Editorial: Be vigilant but don’t panic
There is a need to focus on ramping up surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, intensifying genome sequencing and making testing accessible again
The sudden surge in Covid cases across the country — 3,395 active cases reported as of May 31 — warrants caution but not panic. While the situation calls for adequate screening and genome sequencing to track the new variants of the virus, there is no need to go back to the lockdown days. The current variant of the coronavirus is nowhere as dangerous as the previous ones that shook the country from 2020 to 2022. Nearly all the cases currently are mild and do not require hospitalisation, with Kerala accounting for nearly 40% of these cases. However, there should be no complacency regarding precautionary measures like wearing masks in crowded places, physical distancing and washing hands with soap from time to time. The elderly and those with certain medical conditions should be especially careful. According to experts, the sub-variants of the JN.1 strain, which belong to the Omicron family, are causing the current surge. Health authorities must remain alert and proactive, ensuring readiness to protect public health as the situation evolves. The Covid surge, which started in the South, appears to be spreading to the West and North, with cases being reported from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Like other viruses, SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate. Some of these new variants may spread more easily or evade immunity to a greater extent, triggering fresh surges. Respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, often spread more rapidly in colder or more humid periods.
Several cities are currently experiencing a rise in other viral flu infections, which may reflect broader seasonal trends in respiratory illness. Covid-19 is now considered endemic, and testing and genome sequencing efforts have been scaled back, delaying the identification of fresh outbreaks. Individuals with weakened immune systems or severe comorbidities remain especially vulnerable. With relaxed public health measures, they face a greater risk of severe outcomes during periodic waves. It is a matter of big relief that both the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have assured the public that the existing vaccines remain effective against the newer strains which will remain mostly mild. Now, there is a need to focus on ramping up surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, intensifying genome sequencing and making testing accessible again. The resurgence comes as a reminder that vigilance need not be alarmist, but silence in the face of spikes would amount to carelessness. A mask, a test, a jab — these are still our best defence. According to official figures, over 94.61% of the eligible population, aged 12 and above, had received at least one dose while 87.81% of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated. For a country like India, there is a need to track new variants and hospitalisations, incentivise vaccine companies to develop and update vaccines and drugs, and persuade citizens to get vaccinated and boosted.
