NEW DELHI, May 7: In an apparent bid to reduce the panic among the people, the government’s scientific advisor on Friday reframed his warning of an “inevitable third wave” of Coronavirus clarifying that it might not take place at all if precautions were taken.
Clarifying his Thursday’s caution, K Vijay Raghavan, the principal scientific advisor to the government, on Friday said a third wave may not take place everywhere in the country if adequate precautions are taken. “It may not take place at all if precautions are taken. The pandemic has different peaks and falls across the country,” the expert said, adding that the only condition for such waves is the presence of a susceptible population.
“It may be useful to talk about the location, timing and intensity of infections instead of waves and their number, although the latter is in common usage. If we take strong measures, the third wave may not happen at all places or indeed anywhere at all. It depends on how effectively the guidance is implemented at the local level, in the states, in districts,” Raghavan said, referring to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, local lockdown measures etc.
The “insidious, asymptomatic” transmission of the virus can be stopped, if the guidance on testing, treating, containing is followed, he said. “This sounds difficult, it is difficult but we can and must do it,” he added.
“Very simply put, the infections rise when the virus has the opportunity to infect people. When the virus runs out of opportunities, infections fall,” he said. Explaining, the principal scientific advisor said when a large number of people is vaccinated against the virus or is following social distancing and other precautions, the virus runs out of opportunities.
But when the virus runs out of opportunities, it does not mean that it has been eliminated. If new opportunities are given to them, cases will again rise. And new opportunities can arise if people become complacent, and if people think the pandemic is over, the expert explained.
“The frequency and the size of these ups and downs may be reduced as this is in our hands. Remember, asymptomatic people can also transmit the infection. This is all the more reason why you should maintain social distancing and proper hygiene,” he said.
This comes as a departure from his earlier comment on Thursday where he warned the country of a third wave of the pandemic. In his earlier warning, he said a third wave seems inevitable given the high levels of the virus in circulation, though it’s not clear when the third wave may attack. As people are building immunity against the virus, the virus is finding new ways to infect people. That’s how the virus has worked so far, Raghavan had earlier stated.
Meanwhile, commenting on the rising alarm among the people over prevailing mucormycosis among the Covid patients, the government said it was “absolutely preventable.”
Reacting to reports of mucormycosis or black fungus among Covid-19 patients, Niti Aayog (health) member VK Paul on Friday said the occurrence was natural and the correlation between mucormycosis and Covid-19 was not exclusive. The infection affects only those who have a high blood sugar level, notwithstanding the presence of Covid-19 infection.
“It is a fungus that breeds on wet surfaces. It is very uncommon to happen among patients who do not have diabetes. There are reports of this fungal infection among Covid-19 patients. But I want to reassure you that there is no major outbreak and we are monitoring the cases at our level,” Paul said.
“It is absolutely preventable,” Paul said adding that if one’s diabetes was under control, there was no reason to worry.
“There are three factors triggering this fungal infection: uncontrolled diabetes, immunosuppression because of steroids or any other disease and exposure to a wet surface. The presence of Covid-19, breathing difficulty is not necessary for this infection, we must remember,” Paul said.
“For Covid-19 treatment, we are using life-saving steroids and medicines which suppress immunity. In addition, if one diabetic Covid-19 patient is on oxygen support, then he or she gets exposed to the humidifier. This increases the chance of the fungal infection,” Dr Paul said.
Listing out five measures that doctors should follow to minimise the chance of this infection among Covid-19 patients, Dr Paul said one must keep blood sugar under check, Covid or no Covid. Second, in Covid-19 treatment, steroid should be used judiciously, only in the recommended dose and after the sixth day, he said. Third, the humidifier, if the Covid-19 patient is on oxygen support, should have clean water. Fourth, the overall cleanliness of the covid-19 patient should be maintained. Fifth, if there is any new oral ulcer, it has to be treated immediately, Dr Paul said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
