Can India Afford to Relax on Covid-19?

The latest reports from the Union government's Department of science and Technology (DST) panel that the Covid-19 peak in India was over and that by February next year the country will witness minimal cases seems to be misleading the people! At least that is what the World health Organisation (WHO) seems to be indicating.

The WHO cautioned against any relaxation of response actions following the recent slight decline in Covid-19 cases in the Southeast Asia Region, saying the pandemic continues unabated and "our response only needs to be strengthened further to curtail virus transmission."

According to Poonam Khetrapal Singh of WHO, there should be no complacency in view of the declining numbers in recent weeks. The region still reports large numbers of Covid-19 cases. "We need to continue to do our very best to curtail the pandemic," she said.

The WHO official said the upcoming festival season and the approaching winter or cold season threatened to aggravate the situation if we let our guard down. "This festive season we must continue to take responsibility as individuals need to maintain physical distance, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and wear a mask when and where needed. People must remember the three Cs avoid crowded places, avoid closed settings and avoid confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation," she said.

In a release, the WHO group said the co-circulation of seasonal influenza and Covid-19 in the winters may present challenges for health systems and health facilities, since both diseases present many similar symptoms.

Poonam said, "Many of the same measures that are effective in preventing Covid-19 are also effective for preventing influenza, including physical distancing, hand hygiene, covering coughs, ventilation and masks."