KOCHI: Even as the battle against Covid-19 has been continuing for over a year, the ongoing vaccination drive has given a much-needed fillip just in the nick of time.
Experts, however, are worried that the coming elections and crowding during campaigning and polling could turn the tide again, and result in the loss of the hard-won ground in the fight.
Exercising caution and strict adherence to basic precautions hold the key to ensuring that the virus stays in check, they say.
The number of Covid-19 cases reported in the state has come down considerably in the past one week and the test positivity rate (TPR) is also showing a downward trend.
The TPR stood at around 10 in the beginning of last month, then it fell to 7.32 per cent on February 12 and came down to 3.05 per cent on Friday.
The number of active cases in the state, which stood at over 65,000 in the initial days of February, also declined to 33,785 on Friday.
“It is definitely a relief for the state. With the vaccination drive also progressing, we do not expect a sudden surge in Covid cases anytime soon. As the vaccination drive for the senior citizens is progressing, though at a slow pace, if the vulnerable and elderly are vaccinated in another two months, the crucial phase can be brought under control,” said a health official.
However, hospitals are getting prepared expecting a surge in Covid cases.
“There is not much stress on the hospitals now. For the last one month, Covid cases have been declining steadily. But we have seen a rise in Covid cases after all celebrations and festivals, and we expect the same after the elections as well. But as compared to the other times, the cases would be less this time . In vaccination also, Kerala has been doing much better than other states,” said Rijo M John, health economist.
Meanwhile, the state government has come up with detailed guidelines for the candidates and others taking part in campaigning for the coming polls. As per the guidelines, a person should maintain six-foot gap while interacting with another person.
“Elections can be a game changer. The only way the numbers can be kept low is by strictly following the Covid protocol. It would be really hard for people here to follow the protocol during campaigning. We can only hope for the best,” said Dr Monu Varghese, pulmonologist based in Kochi.