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India is facing a healthcare crisis of unprecedented scale.
After the first wave peaked, slowly but steadily people started resuming normal life. We were going to restaurants once a week, still travelling with masks but inevitably opening them at some point (while ingesting food or drinks).
To be honest, it felt like the coronavirus had gone away and by January of this year, everything started to almost feel normal.
There will be detailed studies as to why the second wave hit us this hard, but the simplest explanation is human behaviour. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/first-and-second-waves-of-coronavirus
There will be detailed studies as to why the second wave hit us this hard, but the simplest explanation is human behaviour. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/first-and-second-waves-of-coronavirus
What we did not anticipate was the speed at which the second wave would hit. From March 8, daily new cases started climbing steadily and here we are.
The healthcare system is crumbling to support these many patients. Collapse because systems ae designed to handle an average load, and therefore have an upper limit.
The healthcare system collapses when the number of patients requiring treatment rises above a threshold.
The healthcare system collapses when the number of patients requiring treatment rises above a threshold.
The people who are currently infected with Covid-19 and are severe are facing struggles in getting the adequate treatment.
In particular, the shortage is in supply of oxygen is crippling healthcare frontline workers in providing the requisite care to severely affected patients.
In particular, the shortage is in supply of oxygen is crippling healthcare frontline workers in providing the requisite care to severely affected patients.
About 5-10% of affected patients need oxygen, and while that percentage is small, the absolute number is huge owning to the number of cases and Indian's population size. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/the-covid-crisis-falling-sho2rt-india-covid-oxygen-supply-7287681/
Where to get help if you or loved ones are affectedSeveral organizations and individuals are curating and crowdsourcing information. Leads to hospital beds, ambulances, medicines and more.
@TheProductfolks and @CreatorsOfProd are maintaining a crowdsourced directory of Covid resources.
https://indiacovidresources.in/
https://indiacovidresources.in/
@CovidfyiIN is crowdsourcing leads for oxygen supply, medicines, hospitals, ambulance services at Life Resources.
https://liferesources.in/
https://liferesources.in/
@peakbengaluru is crowdsourcing info for hospital beds, ambulances and critical supplies in Bangalore.
@vensykrishna and Medha Kadri created Hyd COVID Resources and are working with a team to verify leads to resources, connect people who need help with those who can provide in the city of Hyderabad.
https://hydcovidresources.com/
https://hydcovidresources.com/
How you can contribute if you are safe and wellIt's not only the frontline workers who are in on this. We all are. Individuals and private organizations have stepped up amidst this crisis.
If you are privileged enough to be in the comfort of your home, consider donating.
Ongoing fundraisers related to Covid-19 - This is a curated document maintained by Riddhi Dastidar. https://twitter.com/gaachburi/status/1385481508362735616
Mission Oxygen- Helping Hospitals Save Lives - A campaign by a few Indian entrepreneurs who got together and are arranging for oxygen concentrators from China. https://twitter.com/AggyAbhishek/status/1385824478827978758?s=09
GiveIndia has several campaigns to help affected people and their families with healthcare, food, sanitary napkins.
https://indiafightscorona.giveindia.org/
https://indiafightscorona.giveindia.org/
Other than monetary donations, you can also donate your time as a volunteer.
Volunteers of the Covid Task Force by @Sairee of Sheroes can help screening Covid-19 infected patients.
This helps doctors in prioritizing treatment for high risk patients. https://twitter.com/Sairee/status/1384026121100881927
Volunteers of the Covid Task Force by @Sairee of Sheroes can help screening Covid-19 infected patients.
This helps doctors in prioritizing treatment for high risk patients. https://twitter.com/Sairee/status/1384026121100881927
If you are living abroad, consider donating to local campaigns that are shipping oxygen concentrators and supplies to India such as this one started by Neha and Sachin for Sewa International USA. https://twitter.com/nehanarkhede/status/1386011862588817409
When will the second wave peak?"We have found that there is a reasonable chance that the active cases in India could peak sometime between May 11-15 with 33-35 lakh cases", as per calculations by scientists and professors using mathematical models.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/covid-19-second-wave-in-india-may-peak-by-mid-may-predict-scientists-at-iit-2420763
The best chance we have at beating Covid-19 is by getting vaccinated. Vaccination does not prevent you from getting infected. However, early clinical trials suggest that it can reduce symptomatic cases by 70-95%.
In effect, the vaccine reduces chances of having a severe, moderate or mild symptoms as per this data by Natalie Dean, whose only source I found was this article by The Economist.
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/02/13/when-covid-19-vaccines-meet-the-new-variants-of-the-virus
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/02/13/when-covid-19-vaccines-meet-the-new-variants-of-the-virus
A lot of people will still be asymptomatic and therefore still be able to spread the virus as carriers.
So if you got vaccinated, don't stop wearing your masks because you are still at risk, albeit lower, of getting infected or infecting other people. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-mrna-vaccines-reduce-symptom-free-cases-by-80
So if you got vaccinated, don't stop wearing your masks because you are still at risk, albeit lower, of getting infected or infecting other people. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-mrna-vaccines-reduce-symptom-free-cases-by-80
Currently, <10% of Indians have received a single dose of the vaccine and <2% are fully vaccinated with the second dose.
See this stat here: https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+cases+india
See this stat here: https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+cases+india
The biggest barrier to getting majority of our population vaccinated is a shortage of vaccine supply as well as other constraints in raw materials essential for vaccine production. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/features/covishield-india-vaccine-astrazeneca/
It's a race against time. The sooner we all get vaccinated, the faster the drop in severe cases and the sooner our country will recover from the Covid-19 second wave crisis.
More importantly, it will hopefully help prevent a bigger and more disastrous third wave.
More importantly, it will hopefully help prevent a bigger and more disastrous third wave.
How to keep yourself and others safe• Stay at home unless there's an emergency requirement.
• Wear a mask at all times whenever outside of home.
• Avoid unverified WhatsApp forwards giving healthcare and nutrition suggestions. Ask a doctor in your family instead.
• Wear gloves or frequently sanitize your hands, especially before touching your face.
• Get vaccinated whenever you get the opportunity.
• Get vaccinated whenever you get the opportunity.
If you prefer reading this thread as a continuous blog post, go here.
https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/indias-second-wave-with-covid-19
https://www.preetamnath.com/blog/indias-second-wave-with-covid-19
