Threat of large, severe waves of Covid-19 is low in India notwithstanding recent upticks in various parts of the country, public health experts have said. However, it is premature to declare India is in an endemic state, they warn.
“Endemicity requires that the virus stay with us, and that its behaviour is predictable even if there are periodic outbreaks,” said K Srinath Reddy, president of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). “For Covid-19, the first is true, but the second is not yet certain. Given the unpredictable nature of virus evolution, it is premature to declare that we are in a steady endemic state. We are heading in that direction but have not yet landed on the smooth runway of that airport.”
Senior epidemiologist Giridhara Babu said the narratives of “its ok to get infected” and Covid has become endemic are “dangerous”.
“Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area,” he said. “With cases increasing constantly every few months and in the absence of data on what amounts to constant presence, we cannot call it endemic. Also, currently, the infections are rising in many countries and are even leading to increased hospitalisations. This is not the time to call it endemic.”
On Tuesday, India recorded 11,793 new Covid cases and 27 fatalities in 24 hours. This took the total number of cases so far in the country to 4,34,18,839, and deaths to 5,25,047, as per the Union health ministry. Active cases rose to 96,700.
“Endemicity requires that the virus stay with us, and that its behaviour is predictable even if there are periodic outbreaks,” said K Srinath Reddy, president of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI). “For Covid-19, the first is true, but the second is not yet certain. Given the unpredictable nature of virus evolution, it is premature to declare that we are in a steady endemic state. We are heading in that direction but have not yet landed on the smooth runway of that airport.”
Senior epidemiologist Giridhara Babu said the narratives of “its ok to get infected” and Covid has become endemic are “dangerous”.
“Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area,” he said. “With cases increasing constantly every few months and in the absence of data on what amounts to constant presence, we cannot call it endemic. Also, currently, the infections are rising in many countries and are even leading to increased hospitalisations. This is not the time to call it endemic.”
On Tuesday, India recorded 11,793 new Covid cases and 27 fatalities in 24 hours. This took the total number of cases so far in the country to 4,34,18,839, and deaths to 5,25,047, as per the Union health ministry. Active cases rose to 96,700.
now!Read More News on
(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)
...moreDownload The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
