Pressure on Governments Before Covid-19’s Fourth Wave

The world’s healthcare systems were hit very badly when the Omicron variant struck in the third wave of Covid. Governments were clearly walking on tightropes, juggling between trying to keep economies running while maintaining Covid-restrictions and safety precautions.

Presently the wave of Omicron outbreak has struck the Chinese city of Shenzhen, where the pressure is on infrastructure and the government to control the same. It is considered the worst outbreak since Wuhan. 1000 cases a day have been reported as of 14 March 2022.  Other Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing are also witnessing a severe spread of the disease.

Studies have shown that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is more transmissible as compared to the other variants of Covid-19. To make things worse, both the Delta variant and the Omicron variant are currently circulating together.

The Omicron variant has already begun to wreak havoc in the US and now in India. The numbers keep increasing with every passing day, and there is no sign of decline or end to this pandemic any time soon.

But, according to Covid doctors in Kolkata, the good news is that even though this variant is traveling super fast, Omicron severity is comparatively lesser as compared to the other and previous variants of Covid-10.

Still, the number of people getting tested is enormous. Almost every other house in India seems to have someone who is Covid infected. Also, it’s not taking much time to pass on to the family members of the infected person as well.

As per the rate of transmission of the Omicron variant, it seems like we’re back in the place where we were when the Covid-19 pandemic first began.

Is the Situation Serious?

Yes it is Serious!

We have welcomed another New Year bringing with it a new variant, a pandemic that has already killed more than 5.4 million people so far, while major events, festivals, and more have been canceled one after the other, all over the world.

Several major cities in India are already implementing curfew timings to control the spread of this new variant. Offices, restaurants, and other public places are open to operate with 50% capacity.

Looking at the worldwide scenario, Greece banned music in bars and restaurants, Mexico’s capital canceled the city’s extremely huge New Year’s Eve Celebrations to control the spread.

How is the situation in India?

In India, there is still hope that this outbreak may not turn out to be as deadly as the Covid wave we witnessed in April 2021.

We are living amidst the THIRD WAVE and Omicron cases in India are doubling  in the recent days, leading to curfews being implemented all around the country.

In fact, statistics show that 50% of the new Covid cases in the urban areas are from the Omicron variant. 84% of the Covid cases in Delhi have been found to be caused by the Omicron variant.

Delhi and Mumbai, and now West Bengal are the states most affected by Omicron. The highest concentration of Omicron is focused in the metropolitan cities with a recent observed rise of over 90% in the past few days. These cities are now recording over 15,000 cases of Omicron everyday and the numbers are only rising.

With the third-wave in full swing, the Government has asked all the states to reassess their medical conditions and prepare for it. Covid war rooms have been reactivated with the strengthening of the medical infrastructure especially around the supply of supplementary oxygen and hospital beds.

In Delhi, already 40% of all hospital beds have been reserved for Covid patients to face the upcoming rise in Covid-19 hospitalization.

Over 64% of all Indians are fully vaccinated and almost 90% have had at least one shot. With the rise in Omicron cases, the Government has been heavily criticized for their failure to start rolling out the booster shots as soon as possible. The Government has issued boosters for vulnerable people, healthcare workers and adults over the age of 60.

Omicron Active Cases and Case Study

The third wave hit Goa on December 28, according to the state's Directorate of Health Services, which had held off on imposing any restrictions to prevent further harming the state's already struggling tourism business. Only a few days later, on New Year's Eve, beaches in north Goa were packed with tens of thousands of visitors, prompting fears of a massive increase in cases in the coming days.

Over 1,800 double-vaccinated revelers, mostly from Mumbai, Delhi, and Gujarat, were detained on board a New Year's Eve party cruise from Mumbai to Goa after more than 200 of them tested positive. The Goa officials barred everyone on board from disembarking after an initial 66 were confirmed to be positive and the boat was seized.

Conclusion

While the country was not exactly ready for the Third wave, it has effectively managed to take almost all precautions and prepare in a very short time to face it. Moreover, the top general physicians near me, recommend maintaining all Covid-19 restrictions including the use of masks, continuous sanitization, and social distancing to ensure fewer chances of contamination.

On the cusp of the fourth wave, likely to strike in June, there is a lot of pressure on the Government to be ready for it. The third wave may have receded in India, but it is still on a rampage in Chinese city of Shenzhen. Governments worldwide are preparing for the fourth wave of Covid-19 and infrastructure is being made ready for it.