Maharashtra Logs 1,000 Fresh Cases, 9 Deaths, but Experts Believe COVID-19 in Endemic Stage
The state of Maharashtra, which has been one of the worst-hit states in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, logged 1,000 fresh cases and 9 deaths on Monday, April 12, 2023. However, experts believe that the virus has now entered the endemic stage in the state, which means that it is likely to become a part of the population’s regular viral load.
The state has been reporting a steady decline in the number of new cases and deaths over the past few weeks, but the rise in the number of fresh cases on Monday has caused concern among the health authorities. The state has reported a total of 8,465,211 cases and 122,002 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic.
According to Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, the rise in the number of cases in Maharashtra is not a cause for alarm. He said, “The number of cases and deaths has been declining steadily in Maharashtra, and we have to accept that the virus is now in the endemic stage. This means that we are going to see cases and deaths from COVID-19 for a long time to come, just like we see cases and deaths from other viral diseases like influenza.”
Dr. Guleria added that the focus now should be on ensuring that the healthcare system is equipped to handle the cases that will continue to occur. “We need to make sure that we have enough hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, and other medical equipment to handle the cases that will continue to occur. We also need to continue to encourage people to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.”
Dr. Subhash Salunkhe, a public health expert and advisor to the Maharashtra government, also echoed similar views. He said, “We have to accept that the virus is now endemic, and we are going to see cases and deaths from COVID-19 for a long time to come. However, the good news is that we now have vaccines that are effective against the virus, and we should focus on vaccinating as many people as possible.”
Maharashtra has been at the forefront of the vaccination drive in India, with more than 100 million doses administered in the state so far. However, there are still concerns about vaccine hesitancy among the population, particularly in rural areas.
To address this issue, the Maharashtra government has launched a massive awareness campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated. The campaign includes door-to-door visits by healthcare workers, street plays, and advertisements in local media.
The state government has also decided to waive off the cost of vaccination for people between the ages of 18 and 45, who were earlier required to pay for the vaccine. This move is expected to encourage more young people to get vaccinated.
Despite the progress in the vaccination drive, there are concerns about the emergence of new variants of the virus that may be resistant to the existing vaccines. Maharashtra has already reported cases of the B.1.617.2 variant, which was first identified in India and has been classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization.
To address this issue, the Maharashtra government has set up a task force to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to contain the spread of new variants. The task force includes experts from the fields of virology, epidemiology, and public health.
Dr. Salunkhe said, “We have to be vigilant and keep a close eye on the emergence of new variants. We need to ensure that we have the capacity to detect and sequence the virus, so that we can take appropriate measures to contain the spread of new variants