As Covid Surges Globally, Indian Cities Report Massive Daily Spike Even as Deaths Remain Low

Countries across the world including Europe and US are seeing a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases fulled by the highly infectious Omicron variant, which was detected in South Africa last month.

France has set a new record of over 2 lakh cases recorded in the last 24 hours, while UK also sees 1,30,000 new infections. Meanwhile, the US also recorded 5.1 lakh daily cases, highest ever since the pandemic began.

The new variant has also resulted in high hospitalisation, even in countries with high vaccination numbers. Cities including New York and London are seeing increasing hospitalisation, while Australia has seen record hospitalisation.

India Sees Surge

The trend of Covid surge, believed to be triggered from Omicron, is also seen in India with Delhi and Mumbai seeing surge in infections. Delhi on Wednesday recorded 923 new Covid cases, which was 86 percent higher than the previous day. Mumbai recorded a massive jump with 2,510 new cases, which was 809 on Monday. Maharashtra which reported 3,900 fresh cases, highest in the country, recorded 20 deaths.

States including Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have also recorded a surge in Covid infections. The Cambridge tracker which had identified six states as a ‘significant concern’ in a December 24 note, expanded it to 11 states by Dec 26.

Most of the states including- Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, UP, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Assam and others have announced night curfews. Delhi has sounded ‘yellow alert’ which includes restrictions like night curfew, closure of schools and colleges, opening of non-essential shops based on an odd even basis, halved seating capacity in Metros and buses. Mumbai has also announced night curfew and banned gatherings in public places on Dec 31st and New Year.

Lower Deaths

Though globally and in India, cases have begun to surge with even record cases in many European countries, the fatalities have remained low. In India too, Delhi recorded zero deaths while Mumbai recorded one fatality due to Covid-19.

Some experts have said that India will see a surge in Covid cases, however, the infection will be mild. South African doctor Angelique Coetzee who first identified the Omicron variant said India will see a surge in Covid cases, primarily driven by the Omicron variant but the infection will be mild.

Sanjay Rai, a community medicine professor at AIIMS, said Omicron’s infectivity is “very high”. He said that when a variant like this starts spreading in a vulnerable population — there are millions of people in India who are yet to be fully jabbed with a vaccine or receive their first shot — it will “rise and fall quickly”. It would be a situation similar to that during the second wave of the pandemic in India, Rai added.

The Cambridge tracker has also said that India is likely to see a surge of Covid cases within few days leading to a short yet intense wave triggered by the new Omicron variant.

Precaution Dose and Vaccination for Children

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on December 25 that India will inoculate the healthcare workers and people above 60 years with comorbidities with precaution dose. He also announced vaccination for those children aged between 15-18.

The decision for precaution dose comes as there was a rising demand for booster doses, especially in view of the increasing Omicron cases.

Studies have shown that booster dose of Covid vaccines elicits strong immune responses in vaccinated people. According to a study published in The Lancet, a booster dose of as many as six vaccines increased the immune response in fully vaccinated people.

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