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Possibility Of Normalcy By Middle Of Next Year Even If There Is No COVID-19 Vaccine: AIIMS Doctor

According to Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor at AIIMS, there is always the natural end of any pandemic and so COVID-19 will end too even if there is no vaccine as people will develop natural immunity

Possibility Of Normalcy By Middle Of Next Year Even If There Is No COVID-19 Vaccine: AIIMS Doctor
Highlights
  • Decline in cases seen in areas that reported huge numbers: Dr. Rai
  • Phase 2 clinical trial for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is underway in India
  • Our COVID-19 strategy should focus on reducing the mortality rate: Dr. Rai

New Delhi: There is a possibility of situation created by COVID-19 returning to normal by the middle of next year even if a vaccine is not developed by then, Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor in Community Medicine Department at AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences) here, has said. Dr Rai, who is also a principal investigator of the Bharat Biotech Covaxin clinical trial at AIIMS, said that COVID-19 preventive measures like wearing masks, hand hygiene should be followed till there is an effective vaccine.

Also Read: Coronavirus Explained: What Are The Phases In The Clinical Trials Of The COVID-19 Vaccine?

By mid-next year, there’s a possibility of normalcy even if vaccine comes or not. There is always the natural end of any pandemic so it (COVID-19) will end too. It can happen in three ways – if we find a vaccine, if we give effective treatment or natural infection covers it. Only these three ways can end the infection. Today we do not have a vaccine or any effective treatment. If a vaccine does not come it will naturally end. When people will develop natural immunity, the virus will naturally end and it depends on our strategy, Dr Rai told ANI.

He said there has been a decline in cases in areas which had reported huge numbers in the past.

Let us take the example of Dharavi in Mumbai. This place was reporting a large number of COVID cases but the situation is almost under control there. Similarly in Delhi, newer areas are witnessing an increase in COVID cases unlike previous containment zones, he said, adding that people living in previous containment zones tend to obtain immunity against the virus.

Dr Rai said phase 2 clinical trial for COVID-19 vaccine is underway in India with a good sample size of more than 600 motivated volunteers.

Any vaccine will come by mid-next year, anywhere in the world, if everything goes as planned, he added.

Dr Rai said that 6.4 million adults above the age of 18 years were found infected in the national serosurvey conducted during April-May

Also Read: Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research Collaborates With Aurobindo Pharma To Develop COVID-19 Vaccines

ICMR serosurvey conducted in April-May found 6.4 million adults above the age of 18 years as infected. Sero-survey only shows the direction of infection while testing shows the actual number of infections, he said.

Dr Rai also suggested changing strategy and keeping the focus on reducing the mortality rate.

I think we need to change our strategy. We should focus more on reducing the mortality rate instead of testing as testing will only increase the number of infected people and still, we will not be able to trace even 10 per cent of the total infected people. Ninety per cent infected people will be left untraced so now we need to test only those who need it and should focus on reducing the death rate, he said.

He also suggested treating co-morbid patients with mild infections at home if possible.

The criteria says that if the patient is in co-morbid condition, he should be admitted in the hospital. But it will only increase the bed occupancy and mortality rate due to the possibility of hospital-acquired infection. It would be better to monitor co-morbid patients at home otherwise the mortality rate will increase, he said.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), over 6 crore samples to detect the coronavirus infections have been tested up to September 17.

India’s COVID-19 case count has crossed the 52-lakh mark with a spike of 96,424 new cases and 1,174 deaths.

Among the states, Maharashtra has 3,02,135 active COVID-19 cases, Karnataka 1,03,650, Andhra Pradesh 88,197 and Uttar Pradesh 68,235.

Also Read: Coronavirus Vaccine Updates: What Is A Human Challenge Trial And Can It Speed Up COVID-19 Vaccine Development?

(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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