While it is true that the accumulation of infections has not translated into an accumulation of severe cases, we cannot let our guard down.
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Last week, I tested positive for Covid-19 for the fourth time since the pandemic began. My infection appeared at a time when India is experiencing an increase of concern in the number of cases caused by the new variant of Arcturus.
The timing of this new covid peak in India is eerily reminiscent of the devastating Delta wave that ravaged the country in April 2021.
As a journalist, I covered the Delta Wave, witnessing firsthand the horror in hospitals and internal morgues, the long lines and corpses, and the suffering of others to run out of oxygen cylinders and critical medicines.
India suffered a total of 4. 7 million additional deaths in this wave, according to World Health Organization estimates. I have never seen so many dead bodies in my life.
The scenario is terrible, and it’s hard not to be overwhelmed. Every time I contract the virus, it’s both an intellectual and physical struggle. The memories of those days are still new in my mind, and that is why the news of a sudden increase in Covid cases in India is alarming.
I can only assume that my infection also occurred through this new variant, but there is no sequence at a point where I can be sure.
My symptoms with general fever, which then turned into cough, tiredness and body aches. I took medication as soon as I could, which lowered my fever, but it still took me 4 or five days to recover.
The scenario on the floor is worrying. Everyone turns out to be inflamed and the evidence remains low. Masks have almost completely disappeared from public spaces. There is a general sense of complacency among people, and many seem to have let their guard down, thinking that the worst thing is us.
Despite the low testing rate, India on Wednesday recorded nearly 10,000 new cases in just 24 hours. Virologists and epidemiologists have been saying for weeks that the new variant, also known as XBB. 1. 16, may be the explanation for the outbreak. .
This is a significant accumulation of the less than a hundred new cases reported in India on some days in January, which is the lowest rate since the pandemic began in early 2020.
Authorities have stepped up their efforts, fitness officials are holding review meetings to check the country’s preparedness for Covid. The state government has been asked to adopt simulated trainings at fitness facilities for operational readiness of medical infrastructure.
But general complacency and lack of evidence means we don’t know the true scale of the problem, and it’s conceivable that the numbers are much higher than reported.
This is frustrating, because we’ve already noticed how things can get out of control temporarily. In 2021, in a matter of weeks, the number of daily infections rose from many to thousands, and then climbed to many thousands each day.
As India now overtakes China to become the world’s most populous country, it’s not like a new surge in cases can again overwhelm its fragile healthcare system.
People are already dying by the dozens in Delhi alone, yet no one gives more importance to this. It’s as if we have insensitivity to the situation, accepting it as the new normal.
Experts warned that the new variant can be up to 1. 2 times more contagious than the last primary subvariant. But outside of meetings and mock exercises, there is still no preventive protocol for enforcing masking and social distancing.
While it is true that the accumulation of infections has not translated into an accumulation of serious cases, we cannot lower our guard. Covid is still with us, and will most likely stay with us for a long time. foreseeable future.
While I inform myself to live with it, I hope that we are also informed to remain safe. And this time, I hope the government waits for things to get worse before acting.
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My symptoms with general fever, which then turned into cough, fatigue and body aches.
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