As of: 01/29/2021 8:17 a.m.
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No new corona cases in a fifth of the country? At least that is what the official Indian numbers are. The government reports success in the fight against the pandemic and advertises its vaccination diplomacy.
By Silke Diettrich, ARD Studio New Delhi
Almost 100,000 in one day: This is how high were the new corona infections in India in mid-September. Now only around 12,000 people would be infected during the same period, say the Indian authorities.
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Silke Diettrich
ARD studio New Delhi
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“I am sure we are underestimating the number of cases in India,” says Dr. Satyajit Rath, professor at the Indian Institute for Science and Research in Pune, in a telephone interview. “But we probably did that right from the start. There is no reason to doubt that the trend is going down, however.”
Hardly any restrictions
Since the peak in September there were only a few restrictions compared to the lockdown in spring: restaurants, sports centers and shops have been open for months, there are no curfews, even weddings can be celebrated again. And: Millions of believers come to the Kumbh Mela, the largest pilgrimage of the Hindus.
There is a general mask requirement, but fewer and fewer people adhere to it. As before, however, there are fewer buses and trains in major cities. International air traffic is restricted. And to this day schools have been closed for many children and young people, for almost a year. Only recently have certain age groups been allowed to enter the school building again.
There is no scientific evidence as to why the infections are so strong in India. But there are possible explanations, says Professor Anant Bhan, who conducts research on global health: “A large number of people in India may have been exposed to the infection for a long time,” Bhan said in a Skype interview with the ARD studio South Asia. “That is also shown by the results of antibody tests that were carried out here. And India is demographically a young country. Furthermore, we are already exposed to a lot of bacteria and viruses here, so it could be that there are so-called cross-immunities here gives.”
The Indian Ministry of Health says the “proactive testing” strategy has played a major role in further containing the pandemic. More than a million corona tests are carried out in India a day. Current studies also indicate that vaccinations against tuberculosis could weaken the course of Covid disease. In India, this vaccination has been standard for infants for decades and many of these vaccinations come from our own production.
India gives away vaccination doses
India is known as the world’s pharmacy, and according to the government it produces half of all vaccines in the world. The government has already distributed hundreds of thousands of corona vaccine doses “made in India” free of charge to its neighboring countries and has sold further doses to other countries around the world at low prices.
Employees of the vaccine manufacturer “Serum Institute of India” pack boxes with ampoules of their corona vaccine. The company is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines.
Image: dpa
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And now there is more hopeful news, said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the World Economic Forum: “Many vaccines against corona will soon come from India. These will be able to help all countries in the world, much faster than at the moment.”
There is a lot of controversy in India about the so far only domestic vaccine: It was approved although the test phases have not yet been completed and no official data are yet available as to whether it is also effective.
India: “Pandemic successfully contained”
Silke Diettrich, ARD New Delhi, January 29, 2021 7:30 a.m.
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