A Covid uptick

No reason for panic, but caution required

On Monday, Jill Biden — wife of President Joe Biden of the United States — tested positive for Covid-19. This is unlikely to change the travel plans of President Biden, who reportedly tested negative and is due to arrive in New Delhi for the G20 summit. However, it is a reminder that Covid-19, the disease, has not gone away even though the pandemic has officially ended. Some parts of the US have responded swiftly to an increase in cases: Some schools in the states of Kentucky and Texas have cancelled classes, and others in the American South have brought back the requirement for students to wear face masks. The number of cases in other places where virus spread is still monitored is rising as well. The United Kingdom has over a million Covid-positive individuals. In response, the UK government has brought forward by a month its plans for a combined protective shot targeting both regular influenza and Covid-19. The National Health Service of the UK usually provides vaccinations against the flu to vulnerable individuals in autumn.

Some of the cases, particularly in the UK, are being driven by a new coronavirus variant that has been classified as BA.2.86. The US’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported cases of infection from BA.2.86 in Denmark, South Africa and six other countries, aside from the US and UK. In the US, variants classified as EG.5 and FL.1.5.1 may dominate. Scientists are firm that there is no evidence that these can evade the protection offered by vaccination or previous infections, at least in terms of causing severe disease. It is, however, possible that some additional mutations of these variants over previous Omicron sub-variants are aiding in transmission. There is no need for concern about a return to the pandemic-era control measures unless these new variants are proven to significantly increase the rate of severe disease or hospitalisation.

That said, the emergence of these new variants and the measures taken elsewhere in the world should be a reminder to the Indian policy establishment that there is a continuing need for the health surveillance and analysis machinery developed during the pandemic. It has been reported that a meeting of top government officials recently reviewed the international and domestic situation with regard to the virus. However, the meeting would have had insufficient data to work with. Testing for those with respiratory illness must be stepped up. INSACOG — the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium — needs its network of laboratories to receive and sequence more tests in order to properly understand what is circulating within the country and prepare decision makers for any possible surge in cases. So far, INSACOG has said that the cases it has sequenced remain largely unchanged, and based around the XBB strain of Omicron that has been dominant for some time. The final question is about the vaccine programme. If new or updated booster shots need to be given out, can the vaccine programme be quickly reactivated? For that matter, why is it not possible for at-risk Indians to get precautionary shots similar to those considered advisable for their counterparts in the UK? These questions must be answered on priority.