INDIA is witnessing a fresh spike in the Covid-19 infections. In the last twenty four hours around 3600 new cases were reported, almost the same number recorded a day before. This has forced India Inc to enforce stricter measures to combat the surge. Most large entities already have elaborate Covid protocols in place, and those are expected to continue. Measures that are being enforced include work-from-home protocols, regular testing at work sites, regular temperature checks and mask mandates. The new spike is fuelled by a latest subvariant of Omicron virus. Health experts have warned about the subvariant and its potential to trigger serious outbreaks. But so far, they haven’t seen a major change in severity in individuals or in populations. But what has emerged as more concerning is the potential of the virus to become more transmissible and severe.
The World Health Organization has said it is keeping a close eye on COVID subvariant, which is driving a rise in COVID cases in India. WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead and infectious diseases specialist said that one of the big uncertainties about the virus is that it hasn’t settled into a predictable pattern but continues to evolve. The global health body has also recommended booster vaccination for the elderly and other vulnerable groups. Globally, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, UAE and Qatar have reported the biggest increases in Covid cases over the last 28 days. Indonesia too has reported a modest rise.
That said, India has witnessed a drastic decline in the number of COVID cases. This is despite the fact that China was recently overrun by a major COVID-19 outbreak leading to the deaths of reportedly thousands of people. The sudden surge in infections followed after the country ended its zero-COVID strategy and lifted the sweeping lockdowns following public protests.
That the infections didn’t spread to India in large numbers showed that the country has developed a certain herd immunity. One of the reasons could be that India experienced a nationwide explosion of infections during the virulent Delta wave in the beginning of 2021. Thousands perished as a result. This, together with a successful vaccination programme, may have gone some way to build mass immunity among the people.
However, this is no reason to let our guard down. The virus is now a part of our lives and it has already become endemic. Besides, the new variants of the virus keep triggering fresh outbreaks. So, we can’t afford to abandon precautions altogether.
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