COVID-19 in India
Funeral pyres burning with victims of COVID-19 by Altaf Qadri
To many Americans, COVID 19 seems to be turning a new corner, just this past week, the governor of New York, a state that used to be the epicenter of COVID, said he expects reopening of the state by July. With over 140 million people with at least 1 dose, the distribution of the COVID vaccine is responsible for many states and counties easing restrictions in the upcoming months. Across the Atlantic, it is a completely different story.
After a new variant, B.1.617., was discovered, India has experienced the biggest surge of COVID recorded. With numerous new variants and mutations recorded, many businesses and schools being reopened, and only 2% of their population fully vaccinated (in comparison to the 28.5% of fully vaccinated people in the US), India is breeding ground for new infections.
India's healthcare system is being pushed to its limits. Hospitals are full, and oxygen is running low. With over 3,000 deaths a day, makeshift crematories are being made to meet the needs of victims and their families. In many Indian cultures, it is customary to watch your loved ones be cremated in a pyre. In Delhi, one of India's most populated cities, requests have been made to start cutting down trees in city parks for more wood.
Neighboring countries of India are on high alert. Many south east asian countries do not have adequate vaccine supplies to reach herd immunity. A large issue with the vaccine rollout in India is the sheer amount of people that need to be vaccinated. The US has vaccinated (with at least one dose) 149 million people (around 43% of the population), similarly, India has vaccinated 129 million people (only 8% of the population) not nearly enough for their population. Though the White house said they would ‘share’ 60 million vaccines with other countries, but did not specify which countries would be receiving the vaccines, or how long it would be until they arrive.
Help India, check out these links:
https://my.care.org/site/donation
