NEW DELHI — India’s apex medical and voluntary research community of doctors, the Indian Medical Association, has warned that the country must not let its guard down as the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is “inevitable and imminent.”
The association appealed to state governments to ensure safe Covid-19 precautions are maintained.
Making the universal vaccination reach the maximum possible population and strictly adopting appropriate Covid-19 behaviors can mitigate the impact of the third wave, the association said in a release.
“India with the proactive leadership of Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] and dedicated altruistic services of modern medical fraternity is literally just walking out of the disastrous second wave of Covid-19 pandemic,” the release states.
“With the global evidence available and the history of any pandemics, the third wave is inevitable and imminent.”
“But the experience of the past one and half years of war with the virus and based on the emerging pieces of evidence it is obvious that with making the universal vaccination reach maximum possible population and strictly adopting to Covid-19 appropriate behaviors we can face the third wave with confidence and mitigate its impact,” the release states.
However, Indian Medical Association noted that at a crucial time when everyone needs to work for the mitigation of the third wave, in many parts of the country, “both government and public are complacent and engaged in mass gatherings without following Covid-19 protocols.”
“We all know the 3rd wave is inevitable. We appeal to the government and the public to stop mass gathering,” said J.A. Jayalal, president of the Indian Medical Association.
The association acknowledged that tourist bonanza, pilgrimage travel, religious fervor are all needed but added that these activities could wait for a few more months.
India reported 31,443 new cases in the last 24 hours, and the daily rate of positivity stands at 1. 81 percent. This is the 22nd consecutive day when the daily positivity rate is less than 3 percent in the country. India has administered over 381 million doses of vaccine as per the data released by the government on July 13.
“Opening up these rituals and enabling people without vaccination to go scot-free in these mass gatherings are potential super-spreaders for the Covid-19 third wave,” the release states.
“The consequences of treating a patient with Covid-19 in hospital and its impacts on the economy will be “much better” than the economic loss the country suffers from avoiding such mass gathering.”
“It is the duty and responsibility of everyone at this moment to strictly enforce the Covid-19 appropriate behaviors for a minimum of three more months and ensure everyone near their house is getting vaccinated.”
“Indian Medical Association appeals to all state governments to translate the vision of Prime Minister and control any mass gatherings in their states.”
(With inputs from ANI)
(Edited by Amrita Das and Praveen Pramod Tewari)
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