Covid-19 And The Road Ahead

The long-awaited victory may be closer at hand than ever

- Dr Chandrakant Lahariya

India’s experience of a ferocious second wave of COVID-19 through April and May 2021 won’t soon be forgotten. But since then, the number of cases has steadily declined. By mid-October, the daily count of new cases came down to around 15,000—the lowest since the start of the second wave in the country. This is a relief for everyone. While the pandemic is far from over—in India or the world—there seems to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Public-health experts and epidemiologists have reached a consensus that as long as the SARS-CoV-2 virus is circulating in any part of the world, there remains a possibility of the emergence of new variants, which can fuel a fresh wave. The practice of handwashing, face masks and physical distancing in public places along with full vaccination are the proven ways to prevent infection and reduce transmission.

A devastating second wave in India also meant that a large proportion of the population was infected and developed natural immunity, as was noted in the fourth nationwide sero-prevalence survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research in June– July this year. The survey estimated that nearly 68 of every 100 Indians above the age of six years had developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Children between six and seven years had antibodies at a nearly similar rate as adults and thus were protected. Since then, India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive has accelerated and by now, nearly 80 per cent of the eligible adult population has received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccines.

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