Community spread of COVID-19 has started in India, cases in rural areas a bad sign: IMA

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The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has said that community spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus has started and the situation is quite bad. Speaking to news agnecy ANI, Dr V K Monga, the Chairman of IMA Hospital Board of India said, "This is now an exponential growth. Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than around 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread."

According to the latest Health Ministry update, the total confirmed cases in India have reached 1,038,716. Of these, 358,629 are active cases and 653,751 cured/discharged/migrated cases. A total of 26,273 deaths have been registered to date.

He said that the cases are penetrating down into towns and villages where it will be very difficult to control the situation. "In Delhi, we were able to contain it, but what about interior parts of the country in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh (which may be the new hotspots)?"

As many as 13,433,742 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till July 17. Of these 361,024 samples were tested on Friday, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

ICMR is ramping up testing facilities regularly. At present, 885 government laboratories and 368 private laboratory chains are conducting COVID-19 tests across the country.

"This is a viral disease that spreads very fast. To contain the disease there are only two options. Firstly, 70 per cent population contracts the disease and gets immune, and other is getting an immunisation," stated Monga.

Vaccination, being the greatest hope to contain Covid-19, India's two indigenous vaccine makers would be starting human trials soon.

"There has to be phases of trials then human trial, then efficacy and side effects. Also, importantly it has to be seen how long this immunity will last because most of the patients are unable to go beyond three months of immunity," said Dr Monga.

(With ANI inputs)