There is an element of undercounting in the figures of Covid infection cases and deaths, says Dr. K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India. But he also believes they show a trend which points to a steady decline. What is important now is for the governments at the Centre and States to get their act together and move to ensure that the third wave of infections are minimised.
There are already reports of infections entering rural areas of the country, especially in those states where the health infrastructure is poor. Dr. Reddy says this need not necessarily be devastating since people in villages tend to live in wide open spaces, work in fields and tend to move less within the village or even between villages. This could help check the spread of the virus.
He says there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic, notably the need to beef up the medical infrastructure all over the country. More in this conversation with Dr. Srinath Reddy.
