Beijing must answer some hard questions on Covid-19

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF AFFECTED ARE HEADING TOWARDS 165,000 WITH OVER 6,000 DEATHS. THE VIRUS HAS SPREAD TO LARGE COMMUNITIES IN ITALY, FRANCE, GERMANY AND SPAIN

Italy, US and UK etc,” he said.

The former head of National Centre for Biological Sciences added: “The health ministry, ICMR and the Central and state governments in general have been constantly analysing the global and national situation, and taking decisions based on best science and public health practices. This can help “flatten” the intensity over the time, allowing systems to effectively deliver to most needy and vulnerable, he said.

Given India’s weak health infrastructure, PM Modi, with foreign minister S Jaishankar and the para-military chiefs, have been involved in the health ministry’s response right from the start.

According to top experts, while the cure of the disease may be found in about a year, the best way out is to flatten its impact by controlling community spreads through social distancing. Virologists all over the world are meanwhile trying to tweak existing anti-viral drugs to see if they can control the coronavirus. Others are trying to develop new drugs so that they can scale up the production much faster, if proven successful.

We must remember that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) first appeared in November 2002 in the Guangdong province of southern China, affecting 8,000 people, with the source again linked to transmission from animals. Two decades later, it’s time Beijing answers some hard questions.