Suspect charged after Vancouver car ramming leaves 11 dead    Suspect in killing of general claims he was paid by Ukraine    North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia for first time    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame picks Outkast but not Oasis    400-800 year old giant coral colony discovered within AMAALA waters in the Red Sea    Makkah police arrest Yemeni and Egyptian suspects of fake Hajj campaign    Kafalah grants 1,900 loan guarantees worth over SR4.8 billion to SMEs during 1Q 2025    Council of Senior Scholars reaffirms performing Hajj without a permit is a sinful act    HR Ministry launches 'Ajeer Al-Hajj' service for seasonal work during Hajj 2025    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Third wave looms as India Covid cases spike
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 31 - 12 - 2021

A sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in India over the past week has sparked fears that a third wave, driven by Omicron, is around the corner, BBC reported.
The country reported 16,764 new infections and 220 deaths on Friday for the last 24 hours.
This is the highest single-day increase in cases since October.
The jump appears to be the starkest in densely packed metros such as the national capital, Delhi, financial hub Mumbai and Kolkata city.
Mumbai reported 3,671 new cases on Friday, up 46% from the previous daily total - cases in Delhi (1,313) were up by 42%, and in Kolkata (1,090) by 102% in just 48 hours.
India experienced a devastating second wave in April and May, with daily averages of around 400,000 cases at the peak of the crisis. Caseloads dropped significantly since then - for many months the national tally remained well under 10,000 cases a day.
But officials and experts fear that the new highly transmissible Omicron variant is starting to fuel a third wave.
It accounted for 309 fresh infections on Friday - taking the total number of Omicron cases in India to 1,270 cases. Maharasthra state, where Mumbai is located, has reported the highest Omicron cases (450) so far, followed by Delhi (320).
The variant, which was first discovered in South Africa in November, has since spread fast across the world, dampening Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Many countries, including India, have imposed travel restrictions after the World Health Organization (WHO) designated it a variant of concern.
Preliminary studies published in the UK and South Africa suggest that fewer people infected with Omicron need hospital treatment when compared with other variants.
But experts still advise caution as the infectious nature of the variant could lead to a surge in cases, increasing the load on already strained healthcare systems.
"In India, we may not see a surge in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, unlike the second wave. But there could be an increase in people who need to be hospitalised, even if it is just for monitoring," says Dr A Fathahudeen, who heads the pulmonary and critical care department at Ernakulam Medical College in southern India.
He points to three worrying factors: the number of Indians who are yet to be vaccinated, high levels of chronic disease and the proportion of elderly people in the population.
India has partially vaccinated almost 90% of its eligible population till now, but that still leaves close to 100 million adults who haven't received a single dose of the vaccine.
Millions of Indians also have comorbidities - conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity - which makes them more vulnerable to severe illness if they get infected.
During the second wave, a sharp surge in cases overwhelmed the country's healthcare system. Hospitals ran out of beds, critical medicines and medical oxygen - relatives of patients were forced to turn to the black market or appeal for help on social media.
The country is unlikely to see that scale of damage this time, says Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, a public policy and health systems expert.
"There is limited probability that we will see the same pattern of transmission. But it's essential that people follow Covid-appropriate behaviour so that the healthcare system is not stretched," he told the BBC.
Five Indian states are scheduled to hold assembly elections early in 2022 - the Election Commission indicated earlier this week that poll dates may not be postponed even amid the rise in cases.
In India's biggest and politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, several politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have addressed rallies and programmes in which several thousand people - many without masks - participated.
It's a disturbing reminder of the way political parties flouted Covid guidelines in states such as West Bengal - where elections were due - just ahead of the deadly second wave.
Any social gathering, from elections to religious functions, can escalate the transmission of the Omicron variant, warns Dr Fathahudeen.
"We don't need to demonise Omicron, but it's essential that we don't trivialise it either," he says.


Clic here to read the story from its source.