Herd immunity among 60-70% population: Dr Firdausi Qadri

Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning Bangladeshi scientist Dr Firdausi Qadri on Friday said 60-70% of the people of Bangladesh have developed herd immunity against Covid-19. 

"The infection rate is coming under control to some extent due to the development of Covid-19 resistant herd immunity," said icddr,b Senior Scientist Dr Qadri made the remarks while attending a virtual briefing organised by Ramon Magsaysay Foundation. 

However, any new type of coronavirus can increase the risk of re-infection, so everyone needs to ensure hygiene and social distance, she warned.

"Delta variant is not the final one. More variants may come," said the veteran scientist. 

The scientist also remarked that Bangladesh has come a long way in the fight against coronavirus as the public have the ability to automatically resist disease and adapt to the environment.

Dr Firdausi Qadri was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021 on 31 August. 

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation board of trustees recognised her passion and life-long devotion to the scientific profession; her vision of building the human and physical infrastructure that will benefit the coming generation of Bangladeshi scientists, women scientists in particular, and her untiring contributions to vaccine development, advanced biotechnological therapeutics and critical research that saved millions of precious lives.