'COVID can still hit back with vengeance': AIIMS Task Force chief exerts caution

India is making swift developments in the battle against COVID-19, with over 90 crore people vaccinated & a significant reduction in the daily COVID cases. The country is looking forward positively towards reducing the dangers of the disease.

The stringent COVID restrictions have been relaxed, months after the ferocious second wave of COVID-19 had hit India, but the experts suggest that it is no time to get complacent as the battle has not been won yet and COVID can still hit us back. 

Asserting the need to be cautious against COVID-19 spread, Dr Navneet Wig, Chief of the COVID Task Force in AIIMS Delhi, said that the war against COVID is still not over yet and people are still vulnerable. 

 While speaking with ANI, Dr Wig said, "We have to go far ahead of 100 crores and have to make everybody double vaccinated. So this is our aim and we are moving ahead, but we have to move faster and ensure that everybody gets the second dose as well. And that is how we are going to win this war. It is not an easy war still, we cannot be overconfident, we have to be a little underconfident so that we don't lower our guard and take all precautions.”

He highlighted that there are over five states that have a positivity rate of more than 10% and the numbers can rise further if we don’t act wisely. "It is not easy. Many countries are still fighting battles. So we have to be very cautious as this can come back with a vengeance," he stated.

COVID task force chief went on to say that until two weeks following Diwali, people should be particularly cautious because acute febrile sickness is widespread.

"Dengue fever, scrub typhus, typhoid fever, and other airborne infections are all being reported. As a result, determining whether it is COVID, flu, dengue, typhoid fever, or viral hepatitis is extremely challenging for clinicians. So, until the festival season, please take it easy, wear your mask, and avoid social events " Dr. Navneet Wig  explained.

COVID-19 situation in India

In the last 24 hours, India has recorded 24,354 cases and 234 deaths. The Health Ministry told the press that Kerala accounted for 59.66% of all COVID cases reported last week, with over 1 lakh active cases in the state. Eighteen districts have a weekly COVID positivity rate of 5-10%, while 30 districts have a weekly positivity rate of more than 10%, according to the Health Ministry.

With ANI Inputs

Image: PTI