The Health Ministry, GoI, has issued an alert for the B.1.1.529 variant of the novel coronavirus which has been detected recently by scientists in South Africa. The variant is characterised by a “very unusual constellation” of mutations.
This variant is reported to have a significantly high number of mutations, and thus, has serious public health implications for the country, in view of recently relaxed visa restrictions and opening up of international travel, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote in a letter to all states and UTs.
So far confirmed cases of the new variant have been reported from Botswana, South Africa and Hong Kong.
In such a scenario, all international travellers entering India from “at-risk” countries must be subjected to rigorous screening and testing. The devastating second wave must serve as a reminder to Jammu and Kashmir how laxity from official machinery and people proved disastrous.
It is important that first visitors are screened vigorously. It is important that contacts of visiting travelers, especially those coming via international flights are closely tracked and tested as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
It is important that samples of travellers turning positive for the new variant are sent to the designated INSACOG Genome Sequencing labs and in the meantime affected isolated effectively.
There is also a resurgence of covid-19 in Europe. There are several ways to read it. First, it is clearly the result of the Delta variant taking hold as several European nations lifted the remainder of curbs in autumn after they were put in place when the variant of concern (VOC) began growing over the summer. Second, vaccine hesitancy and waning immunity threaten to bring the situation to square one and seem unavoidable. Also reopening and holiday season behaviour are latent threats that can ignite new outbreaks at any time. But, most crucially, the most significant lesson is that the pandemic is far from over and no place can afford to think otherwise.
The authorities in J&K, especially health, should also ensure that the protocol is followed in all districts sans any leniency. Centre in its recent report imply that testing and tracing has been reduced and the same should be stepped up besides containment measures. It is clear that variants and virulence of the virus determine the severity of the disease. Precautionary measures are best called to repel any further outbreak of the disease.
