Covid will start becoming endemic in India within the next six months, a top expert has said, asserting that a brand new variant can’t alone bring a 3rd wave of infections.
“This pandemic has defied most of our predictions but within the next six months, we are going to approach endemic status,” Sujeet Singh, the Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
Dr Singh said Covid becoming endemic would mean the infection becoming more manageable and easier on the health infrastructure.
“If the mortality and morbidity is in check, then we will manage the disease,” he said, adding that Kerala, which had an oversized susceptible pool, is additionally emerging from the raging Covid crisis it had been battling some weeks ago.
Vaccination is that the biggest protection against the coronavirus, stressed Dr Singh.
“75 crore people are vaccinated. If vaccine effectiveness is 70 per cent, then around 50 crore people in India have gotten immunity. one dose gives 30-31% immunity. that the 30 crore people, who have received one dose, are immunised,” he said.
The expert warned that even after vaccination people must follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. Breakthrough infections, or fully-vaccinated people getting infected, will happen in 20-30 per cent of cases, Dr Singh said.
“Breakthrough infections are due to the new variants. Scientists say within 70 to 100 days of vaccination the immunity level starts dropping,” he explained.
It is through more exposure to the virus and vaccination that the infections would scale back, Dr Singh said.
According to the NCDC chief, there’s no new variant in India. The C1.2 and Mu strains that are currently raising concern haven’t been found within the country.
“Just a brand new variant cannot cause a 3rd wave. The factor are going to be a combination of behaviour and antibodies. there’s some worry thanks to the festival season,” Dr Singh said.
