Concern should be number of deaths due to COVID-19, not the number of cases: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
"People from all over country are coming to Delhi for COVID treatment. A total of 5,264 people from other states have been treated so far in Delhi. It is a difficult time. Human history never witnessed such a pandemic. We have to work for the well being of the human kind," Arvind Kejriwal added.
by PTIAmid a surge in COVID-19 cases, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the coronavirus death rate in the national capital is perhaps the lowest in the world and the concern should be the number of deaths due the virus and not the number of cases.
"The largest number of COVID-19 tests are being carried out in Delhi at present. 11 percent Delhi has been tested so far with nearly 21 lakh tests. The concern should be number of deaths not the number of COVID cases. Death rate in Delhi is perhaps the lowest in the whole world," the chief minister said in his address during the one-day session of the Delhi Assembly.
"People from all over country are coming to Delhi for COVID treatment. A total of 5,264 people from other states have been treated so far in Delhi. It is a difficult time. Human history never witnessed such a pandemic. We have to work for the well being of the human kind," he added.
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COVID-19 Vaccine
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How does a vaccine work?
A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.
How many types of vaccines are there?
There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.
What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?
Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.
The chief minister thanked the Centre for helping with PPE kits, test kits and ventilators.
"I want to thank the Centre for helping us whenever needed with PPE kits, testing kits , ventilators...our weakness is that we do not know how to practice politics. It is our biggest strength too," he said.
Noting that the first plasma bank opened in Delhi at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Kejriwal said 1,965 patients have been given plasma so far in Delhi.
"I am happy that 1,965 lives have been saved," he said.
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