital beds completely full, oxygen running out and the flow of dead bodies to morgues and crematoriums increased.

Many died in ambulances and garages outside hospitals while waiting for a vacant bed or an oxygen cylinder.

The organization said in its weekly report on epidemics that 5.7 million cases were recorded worldwide last week, and more than 93,000 deaths.

India alone recorded 2.6 million new cases, a 20% increase from the previous week, and 23,231 deaths.

The data is based on official statistics, which means that the rate in India may be much higher, as many experts believe that a large number of injuries and deaths are not recorded amid the great pressures on the health system.

On Monday, India surpassed the barrier of 20 million cases, becoming the second country to reach this number after the United States.

Today, Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of Health data showed that the daily number of deaths rose to a record of 3 thousand and 780 deaths during the past 24 hours, and 382,315 new cases were recorded today.

Herd immunity

Public health experts believe that India will not reach herd immunity anytime soon, but they say the numbers of patients who need to be admitted to hospitals and the number of deaths will drop significantly within 6 or 7 months, according to a report published by The Economic Times.

For his part, Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniyam Jaishankar - a participant in the G7 summit meetings today, Wednesday - announced that he would participate in the talks via the Internet after he had contact with potential infected with the virus.

He said on Twitter, "I was informed yesterday evening that I had cases of Covid-19, out of great caution and out of consideration for others, I decided to hold my meetings virtually. It will be the case in the G7 meetings today as well."

Today, Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries will discuss Covid-19 vaccines, at a time when rich countries face increasing pressure to share their stocks and experiences with the poorer countries lagging behind in the face of the epidemic.

The foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States conclude 3 days of talks that they held in central London, which will set the agenda for the summit of the leaders of the Group of Seven countries next month in Cornwall, in the south of England.

The efficacy of vaccines

In South Korea, data released by the country today, Wednesday, showed that a single dose of the "AstraZeneca" and "Pfizer" anti-corona virus vaccines was 86.6% effective in preventing infection among those aged 60 years and over.

The data issued by the "Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" showed that the Pfizer vaccine - which was developed jointly with "BioNTech" company - was 89.6% effective in preventing infection for at least two weeks after receiving a first dose, while the rate of effectiveness of the equivalent was 89.6%. From "AstraZeneca" 86%.

Her analysis was based on the follow-up of more than 3.5 million people in South Korea, aged 60 years and over, for two months, starting February 26, and included 521,133 who received a first dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

The centers stated that there were 1,237 cases of Covid-19 in the data and only 29 cases from the vaccinated group.

"It was found that both vaccines provide high protection from disease after the first dose. (People) should get full vaccinations according to the recommended schedule, as the protection rate will increase more after a second dose," she said.

The results come as South Korea seeks to increase participation in its vaccination campaign after reports that potential safety issues have discouraged some people from receiving vaccinations.

South Korea has fed 6.7% of its 52 million people, but has set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 70% by next September and achieving herd immunity by November.