India Can Bring Down Positivity Rate To Less Than 5 Per Cent In Next 3 Weeks, Says AIIMS Doctor

New Delhi: India can bring down the positivity rate to less than five per cent in the next three weeks, head of the department of medicine at All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS), Dr Naveet Wig said on Sunday (April 25). “We can bring down the positivity rate to less than five per cent in India, in the next three weeks if we all take responsibility and abide by COVID appropriate behaviour,” Dr Wig said while addressing a joint conversation on issues related to the COVID-19 situation with the Director of AIIMS (Delhi ) Dr Randeep Guleria, Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr Sunil Kumar, and Chairman of Medanta Dr Naresh Trehan.

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He further highlighted that severe restrictions have to be implemented to pull down the positivity rate of COVID-19 cases.

All district officials must monitor district’s positivity rate and aim to keep it below 1-5 per cent. Mumbai had 26 per cent positivity rate at one point but after severe restrictions, it came down to 14 per cent. Delhi is struggling at 30 per cent. We must impose strict restrictions. If we have to defeat the disease, we will have to save healthcare workers. Many of them are testing positive. If we save healthcare workers, they will be able to save patients. If we save both, only then will be able to save the economy. To link all of this we will have to break the chain, we will have to bring down the number of patients. Our only goal should be to break the chain, the doctor further said.

So far, India has reported 1,69,60,172 coronavirus infections and currently has 26,82,751 active cases.

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(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 (Water, Sanitation 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 pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.