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From the Editor's Desk Developing countries like India face a unique challenge because of the sheer density of its population and fragility of its healthcare infrastructure. India has been pro-active in shutting/filtering incoming international travel, and testing & follow ups on international travelers has been decent (going by some first hand accounts). However, those who have fallen through the cracks (some have outright lied) could have already spread it to thousands (refer Patient No 31 in South Korea) by travelling on trains and attending weddings and social functions. This community spread in India is not fully understood yet (ICMR maintains there is no community spread, which is hard to believe). Perhaps, the government is trying to avert wide-spread panic. Ideally, the government needs to ramp up testing, identify Covid19 cases, follow up and keep the circles of contact small, through home quarantine and neighborhood watch programs. This is not as costly as entire city lockdowns, which we might need and will lead to wide-spread hardship, unemployment and economic loss. The testing and specific isolation approach can work, even in a crowded country like India. Just look at Kerala, which has been 2 weeks ahead of the rest of India in the entire process. |
Saturday 27th April 2024
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