With the number of positive cases detected in India rising to 29, novel coronavirus (Covid-19) is now set to upset normal routines as panic has already added to the situation. Even when Kerala was the only state which reported one case, the government of India, did not feel the need to sound the alarm but rather choosing to believe in the ability of the health institutions. As knee jerk reaction the government has belatedly decided that all international flights and passengers would be screened, not just those from the 12 countries listed earlier. This should have been done months back when the virus was rapidly spreading across the globe and also affected a handful of Indians, one in Kerala and others abroad. The disease, which originated in the Chinese province of Wuhan in late December, 2019 has hit China’s economy and also having cascading effect on almost all countries dependent on Chinese products. In China,deaths due to coronavirus have surpassed 3,000 and confirmed cases over 80,000. The epidemic is now slowing in China, while other countries are seeing outbreaks grow rapidly. In South Korea, mass testing has turned up over 6,000 cases; the virus has caused more than 40 deaths. Italy has confirmed more than 3,000 cases, along with more than 100 deaths.WHO refused to declare the situation as a global emergency as, according to it, the rampaging coronavirus is an emergency in China but not so in other countries. WHO has made it clear that the actions that newly affected countries take today on preventive measures will be the difference between a handful of cases and a pandemic.Looking at the spread and number of fatalities and cases that are being notified globally, Covid-19 is definitely close to being declared a pandemic. As the virus raged, it was surprising that the ministry of civil aviation and the health and family welfare had not undertaken proactive measures to subject adequate tests on passengers arriving from other countries, at various airports. The old method of thermal screening is helpful in detecting temperatures above normal for swine flu or influenza via mass-screening. However, according to recent observations on coronavirus, symptoms are not always to the spot and often takes time for one contracted with the new virus to show rise in body temperature. Even before body temperature rises, the infected person is at the most infectious stage to pass on the virus. Thermal screening – the major tool being used by the state -can only catch between 20%-50% cases. Which means that up to 80% of cases could be missed. Officials under the health and family welfare and civil aviation face the challenge of ensuring that the situation doesn’t spiral out of control. The scenario in India is a matter of concern since the government is only busy making headlines. The health system is not up to mark as there are no quarantines near airports. Presently, much needed face mask, pain killer- paracetamol including other antibiotic drugs are out of stock.The shortage of doctors is putting a severe strain on the public healthcare system, with government hospitals struggling to provide affordable, hassle-free treatment. The political leadership is busy offering platitudes about epidemic preparedness and inter-ministry coordination rather than giving the low-down on the availability of essential drugs and personal protective equipment that healthcare professionals need while attending to Covid-19 patients.
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