What Is A ‘novel’ Coronavirus?

The sudden outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in the Middle East left millions of people all around the world in a lot of trouble.

The coronavirus is a series of viruses that are spread mainly through sneezing, coughing and contact with infected secretions. Coronavirus is a severe contagious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. It is a respiratory viral infection, which can cause severe illness in people. It has become the greatest threat to public health all over the world and India is not an exception.

What are the Symptoms of Coronavirus?

The symptoms of coronavirus are extremely subjective given the fact that many new strains of the virus have come into the picture. For some people, the symptoms are mild to moderate and they do not require hospitalization. Whereas for others it turns out to be a complete nightmare due to severe symptoms that may be deathly.

Some common symptoms are cough, tiredness, loss of taste or smell and fever. Some of the less common symptoms are diarrhoea, headache, sore throat and body pain.

Serious symptoms include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of speech or difficulty in movement. We recommend seeking immediate medical attention if you have the aforesaid serious symptoms.

What are the Necessary Precautions You Should Undertake?

The virus can survive in the environment for several hours. Hence, we should try to avoid visiting crowded places like public transport or big events like concerts, food markets, sporting events, etc. We should also try to wash our hands frequently to reduce our risk of infection.

Sanitize your hands frequently.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue while coughing or sneezing and dispose of the tissue thereafter.
Avoid close contact with people who are suffering from flu or other related symptoms.
Always wear a mask while stepping out of your home.
Maintain significant distance from people when you are away from your home.
Avoid touching your nose, eyes, ears and mouth frequently.

Is India Even Prepared for the 3rd COVID Wave?

Epidemiologists predicted that there will be another shallower wave that might hit India this month. The second wave heaved a sigh of terror throughout the country, which of course nobody was able to foresee. So, can we say that we are really prepared for another covid wave?

Some surveys conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research suggested that two-thirds of the Indians have been exposed to Covid19, which leaves about 400 million Indians without antibodies. A whopping 3rd wave could potentially increase the death toll sharply.

Experts have already started issuing alerts for Maharashtra and Kerala for 3rd wave and yet, the vaccine centres are running dry especially in cities like Mumbai due to a mismatch between demand and supply.

With the pickup in vaccination drives, the GOI and State/UTs have allowed schools and colleges to reopen for physical classes. However, in some states like Kerala and Maharashtra, the number of cases has been rising significantly.

A six-member central team that visited 8 districts of Kerala suggested that the state may witness around 4.6 lakh COVID19 cases from 1st August to 20th August. This forecast was the result of the upcoming Onam festival and the reopening of tourist places, etc.

India’s slow vaccination program, poor establishments and a renewed vulnerability to COVID19 is the price of failure during the 2nd wave.

India has registered around 2.3 Cr cases and nearly 4.29 lakh deaths. The noxiousness of the 2nd wave is yet to be determined and here we are a few days away from getting hit by the 3rd wave of coronavirus. The primary lesson from 2nd wave was that the local healthcare systems had to be managed and augmented before surging in COVID19 cases but we are unaware of who was affected in the past and therefore it seems like shooting arrows in the dark to determine who might be the most vulnerable the next time around.

Be Vigilant of these Signs

We recommend seeking immediate medical attention at your nearest hospital if you experience the following symptoms:

Trouble breathing
Inability to stay awake
Unusual colours appearing around the lips
Persistent pain in the chest

Take Away

Normalcy is a far-fetched dream now and the GOI needs to take some serious and practical measures in order to prepare Indians for the upcoming turn of events. Healthcare facilities need to be expanded and made available to the needy at least. Along with proper and quality healthcare infrastructure, strict regulations regarding social interactions should be implemented beforehand. Because as you might already know, a stitch in time saves nine!