2,320 COVID Deaths Per Day By June In India - Lancet Report Warns

A report published by Lancet Covid-19 Commissioner's India Task Force members states that India may witness 1,750 deaths daily if the current Covid situation persists. The problem might worsen, mounting to a surge of around 2,320 deaths per day by the first week of June.

Ban Gatherings Without Complete Lockdown

The experts have emphasised explicitly the implication of a temporary ban on gatherings of groups consisting of more than ten people for at least two months. The reports instead suggested towards phased restrictions instead of complete lockdown over the nation or any particular state, reported The Economic Times.

Tier 2 & Tier Cities Not Spared In Second Wave

The report distinctly highlighted the differences between the second wave and the first wave of Covid-19, stating several indices. "while the pandemic has spread, the geographic contours of the second wave closely mirror those of the first wave, though with a deeper penetration into tier-2 and tier-3 cities," read the preliminary review of the report.The expert panel consisting of twenty members established that the second wave differs from the first wave in September 2020 in primarily two aspects:

Firstly, the rate of the spread is notably faster for the second wave. The jump from 10,000 cases per day to 80,000 cases per day took less than 40 days from February to April. For the first wave, this spike took 83days starting from September. Secondly, the number of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases results in comparatively lower cases of hospitalisation or mortality.

Cost Of Covid Containment

The report highlights the aspects that distinguish the second wave from the first and state measures for its efficient containment. It apprised that disruptions in routine immunisation or routine care might emerge as a threat to maternal and child survival. It also mentioned that India might have to endure 7.8 billion dollars on Covid testing and 1.7 billion dollars on healthcare on account of the deaths caused by Covid-19 infections by September 2021.

Adults Less Than 45 Are Vulnerable

In such scenarios, the experts suggested enhancing the vaccination programmes' pace and targeting 5million doses of vaccines every day. It also mentioned that all adults even below the age of 45 with severe comorbidities should be immunised in priority as they are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and subsequent hospitalization.

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