Lessons on Covid-19 SA can learn from India

WITH the winter season approaching, the government, citizens and other stakeholders have an important role to play in ensuring that the death, suffering and destruction playing out in India due to the all-engulfing second wave of Covid-19 does not happen in this country.

The resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in India has come after a lull in infections, with the country now recording more than 400 000 new daily infections.

The situation, which has been worsened by overcrowding, is so severe that hospitals, testing facilities and crematoriums are battling to cope.

Given the similarities in the socio-economic conditions between the two countries, it goes without saying that the South African government and scientists have an obligation to carefully interrogate what led to the current tragic state of affairs in India and what can be done to avoid the same fate here.

While many reasons have been put forward by researchers to explain the latest surge, including the variant from the UK and India itself, there is widespread agreement from experts that the relaxation of restrictions that saw people attending political gatherings and religious events could have been the main driver of the pandemic.

It is abundantly clear that while vaccines are critical to preventing Covid-19 infections in the long term, the well-known safety protocols of wearing a mask, physical distancing, regular handwashing and avoiding overcrowded spaces remain our only hope.

These preventive measures are the cornerstone of our battle against the invisible enemy, and the government will do well to reinforce these messages to the population.

As a country we have a better chance of surviving the anticipated Covid-19 third wave if we clearly communicate the right messages to the public and study how other countries have dealt with the virus.

At the moment the subcontinent of India offers a unique opportunity to do just that.