Beyond third wave india passes another testing phase in the pandemic proactive public health strategies must kick in

Beyond third wave india passes another testing phase in the pandemic proactive public health strategies must kick in

The third wave of the Covid pandemic powered by the Omicron variant is now ebbing, two months after a rapid surge in infection started getting recorded in the last days of 2021. Unlike the US or East Asian countries, India has been spared the worst in this wave. The reasons aren’t quite clear yet. But India may have been helped by the high seropositivity – noted by national and state sero surveys conducted in the latter half of 2021 – gained through vaccination and natural infections. However, the IIT-Kanpur study predicting a fourth wave that could begin in June is a warning to governments and citizens to desist from completely lowering their guard.

India’s vaccination programme has been impressive considering that 95% of the 15-plus population has received one dose and 78% both doses. Nevertheless, the vaccination programme has been slowing down in recent weeks, with ambitious targets no longer being set. Only 40% of healthcare workers, 33% of frontline workers and 8% of the over-60 population have taken “precaution” doses. With national test positivity rates slipping below 1%, Covid has been replaced by other economic worries. Yet it would be premature to forget the virus, recalling how it rebounded and triggered the second wave.

Alongside vaccination, other public health strategies mustn’t be neglected. Serosurveys at regular intervals can help gauge waning antibodies. Genome sequencing on a larger proportion of positive samples will improve surveillance on new variants. As workplaces and schools reopen, rapid antigen test kits must be deployed for symptomatic and random testing. With many adult Indians having co-morbidities, booster doses must be allowed for anyone who receives medical advice for a third dose. Declining infections are also spurring disregard for masking norms. Here, a booster dose offers a sense of reassurance to adults leaving their homes for work and travel. We are still in the phase of living with the virus. Complacency could reverse the gains.