Amid Covid alert, what govt is doing: Sample tracking to check for new variants, people urged to wear masks

Here’s a status check on Covid cases in India and the world, and the steps the government is taking.

After Mandaviya meeting

After the meeting Wednesday, Health minister Mandaviya tweeted, “In view of rising cases of COVID-19 in some countries, reviewed the situation with experts and officials today. COVID is not over yet. I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance. We are prepared to manage any situation.”

Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Member of Health at NITI Aayog, appealed to people to wear a mask in crowded places and urged them to take the precautionary dose of the Covid vaccine.

“Use a mask if you are in a crowded space, indoors or outdoors. This is all the more important for people with comorbidities or are of higher age,” Paul said. “Only 27-28% of people have taken precaution dose. We appeal to others, especially senior citizens, to take the precaution dose. Precaution dose is mandated and guided to everyone.”

Significantly, the government has highlighted that there are “no changes with regard to aviation in the country as of now.”

Mandaviya also urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to suspend his Bharat Jodo Yatra if it could not follow all Covid protocols, sparking a political row.

Centre on genome sequencing

The Union Health Ministry Tuesday directed all states and UTs to sequence all positive case samples on a daily basis.

In a letter to the states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “In view of the sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network. Such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country and will facilitate undertaking of requisite public health measures for the same.”

Currently, the INSACOG network of over 50 labs across the country has been sequencing only select samples – positive cases detected among 2% international passengers tested at random, samples from designated sentinel sites, and samples from any cluster or outbreak in the community. Also, labs have been testing for viral RNA in the sewage system.

Status of Covid cases

Globally, the number of Covid-19 cases has remained almost stable at around 3.3 million in a week. However, the number of deaths increased by 10% over the preceding week, according to the latest situation report of the World Health Organisation released on December 14.

“The number of newly reported weekly deaths increased across three WHO regions: the African Region (+975%; partly due to batch reporting from South Africa), the Region of the Americas (+37%), and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (+81%),” the report said.

There have also been reports of a surge in cases and deaths from China as the country eased its “zero Covid-19” policy earlier this month. The easing of the norms was followed by an increase in hospitalisation, a shortage of flu medicines, and some schools moving back online

India has been reporting around 1,200 cases a week.