Disaster inevitable if beds, oxygen, vaccine shortage continues for three more weeks: CSIR-CCMB Director

Dr Rakesh Mishra, the director of CSIR-CCMB has warned of a disaster if the current shortage of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and vaccines continues for the next three weeks. “The next three weeks are very critical for India in terms of the spread of the infection. People should take utmost care and precautions,” Dr. Mishra said.

“We have seen this kind of situation in Italy, where many people have lost their lives on the corridors of hospitals due to lack of treatment medicine and oxygen cylinders. Last year, healthcare workers were very effective in handling the situation,” he added.

Speaking to the news agency ANI, Dr. Mishra lamented the lack of preparation for the second wave despite the medical experts warning against the same. “On many occasions over the past few months, many medical intellectuals, have been saying that the virus and its impact is just low and has not been completely wiped out. We should have been a bit more prepared for this kind of situation,”

“In infections like Covid-19, it is quite common that there would be a second wave as the virus mutates and whichever of the mutated variant virus is stronger will spread faster. There have been a lot of new variants that have emerged. More people will be infected with the mutated variant in India, if they don’t adhere to the Covid guidelines,” he added.

Talking about the importance of Covid appropriate behavior and how people failed to comply to the same, Dr. Mishra said, “Though the vaccine is a very important tool to defeat the pandemic, people must still remember to follow the Covid guidelines as the virus can be spread from even those who have been vaccinated. No matter what variant comes, it cannot spread if we stick to the Covid guidelines,”

“After a thorough air sampling of the coronavirus, it has been found that the virus can spread through air. It can move upto 20 feet in a closed area. Wearing a mask can keep one 80 to 90 per cent safe. If the other person is also wearing a mask, then one can be 99 per cent safe,” he added.

On the ongoing Kumbh Mela and mega political rallies, Dr. Mishra said that it is extremely dangerous when there is a large gathering of people especially in places like Kumbh Mela and political gatherings as it is a perfect place from the virus to spread to many other people. “People will be infected without knowing and will go back to their home towns and further spread the virus to most of the villages, thus resulting in the spread to even more people,” he said.

He also appealed to people to get vaccinated in large numbers and obey Covid appropriate behavior even after getting vaccinated.