Covid-19 Wrap-up: Brace for more surges, warn experts

For anyone hoping to see light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel over the next three to six months, scientists have some bad news: Brace for more of what we’ve already been through. Outbreaks will close schools and cancel classes. Vaccinated nursing home residents will face renewed fears of infection. Workers will weigh the danger of returning to the office as hospitals are overwhelmed, once again.

Experts say that almost everyone will be either infected or vaccinated before the pandemic ends. Maybe both. An unlucky few will contract the virus more than once. The race between the waves of transmission that lead to new variants and the battle to get the globe inoculated won’t be over until the coronavirus has touched all of us.

Over the past few days, Covid-19 cases have been on a decline in India and most parts of the globe with vaccination drive being given the top priority. India witnessed sharp dip in its active Covid caseload as it declined by 10,652 on Monday. India reported 27,254 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. Kerala continues to remain a concern as it accounted for 20,240 new cases and 67 deaths.

Meanwhile, concern for children still looms large as there is no approved vaccine for children below 12 years yet. However, there is a possibility that experts will come up with jabs for minors soon. According to a report, Covid vaccines for kids aged 5 to 11 could be available in the US by the end of October this year. The report added that both Pfizer and Moderna "are gathering data on the safety, correct dose and effectiveness of the Covid vaccines in children.”

The Centre submitted fresh guidelines in the Supreme Court explaining what would be treated as Covid-19 death and what will not. To make the scope broader and more inclusive, deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing will be treated as deaths due to Covid-19, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/in-patient facility, the guidelines said. According to the fresh guidelines, loss of life due to poisoning, suicide, homicide, or accident will not be considered as Covid-19 deaths even if the disease is an accompanying condition.

The Australian government recently said that Indian students would have to wait further to return to the country as they will allow their entry only when its Covid-19 vaccination programme "will reach a certain level".

Although Covid cases in Karnataka have remained stagnant at a lower rate, Bengaluru has witnessed a rise in hospitalisation due to the disease as the festival season arrived. In the last one week, the government hospitals in Bengaluru admitted 131 new Covid-19 patients, which is 19 per cent more than the previous week and 52.3 per cent more than the 86 patients admitted a fortnight before.

With Covid cases and deaths showing a fall in the graph, it is being believed that the disease will stay but will turn into a much milder and less fatal one.

While some nations are mulling to introduce Covid booster shots, vaccine disparity has further increased around the globe. The disparity comes as the US is moving closer to offering booster shots to large segments of the population even as it struggles to persuade Americans to get vaccinated in the first place.

The cancellation of fifth Test match between India and England had raised many questions on the BCCI's intention, but the cricket board's chief Sourav Ganguly clarified that the decision was taken considering the players' concern. He denied that the upcoming Indian Premier League had played any part in the decision.

Meanwhile, various nations are taking stringent measures to boost the vaccination drive, making jabs mandatory. The latest to announce such rules is the US where the latest Covid wave is primarily affecting children.