Lockdown has to end: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

"I think now there is anyway no point in extending the lockdown because of exodus of the migrant labour; they have basically gone to various parts of the country without any controls. So, now there is no point trying to extend lockdown any further. Now, its a question of quickly bringing under control any outbreak," Mazumdar-Shaw said.

PTI

May 28, 2020 / 04:08 PM IST

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon.

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With the exodus of migrant labour back to their home states, there is no case for extending the COVID-19-induced lockdown any longer, according to biotechnology veteran Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who said the focus now should be to bring any outbreak under control quickly.

The Executive Chairperson of Bengaluru-headquartered biotech major Biocon Ltd said on Thursday their return without controls would cause infections and the states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan should be prepared to meet the possible surge.

"The Lockdown has to end. What we really need now is prepare for tracking any outbreak and quickly bringing it under control. That has to be our strategy going forward. You cannot go on increasing the lockdown," Mazumdar-Shaw told PTI.

"I think now there is anyway no point in extending the lockdown because of exodus of the migrant labour; they have basically gone to various parts of the country without any controls. So, now there is no point trying to extend lockdown any further. Now, its a question of quickly bringing under control any outbreak," she said.

On her assessment of the COVID-19 situation in the country, Mazumdar-Shaw said Mumbai and some other "serious spots" where the infections were surging in an uncontrollable rate are now beginning to see flattening of the curve.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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