Kolkata: An approach with comprehensive restrictions like complete restrictions on the movement of people and travel restrictions may backfire in dealing with Covid-19 in a country like India. Advocating target, risk-based strategies to combat the global pandemic, India’s representative to the World Health Organization (WHO) Roderico H Ofrin has called for.
Emphasizing the need to safeguard both lives and livelihoods, he said that public health action in India and around the world should be guided by evidence of four consecutive key questions – how contagious the virus is, the severity of the disease it causes. vaccines and pre-infection protection against SARS-CoV-2 and how the general public understands the risks and follows control measures.
In an e-mail interview to PTI, Ofrin said, “WHO does not recommend broad restrictions such as travel restrictions, nor a complete ban on the movement of people. In many ways, approaches with such broad restrictions could prove counterproductive. India with its diversity in population distribution and geographic spread, a risk-based approach to combating a pandemic remains a sensible public health practice.
The official working in Delhi said that given the pandemic situation, governments should take their own measures to prevent and control the spread of the infection, both in terms of available public health capacities and in the social and economic context. His statement came after the figure of Covid-19 in India increased to 3.76 crores on Tuesday due to Omicron.
“WHO advises governments to adopt a subtle, targeted and risk-based approach, including level-by-level control measures, to reduce the risks associated with travel and spread,” Ofrin said. If all the things related to ‘what not’ is followed, then there will be no need to impose lockdown.
