Zero Covid-19 case not possible in Delhi, experts explain why

Amid gradual unlocking, Delhi's Covid-19 situation has been improving steadily but experts say it's unlikely that the Capital will have zero Covid case anytime soon.

The Covid-19 situation of the Capital is steadily improving but it is unlikely that there will be zero Covid-19 case in Delhi on a given day in the near future, experts have said. What these experts suggest is that people will have to learn living with Covid-19. While this may be true for many metro cities that were at the frontline of the pandemic, the experts have commented specifically for Delhi. There might be zero new case reported on a certain day, but it is unlikely for the Capital to have zero number of people with the infection, experts said.

People stand in a queue to enter the metro station at Connaught Place, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

Medical director of Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital Dr Suresh Kumar has told PTI that zero is an unlikely figure for Delhi as the virus is mutating and it's difficult to predict its future.

"This virus is smart and just for the sake of living, it will keep mutating. Covid will be there and may not be affecting all 193 countries but it will be there. Coming down to zero won't be achievable. In hospitals for getting surgeries, one has to get tested for Hepatitis and HIV. Eventually, you will be tested for Covid too," Dr Sanjeev K. Singh, Resident Medical Director, Amrita Hospitals in Faridabad said, as quoted by the news agency.

Eradicating the virus is an unrealistic possibility as Covid-19 will gradually become endemic in 12-24 months, Dr Gauri Agarwal has said. It will not remain a figure closely watched daily but will remain there.

What is pandemic, epidemic, endemic?

An epidemic is when a disease affects a large number of people and when it affects multiple countries or continents, it becomes a pandemic. Endemic is when a disease is regularly found among a particular people or in a particular area.

(With PTI inputs)