Covid-19 4th Wave Scare: Are We Back To Square One?

Amidst the rising Covid cases across different parts of the world, especially in China, the Indian government and Indian Medical Association (IMA) have asked citizens to be cautious. The IMA advised people to follow Covid appropriate behavior and avoid international travel.

In their statement, the IMA further said that the situation isn’t serious and people should avoid panicking. However, prevention is always better than cure, so their advice must be taken seriously.

So, why the need for this advisory and the sudden rise in conversation about Covid?

• Well, it all began after news and videos started surfacing on the Internet about the worsening situation in China. Our neighboring country’s exit from its Zero Covid strategy has been dismal. But, within weeks, the positive cases began to soar, and China’s healthcare system started to crack. There were even reports that their morgues were overflowing with dead bodies.
• According to some reports, China has stopped reporting daily Covid cases and deaths. It is likely that their daily case count is reaching million and over 5000 deaths per day. Low immunity and pathetic vaccination rates are probably the primary causes driving this wave in China.
• Furthermore, the Omicron sub-variant BF.7 is believed to be responsible for the latest surge in Covid cases in several countries. India has also not been spared by this variant, as different parts of the country, including Delhi, Odisha, and Gujarat, reported cases. While the situation isn’t as worse as in China, but the government asked citizens to be cautious.

So, it’s time for real questions.

Is the Covid-19 4^th wave scare cause of concern?

And are we back to square one?

Well, Yes & No. Based on the advisory of the medical association, we should be wary of the new variant. Take precautionary measures and avoid foreign trips as much as possible. Apart from that, we should avoid getting paranoid because we are nowhere near to square one. According to NTAGI chief Dr. NK Arora, we shouldn’t get into the topic of herd immunity, as it is a complex topic. However, he also pointed out that India has a strong hybrid immunity. This form of immunity is a blend of vaccination and natural immunity.

The key is to take preventive measures to safeguard ourselves from the virus. Here are a few measures recommended by health experts across the world:

Mask Up:

By now, everyone knows the benefits of wearing a mask. And most importantly, how to properly wear a mask. However, most of us don’t know that mask should be ideally made up of 2-3 layers of breathable fabric, which can perfectly fit on your face. A quick test could be holding your mask in front of a light. If it happens to pass through the light, then it’s likely that your mask is too thin.

Stay Socially Distant:

Virus transmission occurs when an infected person coughs or sneezes from a really close distance (under 6 feet in most cases) in front of another individual. In some cases, people are asymptomatic, so while they won’t show any symptoms but continue to spread the virus. Therefore, it becomes all the more important for us to maintain 6 feet distance from one another.

Get Booster Dose:

For a while now, medical professionals have been asking citizens to get booster doses, but people have been avoiding it for various reasons. With the rising number of cases in China and 4^th wave scare in India, it’s about time you take the booster dose.

Understand The Symptoms:

According to global studies, the BF.7 variant, a subvariant of Omicron, is highly infectious, so it’s highly likely that the number of cases registered this time around will be higher. However, before you panic, this variant isn’t serious and comes with common cold symptoms such as sore throat, runny nose, cough with or without phlegm, fever, and muscle pain.

Concluding Words:

The next few weeks are going to be crucial. If we are able to curtail the number of cases and people take precautionary measures, this variant, too, shall pass without making any serious impact.