India has almost passed through the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s now slowly progressing towards the second wave. And, the most astonishing fact about this is that the entire scenario was caused during the unlock period. In between this frequent lock and unlock period, almost every single Indian was following the rigid restrictions provided by the Government.
The first wave has drastically affected India. And, after heading towards the second wave, we still don’t know what are the consequences we have to face in the coming days. However, it has massively impacted the health of the individuals and their occupations.
Moreover, certain questions revolve around the sudden coming of the second wave. How can the second wave of pandemic affect the Indian economy? When the second wave is going to end?
We don’t yet have any clear answer to any of these concerned questions. To get these answers, probably the Indians need to wait for a few more months. Now, let’s proceed with what India is going to witness in the next few days. These details are published before in some newspapers and local media houses to aware people from COVID-19 second wave.
What is the Second Coronavirus Wave?
Even, there is no such clear definition and the consequences that can be created by an epidemic wave. All we know is that a wave simply indicates the total number of individuals who have been affected by the disease.
And, when it comes to an epidemic wave, surely there will be both an increase and decrease in the number of affected people. There must be a defined peak by which the segmentation of the waves is estimated. In some of the major parts of the country like Maharashtra, the individuals have come close to the “second wave” of infection.
How did India get Close to the Second Wave?
Even though, after implementing numerous lockdowns, the Government failed to limit the numbers of the people. In some of the parts of India, COVID-19 is still affecting the life of the people even after following the rigid restrictions. People are getting infected even after taking all the necessary preventive measures.
And, in Delhi, the exact opposite scenario was noticed. The people over here are tired of wearing masks and gloves. They are now freely roaming around without even a mask or sanitizer. And, this is the prime reason why there is a huge increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. Even, in a few months, the total Covid-19 cases will rapidly increase. The curve might get flattened in the coming months, and per million cases will also decline.
The second wave of COVID-19 involves a high risk of getting affected and the community transmission will spread rapidly than the first wave. But, India is still yet unknown whether this is the continuation of the first wave, or we have reached in the second peak. Because, for some natives, we have effectively prevented the total number of daily cases because of lockdowns.
How is the Healthcare System Going to Deal with this Scenario?
The prime question that is arising in every Indian’s mind is how the healthcare system is going to tackle the second-wave scenario. Especially, when there is a resurgence of new Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha. And, the other parts of the country are still in the first wave.
Among these second-wave countries, Delhi is in the most critical situation. In almost two months, Delhi has witnessed the highest single-day spike in the total number of COVID-19 cases. And, these worst-affected states have pushed India in the second position in terms of COVID-19 infections across the world.
However, based on the number of total infected people, the ratio of doctors is very less. There are not adequate doctors who can tackle these pandemic situations. This pandemic situation is absolutely going out of hand now.
And, the number of medical treatments seeking people are more, especially in rural areas, where there are fewer veteran doctors. However, along with the Government hospitals, the private hospitals are trying their best to provide necessary medical facilities to the affected ones.
Financial Pandemic Due to COVID-19
So, in a nutshell, it can be stated that India is going through a dual challenge. On the one hand, we are facing this dramatic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and on the other, a huge financial crisis is taking place. As a result, India’s GDP has almost dropped through a huge ratio, after several decades. Also, the unemployment rate is high.
All these occurred because most of the industrial and commercial sectors had to shut down because of the lack of revenue. The government failed to put their attention on Private investment, which might help to bring changes in the Indian economy.
Are Frequent Lockdowns Really Helping to Prevent COVID-19?
Well, for some of the Indians lockdowns have totally failed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But, some of them are still not ready to agree. However, the lockdowns that were declared in between the March-May were strictly followed by the natives. But, after Unlock-4, almost every place in India was declared to be open.
The only shops or centers are still following the stringent COVID-19 lockdown rules and the ones who are in Containment Zones. Moreover, some major public places where a huge number of people usually gather are still closed- these include cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, and theatres.
But, these unlock phases are probably the reason why there is such an increase in COVID-19 affected people. Because, Indians seem to be tired now of wearing masks, following the social distancing and other hygiene precautions. They have started to take these COVID-19 rules and regulations quite lightly.
Unlock-4 Might Increase the COVID-19 Cases Further
It is now clear that such an unlocked situation is fragile and it can only fuel the spread of infection during this crisis period. Even the health care system in India is not yet ready to handle this messed up situation. The second wave has only appeared when during the unlock phases, the public activities started to increase.
Medical tourism has been one of the major selling points in India over the years. Though, it contains a weak healthcare system, which is only developed in urban areas. So, this COVID-19 pandemic scenario only revolves around the rural areas of the country like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, and other major places.
What Should the Government Do Now?
Now that India is slowly heading towards the second wave of the pandemic, it’s high time that the Government should take some additional steps. Foremost, it is highly essential to build up a strong mechanism for early detection and containment of the deceased persons.
Secondly, they should think about enhancing the production of medical facilities including PPE Kits and necessary medicines. Lastly, awareness campaigns should be organized, especially in the rural areas to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
