SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT - CNS
protecting everyone worldwide is key if we are to find a way out of the acute stage of the pandemic
(Image by CNS) Details DMCA
With almost 19 million new COVID-19 cases reported, the third week of January 2022 recorded the highest-ever weekly number of new infections so far in the pandemic's history. This was an increase of 20% more cases than the earlier 'highest-ever record' which was set in the previous week.
With over two years into the pandemic, we cannot miss the writing on the wall: we are failing to break the chain of infection transmission. And to add insult to injury, we have failed to roll out over 9 billion vaccine doses equitably in the world.
'Fully unvaccinated' are the hardest hit now
Currently, up to 90% of the COVID-19 positive people who are hospitalized, are unvaccinated. It appears that those who are left 'fully unvaccinated' are the ones most at risk of developing serious outcomes of COVID-19 if they get infected, while the privileged people who are fully vaccinated get booster after booster.
"How can we miss the obnoxious levels of inequalities, not just between rich and poor nations, but also within the rich ones: most of the people who are hospitalized due to COVID-19 currently even in rich nations, are those who are unvaccinated" rightly said Dr Ishwar Gilada, noted infectious disease expert who was speaking with CNS (Citizen News Service).
While on one hand we have to do all-what-we-can to break the chain of infection transmission, on the other hand it is equally important to ensure that people with co-morbidities and other identified groups at higher risk of serious outcomes of COVID-19 are fully vaccinated worldwide. One big price we are paying as global humanity for failing to vaccinate equitably is the emergence of new corona virus variants that are posing heightened challenges.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
