As the ongoing pandemic has been getting better in most countries, the COVID-19 situation in India has become exponentially worse by what experts call a ‘Perfect storm of factors.’ With record deaths and the demise of the health care system, India is facing dark and difficult times.
What is a COVID-19 Perfect Storm?
A perfect storm is a combination of uncommon, dire circumstances that lead to a terrible result or situation.
The World Health Organization, or (WHO) and other leading experts in public health have described the COVID-situation in India as a “perfect Storm’.
WHO Spokesperson Tarik Jašarević says there is an abundance of unfortunate reasons why India is struggling. One reason why India has been considered a perfect storm is because of the large gatherings. Prime Minister Modi refused to ban Hindu festivals, and people are gathering with family members, friends, and religious members to celebrate Hindu festivals and crowds. The government also allows gathering for political campaigns and elections. A lack of public awareness on preventing the spread of COVID-19 amid new strains and low vaccination rates in India all contribute to a perfect storm.
How Many People in India Have Been Affected?
As the largest populated country on Earth with 1.38 billion people, COVID-19 spreads rapidly and exponentially. At the start of the pandemic, India’s government came out with strict laws and one of the harshest lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID.
The precautions lead the number of people infected to decrease from 100,000 cases a day to just 11,000 in February. Health experts in India had summed up the success as having achieved herd immunity. This false confidence led to a population that stopped social distancing and wearing masks. According to The World Health Organization, “India never reached herd immunity at the population level.”
Now, due to the perfect storm and a premature relaxation of the COVID-19 rules, infections are at an all-time high. While in February, only 16 percent of the critical care hospital beds were occupied, which has risen to a threatening 90 percent. In fact, within just 24 hours, there were over 400,000 new infections and nearly 4,000 deaths.
New COVID Variants
New variants such as the B.1.617, originally identified in Great Britain, have become some of the most common strains in India. The B.1.617 strain is considered to be more dangerous, more easily spread, and potentially has a higher death rate than the previous strains. Some studies have found that the chances of reinfection after already having the virus or getting the vaccine are also higher with this new strand.
It is even considered the dominant strain within Punjab. A study completed on the new strain determined that 81 percent out of a 401 sample size in Punjab tested for genome sequences came back positive for the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19.
Although the social, religious, and political aspects of the ‘perfect storm’ have no doubt had a significant effect on the rising COVID-19 cases, it is evident that the rise in cases also occurred when the new variants began to spread.
New Delhi, India, April 30, 2021: Mass cremation of COVID 19 deaths.
Vaccine Administration Rate
A significant contributing issue to the spread of COVID-19 in India is the lack of vaccines and their slow distribution. Currently, only around 150 million vaccines have been administrated. That is only around 11.5 percent of a 1.3 billion population. With such a large population, it is not surprising that there is a slow rate of administering vaccines.
The previous overconfidence in their handling of COVID-19 also plays a role in the rollout of vaccines. With many people believing that the vaccine is unnecessary and others being skeptical of the efficiency of the vaccine, India has had a difficult time convincing people to get the vaccine.
What is Being Done to Solve This Issue?
To try and get better control of COVID-19 in India, areas such as Maharashtra and New Delhi will be having nighttime and weekend lockdowns where people will not be allowed to leave their houses. To help increase the supply of oxygen, the armed forces in India have also agreed to donate their supply of oxygen to the public.
The United States will be sending personal protective equipment (PPE), COVID-19 tests, and oxygen to help the situation. President Joe Biden has said on Twitter, “Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need.”
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has agreed to send $10 million to the Indian Red Cross. Canada will also provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators.
Other countries have also agreed to send aid to India, such as Germany, Singapore, and The United Kingdom. Just last weekend, they sent materials for oxygen and are looking to send more aid in the future.
Although India is heavily struggling with containing the spread of COVID-19, many countries have come together to help support their efforts.
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