News Analysis India

Tag: Third Wave

  • Set up separate pediatric wards at all hospitals to deal with third wave: Uttarakhand CM

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said there should be separate pediatric wards at all district hospitals, CHCs and PHCs besides adequate oxygen, ICUs and ventilators in the state to deal with a possible third wave of COVID-19.

    Reviewing the state’s preparedness in view of a possible third wave of the pandemic, Dhami said all these arrangements should be in place by the end of July. Maximum vaccination and increased testing are a must to build a protective mechanism against COVID-19, he said.

    The CM also asked officials to pay heed to the maintenance of medical equipment and tools provided to the state under the PM CARES Fund and corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from companies.

    Apprising the Chief Minister on the status of arrangements, Health Secretary Amit Negi said there is enough oxygen in the state and it ranks fifth in the country in terms of vaccination. He added that apart from doctors, paramedics have also been trained to deal with COVID cases.

  • Second wave of COVID-19 not over yet, cannot lower guard: Govt

    Seventy-one districts reported Covid case positivity rate of more than 10 per cent in the week from June 23 to 29, the government said.

  • Don’t create panic about third wave, Union Minister Jitendra Singh tells doctors

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh has urged medical professionals “not to create a panic” about a possible third wave of COVID-19 infection and stressed that the basic approach should be “precaution, no panic”.

    Instead of getting tempted to make alarmist observations one could be a little more reassuring, he said at the Public Health Summit 2021 on ‘Emerging Imperatives in Strengthening Public Health for India’.

    At the event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Singh said Covid-appropriate behaviour can act as a safeguard against the third wave.

    “I have a small request to medical colleagues to not create a panic about a possible third wave because the basic mantra is precaution not panic.

    “Let us put all our might together to fight the second wave instead of talking about the third one. Medical professionals have found a good platform in the media. So instead of getting tempted to make alarmist observations we could be a little more reassuring,” the minister said.

    He also said that public-private partnership in healthcare has strengthened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria said, “As we now prepare for the possibility of the third wave and (the spread of) new variants like Delta Plus. We need to look ahead and see how we can strengthen our public health system focusing on lessons we have learnt from the past.”

    “What COVID-19 has shown us is that we need a robust healthcare system. We need to address the challenges that we have in front of us. One is under-investment in healthcare. Another is that the public healthcare system should be driven by technology and data that would help us make evidence-based decisions,” he said.

    The AIIMS director stressed on creating a specialised workforce, improving the health infrastructure as well as on increasing doctor-patient and nurse-patient ratios.

    “What COVID-19 has taught us is the importance of strength of a public-private partnership. We have to move out of silos.

    “We had a vaccine (available) in less than a year (of the onset of the pandemic) but most of the vaccines that came out were not developed by industry but by academia. It happened because of the partnership between the industry and public health experts. The need for it has been felt like never before,” he said.

  • Maharashtra tightens curbs amid fear of 3rd wave, flags Delta plus as ‘variant of concern’

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Amid fears of a third wave of coronavirus and cases of its highly infectious ‘Delta Plus’ variant emerging in Maharashtra, the state tightened restrictions with effect from Monday, with essential shops allowed to remain open only till 4 pm on all days.

    Non-essential shops and establishments can remain open till 4 pm only on weekdays, as per a Maharashtra government notification issued last week which said the entire state will have ‘level 3’ restrictions.

    Restaurants are allowed to operate dine-in facility with 50 per cent capacity till 4 pm on weekdays and takeaways and home deliveries after that, according to the order.

    The suburban trains will operate only for medical staff and personnel engaged in essential services, while gyms and salons are allowed to remain open till 4 pm at 50 per cent capacity.

    The new order will impact cities like Nagpur, Thane and Pune as they had seen more relaxations than Mumbai, which continued to be under ‘level 3’ restrictions, despite qualifying for ‘level 1’ where all curbs are allowed to be lifted.

    The state government on Friday announced a ‘state-level trigger’ for imposing restrictions in administrative units irrespective of the weekly positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy percentage.

    The weekly positivity rate regarding levels of restrictions will be determined on the basis of RT-PCR tests, and not rapid antigen or other tests, the state government had said while describing the ‘Delta Plus’ as a variant of concern.

    Restrictions in administrative units will remain at a level not below 3, the government had said, and also called for pushing for 70 per cent vaccination of eligible population in the state.

    Earlier this month, the state government had introduced a graded system of easing the lockdown-like curbs in each district, considering the COVID-19 weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds.

    Districts and municipal corporations were then classified under levels 1 to 5.

    Accordingly, some cities and districts in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions had lifted restrictions and some were in ‘level 2’.

    However, last week, the Maharashtra government modified the graded system and said the entire state will have ‘level 3’ restrictions.

    District administrations have been asked to take various steps, including testing, vaccination and enforcement of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and penalty for violators.

    If there is an upward trend in the number of coronavirus positive cases, the district disaster management authority will impose a higher level of restrictions, the order said.

    Attempts must be made to achieve 70 per cent vaccination of the eligible population, and focus should be on testing, tracking and treating methodology to contain the spread of COVID-19, it had said.

  • Administration preparations in full swing to fight third wave, cement company donated 50 jumbo oxygen cylinders

    Cement companies are also cooperating with the district administration to deal with the third wave in the district. In this connection, Nuvoco Cement Company based in Sonadih today provided 50 Jumbo Oxygen to Collector Sunil Kumar Jain under CSR. The estimated cost of which is around Rs 10 lakh. Expressing his gratitude towards the cement company, Mr. Jain said that with the cooperation of all of you, we will surely be able to defeat Corona. Such administration is expected to continue to get your cooperation in future also. During this, District Panchayat CEO Dr Fariha Alam Sidki, District General Manager Industries SS Baghel, Unit Head Ramesh Warke, HR Head Vivek Jaiswal, CSR Head Vikram Sharma, Senior Manager HR Abhishek Tripathi were present. It is worth noting that in the past, medical equipment worth Rs 15 lakh has been provided by Nuvoco to New Kovid Hospital. Along with this, a campaign is being run for distribution of free sanitizers, masks and vaccination promotion in the villages.

  • Third Covid wave could be smaller than the first wave, says ICMR study

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The mutations in coronavirus, waning population immunity or unrestricted mixing of people could drive a third nationwide Covid-19 wave in India, but it is unlikely to be as severe as the second wave, a new study by ICMR researchers has said.

    The scientific paper, jointly prepared by ICMR and Imperial College, London, study by Indian and UK researchers has indicated that while the timing and pattern of the third wave will depend on such factors, the size of the surge could remain either midway between the first two waves or be smaller than even the first wave.

    ICMR’s director general Balram Bhargava and chief scientist Samiran Panda are co-authors of the study.

    The paper published in the ICMR’s Indian Journal of Medical Research said that immune-mediated mechanisms- waning immunity or viral evolution for immune escape- are unlikely to drive a severe third wave if acting on their own, unless such mechanisms lead to a complete loss of protection among those previously exposed.

    ALSO READ: 48 Delta Plus Covid variant cases detected in India; Maharashtra records highest: Government

    Likewise, a new, more transmissible variant would have to exceed a high threshold of reproductive factor—rate at which an infected individual infects other—should need to be higher than 4.5 to cause a third wave on its own.

    However, plausible mechanisms for a third wave include a new variant that is more transmissible and at the same time capable of escaping prior immunity and lockdowns that are highly effective in limiting transmission and subsequently released.

    In both cases, any third wave seems unlikely to be as severe as the second wave, noted the researchers.

    The study titled “Plausibility of a third wave of Covid-19 in India: A mathematical modelling-based analysis” also said that the emergence of a third wave could be substantially mitigated by the expansion of vaccination.

    If the rollout of vaccine is in such a way so as to cover 40 per cent of the population with two doses over a period of three months following the end of the second wave, symptomatic cases could be reduced by around 55 %, the scientists said.

  • Slight rise in India’s daily Covid-19 cases, experts say too early to see a sign yet

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: After a swift decline in Covid-19 cases over nearly one and a half months, daily infections in India have again started to show slight rise over the last two days.

    Experts, however, say that this is too early to see a pattern yet and the numbers need to be watched for the coming few days to reach a conclusion.

    On Wednesday, 54,069 new cases were reported in the country while on Tuesday this number was 50,848. In comparison, on Monday, 42, 640 fresh cases were registered in India, the lowest single day tally in nearly 3 months.

    The weekly rolling average of Covid test positivity rate on the other hand was 3.2 per cent on Sunday and remained at 3.1 per cent on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

    While about 54,000 cases reported on Wednesday are still lower than the cases recorded on various days last week, the concern is that the last two days so far are occasions when the cases have risen in comparison to previous days.

    In Maharashtra, the total cases reported on Wednesday were 10,066—the highest since June 17 while in Kerala which is leading the states in daily infections, 12,787 cases were recorded, also highest since June 17.

    ALSO READ: Delta variant 40% more transmissible, able to evade 55% immune protection, says study

    These two states are among the five so far, apart from Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where delta plus variant—a mutant SARS CoV 2 with the properties of highly transmissible delta variant coupled with K 417N mutation which has been associated with immune evasion has been detected in limited numbers of samples.

    Some experts cautioned that while the pandemic has been on a downward trajectory in the country for a while and signs like this should be taken seriously in the context of new information.

    “Given that the slight increase in cases is from states that saw early rises in previous surges, it would be prudent to be prepared and ensure optimal testing is in place to be able detect simillar transmission signals across the country,” said the public health researcher Oommen John.

    In Kerala and Maharashtra, he said, the delta variants seem to be surfacing so ensuring that the surveillance systems are sensitive to identify large clusters will be critical.

    “If surveillance is lax, health delivery systems will bear the brunt and we can avoid being caught unaware by better preparedness as data is key to informing policy response,” he added.

    Health systems and public policy specialist Chandrakant Lahariya, on the other hand, said it should be seen as a normal pattern.

    “We need to remember that in a pandemic, especially when we know that virus is still around and circulating, it is unlikely that cases would decline every single day,” he said, adding that India has reached a stage when weekly rolling average of new daily cases would stabilize.

    “Now onwards, the decline would be relatively slower and we may see a few days when cases would go up and a few days when cases go down,” Lahariya said while pointing out that at this stage, key would be to focus upon the districts specific rather than national and even state averages.

  • Jharkhand on high alert over possible third wave of COVID-19

    By PTI
    RANCHI: The Jharkhand government is on high alert to contain any possible third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, following suggestions of experts that any laxity may lead to serious consequences, officials said on Friday.

    The state government issued a detailed document to deal with the possibility of the third wave, which may lead to an increased number of infections among children.

    “Experts suggest that the Coronavirus is mutating at a fast pace and any kind of lethargy may lead to serious complications. With the inputs received from the experts, the state government of Jharkhand is on high alert regarding this matter.

    Efforts are being undertaken to enhance and up-grade the existing medical infrastructure,” an offficial statement said.

    Claiming that the dedication and commitment of the Hemant Soren government have resulted in containing the second wave, it said that with few restrictions in place, the state is moving towards lifting all the curbs.

    To deal with the expected third wave, the state government has started preparing its machinery in advance, it said.

    “Experts anticipate that in the third wave children are at greater risk whereas, this does not give any guarantee of adults being unaffected.The government is also working on generating awareness among people.

    Along with the preparedness of the government to deal with this potential threat, parents are also expected to discharge their responsibilities,” the statement said.

    It said that as per the detailed information in the state’s book ‘Manuals for Preparation, Prevention and Planning for Covid-19, Third Wave in Jharkhand, the Way Forward’, most infected children may not show any symptoms or may exhibit very mild symptoms.

    Common symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, running nose, sore throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste or smell, it said, adding that due to the tender age, children will be unable to explain their symptoms, but the parents need to be on alert.

    The government issued detailed protective measures to avoid infection in children, including paying close attention to their hygiene.

  • Chhattisgarh tightens its back before possible third wave of Kovid: Government hospitals will be strengthened from villages to cities

    Before the possible third wave of Kovid, Chhattisgarh has geared up to strengthen and equip government hospitals from villages to cities. Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel has said that no stone will be left unturned in strengthening the health infrastructure and making all facilities accessible to the remote areas of Chhattisgarh.

    In view of the experiences experienced during the second wave of Corona, the Chhattisgarh Government has started the work of strengthening the arrangements in government hospitals from villages to district headquarters. Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel has made all the district hospitals and development block level hospitals of the state well equipped. District Collectors have been asked to prepare and submit the completed work plan in 15 days. Mr. Baghel has said that the work of strengthening the health infrastructure has to be done on top priority so that even if a third wave situation does arise, it can be dealt with with full force.

    The Chief Minister has said that with a view to strengthen the arrangements for treatment of corona in the last 6 months, oxygen related equipment ICU has been provided in these hospitals. There has been an increase in the number of beds, ventilators etc. Better maintenance and frequent use of these health equipment is also essential to prepare for a possible third wave of corona. The number of doctors in community health centers has also increased significantly in the last few days, but health management needs to be strengthened further.

  • Necessary preparations started before possible third wave of corona in the district

    Batch wise training has been started on Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of all the medical officers of the district regarding pre-preparation for the possible third wave of Kovid-19 infection in the district. Following the instructions of Collector Shri Nileshkumar Kshirsagar and Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr. NR. Under the guidance of Navratna, Officer-in-Charge, Dedicated Kovid Hospital Dr. Jai Patel and Dr. Nemesh Sahu, M.D. Ventilator, Oxygen Support Therapy ECG under onsite ICU care through medical team in dedicated Kovid Hospital by Medicine. 07 days training was given on etc. In which Dr. Sudhanshu Patel and Dr. Ankur Sahu from Block Mainpur, Dr. Sunil Reddy and Dr. Shubham Rajkane from Devbhog, Dr. Aditya Chopra from Fingeshwar, Dr. Rahul Netam from Chhura have received training. The medical team of Master Trainer from Dedicated Kovid Hospital also included Dr. Giteshwar, Dr. Laxmikant, Dr. Mukesh, Dr. Rupendra, Dr. Mayank and Dr. Ajay.