New wave: – A tsunami awaits

The introduction of the delta variant in India had dire consequences from April to June of last year – when tens of thousands lost their lives and hospitals were overloaded. In some places corpses had to be cremated in gardens, such as Crematoriums were capable of exploding.

At most, more than 400,000 new cases of infection are recorded every day.

Now more and more people fear that the country of 1.35 billion people is facing a new wave of serious infections, as the omicron variant is being detected in more and more places.

Winter tsunami

1,892 cases of omicron have been confirmed so far in the country – most of them have been detected in Mumbai and the capital, New Delhi. However, it is believed that there are large dark numbers.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Bednekar says according to Watchman It predicts a “tsunami” of infection in the future.

The most populous city in India, it is currently registering more than 15,000 cases per day. The mayor warns that if the daily number of infections exceeds 20,000, new measures will be relevant.

The health minister of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, also refers to it as It’s scary that infection rates are rising again.

“If the infection increases further in Mumbai, we should consider imposing restrictions,” he told Indian news agency ANI.

Several cities have already taken measures to curb the spread of infection. New Delhi now bans large gatherings for Christmas and New Year.

Indian authorities have asked states to provide health staff and ensure adequate access to oxygen and hospital beds.

You can get a big raise

The World Health Organization’s lead researcher, Soumya Swaminathan, has warned that the omicron variant could overwhelm Indian hospitals – even if it turns out to be milder than the delta variant.

Some studies have actually suggested that omicron gives a milder course of disease than delta. At present, however, there is a great deal of uncertainty associated with the characteristics of the variable.

India could get a significant increase in infection. She adds that the next two weeks will provide answers as to how evolution will be, and adds that wiping out an Omicron is not “cold.”

On Wednesday, 58,097 new cases of infection were recorded in India, according to John Hopkins University. 64 percent of the population received two doses of the Corona vaccine, while 90 percent received one dose.

From January, the country will begin vaccinating children aged 15-18, as well as distributing booster doses to priority groups such as health professionals and the elderly.

WHO: May lead to more dangerous varieties

big crowds

The surge in infections comes as party members travel across the country to campaign in the run-up to the 2022 election.

However, many have expressed concern that large crowds at election campaign events could lead to further spread of infection, writes Washington Post.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others, visited Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, seven times – leading to large crowds.

Videos from a campaign event two weeks ago sparked backlash, showing large crowds without bandages and distances, he writes. CNN.

On the same day, a state Supreme Court judge called for such election events to be banned, arguing that one could not distance oneself.