2 lakh active cases by the 3rd week of January: Additional Chief Secretary, Maharashtra
Pradeep Vyas cautioned against complacency and urged rational and scientific thought.
Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Health Department Pradeep Vyas warned all collectors. Divisional commissioners, municipal commissioners, and chief executive officers of various districts on Friday that there will be approximately 2 lakh active cases by the third week of January 2022.
He also gave instructions on preparing if some of the issues require hospitalization.
Vyas cautioned against complacency and urged rational and scientific thought. “Genomic sequencing results show that we still have the Delta variant is more than 78% of cases. This figure will differ from one district to the next… “Please keep in mind that unvaccinated people in the current wave are just as dangerous. If not more so than those in the second wave,” he wrote in his letter.
The number of Covid infections in the third wave will be enormous. Even if we assume a 1% case fatality rate, we could end up with 80,000 deaths if there are 80 lakh Covid cases in the third wave. So don’t be fooled by the story that the third Covid wave Omicron wave is minor and not fatal.
Vyas has also suggested that the department’s health infrastructure be upgrade. The ICU, ventilator, oxygen, and general bed requirements for each district are calculate using Union government guidelines; however, he explained that each section might not require this much infrastructure immediately or during the third wave. However, communities are advise to prepare the plan with as little disruption to non-Covid services as possible while conserving resources.
