Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, May 28: Senior professor and head of the department of neurovirology at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) Dr V Ravi, has predicted that about 50 per cent of people in India will suffer from coronavirus infection by December this year.
Dr Ravi said he has based this estimate on the basis of the increasing number of infected people with each day. "Mainly, the infection is spreading fast after relaxation in lockdown. In the coming days, coronavirus may reach the community transmission stage," he said.
Dr Ravi predicted that 50 per cent of the population in India may become infected by December. But one good thing is that 90 per cent of the people will not be aware of their infection," he said.
The virologist said that only 5 to 10 per cent of patients are given oxygen through artificial means while 5 per cent people will need ventilator support. "In the next some days, lockdown 4 will end and the state government is advised to keep its medical infrastructure fully geared up to meet the challenge. Mainly intensive medical care and treatment preparations will be the need of the hour," he said.
"The central government had advised to set up coronavirus laboratories in every district as it expects cases to go up steeply. KIMS Hospital Bengaluru has got permission to conduct corona tests. The number of labs in the state has gone up to 60. The government has been extending all kinds of support, about which I am happy. My dream is to increase the number of labs in Karnataka to 75 by June 15," he narrated.
He observed that the death percentage in the state due to this disease is between 3 and 4 per cent. But this rate is six per cent in Gujarat, he pointed out. He said that people will have to wait till March next year to get coronavirus vaccine and therefore advised people to learn to live with coronavirus. He said that all kinds of precautions have to be taken. At the same time, he said that coronavirus is not as deadly as Ebola and SARS.