It feels like an almost familiar New Year. For the third time in succession, a remarkable calm prevails in the country with respect to the coronavirus pandemic, even as many other countries experience yet another round of infections. There is an unexplained confidence that makes people believe that the pandemic is all but over in India, or at the very least, the worst is past us. On the previous two occasions, the confidence was shattered quite early, with India experiencing a massive surge in infections in the first two months of the year.
What is reassuring this time is the proactive approach of the government. The Covid-19 emergency in China has triggered a flurry of activity in the Union Health Ministry and other relevant agencies of the government. The Prime Minister has also got involved, and assessed the country’s preparedness to deal with a fresh wave of infections. States have been alerted, surveillance reactivated, and public advisories issued. Mandatory testing of travellers coming in from a few specific countries are also being reintroduced. To some, all this might appear to be needless alarm. But the steps initiated by the government are not only justified but are also pragmatic. India’s most painful phase of the pandemic, the Delta wave of 2021, could have turned out to be very different had we not lowered our guard after the first wave. However, the government’s efforts would be rendered meaningless in the absence of support from the citizens. For the next few weeks, let us be a little more careful than what we have been in the last six months: Let us adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour as far as possible. Let us not ignore the illnesses: Let us get ourselves tested if we notice symptoms and minimise interactions with others when we know, or suspect, of being infected. And, get vaccinated if you have not already done so.
India’s Covid-19 trajectory has been very different from those of other countries. There have been three distinct waves: One of them, powered by the Omicron variant, considerably less painful than the other two. The periods between the waves have been remarkably calm. Not all countries have been this fortuitous. They have experienced many more big and small waves, and even the periods of lull have not been as quiet as in the case of India. Until the scientists are able to figure out why this has been the case, it would appear that besides the various things that we got right in our Covid-19 response, there was also an element of good fortune working for us. Here’s wishing each one of you much more of that in the new year.
