The number of active cases of COVID-19 had been steadily reducing since late September 2020 and it was then that most public places, schools, colleges, and offices began opening their doors for regular operation.
Despite the decrease in cases of Covid19, Covid protocols were being maintained with the utmost scrutiny in all such public places.
Till February 2021, more than half of all the Indian states reported that there was not a single death due to COVID-19 and this ushered in some much-needed hope.
Recent studies conducted by scientists at Delhi, using a mathematical model have examined that cases will be at its peak around 20th April 2021.
The public health officials are carefully watching yet another looming threat as the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country continue to surge. As well as the appearance of mutations that could be making the virus spreading there more speedily and they will be more capable of causing severe disease.
Scientists believe that the variants of SARS-CoV-2 responsible for this second wave of in India already include at least two mutations that make them more dangerous. These mutations are familiar to COVID-19 experts. One is found in a variant first identified in South Africa, while the other is part of a variant believed to have emerged from California. Researchers believe that these two mutations may, respectively, make it easier for the virus to infect human cells, and to evade the protection provided by immune cells like antibodies.
According to the latest data from the public genome database GISAID, 38% of genetically sequenced samples from India collected in March contain the two mutations—scientists have labeled this the B.1.617 variant.
Dr. Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi said, “The country is going through the second wave of COVID 19 which is proving to be more severe than last year. This new strain of COVID 19 is more virulent as the symptoms are deteriorating faster, it’s unpredictable and very contagious. More than the potency of the virus, we have observed that people initially neglected mild symptoms and did not isolate themselves, consequently not only did they got critically ill but they also put people around them at threat. These people could be senior citizens or people with existing comorbidities who are anyway vulnerable to any kind of virus. All this has ultimately put pressure on the healthcare system with a large number of people falling ill. They also require oxygen, ICU support. All these factors have led to a greater number of deaths in India this time.”
Possible Reasons for the Second Wave
According to the leading Indian Scientists from one of the most renowned institutes and research, centres have suggested that there are two distinctive factors that play a big role in this. They are responsible for the sudden and steep rise of coronavirus cases in the country.
- Opening of Schools and Colleges – Although such institutions are following all the COVID protocols reiterated by the government, there has been little control over public transit and the people, many of whom have not been following the necessary COVID protocols. This has led to several asymptomatic carriers transmitting the virus.
- A New Mutant Strain – The double mutant variant of the virus has caused a significant rise in the number of infected cases. Scientists believe that this strain is about 70 times more contagious than the previous one.
