Experts across the globe have warned of a third wave hitting India's states in the next few months.
Coimbatore: The Coimbatore district, first in the State to report maximum number of daily Covid cases leaving in its wake innumerable families devastated, is slowly limping back to normal as it begins to reopen after combating a deadly second wave of the pandemic.
Experts across the globe have warned of a third wave hitting India's states in the next few months. But, the delta plus variant has become more of a huge concern to the experts since they say it is more likely to severely impact people more than the delta variant.
Several Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, Maharashtra and Telangana have managed to lower daily fresh Covid-19 cases by imposing strict lockdowns for a while. However, with many relaxations slowly coming into place in these states, it is warned that the third wave is more likely to hit the states due to the behaviour of the people. Many public experts including a renowned expert, the Dean of Salem Government Super Speciality Hospital and the present Dean of Theni Government Hospital, Dr. Balajinathan who was involved in lowering the daily caseload of Covid-19 during the first and second waves in Salem opines that the Covid third wave hitting districts of Tamil Nadu is dependent on how the public behave and follow Covid safety protocols.
“I had previously warned of the second wave hitting us even during the Covid-19 first wave, after seeing people in Salem with no masks and crowding unnecessarily. And unfortunately it became real and we are going through the second wave. I am saying the same now and requesting people to follow the protocols set by the Government through the expert committees, so as to at least delay the third wave hitting us,” said Dr.Balajinathan. He reiterated that the third wave cannot be avoided but can be delayed since India is already into that stage. The Tamil Nadu government blamed the illegally functioning mills and factories in Coimbatore district for the rise in daily Covid cases during the second wave when the district was in lockdown.
After identifying such illegal functioning of establishments, the regime took stern action against them and sealed many which was followed by the downward trend in daily Covid cases in the district during lockdown. The Coimbatore district also saw a downward trend in daily cases as the Government separated districts in the state into three zones. Even when the other districts were open to relaxations during the beginning stage of reopening economic activities, Coimbatore and a few other districts did not.
Traders in Coimbatore district, despite crying foul over the loss of income compared to the previous years, also say that though the district is set to reopen the economic activities but people don’t follow Covid safety protocols, then it will again be a burden on all. “If people do not follow protocols and crowd in places, this will ensure the onset of the Covid third wave and then again the district will go into lockdown which will burden health experts, people, the Government and traders like us in losing more income,” opined a few traders in the city.
Even though fresh Covid-19 cases have declined and the district manages to control the spread, epidemiologists say the identification of variants early could help in delaying the third wave. Working on the progress of controlling the daily caseload in the district, epidemiologist and health experts say severe containment measures and sequencing efforts could help in preventing more damage due to the third wave. Public health policy experts also add that more surveillance should be in place even though the daily caseload is on the decline. According to these experts, the country must vaccinate all its people to meet its target by the end of 2021, to delay the Covid third wave.
Experts also feel that states must also be given importance in terms of vaccination and provided with more jabs. "Though the vaccine's efficacy is doubted in handling the third wave, there is no option left besides vaccination and social distancing. Following protocols might delay the third wave and we have had enough of a devastating impact during the first and second waves of Covid-19, so it lies with the people now," opine experts.