New Delhi: There is no need to panic and the situation is under control in India, a member of the advisory committee on immunisation (NTAGI) said Tuesday, reacting to questions about the burst of Covid cases in China after Beijing’s recent decision to lift strict lockdown measures.
Chairman of the Covid 19 Working Group, NTAGI, N.K. Arora said Tuesday: “We’re hearing that there’s widespread Covid infections in China. As far as India is concerned, it is extensively immunised with effective vaccines, especially the adult population.”
Arora added that data from INSACOG — a pan-India body under the Health Ministry that studies and monitors genome sequencing – has shown that almost all sub-variants of Omicron in the world were found in India.
“There are not many sub-variants which aren’t circulating here. It is important to keep a close vigil on the Chinese situation but there is no need to panic as the situation is in control,” Arora added.
The Centre, however, asked states and Union territories Tuesday to gear up genome sequencing of positive samples in order to track variants.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan’s letter said “monitoring the trends of existing variants is of crucial importance” given the spurt in cases in Japan, US, Korea, Brazil and China.
He asked the states to enhance genome sequencing through the INSACOG network.
ln view of sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan,USA,Korea,Brazil & China, it's essential to gear up whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track variants through Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium(INSACOG)network, writes Union Health Secy to States & UTs pic.twitter.com/k7rxW6Qoin
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2022
China, meanwhile, is racing to bolster its infrastructure – installing more hospital beds and fever-screening clinics – as authorities recorded five more deaths on Tuesday, days after the government scrapped its “zero-Covid” regime of strict lockdowns, centralised quarantines and mass testing.
It was forced to dismantle these measures after violent protests from citizens who complained that strict curbs may have kept the virus at bay but had crippled their livelihoods.
The virus now sweeps through the 1.4 billion people who lack natural immunity after having been shielded from it for so long.
A report said last week that China’s abrupt and poorly-prepared exit from its “zero-Covid” policy could result in nearly one million deaths.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday that the potential for the virus to mutate as it spreads in China was “a threat for people everywhere”.
Also read: China races to improve health system as Covid-19 surge sparks global concern