By Harjiv Singh,
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck final March, the Indian government, and the rest of the globe, responded swiftly with a nationwide lockdown. Yet, infections continued to escalate alarmingly all through 2020. By September, India was recording up to 95,000 active situations a day. But by mid-February 2021, this had lowered to about 10,000. The steady decline offered some relief. Some even went so far as to recommend India had managed to stay clear of a second wave altogether. The arrival of the a lot-awaited vaccine gave additional impetus to such optimism.
But today, there is small doubt India is experiencing the a lot-dreaded second wave. This coincides with the emergence of various new strains of the coronavirus, which includes a double-mutant strain, the attainable threat of which are at the moment below investigation. Experts warn that the second wave, which is anticipated to peak this summer time, could be more intense than the initially. Fortunately, we are more ready to deal with it than we had been a year ago.
Increasing testing
Testing prices have enhanced drastically because final year. From 30 January to 13 March 2020, India had tested 5,900 folks. At the time, testing was confined to 65 government-run centres. It was also restricted to folks with travel history to impacted nations or these who had speak to with confirmed situations and these displaying symptoms.
Today, up to more than 11,00,000 tests are carried out each and every day. We also have more than 1,200 government labs and more than 1,one hundred private labs devoted to COVID-19 testing. However, a lower in testing may possibly have contributed to the current rise in infections. In October 2020, India was conducting 11,20,000 tests a day. This was down to 7,20,000 in February 2021. Increased testing will support us strategy sufficient precautions at an early stage.
Bridging the gap in PPE provide
Countries that have effectively fought off the pandemic have adopted a multi-pronged technique. This consists of not just testing and vaccines but also guaranteeing typical provide of private protective gear (PPE) and masks to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
The shortage of PPE is one of the most vital challenges the globe faces today. In March 2020, the World Health Organisation estimated the international healthcare sector would will need 89 million masks, 76 million gloves and 1.6 million goggles. PPE manufacturing would have to be boosted by 40 % to meet this target. But India rose to the challenge nicely. At the time of this announcement, there had been no indigenous PPE companies in the nation. In just two months, India became the world’s second-biggest producer of PPE.
However, neighborhood hospitals, nursing residences and clinics continue to battle extreme shortage of PPE. Healthcare workers are frequently forced to reuse gear, threatening their security. Vaccines do not get rid of the danger of obtaining infected. Therefore, access to top quality N95 masks and other protective gear will continue to be vital as we fight the pandemic. Efforts have to be undertaken to bridge the gap among demand and provide. E-commerce platforms can support obtain this by creating it simpler for purchasers to access numerous verified companies and suppliers and assure their PPE meets the needed wellness and security requirements.
Local PPE companies have a vibrant chance to continue ramping up their production capabilities. Currently, 600 certified corporations in India are generating close to 5,00,000 PPE suits day-to-day.
The initially wave demonstrated India’s capability to respond speedily to crisis. But we have to adapt to the evolving predicament. The Union Budget has currently set the wheels in motion to increase production and analysis in medicine. We have to preserve this momentum by guaranteeing sufficient testing and streamlining the fragmented PPE industry to assure simple access to protective gear. Only then can we raise security and prepare India for what lies ahead.
(The author is a Board Member of Global PPEMart. Views expressed are private and do not reflect the official position or policy of the TheSpuzz Online.)