A woman reacts when a healthcare worker tries to collect her swab sample to test for Covid-19, in Hyderabad on September 23, 2020 (AFP).
The British magazine stressed that India has the fastest growing Covid-19 outbreak in the world in absolute numbers, adding that not relying on science despite a strong response at the start of the pandemic is not a good situation.
- CNN-News18 New Delhi
- Last update: September 26, 2020 10:49 AM IST
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In a scathing opinion piece on how India has handled the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lancet has given the go-ahead for the dissemination of information in the country. Lancet says India putting a positive spin on the Covid-19 situation, not relying on science despite a strong response at the start of the pandemic is not a good situation to be in.
The British magazine has underlined that the country has the fastest growing Covid-19 outbreak in the world in absolute numbers according to the World Health Organization (WHO). India has reported more than 5.6 million infections, which only started to increase after restrictions began to be lifted in June.
The magazine says the country has responded well in many ways, especially for such a large and diverse nation. India imposed a nationwide lockdown in March, which was praised by the WHO. During the confinement period, the provision of tertiary care was increased, including access to specialized equipment such as ventilators. Test numbers also grew rapidly, with India among the first to implement innovations such as joint testing.
India has also been at the forefront of efforts to develop and manufacture a vaccine, both through domestic vaccine candidates and manufacturers such as the Serum Institute of India that prepares production capacity for internationally developed vaccine candidates.
But many difficulties remain. The parallel crisis of falling incomes and rising hunger has not been addressed.
Migrant workers walked long distances home. India’s GDP was already falling before Covid-19, but the contraction of almost 25% year-on-year in the April-June quarter could make India one of the most economically affected countries, the Lancet He says.
With the outbreak spreading from its initial foothold in cities to smaller urban areas and towns, pre-existing disparities in health care delivery have become increasingly relevant. Rural health infrastructure in India can be poor, and some smaller private hospitals have reported shortages of equipment, especially oxygen.
More than anything, says the magazine, there is an “atmosphere of fatalism mixed with false optimism that undermines the effective use of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as masks and physical distancing.” “The epidemic in India is far from over, with a potentially enormous burden of mortality and morbidity to come unless public health measures are used and followed. Without clear and honest communication of the risks of COVID-19 to the population, it will be impossible to stop the epidemic, ”he said.
the Lancet says the communication reported by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with owners and editors of media organizations saying that negativity should be avoided kept the press and various scientific organizations under pressure. The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has also been singled out by experts for deviating from scientific evidence. Referring to the ICMR deadline of August 15, 2020 for a vaccine, says The Lancet, the letter from Professor Balram Bhargava, Director General of ICMR, seemed at worst “politically motivated, at best. cases too optimistic. “
“The transparency of data on Covid-19 cases and deaths, especially those supporting the fatality rate, as detailed in a recent Global Report, has also been questioned. The government of India reports a fatality rate of 1, 8%, much lower than the rate reported in other countries, but it is difficult to know if the figures are comparable, “said the magazine.
“Hope is important and recognizing successes is vital, especially during a pandemic. But presenting the current situation in India with too much of a positive spin not only clouds reality but also hinders vital public health initiatives. Perpetuating unrealistic claims or failing to honestly report negative news creates uncertainty among the public and healthcare professionals, discouraging people from taking preventive action or taking public health messages seriously. India has the expertise in medicine, public health, research… To capitalize on these attributes, the country’s leaders must respect scientific evidence, expert comments and academic freedom, and not provide false optimism, ”he added.
The lancet it has also questioned the fact that the ICMR supported hydroxychloroquine treatment despite insufficient evidence. It is important to mention that The lancet was forced to change its editorial policy after publishing a study in May that concluded that Covid-19 patients who received the drug hydroxychloroquine died at higher rates. The figures on the number of deaths and patients in the hospital cited by the authors did not coincide with official data from the government and the health department. The lancet had to withdraw this study eventually.
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