Collective immunity against COVID-19 expected by summer 2021 in Turkey: Report

ISTANBUL

Six months into the pandemic and with hundreds of thousands having been infected with the coronavirus in Turkey, the country has so far reached an average level of 10 percent immunity, as studies have shown a collective immunity to eradicate the infectious disease can be reached by the summer of 2021, according to a report by daily Hürriyet, citing sources from the Health Ministry.

The novel coronavirus is expected to lose its potency when the level of collective immunity built up exceeds 50 percent, which will likely take several more months, until the summer of 2021, the report added.

The studies also showed that there was widespread complacency among those aged between 17 and 35, with many having been found to not follow rules and precautions. A considerable number of them are silent carriers of the virus, the studies also found.

Authorities have recommended specific projects to raise awareness among this group, as well as strict supervision and possible punishments.

While those aged between 35 and 60 are the most careful, some aged above 65 have shown reckless behavior too, according to the report.

The prevalence of the virus has declined by 30 percent across the capital Ankara, the latest data showed, but the first 10 days of October are important in Istanbul, it said, especially due to data on those who have been returning to the metropolis, the country’s largest province by population, will only be seen after the mentioned date.

Early measures in Istanbul will be able to keep the gradual increase, which has been dubbed the “ladder,” under control. But experts warn that one person still infects at least three people on average and the rate of the spread should be curtailed.

Meanwhile, daily recoveries from the novel coronavirus in Turkey exceeded daily infections on Sept. 28 for the first time in weeks, according to Health Ministry figures reported on Sept. 28.