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Difficult To Predict If India Will See Second Wave Of COVID-19: Indian Council Of Medical Research Chief

ICMR Chief Dr Balram Bhargava said that the COVID-19 situation was rapidly evolving and there have been immense variations in spread of infection and mortality rates in different geographies and across different demographics around the world

Difficult To Predict If India Will See Second Wave Of COVID-19: Indian Council Of Medical Research Chief
Highlights
  • Owing to varied geography, India to have smaller peaks at different times
  • Follow measures like social distancing, use of masks and hand hygiene: ICMR
  • ICMR ramping up testing capacity since the start of pandemic: Dr Bhargava

New Delhi: ICMR Chief Dr Balram Bhargava said has said that it is difficult to predict whether or not India will see a second wave of COVID-19 infections and there will be smaller peaks at different times due to varied geography of the country. In an exclusive interview with ANI, (Prof) Dr Bhargava also said that the situation was rapidly evolving and there have been immense variations in spread of infection and mortality rates in different geographies and across different demographics around the world.

Also Read: Health Minister Satyendar Jain Explains Delhi’s Model Against Coronavirus, Shares His Experience Of Battling The Disease

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus. There is still a lot we don’t know about it. We have also seen immense variations in the spread of infection and mortality rates in different geographies and across different demographics around the world. So, it is difficult to predict whether or not India will see a second wave of infections. There is also a wide variation in disease distribution in specific states – so one size cannot fit all, he said.

The Director-General of India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said apart from the scientific inputs, full participation of all citizens is essential to overcome the COVID-19 challenge.

Due to the varied geography of our nation, there would be smaller peaks at different times. The situation is rapidly evolving, and we will continue to monitor it. However, it is pertinent that people follow preventive measures like social distancing, use of masks and hand hygiene. The right intervention approach, the scientific input and full participation of all citizens and communities is essential to overcome the COVID-19 challenge he said.

Dr Bhargava, a key scientist involved in monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the country, said ICMR has been monitoring this disease since January 2020 and its lab at the National Institute of Virology is also amongst the first few in the world to completely isolate the virus to learn more about its characteristics and lay the groundwork for finding a potential cure.

Also Read: Overemphasis On Fever As A Predominant Symptom Of Coronavirus May Lead To Missing Several Cases: AIIMS Study

Asked how ICMR will tackle any future threat of virus, Dr Bhargava said that even before COVID-19 struck, ICMR had set up a platform with other 10 South East Asian countries to conduct collaborative research on emerging diseases.

We have been at the forefront of tackling diseases like Nipah, Zika and other emerging infections, he said.

The scientist said that “three Ds – Data, Development and Delivery” are at the core of tackling any public health crisis.

Data is important to make evidence-based decisions for interventions and in policymaking. Development of innovative tools that can drive innovation in the public health space is also critical. For instance, the indigenously developed, rapid and highly accurate ELISA test is helping the country to detect the extent of coronavirus spread in the country. Finally, delivery needs to be strengthened to ensure that these interventions reach the beneficiary, he said.

Also Read: Smokers Are More Likely To Develop Severe Symptoms Of COVID-19: Ministry Of Health

Dr Bhargava said ICMR has been continually ramping up testing capacity since the beginning of the pandemic.

We started with less than 100 tests per day near the beginning of the pandemic and today we have the capacity of testing over 5 lakh samples a day with labs set up even at 18,000 feet in Ladakh. ICMR has crossed the milestone of 2,02,02,858 tests and we are now the country with 4th highest number of tests conducted globally, he said.

ICMR has also written to private and government medical colleges to increase testing for the virus and it will support these institutions to get the required infrastructure and training for testing, he said.

ICMR recently set up three new state-of-the-art testing facilities in Noida, Mumbai and Kolkata, which can increase testing capacity, reduce risk of exposure for lab technicians and decrease turn-around time.

Over time, once the pandemic is controlled, these facilities can also be used for the testing of other diseases such as tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C, HIV etc, Dr Bhargava said.

Also Read: PM Narendra Modi Launches Three COVID-19 Testing Facilities In Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (WaterSanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollutionwaste managementplastic banmanual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene

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