New Delhi: Addressing the concerns related to the deadly viral disease, a committee of experts constituted under the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) have cautioned against an imminent third wave that could peak around October and called for medical preparedness for children who might be prone to similar risk as elders.
What are threats under the looming third wave?
The report particularly warned around the lack of medical facilities noted that “paediatric facilities — doctors, staff, equipment like ventilators, ambulances, etc. are nowhere close to what may be required in case a large number of children become infected”, as per the Times of India report.
The study report, “Third Wave Preparedness: Children Vulnerability and Recovery,” has delved into the likelihood of Covid-affecting children and the required strategies to deal with the pandemic.
Set up under the directions of the home ministry, the committee has submitted the report to the PMO. The report noted that vaccination should be specially targeted towards children with comorbidities and those with disabilities.
The report indicated that the peak of the third wave is expected by late October even after following “strict interventions”.
According to the report quoted in the publication, experts have raised concerns indicating 82 per cent shortage of paediatricians in primary health centres and 63 per cent vacancies in community health centres (the data cited from a parliamentary standing committee).
“The situation is already dire, and might worsen due to lack of adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), insufficient medical facilities and lagging vaccination,” added the report.
The report observed that the second wave which impacted 60- 70 per cent of children being hospitalised due to Covid had comorbidities and their low immunity is the major factor behind many developing MIS-C (Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome), a “rare but serious condition” developed post-Covid recovery.
What are the suggestions of the committee?
According to the committee, there is a need for “a holistic home care model, immediate increase in paediatric medical capacities and prioritising mental health issues among children”. Besides that, it has also suggested the formation of Covid wards in a manner that could allow children’s attendants or parents to stay with them through their recovery.
How are states to be impacted?
According to the statistics, the third wave seems to be upon us if one goes by the rising R-value, the reproduction rate of Covid-19 has shown an increase from 0.9 to 1 over the last week of July.
The third wave may deteriorate the existing Covid situation in the country as the new and more virulent mutated variants of SARS Cov-2 have exhibited the ability to escape immunity from earlier infections and in some cases even the prevalent vaccines”. The report said it has pushed the target immune population for achieving herd immunity to 80-90 per cent.