PremiumExplaining the reasons behind the current surge in cases, Dr K. Srinath Reddy president PHFI said the recent rise, principally in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), stems from the lifting of covid restrictions and abandonment of covid-appropriate behaviour
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NEW DELHI : Children are increasingly getting infected with covid-19 since most of them are not vaccinated against the virus, said Dr K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). Explaining the reasons behind the current surge in cases, Reddy said the recent rise, principally in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), stems from the lifting of covid restrictions and abandonment of covid-appropriate behaviour. The Union government has also withdrawn the provisions of the Disaster Management Act for containing the pandemic after two years on 23 March amid a sharp drop in cases in the country. Edited excerpts from an interview:
Why are covid cases increasing in Delhi-NCR?
The recent rise in covid infections, principally in NCR, is an expected result of lifting all covid restrictions and abandonment of covid-appropriate behaviour. While the third wave of January has subsided, the virus is still in circulation and is capable of infecting people who expose themselves. Fortunately, there is no surge in serious cases requiring hospitalization or resulting in death. It is this count that matters more.
What advice do you want to give to people?
Prior immunity conferred by vaccines or natural infection effectively prevents serious illness by fighting the virus after it enters the body. To gain protection against even mild infection, one has to prevent virus entry into the nose and throat by wearing a mask and moving in well-ventilated areas, even if physical distancing is not always possible. Masks are essential in ill-ventilated indoor spaces and crowded outdoor gatherings. While fines should not be imposed, people must be told that protective measures must be followed for their safety and that of others. This message has not been clearly conveyed to people.
Recently, school children have also contracted covid. Should we again adopt the online mode for teaching?
Even as schools reopen, as they must, we must aim for ventilation, staggered class schedules in shifts and wearing of masks in indoor spaces without adequate ventilation. Shutting down schools only because we are failing to take sensible precautions is not a good policy. Studies in the US have shown schools that adopted ventilation and masks had much lower rates of infection than those that did not.
Do we have an understanding of how covid-19 affects children?
While some experts argue that it is best to let children get exposed to the ‘relatively mild’ Omicron now and gain immunity against future infections, it is difficult to accept that advice when we still do not know how vulnerable children are to long-covid and what those long-term effects will be. With the uncertainty and awareness that infection-acquired immunity too is not long-lasting, we should adopt reasonable safety measures to reduce the risk of infection. There is no need to panic, but there is also no justification for abandoning caution, even as we resume a normal life.
Children below 12 are still to be vaccinated. What’s your view on it?
With regard to vaccines for children under 12, we need to weigh the evidence on the risks versus benefits of the vaccines available with us. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved for children between 5 and 12 years of age in countries like the US, Canada and New Zealand. Results of trials with other vaccines in this age group are still under review. We have to wait for composite data on immunogenicity, efficacy and safety and weigh the potential net benefits against the low risk of severe covid in this age group. As of now, there is no green flag for vaccinating this group in India. The situation may change with more data in the coming months.
Cases are rising in China and Europe. Will it impact India and the gains we have made so far?
Europe and China are experiencing the Omicron BA.2 wave, which we experienced earlier this year. Since prior immunity only offers protection against severe illness and mild infections can still occur on exposure to the virus, we can expect the virus to recycle and cause some spikes of mostly asymptomatic or mild infections. Unless a dangerous new variant emerges, we are unlikely to see a spate of serious cases in the next two months, even if the number of reported infections rises. We know travel bans don’t work. So, entry point surveillance, genomic testing and continued use of masks in crowded places will need to be our defence against the entry of variants from other countries. We must also keep a close watch on trends of cases and new variants in other countries.