Vaccination against the COVID-19 gives at least 94 per cent protection from the infection and reduced the chances of hospitalisation by 75-80 per cent, NITI Aayog member VK Paul said in a Health Ministry briefing on Friday. He further cited studies on efficiency of vaccine in healthcare workers which show that the possibility of needing oxygen support is around 8 per cent and the risk of ICU admission is only 6 per cent in vaccinated individuals.
The Union Health Ministry has written to all states and UTs for undertaking a detailed review and ensuring that “prompt and necessary steps are taken for healthcare workers’ safety and wellbeing besides implementation of the amended Epidemic Disease Act”.
Addressing the media briefing, the health ministry said there has been an almost 85 per cent decline in COVID-19 cases since the peak reported on May 7 and a decline of 30 per cent in average daily new cases in the last week. The country has been witnessing a consistent decline in active COVID-19 cases, which currently stand at 7.98 lakh. There’s been a decline of 78.6 per cent in active coronavirus cases, which amounts to more than 29.4 lakhs, since the peak on May 10.
There’s also been a consistent increase in recovery rate since May 3, it currently stands at 96.0 per cent. “We’ve been witnessing an increase in the recovery rate since May 3, which now stands at 96%. We are seeing a downward trend in active cases. Between June 11-June 17, the overall positivity case was less than 5 per cent in 513 districts,” said Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry.
Addressing concerns around impact of third coronavirus wave on children, Aggarwal said, “It may not be true that children will be disproportionately affected in the third wave as the serosurvey shows seropositivity was almost equal in all age groups. But govt is not leaving any stone unturned in terms of preparations.”
A survey by WHO and AIIMS shows seropositivity in persons below and above 18 years of age is almost equal. In persons above 18, the seropositivity rate is 67 per cent and 59 per cent in persons below 18. In urban areas, it is 78 per cent in persons below 18 and 79 per cent in above 18, said Paul.
In rural areas, the seropositivity rate is 56 per cent in persons below 18 years of age and 63 per cent in persons above 18. The information show that the children were infected but it was very mild. Only isolated cases of infection may occur in children during third wave of COVID-19, Dr VK Paul said.
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