New Delhi: Covid-19 has officially transitioned into an endemic stage in India, according to top scientists from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) who are closely monitoring the virus. They emphasized that the risk of a severe new outbreak is now minimal, with current patterns reflecting small, isolated clusters of infections rather than widespread waves. This shift aligns with the country’s declining active caseload, which dropped to 5,012 on Sunday from 5,976 just two days earlier. Official records also noted two new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Covid-related fatalities this year to 112.
Experts attribute this encouraging trend to high levels of population immunity and the relatively mild nature of current virus strains. The spread is currently dominated by Omicron sub-variants NB.1.8.1 and LF.7, both of which have shown low virulence so far. Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, national chair at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and former lead scientist at the agency, noted, “Covid-19 has become endemic in India. While we want to avoid new infections, it is reassuring that newer variants in the past three years have remained consistently mild or even milder.”
Dr. Gangakhedkar also highlighted that many infections are now going undetected, yet they continue to contribute to population-wide antibody development—essentially acting as natural immunization. However, he cautioned that testing levels have dropped significantly, and comprehensive data on real-time infections remains limited. Despite this, the broad immunity base among citizens is likely to keep severe illness at bay, maintaining overall public health stability.
