Covid pandemic will become endemic in next 6 months in India, says NCDC Director

Sujeet Singh, Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has said that Covid-19 pandemic will start becoming endemic in the coming six months in India and claimed that a new variant of Covid-19 cannot alone bring a third wave.

"This pandemic has defied most of our predictions but in the next six months, we will approach endemic status," Singh told NDTV.

Covid-19 pandemic becoming endemic would mean that the infection will become manageable and easier on the healthcare system, he said.

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Giving the example of Kerala, which is now emerging from a raging crisis that was going on a few weeks ago, he said, “If the mortality and morbidity is under control, then we can manage the disease.”

Singh also asserted that there are no new variants of Covid-19 in the country and a new variant alone can’t be a cause for a third wave. "Just a new variant cannot cause a third wave. The factor will be a mix of behaviour and antibodies. There is some worry because of the festival season," he said.

According to the health body chief, the C1.2 and Mu variants of Covid-19 are not yet found in India.

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In the interview, Singh stressed that vaccination provides substantial protection against Covid-19. "75 crore people have been vaccinated. If vaccine effectiveness is 70 per cent, then around 50 crore people in India have got immunity. A single dose gives 30-31 per cent immunity. So the 30 crore people, who have received a single dose, are also immunised," he said.

Even after vaccination, Singh warned, there is a possibility of a breakthrough infection taking place in 20-30 per cent cases.

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