Covid epicentre

India, the new epicentre of Covid-19, recorded nearly 75,000 fresh infections on Monday, far less than the average of more than 90,000 cases per day over the weekend. The sharp drop is attributed to a drastic reduction in testing. Kerala, for instance, reported about 1,600 new cases on Monday, down from Sunday’s over 3,000. The state tested only 20,000-odd samples on Monday, nowhere near the previous day’s figure of 40,000-plus. Reduced testing is uncalled for as India is struggling to contain the spread of the virus, which has made deep inroads into urban as well as rural areas. Though the country’s Covid mortality rate is quite low (around 1.7 per cent), the number of daily deaths remains high, with a record 1,133 fatalities reported on Monday. Along with enhancing the test count, which can curb the death rate to some extent, there is a dire need to improve treatment facilities and intensify contact tracing.

The healthcare system has been under severe strain in recent months, but there is no option to simply wait for the virus to run its course. ‘Every life matters’ was the government’s slogan when a nationwide lockdown was enforced in late March. Now, with the pandemic wreaking havoc during the unlocking process, the same dictum has become even more pertinent. The authorities need to ensure optimum use of the existing infrastructure; if there is a shortfall, it should be overcome at the earliest. It’s an irony that the country’s ‘largest’ Covid care centre, a 10,100-bed facility at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, will be shut down from September 15 due to lack of patients.

Amid the worsening situation, a potent vaccine can prove to be a life-saver. With the Russian Health Ministry announcing on Tuesday that the first batch of the Sputnik-V vaccine has been produced for civilian circulation, India can hope to utilise the all-important shot in the near future, once its long-term safety and effectiveness have been established. The country’s own research on the vaccine should not lose momentum. The Covid peak is still elusive, but India ought to be well prepared for the worst.