India: a nation in crisis
- Daniel Philip and Prakhar Mathur
- May 3, 2021
- 2 min read
Just when the whole world thought the COVID-19 pandemic was coming to a close, India was tragically hit by one of the worst waves of COVID since the pandemic first began. Caused by the election rallies and religious festivities, cases, deaths, and the need for equipment skyrocketed. As of now, India has been reporting upwards of 300,000 new cases daily. With quickly depleting supplies, India is in a state of crisis. Hospitals are down to the brink of no supplies, with almost no oxygen left to give for patients. Patients are being crowded in wards together due to the lack of space. Wood for cremations is quickly running out as death plagues India. Families, friends, and neighbors continue to suffer as much of India anxiously waits out one of the worst spikes in history.
In December of 2020, the B.1.617 variant of the virus causing COVID-19 was first detected in India, within the province of Maharashtra. This variant also made its way to Delhi and north India, contributing to the increase in case count of the illness. Thankfully, Doctor Anthony Fauci has revealed that the Covaxin vaccine, India’s home-developed inoculation, is effective against this variant; however, the real trouble comes from variant B.1.1.7: the UK variant of the coronavirus. This strain is understood to be more transmissible than B.1.617 and the traditional strain of coronavirus passing throughout the majority of the world. This increased transmission has not helped matters in India; in fact, it is a catalyst fueling this ongoing crisis. It is currently unknown whether or not the Covaxin vaccine is effective against variant B.1.1.7, leading to concerns regarding the potential duration of this recent epidemic within India.
Exacerbating the situation is the shortage of medical resources to treat those who are infected. All throughout the nation, there has been a reported shortage of medicine, personal protective equipment, liquid oxygen, and hospital beds. The Indian government asserts that it possesses enough liquid oxygen to care for the sick; however, the majority of factories producing the resource are located in eastern India, which is far from the localities of the worst outbreaks, which are taking place in Delhi and western Maharashtra. Some families find themselves paying upwards of 10 times the traditional price for a canister of oxygen, and there are even reports of desperate individuals looting oxygen from hospitals and clinics due to the widespread shortage they are facing.
As India’s tragic collapse continues, the only way to help is to donate and spread awareness. Organizations such as UNICEF, the Indian Red Cross, Rapid Response, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, the Hope Foundation, and Oxfam India are all actively accepting donations that will directly benefit Indian patients. These donations will go twoards oxygen concentrators, COVID-19 test kits, personal protective equipment, ambulance transportation, vaccine provisions, staple foods, and the direct subsidization of the most vulnerable of individuals, such as children and those living in poverty.
Comments