Jamshedpur: Coronavirus pandemic is certainly on the retreat in our city Jamshedpur, our state Jharkhand and our country India. However, the news of a second wave sweeping through most countries of Europe has worried the experts a lot.
The latest data coming from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reveal that coronavirus has caused 480 deaths in 24 hours. However, this figure is significantly lower than one that we had a few weeks back when the figure was almost touching 1,000 deaths every day. India has already lost 1,19,014 people to this pandemic.
The good thing is that the number of active cases is coming down. During the last 24 hours it has come down by 14,437 to 6,53,717.
The recovery rate too has crossed 90.23% and this is a big news.
The situation is also showing improvement trend in the state of Jharkhand as well as our city Jamshedpur. There was a time when around 10 deaths were being reported everyday in the city. From that point to 1 or 2 deaths in a every two or three days is a significant improvement for the city of Jamshedpur too.
However, as the experts and doctors have been repeatedly reminding us, there is a real fear of a second wave in India too, if the common citizens lower their guard and do not continue with the social distancing and hygiene measures that they have been taking all these months.
The pandemic fatigue that has set in within the community is likely to prove harmful in the long run, if one goes by the experience of other countries, including several in Europe, and China too.
The second wave of coronavirus pandemic has taken Europe by storm. It has been razing through townships and regions across several countries in Europe raising the world-wide new infection figures.
Several countries in Europe have promulgated fresh restrictions as more than 1.2 million fresh cases have been reported from different parts of Europe.
Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, UK and Czech Republic all are experiencing a resurge in the new cases.
After subsiding for a period, the number of new cases are going up steadily in most parts of Europe and that has caused a lot of concern in WHO as well as in these countries.
Several countries have taken strict measures to stop the tide as most countries want to avoid a situation where lockdowns become essential.
A state of emergency has been declared in Spain. Italy too has announced several restrictions short of lockdown. An alert has been sounded in UK, while Ireland has already reimposed a lockdown.
The second-wave is strongest in France as nearly 41,000 cases are being reported in the country on daily places. Several cities have already promulgated night curfews to curb the spread of the virus.
Experts point out that social distancing and mask wearing still remain the only options available for containing the virus despite the fact that there are some positive indications coming from the vaccine front. There is a hope that a vaccine might be available within the next few months.
Most governments, including the Indian, are giving strong indications that immunisation options may be available soon. Vaccines are even being promised in the state elections in Bihar as a poll-plank.
However, till vaccine remains out of reach, social distancing measures are what will decide the course of the disease and whether India, and for that matter Jamshedpur and Jharkhand too, suffers a second wave of pandemic too or succeeds in saving itself from that situation.
