India and US collaborating on combating COVID-19: Ambassador Sandhu

Washington, March 26

India and the US are working together on combating the deadly coronavirus and collaboration is under way in the areas of diagnostics and therapeutics of the disease, which so far has taken the lives of more than 20,000 people globally, according to the Indian envoy here.

The deadly coronavirus that first emerged in China's Wuhan city has drastically spread around the world, infecting 471,518 people and causing 21,293 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker.

"In the present context of COVID-19 pandemic, close collaboration in the areas of diagnostics and therapeutics of the disease is underway,” India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI.

"India and the United States have had a long-standing productive partnership in the healthcare sector, especially between the research institutions and industries of both countries,” he said.

Under the existing bilateral collaboration in healthcare sector- the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease in the US shared the important reagents with the Translational Health Science Technology Institute in Gurgaon.

Such cooperation is expected to play a big role in developing new therapeutics and testing reagents for the COVID-19.

In addition, India-based vendors of American companies are in touch with the Indian Council of Medical Research to engage and enhance the capabilities for COVID-19 test in India.

"The US will work shoulder to shoulder with India to combat the COVID19 outbreak. Together, we can safeguard our citizens and people everywhere," Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Alice G Wells, said in a tweet referring to the cooperation between the two countries.

The United States, she said, stands united with India and echoes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to keep up their fighting spirits.

PTI