Covid-19 still a threat: ICMR expert urges precautions

Guwahati, Dec 30: Covid has not yet gone and people with co-morbidity should take precaution while visiting public places. Moreover, a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that Covid not only affected the lungs but also had impact on other organs of the infected people. Talking to The Assam Tribune, ICMR 'Chair' Dr. Rajni Kant said that Covid is here to stay. He said majority of the people of the country have developed herd immunity, either through vaccination or through infection, and that is why, Covid is not having serious impact on the newly infected people.

He said around 80 per cent people in the country have been vaccinated and the rest got herd immunity after being contacted by the virus. But at the same time, Dr Kant is of the view that the people with comorbidity should take adequate precaution and at least they should wear masks in crowded places.

The ICMR 'Chair' also said that if anyone faces severe symptoms, they should get the Covid tests done. In the last session of the Parliament also, the members having Covid-like symptoms had gone through tests.

Dr Kant said Covid would stay for some time to come. The Spanish influenza out- break took place more than hundred years back and people are still getting infected by influenza and influenza vaccines are still being given. "Same will be the case with Covid and the disease will not go away," he said.

Asked about death of persons due to Covid vaccine side effects, Dr Kant said that after some such reports appeared, questions were raised in the Parliament and the ICMR carried out a detailed study on the Covid vaccines.

The study found vaccines to be safe and these were not the cause of sudden death of a number of people, he said. "We all thought that Covid affected the lungs. Now, we have come to know that Covid affected other organs too and how much damage Covid caused to different organs differed from people to people. In case of some people, serious damage was caused even to the heart and such people become very vulnerable," he added.

By 

R Dutta Choudhury