- The first two waves of the novel coronavirus proved to be a lot deadlier in the context of the Indian nation will be stating the obvious. Especially the devastation left behind by the horrendous second Covid wave in April-May 2021 would leave millions of people in a cold sweat as thousands of lives of near and dear ones were lost during the period. Thankfully, the Omicron variant of the virus has not caused as much destruction in comparison to the previous two occasions. Of course, the introduction of vaccines has been a big boon this time around in not only curtailing the severity of the infection but also in ensuring the hospitalization and deaths are minimized too.
PC: Andrew Stone
- Moreover, economic activities also did not face many restrictions owing to this factor. As things appear, humanity has finally learned to live with the virus, and it’s time we all take decisive steps alongside the government authorities in returning to pre-pandemic normalcy. For this to fructify, certain aspects need to be altered by all concerned. In a new phase of the pandemic, no matter high Covid infection numbers, many countries are lifting restrictions and easing rules. Such a pattern is visible in countries from Australia to South Korea, Norway to South Africa, the UK to the US. The Indian Government is expected to follow suit.
- As a step in the right direction, the Government of India has said that from February 14 it will require international passengers from 82 countries to only upload their full vaccination status. Thus, a seven-day home quarantine rule is consigned to the bin. The two main factors guiding such moderations are vaccines’ ability to protect from becoming severely ill and the imperativeness to build back economies, education, and normal life. Mind you, India need not follow other countries blindly. For instance, a senseless move like the one the UK is mulling to end the requirement to self-isolate even after testing positive.
PC: Madeline Will
- This move could be counterproductive. Allowing infectious persons out and about is a terrible gamble in the middle of a pandemic. Similarly, the rollback of mask advisories in various parts of the US shows poor judgment. Masking is an inexpensive and effective prevention methodology that should be adhered to. The psychological damage caused by the pandemic is quite exhaustive. To ease the burden on the people’s psyche, the Government should consider stopping mass testing and the release of daily infection numbers. It will be welcoming to redefine a Covid case as one where the infection is followed by hospitalization.
- Omicron has shown that high transmissibility is not by itself a public health crisis. India’s adult vaccination drive is a stupendous success achieving 77% full inoculation to date. Children’s vaccination is on as well. It makes imminent sense to clear the vaccination program for 5-14 years children, and quickly extend the booster doses to those above 45 years to help us speedily return towards normalcy. Agreed, a deadlier variant may change all that. Nonetheless, waiting in fear won’t do anyone good, least of all in a country with millions of low-income people depending on brisk economic activity outdoors for their livelihood.
