Hyderabad: COVID-19 has reached an "endemic stage" though it has not fully come to an end yet and citizens should continue to wear masks for protection against coronavirus and other infectious diseases, a health official in Telangana said on Tuesday.
State Director of Public Health he said there was no need to fear coronavirus and added that it could be said it has become like a disease.
"What we appeal to people through you is that we need not fear about corona in the days to come. Though it has not fully disappeared, it has already reached. It can be said that it has become like added.
`spoke to reporters here on COVID-19 and seasonal diseases during the ongoing rainy season, said coronavirus cases have been on the rise in Telangana and other states in the country like Maharashtra and Kerala since the last six weeks.
Even as the condition of symptoms has changed from mild to moderate, there were no patients with breathlessness or oxygen level dropping in their body or with severe health conditions. The patients are admitted to healthcare facilities only if they are symptomatic and comorbid.
Indian population got their second dose over nine months ago. Studies at ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody levels wane around six months after the primary vaccination with both doses... Giving a booster increases the immune response," the official said. "The government is therefore planning to start a special drive for 75 days during which individuals aged between 18 and 59 years will be administered precaution doses for free at government vaccination starting from July 15," he said.
The Union Health Ministry last week reduced the gap between the second and precaution dose of Covid-19 vaccine for all beneficiaries from nine to six months. This followed a recommendation from the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization.
To accelerate the pace of vaccination and encourage booster shots, the government initiated the second round of the campaign 2.0' across states and on June 1.
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According to government data, 96 per cent of India's population has been administered the while 87 per cent of the people have taken both doses. On April 10. India began administering precaution doses of Covid-19 aged above 18 years. The countrywide vaccination drive had rolled.
Workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year. On March last year, Covid-19 vaccination began for people over 60 years of age and those age above with specified conditions yes.
Vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years began on April 01 last.
The increasing numbers are pushing the positivity rate in an upward direction as the country’s daily positivity rate reached 5.10% while the weekly positivity rate is 4.37%.
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