The second wave of coronavirus has engulfed most of India. It started around from Mid-March and had been constantly increasing with some fluctuations throughout April. Although the covid-19 cases have been decreasing for quite some time, the uncertainty remains as to when the second wave will end.
Why did the second wave of coronavirus arrive?
The main question that glooms is: ‘Why did the second wave of coronavirus arrived?’ and why with this much intensity.
There can be innumerable answers to this question some of which can be really hard to predict. But some of the major driving forces for the second wave are:
Mutations of coronavirus
Mutations are alterations of the DNA sequences that may temporarily or permanently change the DNA message carried by that gene.
These mutations may help in increasing the infectivity of the virus and fight against the host’s immune system. Recently, scientists have been able to detect the ‘double mutant’ virus meaning it contains two mutations that can have increased covid-19 catastrophe.
Poor adherence to Covid-19 protocols
After the first wave had climbed down, people had started to go out without any masks and social distancing. Regulations in public places had been discarded and flouted. This might have given the virus ample time and opportunity to increase its spread from person to person and replicate and mutate itself.
Healthcare insufficiency
Even though the fatality rate of the covid-19 virus is around 1.11%, the major problem is a shortage of medical staff and health-related supplies and services. Taking care of a billion population with limited resources has been a huge cause of skyrocketing covid-19 cases.
Vaccination problems
The covid-19 vaccine is a major defender against this pandemic. However, the demand for vaccines is much higher than its supply. This leads to a shortage of vaccines and delays in giving immunity to the public.
The myths amongst the public regarding vaccines are also a major problem. People also fear that the side effects of the vaccine can make them sicker. Other people have religious and ethical problems. Spreading false information and awareness for vaccines have been propagated among innocent masses. This all leads to decreased vaccination drive making them more susceptible to infection.
What do the people need to do?
The cases of coronavirus will not go down unless strict adherence to covid-19 protocols is maintained and followed.
- Wear mask
- Sanitize periodically
- Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from others.
- Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated areas
- Disinfect and clean your surroundings
- Take care of your health
- Take a vaccine
Different testing of coronavirus
There have been speculations and doubts about different testing methods to detect coronavirus inside your body. Given below is a brief overview of the testing methods used.
If you feel that you have symptoms of coronavirus even though it may be mild or not, take a test to confirm. The coronavirus can be tested by two laboratory procedures:
- Rapid Antigen Test
- Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)
- Antibody/Serology Test
Rapid Antigen Test
An antigen is any foreign material that produces an immunological response inside your body. This test helps us to identify the antigens of coronavirus.
Usually, a nasopharyngeal or throat swab is taken for this test. It is a rapid test which means it can give results within few minutes to tell you whether you are covid-19 positive or not.
If the test is positive, it is very likely that you have contracted coronavirus. However, if your test is negative, it still does not mean that you do not have covid-19. This is due to the fact that rapid tests are highly likely to miss an active infection. Hence, if you have symptoms but your rapid test is negative, a doctor might recommend you to undergo an RT-PCR test to confirm.
RT-PCR Test
This is the most sensitive test to detect the presence of covid-19 infection in your body. If you have covid-19, it will give positive result.
The Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction is a laboratory procedure that uses an enzyme reverse transcriptase. This enzyme converts viral RNA into viral DNA and polymerizes it until it can be detected inside the specimen collected from the person.
This test takes about a day or two to give results. However, it is much more accurate than the rapid antigen tests.
If the test is negative, it does not mean that you do not have covid. There might be a possibility of taking an improper swab, inefficient procedures, etc. If you have symptoms of covid-19, take another RT-PCR test 3-4 days later to confirm.
Antibody testing
Antibodies are produced by our own body’s immune system to fight against foreign pathogens and antigens.
This test tells us whether you have been infected with covid-19 in the past as it detects the function of our immune system. It does not detect the current infection as it takes few days for the immune system to get activated and start making antibodies against covid-19.
As the antibodies are present in the serum, the blood is taken as the sample either from a vein or by finger-pricking. It can take about a few hours or few days to get a result.
Vaccines
The permanent solution to curb the pandemic is vaccination. Though many people still get infected even after getting fully vaccinated, the intensity of the disease is mostly mild. And also, the amount of people getting infected after getting fully vaccinated has been reduced significantly.
The myths of vaccinations are man-made. They are made mostly to spread fear among the masses for religious or ethical reasons. However, there is no denying that there can be certain side-effects or AEFI (Adverse Events Following Immunization), the advantages and benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh the possibilities of side-effects.
Also, there is no denying that fully vaccinated people also contract coronavirus. These are called ‘breakthrough infections’ where people get infections from the same pathogen they have been vaccinated against. However, the number of people getting a breakthrough infection is even less than 1% of the fully vaccinated people. Also, the severity of covid-19 in fully vaccinated people is mild. Hence, the vaccine is safe.
To learn more detailed version about vaccines, open link: https://wishmehealth.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-covid-19-vaccine/
Can there be a third wave of coronavirus in the future?
While the second wave is still undergoing in India, the experts are already concerned about the third wave of coronavirus which, if it occurs, might hit around the end of 2021.
Most of the people by that time will get vaccinated. This mostly has adult age groups to old people. Hence, it is expected that the third wave of coronavirus will mostly affect the younger age group to children.
People need to be prepared for any upcoming rise in covid-19 cases. The most important thing that can be done is to get vaccinated. The trials for vaccination of children are still undergoing as they require different dosing and have different responses. But until then, the parents should get vaccinated for the safety of their children. Vaccines also help in reducing the infectivity of the virus.
Apart from the vaccination, the healthcare system needs to be improved drastically. The frontline medical staff are working tirelessly to help people as much as they can. But it is still not enough as the management and supply of healthcare services are inefficient. The pandemic has shown where to focus while talking about the budget.
People need to take covid-19 seriously even if you are already infected or vaccinated. Follow covid-19 protocols and comply with the government and doctors. This can help us to make the possible third wave just a small bump rather than another ongoing devastating second wave of coronavirus.
