Dr Asangba Tzudir
With the State government announcing Unlock 1 starting July 1 with certain restrictions being relaxed, the state has reached a point where citizens needs to be really disciplined in following the safety protocols. The coming down of positivity rate has paved the way for this Unlock 1 but it is yet to come down to the desirable 5% as it is just a matter of one wrong act from anyone anywhere which will take us back to the peak times. With results of the vaccine working against the new variant, so also the statistical trends of deaths in comparison with those who took vaccine and those not, it should encourage those who are still undecided or those that are staunchly saying no to vaccine.
While the state govt is going all out to increase the vaccination drive, reciprocation should be there to increase the positivity rate, and which ultimately will boost the overall immunity of the masses. The discipline and Covid related hygiene of the masses, the percentage of people having vaccinated will ultimately determine the impact the possible third wave on the people. However, the dip in the positive cases should not be seen as the end of second wave.
We all know the multiple reasons for Nagaland being hit hard by the second wave and the state cannot afford a repeat of such mistakes. It calls for a two way process of prevention – one at the individual level and the other at the level of governance and its associated preparedness. Even as the second wave seems to be receding in the state it is important that each district should be ready with quarantine centres.
The Unclock 1 comes with certain relaxations and probably this phase will be followed by Unlock 2. However, the transition into Unlock 2 will be determined by the Covid positivity rate as well as the percentage of people having vaccinated. Economy has been badly affected and the focus now should be on economic revival and for it to happen economic activities should be returned to normalcy and not constrained by Unlock restrictions. However, vaccination has become a very important yardstick if normalcy is desired.
For quite some time now, online learning has become a daily ordeal for the students. As it stands educational institutions and learning outcomes have been badly affected, and considering the online alternative opening up educational institutions for normal functioning may take time. Thus its opening largely depends on the rate of vaccination even among students. As such students are encouraged to take the Covid vaccine for one’s as well as everybody’s sake.
Covishield was originally intended to be a single dose vaccine but a second dose had to be added as the anti-body response to a single dose was found to be inadequate. Current studies are revealing that a third dose may be needed to enhance the protective efficacy especially for men and those with obesity, and the third dose can be an inactivated virus vaccine. Considering all this, vaccination drive which has been rightly increased requires positive response from the masses without further delay in order to achieve full immunity or at least to a safe level. If a desirable percentage is not achieved in the first dose phase, it automatically affects the second dose phase, and therefore any further delay is uncalled for. Furthermore, the subsequent unlocks might even impose more restrictions or freedom curtailed on those not vaccinated.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
