Last Updated : Oct 19, 2020 07:07 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com

Spike in COVID cases: Some are trying to defame Kerala without understanding facts, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan

With Kerala witnessing a spurt in infections recently, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said it was "paying the price for gross negligence" during Onam festivities.

Moneycontrol News

Responding to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan's comments on the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on October 19, without naming him, said that "some people" are trying to "defame Kerala without understanding facts".

"Some people are trying to defame Kerala without understanding facts regarding COVID-19 containment by the state government. Kerala was the first state to report COVID in India and at that stage, we contained it successfully. We were the first state to come up with COVID protocol," the CM said, adding that Vardhan has "always praised Kerala" for the state's COVID-19 activities. 

"His (Vardhan's) remark regarding Onam should be seen in a constructive way because many festivals are coming in North India. We should not let off our guard," Vijayan said. 

Close

With Kerala witnessing a spurt in infections recently, Vardhan said the southern state was "paying the price for gross negligence" during Onam festivities when unlocking of services along with an increase in travel for trade and tourism led to the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more
How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more
Show

related news

The Union health minister's comments sparked a war of words, with opposition parties in Kerala hitting out at the Left government and alleging that the state's health sector reflects the true picture of the state.

"The assessment of the union minister is the true reflection of the situation in the state and the Opposition has also been raising the same issue. The state government had completely failed in fighting COVID-19. Other than the daily press conferences of the CM in the evening, there was no systematic action to fight the pandemic," Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said in a statement.

However, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja clarified that the statement of the union minister was meant to caution people in other states ahead of the festive season.

"It's important to control crowds and gatherings as part of the COVID-19 mitigation process. However, gatherings happened during Onam festivities despite the directions issued against it. Since then, the number of cases in Kerala has been on the rise," Shailaja said, adding "the statement of the union minister was to caution everyone as in other states, the festive season will begin soon".

Kerala on October 19 reported 5,022 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 21 deaths. Active cases in the state now stand at 92,731.
First Published on Oct 19, 2020 07:07 pm

tags #coronavirus #Current Affairs #India