India doing well, just needs to step up COVID-19 testing: WHO representative

Calling India’s response to pandemic coronavirus ‘comprehensive and robust’ World Health Organisation’s India representative Dr Henk Bekedam said, the country is yet to step up rigorous testing to contain the spread of the disease.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Bekedam said so far with the surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing, isolation and massive political-commitment, India has fared well in containing the virus, given its massive population.

However, he said the country still has a long way to go when it comes to testing suspected cases. It is moving forward and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recently included testing of atypical pneumonia- a kind where the symptoms aren’t prominent- hence widening its scope of testing.

With private players also roped in to start testing, the government is already expanding the capacity substantially, Bekedam said.

Further emphasising on social-distancing and hand-hygiene, the WHO representative said, since India has the advantage of learning from the world, effectively implementing the government’s call for social distancing is key to contain the virus.

It will also result in flattening the curve since thousands have been tracked and isolated.

On any possible vaccines, Dr Henk said, for the world to get a properly tested vaccine for COVI-19 it is going to take at least one more year.

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Countries like Australia and the US among others are engaged in finding a solution soon. With India actively engaging in research and successfully isolating the virus, soon a better understanding regarding the virus can be reached, he says.

Dr Henk believes if everyone works together and does their bit, soon the virus will be contained successfully like Singapore, China and South Korea have managed to do.

He quoted his Director-General and said,” This pandemic is one of the first pandemics that can be controlled.”