It is certain by now that Covid19 will have the better of us humans. Vaccines on the one side and lockdowns on the other have been the two principal lines of defence against the deadly pandemic, and the world is nowhere near a clear solution to outwit the virus and growing grip of the pandemic. Reports are that a third wave is in the making and could hit worst-affected Mumbai, or the whole of Maharashtra, in just a couple of weeks. Similar could be the case elsewhere. A third wave could lead to a fourth wave, of which there is no mention. Fear is that the third wave would see a more fiery spread which could mean for Maharashtra eight lakh active cases as against the present 1.4 lakh.
The second wave reached out to rural areas as well, while the first wave limited itself to urban sprawls. For the approaching third wave, the reason cited is the sudden crowding of public spaces immediately after the relaxation of the lockdown. The people suffocating inside homes have, at the first opportunity, chosen to let themselves go. There is a limit to extending the lockdowns as that would affect the poor segments of the population living a hand-to-mouth existence.On the positive side, health experts have come up with a firm conclusion that vaccinations are more effective than anticipated. A study showed some 95 per cent of the vaccinated health-care workforce has shown resistance to the virus. This was more than what the nation bargained for. Projections so far were that vaccine efficiency could be 70 per cent. It is also clear by now that those who were vaccinated have acquired sufficient resistance to ensure that there will be no major health complications. Notably, also, hospitals across states have by now been equipped with sufficient oxygen-linked ICU beds and drugs to meet related eventualities.
About a year more could be lost in the fight against Covid19 even as the promise is that India could vaccinate the entire population by the end of this year. The disruption of the education and examination processes cannot be wished away. It’s still a scary scene. There are no signs that an early restoration of normalcy is likely. The more the unlocking, the more the spread appears to be the norm. The UK, for one, has delayed its unlock plans by a month in June as there were fresh eruptions of the pandemic when a phased relaxation process began. This could happen in India too.
