Editorial: Call for caution

Authorities need to revitalise immunisation campaign and urge people to shed vaccine hesitancy in view of rising Covid cases

Hyderabad: The resurgence of Covid-19 cases in several States shows that the pandemic is not yet a thing of the past in the country. While the situation calls for caution, adequate screening and genome sequencing to track the new variants of the virus, there is no need to panic. Keeping in view the spike in the daily caseload — 1,300, the highest in over four months —, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has asked all States and Union Territories to ensure the availability of drugs for influenza and Covid. The latest rise in cases comes at a time when the country is grappling with H3N2 influenza cases, affecting children and the elderly. Symptoms include high fever, prolonged cough and weakness. Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra accounted for a major chunk of the daily caseload. The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently been warning that the pandemic has not gone anywhere and that the emergence of new variants with more virility could happen at any time. Covid surveillance mechanisms need to be continued with the same zeal. An early warning, when the cases are just on the rise, helps local bodies implement measures to prevent further spread. Whole genome-based surveillance also helps keep an eye. People should be encouraged to wear masks in public places and maintain physical distance. However, there is no cause for panic as experts have said the fresh spike in cases is not a harbinger of a new wave. The fatality rate and the number of hospitalisations are not increasing significantly. This reassurance should suffice to rule out any drastic step to curb the movement of people or impose lockdowns.

The key takeaway from the Covid-induced restrictions imposed in the past three years is that they have merely delayed the inevitable. The lockdown of 2020 proved disastrous for the Indian economy, with millions of people losing their jobs. The country witnessed a devastating Covid wave in April-May 2021, but the situation has been under control after that, thanks to the country’s commendable vaccination programme. The havoc wreaked by the zero-Covid policy, which China had to withdraw after nationwide protests, gives India another reason to not make any self-defeating move. The current surge is being attributed to Omicron XBB sub-variants. A recent US study says that vaccines and boosters are effective against these highly transmissible strains. The five-fold strategy — test-track-treat-vaccination-Covid-appropriate behaviour — should be continued in earnest as it has proved to be a success. An area of concern is the booster dose coverage, which has remained below par. The authorities need to revitalise the immunisation campaign and urge people to shed vaccine hesitancy. 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.

---