PANJIM: While the State Task Force, constituted to prepare for the third wave of Coronavirus will soon decide on reopening of Classes IX to XII in the State, Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said that a seropositivity study conducted by GMCH found that nearly 70 per cent of children got infected and recovered from COVID-19 on their own.
A government official said a meeting of the State Task Force would be convened and the decision to reopen schools will depend on the data of COVID-19 infected cases and also on the recommendations of the State Expert Committee headed by Bandekar.
The final call will be taken by the State Task Force headed by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, the official said.
Bandekar on Wednesday said that as per statistics available with GMC, seropositivity in children was already about 70 per cent, meaning 70 per cent children had already got infected and got cured on their own. Seropositivity signifies the presence of anti-bodies in the blood serum.
Bandekar further said that the small sample that was studied gave indications to this effect. It indicated that if the predicted third wave comes then it won’t be as large as the second wave of coronavirus.
Bandekar, said that the preparation to combat the predicted third wave of coronavirus was almost 90 per cent. He appealed to the people to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) for their own good and for the betterment of society.
He said that the State Expert Committee is closely monitoring the COVID-19 positivity rate and taking periodic reports from the State epidemiologist.
Stating that living with COVID-19 has become practical, Bandekar said, “We are going to keep a check on the positivity rate. We have already given this to the government that if the positivity rate rises then we will take stringent steps to stop all the activities, which were allowed to be opened in view of business and employment to people.”
