As the second wave of coronavirus has started showing signs of slowing down in India, medical experts are now bothered about a potential third wave that could hit the nation. Several medical experts have previously predicted that the third wave could attack children, which could pull the entire nation into a state of chaos, especially considering the fact that the vaccination rollout is not progressing steadily in several states. And now, a report from IIT Delhi filed in Delhi High Court has suggested that the national capital could witness more than 45,000 daily cases in the worst-case scenario if a third wave hits with its full fury.
944 metric tonnes of oxygen needed
If such a situation arises in Delhi, the Arvind Kejriwal government will need 944 metric tonnes of oxygen daily to be shared between hospitals and refillers. A bench of justices comprised of Justice Vipin Singh and Justice Jasmeet Singh has now asked the Delhi government to file a chart that mentions the timeline within which steps can be implemented based on the recommendations.
The High Court bench also noted that India is dealing with a ''once-in-a-century pandemic.''
"To go by historical evidence, the last pandemic was in 1920. Setting up an oxygen manufacturing plant would go a long way. You should consider it as paramount. That will take care of so many things — storage, movement, evaporation," observed the Delhi High Court, Times of India reports.
Nation preparing for Covid third wave
As the coronavirus third wave scare peaks, several states are ramping up pediatric beds to combat a possible outbreak of Covid in the coming months. As the second wave of Covid has already taken a toll on the healthcare infrastructure in several states, it still remains unclear how states can tackle the third wave which may be even deadlier than the initial two outbreaks.
To prevent havoc, the UP government had recently announced that priority vaccination will be given to parents of children below the age of 12. Goa is planning to vaccinate lactating mothers, while Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala are trying hard to ensure the availability of pediatric intensive care units (PICU), neonatal intensive care units (NICU), and sick newborn care units (SNCU).
