The country saw its biggest daily increase in infections and deaths since the start of the pandemic on Wednesday – 295,041 new cases of Covid-19 and 2,023 deaths – as hospitals turn away patients and demand more oxygen, while that desperate families plead for beds. and drugs on social media.
“The volume is colossal,” said Jalil Parkar, senior respiratory consultant at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, which had to convert its hall to another Covid ward. “It’s like a tsunami.”
This month, thousands of people were seen heading to train stations and bus stops in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, but the central government maintained there was no reverse migration.
The second wave, which overtook the first, was a situation created by complacency, experts say, highlighting the government’s easing measures and a false sense of security on the part of the public. Weeks before cases started to climb again, the Federal Minister of Health said India was “in the final stages” of the pandemic.
Despite warnings about the risks of Covid, sports matches have resumed, elaborate weddings have taken place, and cinemas have reopened. This month, one of the biggest pilgrimages on the planet, the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela, took place.
Modi, who has a large Hindu base, refrained from commenting on Kumbh Mela and its Covid risks for weeks. He finally called on pilgrims to avoid congregating in Haridwar earlier this week. But for some, Modi’s message rang hollow, as he continued to organize massive political rallies ahead of parliamentary and local elections in four states and one Union territory.
YOU ASKED. WE HAVE ANSWER.
Q. What should we do differently now that variant B.1.1.7 has become dominant in the United States?
- Be even more guarded than before. “For example, if you are going to eat out at a restaurant, make sure they follow CDC guidelines and that there is at least six feet of distance between tables. still fully vaccinated should wait to be vaccinated before dining nearby with someone else at their table, ”she said.
- Wear a mask in public, practice physical distancing, and avoid indoor gatherings with people outside your household.
- “Getting the vaccine as soon as it is your turn is even more critical than ever,” Wen added.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY
The EU regulator says the benefits outweigh the risks of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, after finding a possible link to blood clots.
Experts say taking vaccines far outweighs the risks. Blood clots in general are relatively common – affecting 900,000 Americans per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And being infected with a coronavirus greatly increases that risk.
Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the United States despite vaccinations. Here’s why.
Over the past seven days, the United States has reported an average of more than 67,100 new Covid-19 infections per day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That’s slightly below the figure from the week before, but it’s still 25% above what it was almost a month ago.
There are several reasons for the increase, experts say, including dangerous variants of the coronavirus – such as the more contagious strain B.1.1.7 which helped fuel another outbreak in Michigan. Pandemic fatigue and the displacement of more and more Americans are not helping either.
Chinese vaccine nationalism softens as country signals it can endorse overseas-made vaccines
Even if China wants to promote its COVID-19 vaccines produced in the country, it must also face reality.
Beijing released a policy last month that made it easier for foreigners to apply for a visa to China if they had received a Chinese vaccine. Experts warn this is setting a dangerous precedent that could leave the world separated into vaccine silos.
ON OUR RADAR
- Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador received his first shot on AstraZeneca live yesterday, as he urged the country to trust the vaccines.
- Economic recovery after the Covid-19 crisis is not sustainable, estimates the International Energy Agency, because it estimates that carbon emissions linked to energy consumption are on the way to climb by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021.
- A national nighttime curfew in the Netherlands, intended to reduce social contact, will end on April 28, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced. The curfew has been in effect since January 23 and runs from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
- As U.S. health officials rush to get more Covid-19 vaccines to control the virus, experts warn the country will face another challenge in the coming weeks: The vaccine supply will likely exceed the request.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin urged all citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19, in his annual address to the nation on Wednesday. “This is the only way to stop the deadly pandemic,” Putin said.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“About 30-40% of people with long-standing Covid report an improvement in their symptoms after vaccinations, which gives us some hope in trying to understand what we can do to help them, but also what is potentially the cause of the disease, ” – Akiko Iwasaki, immunologist at Yale University.
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