New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS): The trajectory of daily Covid cases shows a declining trend in India but the threat of a spike in infection continues to loom, and with the festive season approaching, there is a need to be extra cautious, warn AIIMS Directors.

In a collective appeal, Directors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences across the country asked people to continue following Covid appropriate behaviour to avoid any possible spike in the daily caseload.

AIIMS, Delhi, Director, Dr Randeep Guleria said that the Covid pandemic is not over yet and we need to be more cautious. "Avoid stepping out of the house unless absolutely necessary. Whenever you step out of the house, wear a mask. Keep washing your hands with soap. After touching anything, definitely use sanitiser. Health is important now," he advised.

AIIMS, Rae Bareli, Director, Dr Arvind Rajvanshi said that if all strictly follow Covid-compliant behaviour, then surely a new Covid wave can be prevented. "People will have to follow Covid compliant behavior, wear masks properly, keep cleaning or sanitising hands continuously, avoid going to crowded places, and follow social distance to prevent the third wave."

The government is trying to make the vaccine accessible to all equally, he added.

AIIMS, Bhopal, Director, Dr Sarman Singh, said that all should ensure that the treatment guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are followed properly. "We need to connect influential people of the community in panchayats, gram sabhas, and villages to educate people about the severity of the disease, various preventive measures and the importance of vaccination. These local bodies should also lay emphasis on infrastructure development at the local level to reduce future calamities," she added.

AIIMS, Patna, Director P.K. Singh said that following Covid-compliant behaviour will not only stop the chain of infection, but also help reduce the economic burden of the government on the entire population due to vaccination.

"We can avoid next wave of Covid only if the vaccine is being administered on a large scale and even after getting the vaccine, the Covid-compliant behavior needs to be followed," he added.

AIIMS, Raipur, Director, Dr Nitin Amnagarkar said that the second wave of Covid was very serious and had affected the state badly. Rural India was also not untouched, he noted. "In fact, there was not much difference between urban and rural areas in terms of infection. The infection spread from city to village, from small place to big town and from city to village in places where restrictions were not being strictly followed even after the lockdown was imposed," he said.

He added that the people are now becoming aware of the infection, but they have to include Covid-appropriate behaviour in their regular routine. "If we want to control the epidemic, we have to follow Covid compliant behaviour... that is our social responsibility," he said.