Covid surge: Time to be cautious again

It may be necessary to go back to wearing masks, take other precautions

There is a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country in the last few days, and they have caused some concern among health authorities. The increase is not a localised phenomenon but has been seen in many places. Eight states are reporting a high number of cases, with 10 or more districts reporting more than 10% positivity. According to the health ministry’s data, a total of over 11,000 new cases were reported on Friday, which is the highest tally in over six months.

There are about 50,000 actives cases. Hospitalisations and fatalities are also increasing. It is likely that there may be more cases than are reported, as the surveillance and reporting system is yet to fully gear up. A variant of the Omicron virus, called XBB.1.16, which is also known as Arcturus, is said to be causing the new infections. It is a matter of some relief that it is not very virulent and so the infections are not very serious. But any variant always poses challenges. The World Health Organisation has said that it is watching the spread of the variant in India.

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The government has started putting its machinery in motion to deal with the emerging situation. Mock drills have been held across the country to review and ensure proper arrangements for testing and treatment of patients in hospitals. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia has held a meeting with state health ministers where it was decided to identify emergency hotspots, increase testing and vaccinations, and ensure readiness of hospital infrastructure. The Centre has told all states and UTs to immediately take steps to enhance genome sequencing and increase the rate of testing.

Most people in the country are vaccinated and many have taken the second dose. There is a high level of immunity derived from vaccinations and past infections in the community. So there is no danger of the present infections assuming pandemic proportions and becoming a serious threat to public health. But there is the need for caution and preparedness with any health threat, especially when the cause of afflictions is an unpredictable and largely unknown virus like the Covid-19 virus. It may be necessary to go back to the Covid protocol, including the wearing of masks in public, and senior citizens and those who have co-morbidities should take special care. There is a large number of people who are yet to take the third dose. Vaccine supplies need to be boosted and there should be a vaccination drive to cover those who have been left out. The test, track, treat and vaccinate policy should be continued without fail so that the present threat is tackled before it gets worse.