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COVID-19 Now Endemic In India, Scientists Say: What It Means For future Outbreaks
New Delhi – Top scientists Monitoring The COVID-19 Virus In India Have Declared The Disease Endemic, Effectively Ruling Out Any Future Severe Outbreaks. This Shift Indicates A Change In How The Virus Is Managed, Focusing On Containing Smaller, Isolated Clusters Rather Than Large-Scale Waves. How will this impact public health strategies moving forward?
Declining Active Cases Signal New Phase
The Assessment Correlates With India’s Reportedly Declining Active Cases. Official Data Shows An Active Caseload Of 5,012 on Sunday, Which is Down From 5,976 On Friday. While Two New Deaths Were Recorded, The total Fatalities For The Year Remained Relatively Low At 112.
- endemic Status: COVID-19 is now a consistent presence, not a pandemic threat.
- Declining Cases: Active cases dropped from 5,976 to 5,012 recently.
- Mild Variants: Current spread is driven by less virulent Omicron sub-variants.
High Immunity And mild Variants Key Factors
Scientists Believe that Elevated Population immunity, Resulting From Previous Infections and Vaccinations, Along With The Virus’s Continuing Mildness, Are Behind This Decline. Current Infections Are Primarily Driven By Omicron Sub-Variants NB.1.8.1 And LF.7, Which Have Remained Less virulent.
Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, National Chair At The Indian Council Of medical Research (ICMR), Highlighted That While New Infections Are Undesirable, Newer Variants Over The Last Three Years Have Been Mild. He also Noted That Undetected Infections Are Still Contributing to Antibody Responses, Providing A natural Form Of Immunization.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in May 2024 that globally,there were approximately 7 million new COVID-19 cases and 26,000 deaths reported in the previous month,underscoring the continued importance of vigilance,even in countries like India where the virus is now endemic.
Testing Declines, But Concerns Remain Minimal
While Testing Levels Have Dropped And Comprehensive Data On Current Infections Is Limited, Scientists Indicate Minimal Cause For Concern. One Senior DBT Scientist Mentioned That While Scientifically Sound Testing Is Needed,There Are No Important Adverse Clinical Symptoms To Be Concerned About.
Cyclical Nature Of COVID-19
Public Health Expert Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Past President Of The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Noted That COVID-19 Is Behaving Like A Cyclical Disease, With Temporary Immunity Leading To Periodic Case Rises. He Stated That As Immunity Levels Drop, The virus Infects More People, But Past Vaccination And Exposure protect Against Severe Illness. Vulnerable Individuals Should Exercise Caution During Case Surges.
Jayadevan Also Emphasized That SARS-CoV-2 Continues To Evolve,Leading To Recurring Infection Cycles roughly Every 6 To 12 Months. The Reported Case Numbers Are Likely Underestimates Given Limited Testing. Influenza Also Contributes Significantly To The Disease Burden.
Variant Tracking And Ongoing Monitoring
Previous Reports Indicated That A Spike In Cases During April Was Due To The JN.1.16 Sub-Variant Of Omicron, While May Saw Cases Linked To Recombinant Sub-Lineages Like LF.7 And LP.8.1.2. Hospitalized Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) Patients And Some Influenza Like Illness (ILI) Cases Continue To Be Tested For COVID-19,With Positive SARI samples Undergoing genome Sequencing.
Recoveries and Precautions
The Health Ministry reported 1,197 Recoveries Recently, Bringing The Total Recoveries This Year To 19,435. Authorities Advise Precautions Such As Avoiding Crowded Places When Unwell And Following COVID-Appropriate Behavior.
Dr.vikas Maurya, Head Of The Respiratory Department At Fortis Hospital, Noted That Patient Load In Hospitals Has decreased, And Most Cases Are Now Manageable At Home.