2019 Novel Coronavirus Archives

All states of India have started the unlocking process after the devastating second wave forced governments to put restrictions in place again. The most obvious question in front of us is how to respond to these relaxations in the lockdowns. The eagerness among people to resume socio-economic activities that were part of our lives during the pre-COVID days is very natural.

While it is true that the unlocking is necessary for economic activities to resume, and for the country to get back on the path of growth, it also holds the potential to send us back into another COVID health crisis.

COVID unlock does not mean license for carelessness

Obviously, people would want a vacation, but it is a great mistake to immediately rush to any popular destinations. In the past few days, local administrations from different states have banned popular destinations from gathering completely. While governments are responsible for taking care of the lockdowns norms, people have to play their part as well and they should know that crowds are still dangerous and must be avoided at all costs.

Why are crowds dangerous?

Firstly, the vaccination rate has not been impressive. Secondly, most people have received only one dose of the vaccine. The proportion of the population getting vaccinated is on the rise but still not that much to start gatherings for entertainment purposes.

Similarly, several pieces of research and the data on the effectiveness of the vaccines have been subjective, and there are still different opinions on the issue.

The rise in new variants are a matter of concern

We all are the witness of how the delta variant wreaked havoc on India. Apart from that, different variants are on a constant rise with mutations happening at a much faster rate than earlier. The severity and toughness of these variants are being tested, until that time we need to be more restricted than pre-covid days.

The delta variant is by far the most dangerous COVID mutation. The effectiveness of the vaccines depends on the nature of the variants.

Inevitable COVID third wave

According to government sources and scientific community reports, the possibility of the third COVID wave can not be denied. Though there is a lack of unanimity over the third wave impact, there is no doubt that it can be as severe as the second wave. So, COVID unlock needs to be strictly adhered to with necessary precautions to avoid serious illness.

No one is safe until everyone is safe

Most Experts agree on this aphorism by now, which is undoubtedly the most effective way to tackle the covid disease. The people should get vaccinated not only for themselves but for the entire community. Behavioural changes can not be compromised, with masking and physical distancing, forming the lifeline against the threat from these variants.

These are not normal times, and the collective effort in COVID unlock is needed to get back on the tracks of life.

You can search for vaccine slot availability on the ‘Vaccine Slot Finder’ on the OneDios app. It allows you to have a streamlined and uncomplicated experience while searching for your vaccine slot. You have to simply enter your Pin Code to get the relevant information about slot availability. OneDios COVID 19 Vaccine Slot Finder empowers you to efficiently check available vaccine slots in your area by making the process easygoing, painless, and reliable.

You can also track vaccine-related statistics on the “Vaccination Dashboard” available on the OneDios app. The data for the dashboard is sourced from official Co-Win Statistics. Through this dashboard, you can stay informed about the number of sites conducting vaccination and total vaccination doses in real-time. Relevant data and trends are presented in user-friendly graphs, categories, and visual formats for greater access. You can also check updated data by selecting your state or district to know about specific statistics.

COVID-19 has ravaged throughout the world like a wildfire, delegating us to an uncomfortable standstill. Governments around the globe have framed their COVID-19 response policies as per their specific national requirements and limitations. Since the novel Coronavirus is a new virus, policymakers had to face impediments in fighting this invisible enemy. The challenge of the once-in-a-century event faced by the United Kingdom has been no exception. But, in the retrospect, UK’s handling of coronavirus appears to have fared well, when compared to other countries and the EU. In a recent survey by Ipsos MORI, 67% or two-thirds of respondents believed that UK’s handling COVID-19 crisis was better than other EU countries.

Death rates in the UK have plummeted to single-digit numbers and daily positive cases have also shown a persistent downward trend. Despite the earlier spread of virulent UK variant B.1.1.7, the country is set to ease lockdown restrictions under a four-step plan. Britons will now be able to meet indoors and enjoy the services of pubs, restaurants, and cafes once again. The UK model shows the light of hope and positivity during grim circumstances that other countries are still facing.

Let’s have a look at few key measures that UK took to battle its COVID-19 crisis:

Operation Last Gasp

Operation Last Gasp was a war-style effort to mobilise manufacturing companies to produce more ventilators. The national effort was rolled out last year to tackle the immediate increasing demand for the health system. As the COVID-19 virus affects the lungs, a need was felt to deploy more ventilators. This initiative was meant to ramp up preparations to protect vulnerable individuals, who might need intensive care.

Oxford Vaccine development

According to an estimate, $96.7m of funding for research and development of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine came from the UK government and the rest of the funding was from charitable trusts, private donations, and other governments. The development of ChAdox vaccine technology was supported by cooperative efforts of government and accomplished researchers at Oxford. This vaccine was developed in a record short time of just eleven months. However, research towards this breakthrough took years of consistent time and effort by scientists and epidemiologists.

Vaccine policy

The government of the UK realised early on the paramount importance of Vaccination to protect the citizens and get the economy back on track. British authorities ordered millions of doses of vaccine vials from multiple companies. They employed a graded approach in the vaccine policy. The more vulnerable and high-risk population was vaccinated first, taking into account the heavy death toll experienced during the first wave. The success of the bold Vaccine policy is the reason the UK is now able to recover from long and intermittent lockdown restrictions.

Track and Trace

Over the time, UK was able to scale the track and trace system. Contact tracing was an efficient way to track infected people and their close contacts during the initial months of the Pandemic. It is utilised to prolong the spread of COVID-19 infection, in order to provide the health system a breathing space and ramp up the infrastructure accordingly. The UK also used the NHS contact tracing app to trace the suspected infected individuals and isolate them.

Policymaking

The UK government ran an awareness campaign with the slogan “Stay alert, control the virus, save lives”. This raised awareness among the public to not let their guards down and influence behavioral aspects to break the chain of the COVID-19 virus. The concept of ‘support bubbles’ was also carried out to help people who had been isolated due to the lockdowns. A ‘support bubble’ consists of two households that are allowed to interact and ease out Pandemic fatigue through these engagements.

Transparency and accountability

The Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, has announced a public inquiry to investigate the government’s COVID-19 response and mitigation. The Commission will launch the inquiry next year during the spring. Such transparent steps by a government raise public confidence and allow holding the authorities accountable for their actions. During the handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also made a public statement saying “sorry for every life lost” and took “full responsibility”. A government in-action that keeps the public informed is essential in combating an immense crisis, as posed by the COVID-19 pandemic

The optimism in the UK exhibits an assurance that the world can soon emerge out of the pandemic and learn to manage it better. Efforts in India to grapple with the second wave have also accelerated. The vaccination strategy has been modified to allow the 18-45 years age group to get vaccinated. Multiple Vaccine manufacturers are being approved to increase the manufacturing capacity. One of the vaccine manufacturers, Bharat Biotech, has also agreed to share vaccine formula to ramp up the production as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of individual citizens to remain cautious with best behavioral practices and get vaccinated as soon as a slot is available.

Onedios COVID-19 Vaccine Slot Finder helps you navigate through the vaccine slot availability in your area so that you can book your appointment without delay. Another feature of Vaccination Dashboard on the Onedios app enables you to stay informed of current trends and statistics about reliable data in a user-friendly format. It informs you about the data regarding the number of sites conducting vaccination, total registrations, and total vaccination doses in real-time.