Lancet Praises India's Early Lockdown, COVID-19 Vaccine Development Initiatives

India is facing a dangerous period, though the country has responded well in many areas, especially for such a large and diverse nation, said the Lancet in its editorial titled “Covid-19 in India: the dangers of false optimism”. “India has also been at the forefront of efforts to develop and manufacture a vaccine, both through domestic vaccine candidates and manufacturers such as the Serum Institute of India preparing production capacity for internationally developed vaccine candidates,” the British medical journal noted.

“The rapidly growing case numbers, alongside the continuing relaxation of restrictions, are creating an atmosphere of fatalism mingled with false optimism that undermines effective use of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as masks and physical distancing,” it added.

Lancet credits India for

• Early lockdown.
• Pooled testing - multiple swab samples testing using one RT-PCT test kit.
• COVID-19 vaccine research.
• Increase in tertiary care provision, access to ventilators.

Lancet discredits India for

• The atmosphere of fatalism mingled with false optimism that undermines the importance of social distancing, masks, etc.
• ICMR supporting COVID-19 treatment with hydroxychloroquine despite insufficient evidence.
• Crisis of economic slowdown, including the migrant crisis.
• Putting ‘too positive spin’ on Covid data

Source-Medindia