As we keep opening up, need to stay alert

The Covid-19 pandemic seems to be charting a curious course, not just in India but across the world. As the Delta variant fuels a surge in Europe as well as Asia, even threatening to reach the January high again, there is talk of the pandemic entering an endemic stage in about a year. There are experts who say that nations with higher vaccination rates as well as natural immunity from as much high infections may be the first to come out of the pandemic.

Countries such as the US, UK, Portugal and India figure in that list. Interestingly, the WHO’s Europe chief was extremely concerned last week over the rising fatalities in that continent and warned that should the trajectory remain unchanged, the region could add another half a million deaths by February next year. In addition, alarms are being raised due to the fact that countries are lifting even face-mask protocols. At the same time, there is a view that the world could get a grip on the virus by the end of 2022 if the pace of vaccination continues because by then, about 70% of the population would be inoculated. With new antiviral drugs being cleared in the UK as well as the US, hopes for getting further control over the outbreak would be strengthened.

In India, the scenario is not any different. The festive season has been celebrated with overwhelming gusto and with very little restrictions in place. But now, there is a chance of a third wave coming. Expert agencies have raised the red flag that the AY.4.2 variant could be the reason behind the third wave, but for now, there is little scientific data to solidly back the claim. With the transmission ebbing, many states have opened up schools. With the calls for further relaxations, others are following suit. Curiously, a recent study by ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar, suggests that children are unlikely to be prone to severity while another report suggests the elderly, despite vaccination, may remain as vulnerable as they always were. This is a very uncertain stage in the pandemic and it would only be prudent to maintain alertness, push the vaccination rate and not let go of the basic health protocols that have become a part of our daily lives.