Amid the surge in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra, Additional Chief Secretary of the public health department Pradeep Vyas on Friday wrote to all collectors, divisional commissioners, municipal commissioners and chief executive officers of various districts cautioning them that there will be about 2 lakh active cases by the third week of January 2022.
He also issued directions on preparations as some of the cases may need hospitalization.
Vyas warned against complacency and called for rational and scientific thinking. “Genomic sequencing results show that still we have Delta variant in more than 7O% cases. This figure will vary from district to district… Please remember unvaccinated persons in the present wave are at as much risk (or rather more) as in second wave,” his letter said.
“Number of Covid infections in the third wave is going to be very huge. Even if one per cent case fatality is presumed, we can still land up with 80,000 deaths, if there are 80 lakh Covid cases in the third wave. So do not be lulled by the narrative that the third Covid wave Omicron wave is mild and not fatal. It is equally fatal for those who are not vaccinated and have comorbidities,” the two-page letter said.
Vyas has also suggested infrastructure upgrade in the health sector of the department. The ICU, ventilator, oxygen and general bed requirement for each district is calculated based on Union government guidelines, it is possible that each district may not require this much infrastructure immediately or during third wave, he said. However, districts are advised to prepare the plan with minimum disturbance to non-Covid services and saving resources.