Half of Indian population likely to be infected by Covid-19 towards end of year

News: Dr V Ravi, Head of Neurovirology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) stated that after the end of Lockdown 4.0, there will be a much more significant spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in India, and by December 50% of the population will be infected with the virus.

Here are five components of the story:

• Dr Ravi said that with the Lockdown 4.0 ending in the next few days, it is important for the states to be fully geared up with medical infrastructure to handle the increase in cases, especially those which will require intensive medical care and treatment.
• He also added that while 50% of the population will be infected with the virus, 90% of them will not exhibit symptoms, they will not know that they are infected. “It’s only 5-10 per cent of cases that will have to be treated with high-flow oxygen and only 5 per cent would require ventilator support.”
• To prepare the states to handle the spike, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), under the direction from the Prime Minister, has directed all the states to have at least two Covid-19 testing laboratories in each district.
• The mortality rate of the virus ranges between 3-4%. Gujarat has had the highest mortality rate of 6%.
• “We will have to wait for the vaccine till March next year. People will learn to live with COVID-19, with all necessary precautions and preventive measures. The novel coronavirus is not as deadly as Ebola, MERS and SARS,” he said.