Covid wave hits 20 million
INDIA postponed exams for trainee doctors and nurses yesterday, freeing them up to fight the world’s biggest surge in coronavirus infections, as the health system crumbles under the weight of new cases and hospitals run out of beds and oxygen.
The total number of infections so far rose to just short of 20 million, propelled by a 12th straight day of more than 300 000 new cases in a pandemic sparked by a virus first identified in central China at the end of 2019.
Medical experts say actual numbers could be five to 10 times higher.
Hospitals have filled to capacity, supplies of medical oxygen have run short, and morgues and crematoriums have been overloaded with corpses. Patients are dying on hospital beds, in ambulances and in car parks outside.
“Every time we have to struggle to get our quota of our oxygen cylinders,” said BH Narayan Rao, a district official in the southern town of Chamarajanagar, where 24 Covid-19 patients died, some from a suspected shortage of oxygen supplies. “It’s a day-to-day fight,” added Rao, as he described the hectic scramble for supplies.
In many cases, volunteer groups have come to the rescue. Outside a temple in New Delhi, Sikh volunteers were providing oxygen to patients lying on benches inside tents. Every 20 minutes or so, a new patient came in.
“No one should die because of a lack of oxygen. It’s a small thing otherwise, but nowadays it is the one thing every one needs,” said Gurpreet Singh Rummy, who runs the service.
Total infections since the start of the pandemic have reached 19.93 million in India, swelled by 368147 new cases over the past 24 hours, while the death toll rose by 3 417 to 218 959, health ministry data showed. At least 3.4 million people are being treated.
Offering a glimmer of hope, the health ministry said positive cases relative to the number of tests fell yesterday for the first time since April 15. Modelling by a team of government advisers shows coronavirus cases could peak by this week, a few days earlier than a previous estimate, since the virus had spread faster than expected.
At least 11 states and regions have ordered curbs on movement to stem infections, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is reluctant to announce a national lockdown, concerned about the economic impact.
“In my opinion, only a national stay-at-home order and declaring a medical emergency will help to address the current health-care needs,” Bhramar Mukherjee, an American epidemiologist said on Twitter.
As medical facilities near breaking point, the government postponed an exam for doctors and nurses to allow some to join the coronavirus battle alongside existing personnel. In Pune, the second-largest city in the state of Maharashtra, Dr Mekund Penurkar returned to work just days after losing his father to Covid-19. His mother and brother are in hospital with the virus, but patients are waiting to see him.
“It is a very difficult situation,” he said. “Because I have been through such a situation myself, I can’t leave other patients to their fate.”
Modi has been criticised for not moving sooner to limit the spread and for letting millions of largely unmasked people attend religious festivals and crowded political rallies in five states during March and April.
Despite being the world’s biggest producer of vaccines, India does not have enough for itself. Just 9% of a population of 1.35 billion has received a dose. Daily shots have fallen sharply from an all-time high reached early last month as domestic companies struggle to boost supplies. Vaccination centres in Mumbai were deserted after the state government said it did not have enough supplies to administer second doses for adults above 45.
The Indian Covid-19 variant has now reached at least 17 countries including Britain, Iran and Switzerland, spurring several nations to close their borders to travellers from India.