After the devastating second wave that hit us, I am often asked this question by many of my friends, relatives and patients. Will there be a third wave? As the number of cases has significantly reduced, I am sure we all are wondering whether we are at the fag end of the Covid pandemic or still we are going to be attacked by one more tsunami of this dreaded disease.
If we go by the experience of second wave of COVID in India as it occurred in March to June 2021, I can surely say that if third wave has to come will not come on its own but we, the people of India, will generate it and make it bigger & deadlier by our incorrect behavior.
International scientific community has beyond doubt accepted that the best solution to control the pandemic is to follow ‘COVID APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR’. Vaccination is only next best to it. People even after full vaccination, have suffered from Covid if they continue to meet people without maintaining proper distance especially in closed places, attend parties without wearing masks, eat or drink together etc.
If we want our children to soon attend schools, colleges, the adults in our society must behave more & more responsibly. If anyone has any of the following symptoms like cough, cold, sore throat, body pain, nausea, loose motions, fever, loss of smell or taste, he or she must isolate oneself immediately and not attend offices etc. at least for one week. To avoid stepping out of house, one should get treated by a doctor through tele-consultation. If due to space constraints home isolation is not possible one should get admitted to COVID CARE CENTER. Do not wait for covid RT PCR report to come positive, to consider you as a possible threat to others as this report can come falsely negative in about 30 to 40 percent cases.
Wearing mask properly covering nose & mouth all the time when we are moving in community is the most useful intervention proven till now. If you find difficult to wear mask for long time do breathing practices like Pranayam at home. This definitely improves your tolerance to wear mask.
Covid vaccination is very safe and its side effects are only temporary. There is no need to be worried even if you are suffering from any disease or taking any medicines. So please take it as soon as possible.
Discipline, however troublesome it may sound, is the only way to success. Without community participation and self motivation, no government can win this battle against COVID. So we all citizens of India must make a pledge to avoid arranging & attending not so necessary gatherings like marriage parties, birthday functions, funeral processions etc. for at next 6 months to come.
Scientific research is endorsing benefit of a medicine called Ivermectin (a well established deworming drug) for treatment and prevention of covid. Large scale community dosing with such a medicine should be seriously considered as a ‘surgical attack’ on COVID. People on individual basis also can take it under the guidance of their doctors.
UNITED WE STAND…. JAI HIND.
Dr. Pushkar A. Shikarkhane
MD, DNB (Med)
Consulting Physician
Dr. Pushkar. A. Shikarkhane is a genius who wears many hats. He is a brilliant Internal Medicine specialist, who visits a number of leading hospitals in the city of Mumbai. He has been a front-line warrior in the Covid fight.