INDIA has been facing a COVID-19 crisis over the past few weeks that has crippled the local healthcare system and resulted in the loss of many lives. I submit that it is incumbent upon each of us to learn from what is happening in India, and rethink our responses to the pandemic.

For context, it was reported that on June 18, 2020, India recorded 11,000 cases and over the next 60 days, it added an average of 35,000 new cases each day. Using a daily average of 35,000 cases, that gives a weekly average of about 245,000 cases.

Last week, the BBC reported: “India has recorded more than a million COVID-19 cases in just a few days. Ambulances, medical oxygen, intensive care unit (ICU) beds and life-saving medicines are all in short supply.”

Official records did not always correspond with the number of deaths counted by photojournalists in some crematoriums. Possible explanations included that people were dying at home, since the overburdened healthcare system could not provide treatment to them and that people were not able to get COVID tests.

Not only are hospitals overrun, but crematoriums are as well. One of the more haunting images of the current crisis in India has been the aerial photo of a cremation site. Dozens of dead bodies are being cremated just next to each other and though crematoriums have been operating day and night in some cities, reports indicate that some families have been forced to wait hours to get their deceased relatives cremated or buried.

Reports suggest that the surge may be linked to the flouting of COVID-19 guidelines, wherein there were large rallies and celebrations.

As someone deeply interested in all things COVID-19, I saw India as a beacon of hope. Last year, India had donated much-needed medical supplies to countries around the world and just a few weeks ago, it began making substantial donations of COVID-19 vaccines globally. Guyana benefited from medical supplies last year and received a donation of 80,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which would help to vaccinate 40,000 people since the vaccine is given in two doses.

Now, the unfolding crisis in India makes me worried. While this crisis is devastating the people of India, it also has ramifications for the global fight against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes the disease, COVID-19) since India is unable to export vaccines as planned.

Importantly, in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, explained that as the virus moves from person to person, it changes. Though most changes are inconsequential, some of these changes may result in the creation of variants of concerns- which are mutated forms of the virus that may be more infectious or deadlier.

Again, while most changes are inconsequential, it is reasonable to assume that the probability of a more infectious, mutated form of the virus can be created with the increase in the number of new infections, resulting from the spread of the virus to more people. Reports suggest that this is the case in India. In Guyana, we already have the example of how one variant of concern, the P1 variant in Brazil, has been devastating the population there. Brazil has been dealing with its own COVID crisis, not unlike India.

Locally, we have also been facing our surge in cases and deaths- relative to our population size. As of April 27, there have been 54 deaths recorded locally and 2,505 additional people infected with the virus. At this time, April is the deadliest month of the pandemic surpassing the death toll in October last (44 deaths). Moreover, April is the most infectious month, with just less than 1,000 more cases than March 2021, which had the highest number of cases previously.

Much like the suggested reports from India, our surge can be attributed to both the flouting of public health guidelines instituted to help curb the spread of the virus and, according to Dr Ramsammy, a variant that is affecting younger people also. It is therefore important that we look at the global examples of how COVID-19 is still devastating populations and attempt to ensure that we do not fall prey to the same disasters.

As always, permit me to share a reminder that it is our personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Wearing a mask, sanitising often, and avoiding gatherings are choices we can make to reduce the spread of the virus. We have to be intentional about our efforts to protect against COVID-19.

If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com