COVID-19: Need social distancing for one year, says PHFI's Dr K Srinath Reddy

In the event, Reddy recommends India carry on testing as it is now, with ICMR reviewing and updating the strategy as and when necessary. Apart from that, continue with social distancing for whatever duration it is deemed necessary. People will also need to adopt the advised hygiene practices to keep the virus at bay. Most important, to protect our elderly and other high-vulnerability groups - those with diabetes, COPD, hypertension and coronary diseases - we must have some household and individual risk-profiling from data on underlying diseases. To protect the rural areas from transmission from the urban areas, minimise transport linkages (other than those for emergency purposes) between urban areas, where COVID-19 in India is at present concentrated, and the rural areas which are unexposed to the virus from foreign travellers or their contacts.

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