New Indian Covid-19 Strains More Infectious, Can Cause Reinfection, Says AIIMS Chief
Updated On Feb 22, 2021
According to AIIMS Chief, Dr. Randeep Guleria, the new Indian strains of coronavirus could be highly transferable and dangerous, causing reinfection as well. The statement from the AIIMS Director comes after Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab have witnessed a massive increase in coronavirus numbers over the past week.
It must be noted that the new Indian strains of coronavirus have been found in Maharashtra. Speaking to a news channel, Dr. Guelria stated that herd immunity for novel coronavirus is a “myth” in India as it requires a minimum of 80% people to possess antibodies to protect the whole population. Dr. Guleria furthermore informed that the new variant can even cause re-infections in people who have developed antibodies to Covid-19.
Shedding light on how impossible it is to achieve herd immunity, Dr. Guleria stated that mutations or variants in the coronavirus possess “immune escape mechanism”. Furthermore, the variants can threaten the immunity of an individual through vaccinations or the disease and cause reinfection.
According to Dr. Shashank Joshi, member of Maharashtra’s Covid Task Force, over 240 new strains of the virus have surfaced across the country.
Dr. Guleria informed that the Covid-19 vaccines will be effective against the new strain, but their efficacy might be less. He emphasises that getting the vaccine is a must.
Dr. Shashank Joshi promoted double masking and micro-containment zones as they could be effective against the new strain. He also emphasised that coronavirus vaccine distribution should be decentralized. He stated that the CoWin app has some issues which are slowing down the vaccination procedure and more people can be covered if the state gets more power.
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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
