GUWAHATI: The Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Rajiv Bahl, stated the stark contrast in mortality rates between the Nipah virus and COVID-19 during a press conference on Friday.
Bahl emphasised that the Nipah virus exhibits a significantly higher mortality rate, ranging from 40 to 70 per cent, as compared to COVID-19, which registers at approximately 2 to 3 per cent.
Speaking at the press briefing held in light of a fresh Nipah virus case reported in Kozhikode, Kerala, Bahl shed light on the extensive efforts taken by health authorities to curb the outbreak, mainly due to the alarming fatality rates associated with the virus. He revealed that all individuals who had contracted the virus had been in close contact with a single index patient, or "patient zero," highlighting the potential for rapid transmission.
Bahl also disclosed that India has made a request for an additional 20 doses of monoclonal antibody, a treatment intended for early-stage Nipah virus exposure. Currently, the available supply of monoclonal antibody doses only covers treatment for ten patients, none of whom have received the medication thus far. Bahl clarified that efficacy trials for monoclonal antibodies have not advanced beyond the initial phase 1 trials, limiting their use to compassionate-care situations.