Former AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria answered a few pertinent questions regarding the resurgence of COVID-19. COVID cases have seen a sudden increase in countries like China, Japan, the US, Brazil and France. With that the Indian government has gone on an alert mode, but has also asked people to not panic. The government is also reviewing the situation and increasing preparedness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting to take stock of the COVID situation.
Dr Guleria, however, thinks that this time around there might be cases with mild illnesses but there might not be an increase in hospitalisations or deaths. He believes that the worst is over, and due to the COVID situation in the past two years, Indians have a good degree of immunity.
“The only question here is how the virus will evolve. If it mutates into a virus against which we have no immunity, then we may have a problem. But that seems unlikely. Therefore, I feel we are in a better situation and we have crossed the halfway mark,” he said in an interview with India Today.
HOW WILL INDIA BE AFFECTED?
In the interview, Dr Guleria said that Indians have good immunity. He also said that this variant has been in India for some time but there have not been hospitalisations or deaths.
He said in the interview that this wave is more China-specific, as the country focussed on their zero-COVID policy and did not allow the virus to spread.”This was good in the early days. But subsequently, it led to a large part of the population never being exposed to the virus and with no antibodies against the virus,” he said.
DO WE NEED ANOTHER VACCINE SHOT?
Dr Guleria said that more data is required to ascertain if another COVID-19 vaccine shot is required. He said it might be logical to assess taking another shot in a year. “But the issue is if the booster is as effective as it was in the past or do we need to change our vaccine strategy. So we need more data. If you have already taken a booster, there is no urgency to take another,” he said.
The expert said that more data is required on the efficacy of the booster dose.
As for those who have not taken the booster dose, Dr Guleria said that they must go ahead and take it, not only in order to avoid infection but also to steer away from long COVID.
Talking about vaccines, Dr Guleria said that mixing and matching vaccines might lead to better immune response. He also batted for nasal vaccines and said that they are easy to administer and give mucosal immunity which protects one from the early part of the infection.
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