If you are among those who regularly folly COVID-19 news, then you must hear about Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s leading epidemiologist. Now, he has said that if there is an attempt for herd immunity to end the coronavirus epidemic, there will be mass deaths. He said that if everyone gets infected with corona and the percentage of people who are ill without symptoms, then even more people will die.
Dr Fauci said that the coronavirus proves to be very dangerous for people already suffering from any disease. Corona is very dangerous for people struggling with obesity, hypertension or diabetes. Due to this, acquiring herd immunity could be dangerous.
Herd immunity is called a situation when so many people in the population become infected so that the spread of the virus stops. This immunity can be achieved in two ways, one is that people get vaccinated. Second, people should be infected and let themselves heal.
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It is being estimated that 60 to 70 per cent of the population will need to be infected for herd immunity in case of coronavirus. Earlier, the experts had also expressed concern that for how long people recovering from corona are protected from the virus, there is not enough data at present. Epidemiologist Dr David of JHB School of Public Health said that if the corona’s natural immunity ends in 3 to 6 months, then we should not even talk about herd immunity.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office herd immunity occurs when a large part of a population – between 70% and 90% – develops immunity to a disease.
However, letting the virus to spread in an attempt to reach herd immunity status could lead to an even bigger catastrophe. In a question-answer session with actor Matthew McConaughey Dr Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said: “If everyone contracted it, even with the relatively high percentage of people without symptoms, a lot of people are going to die,” he said.
“You look at the United States of America with our epidemic of obesity as it were. With the number of people with hypertension. With the number of people with diabetes. If everyone got infected, the death toll would be enormous and totally unacceptable, ”Fauci added.