India presses alarm button for COVID-19 third wave

Tapering of the second wave of COVID-19 that wreaked havoc across India has begun to show since May when the country’s daily new cases recorded a declining trend.

Despite the decline, Indian health bodies and the government have raised an alarm about the impending third wave of COVID-19.

THIRD-WAVE IMMINENT, INEVITABLE

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which is at the forefront of fighting COVID-19, has urged federal and state governments in India not to let the guard down on the ongoing pandemic.

The country registered 30,093 new cases during the past 24 hours, the federal health ministry said on Tuesday morning.

According to the IMA, the third wave was just around the corner.

“With the global evidence available and the history of any pandemics, the third wave is inevitable and imminent,” the IMA warned. “However, it is painful to note … in many parts of the country both the government and public are complacent and engaged in mass gatherings without following COVID-19 protocols.”

The IMA said that tourist bonanza, pilgrimage travel and religious fervor are all needed but can wait for a few more months.

“Opening up these rituals and enabling people without vaccination to go scot-free in these mass gatherings are potential super spreaders for the COVID-19 third wave,” it said.

National Institution for Transforming India member Vinod Paul noted that to avoid the third wave from hitting India, people along with the government need to put in their efforts.

“The next 100 to 125 days will be crucial and we all need to remain vigilant and follow the protocol,” Paul said.

Samiran Panda, head of epidemiology and infectious diseases at India’s top health research body — Indian Council of Medical Research, said the third wave is likely to hit the country at the end of August.

He, however, said there are chances that the third wave will be a mild one and not as intense as the second wave.

CROWDED TOURIST PLACES, MARKETS

As new cases of COVID-19 began to show a downward trend and local governments began to relax COVID-19 restrictions, tourist places and markets have witnessed a huge rush.

The federal health ministry many a time issued warnings, discouraging people from violating COVID-19 protocol.

Lav Agarwal, a senior health ministry official, showed videos of the Kempty Falls in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie, where a huge crowd was seen present at the tourist place in violation of COVID-19 protocol, besides photographs from other places and crowded markets from across the country.

The Indian government described the phenomenon as “revenge travel.”

“People are taking predictions about the COVID-19 third wave-like weather prediction reports, very casually. The third wave predictions have to be taken very seriously,” Agarwal said.

The devastating second wave of the pandemic caught India unaware. It saw the country’s hospitals, especially the ones in major cities and towns, overwhelmed. Unable to cope with the rush of patients, doctors suddenly saw themselves struggling for oxygen supplies and essential medicines.

In April, millions gathered in the Himalayan town of Haridwar to participate in the Kumbh Mela Hindu festival even as several cities grappled with a severe shortage of oxygen, hospital beds, and essential medicines.

Many of the returnees — who came from all parts of the country — tested positive in the following days, pushing daily cases to new record highs.

Despite this, authorities in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh are gearing up to hold the annual pilgrimage “Kanwar Yatra” from July 25 in a symbolic manner.

India’s top court has asked the local government of Uttar Pradesh to reconsider holding pilgrimage even symbolically in view of the pandemic.

“The health of citizenry of India and right to life is paramount, all other sentiments whether being religious is subservient to this basic fundamental right,” the court said.

PM SPEAKS ABOUT THIRD WAVE

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week said there were some districts of the country’s northeast where cases of COVID-19 infection are increasing, adding they need to understand these signals.

“We have to keep an eye on each variant of the COVID-19 because it is absolutely polymorphic,” Modi said.

He said experts were constantly studying how devastating it will be after the mutation.

“In such a situation, prevention and treatment are very important. We have to put our entire energy and focus only on these two measures,” Modi said.

“The severity of the virus will weaken if we continue to maintain a distance of two yards, wear a mask, and get vaccinated. We will be able to save more lives if we continue with our strategy of testing, tracking, and treatment, and improve our infrastructure,” he added.

Modi said it was true that tourism, trade, and business have been greatly affected due to COVID-19.

“I will emphasise that it is a matter of concern that people visiting hill stations and markets are not wearing masks and not following protocol. This is not right,” he stressed.

“Many times we hear this argument and some people say proudly that we want to enjoy it before the third wave arrives,” he said. “It is important to explain to the people that the third wave will not come on its own. It is not something which comes on its own, it is brought by people.”