COVID-19 second wave: Reasons why we should keep our hopes up

The second wave of COVID-19 took India by surprise and is currently raging across the nation. In the past 15 days the country has seen daily cases crossing 4 lakh and deaths too have spiralled. Amid the grief and chaos of the second wave, there have been some positive developments which give us some hope for the future. Here's the silver lining amid the COVID crisis.

Coronavirus cases to reduce by June 2021

India's COVID-19 outbreak could peak in the coming days, according to a mathematical model readied by advisers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group's projection has put them more in line with other scientists, who have also suggested a mid-May peak for the country. However, experts are of the view that the reported numbers likely downplay the real toll because India's hospitals and crematoriums have been overwhelmed, which makes the evaluation of any peak particularly complicated. The estimates may become pivotal as PM Modi has been averting a nationwide lockdown, rather choosing to let states enforce their own curbs to stem the spread of COVID-19. "As per current projections, we should hit 20,000 cases per day by the end of June. We will revise this as needed, Mathukumalli Vidyasagar, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Hyderabad, told Bloomberg.

Delhi hospitals getting more oxygen, beds

Delhi is facing an oxygen shortage because of a steep rise in COVID-19 cases, with many patients losing their lives as hospitals run out of oxygen. Taking note of the submission by the Delhi government on the deficient supply of LMO, a bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud warned it will pass orders against officials concerned if 700 MT of LMO is not supplied daily. As the Centre complies with the SC order, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday thanked the Centre for supplying Delhi with 730 metric tonnes of oxygen and requested hospitals to increase COVID beds that they had to cut down due to shortage of the life-saving gas in the past few days. If 700 MT of daily oxygen supply is ensured by the Centre, the Delhi government can set up around 9,000-9,500 more oxygen beds, he said.

US backs TRIPS waiver

The United States on May 5 announced the support for waiving intellectual property (IP) protection for Covid-19 vaccines. The decision is a breakthrough in India and South Africa's attempts to get World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries to agree to such a waiver to fight the pandemic equitably. After the US support, European Union will be the only major trade bloc that continues to oppose the move at WTO. "The administration aims to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible. As our vaccine supply for the American people is secured, the administration will continue to ramp up its efforts - working with the private sector and all possible partners - to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution. It will also work to increase the raw materials needed to produce those vaccines," United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai stated.

Finance ministry saying COVID second wave will have a muted effect on economy

The union finance ministry has said that the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic will have a muted economic impact in comparison to the first wave. In its economic review for the month of April released today, the ministry observed, "The second wave of COVID-19 has posed a downside risk to economic activity in the first quarter of FY 2021-22." The report said that Learning to 'operate with COVID-19', as borne by international experience, has provided a silver lining of economic resilience amidst the second wave. It added that the fiscal position of the government has witnessed improvement with 'revival in the economic activities during the second half of 2020-21'.

European countries' COVID aid to India

Switzerland, Netherlands and Poland are the recent entries to join the list of countries providing COVID-19 aid to India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the landing of flights with aid equipment from the European countries by sharing visuals. The flight from the Netherlands landed in Delhi on Friday carrying 449 ventilators, 100 oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies, where as the flight coming from Switzerland carried 600 oxygen concentrators, 50 ventilators, and other medical supplies. The Poland flight arrived with 100 oxygen concentrators.

Swiggy's 'care corner' focuses on COVID-19 needs

Swiggy has launched a dedicated care corner in the app to provide special features to users affected by COVID. The Care Corner is similar to the Swiggy Genie but the Care Corner is more focused on COVID-19 needs. Using the new feature, you can send home-cooked food, medicines, groceries, etc to COVID positive patients, who are unable to step out. The feature consists of a special section where users can donate essential supplies like sanitiser and oxygen concentrators. Swiggy also announced that it will prioritise Genie deliveries across the country in the wake of the second wave. As per the company data, the special feature by Swiggy witnessed a 350 per cent increase in the delivery of over-the-counter medicines. The usage of Swiggy Genie has increased in over 15 days as compared to the last month.

Salman Khan to help film industry daily wage workers

As India is grappling with the second wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Salman Khan has been doing his bit to help people affected by Covid-19. The actor will now be helping 25,000 daily wage workers from the film industry by crediting Rs 1,500 in each bank account. The actor's manager contacted the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) to get the bank account details of the daily wage workers registered with the federation. Also, Salman Khan and Zee Entertainment have pledged to donate a portion of the earnings of their next film 'Radhe' for COVID relief, in a partnership with  GiveIndia. The donation will help procure medical equipment such as oxygen cylinders, concentrators and ventilators.

Delhi govt to supply oxygen to home isolated patients

The Delhi government has launched an online arrangement to supply oxygen to COVID-19 patients in home isolation. The header called 'Online Booking for Refilling of Oxygen Cylinders-Delhi Government-Corona Relief' mentioned on the homepage of the Delhi government's official website went live on Thursday. People in need of medical oxygen can apply on the website with valid Aadhaar card details, photo ID, a COVID positive report, and other documents such as a CT scan report if available, as per the order. The applicant will also be required to fill in the actual quantity of oxygen needed. Basis the stock and availability, the District Magistrate will issue a pass to the COVID patient, mentioning the time, date, and address of the oxygen dealer. The Delhi government has also decided to create a common pool of oxygen cylinders in every district for patients in home isolation as well as to address the emergency needs of the city's hospitals.

Mahindra deploys 100 vehicles to supply oxygen

Mahindra Group has launched a free service initiative called 'Oxygen on Wheels'. The service will strengthen the oxygen availability, connecting oxygen manufacturers with hospital and healthcare facilities with a dire need of oxygen. The service is currently available in seven Indian cities including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chakan, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nasik and Nagpur. In a press statement, the company said that it is in discussions with government authorities to extend the service to other cities. Mahindra is also planning to deliver oxygen cylinders directly to the home isolated patients. The free service will be managed by Mahindra Logistics.