We must be ready for a Covid surge

The country has seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the last few days, mostly in states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Over 8,000 new cases were reported on Wednesday, a 33% increase from the previous day. The cases doubled between June 1 and June 12. There were reports of some schoolchildren in Bengaluru testing positive in the past few days. Most parameters of the pandemic, such as the daily caseload, active cases, test positivity rate and hospitalisations have risen, though none of them is at a stage where it should cause concern. The cases are not serious either, and there are no concerns over mortality rates. This could be because the virus types which may now be spreading are the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the Omicron variant which was itself mild compared to its predecessors.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that there are still chances of more virulent variants emerging. China had a large outbreak which is not yet under control. The virus is active in countries like the UK, Australia and Germany. So, there is a need for a continued vigil against it in the country. There is much laxity in adhering to Covid-appropriate protocols in all states as most people have come to the conclusion that the pandemic is now behind us. But wearing masks and washing hands should again become part of the daily routine. Ventilation at homes, especially in public establishments, should receive attention again. Public awareness has to be improved in this respect. Some governments have rightly announced measures like compulsory wearing of masks. Though they may not be enforcing them strictly, there should be no laxity.

Vaccinations are a part of the defence against the pandemic. Only about 65% of the country’s population has been covered by the second dose of the vaccine. It should be noted that some countries where there is a greater spread of the pandemic had better vaccine coverage than India. About 78% of those who are eligible for the booster dose have not taken it. There is some vaccine hesitancy and indifference and that is not a good sign. The booster dose is needed as vaccine efficiency decreases over time. Millions of doses of vaccines have been stockpiled now, waiting to be used. There is better knowledge about the use of vaccines now. It has been proved that a heterogeneous vaccine — a different one from that used for the first and second doses— would work better, and such vaccines are on the way. There have been predictions about a fourth wave. The country needs to be prepared for it, whether it happens or not.