Covid 19 or corona virus has caused a catastrophic situation all over the world. Around 51.5 million cases of the virus have been recorded worldwide, and nearly 1.27 million people have succumbed to it. All measures were taken by countries worst affected in order to keep the condition from worsening. Countries across the world are seeing a resurgence in cases after successfully slowing outbreaks early in the year. The vast majority of countries are declaring more cases each day now than they were during the first wave. While there could be a variety of reasons behind this renewed surge, experts point to two possible broad factors: a general lowering of guard after the numbers began to dip in the summer, and the drop in temperature that would be pushing most activities indoors. The cold, dry weather could also be helping the virus survive longer and remain potent since the low humidity in colder weather causes the virus to spread better.
Europe is clearly in the grip of a second wave of the pandemic, countries throughout the continent including Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, the UK and Ukraine have all recorded their highest daily caseloads since the pandemic started. Hospitals in Europe are filling up amid a resurgent tide of coronavirus infections and deaths flooding the continent's emergency wards. Several countries are in partial lockdowns, with many hoping that restrictions will begin to have an effect as intensive care units fill up. Governments across Europe have introduced more restrictions in response to the spread of covid-19, with a combination of nationwide and specific regional measures and curfews imposed as the continent faces its second wave. Ireland’s government has announced that, it is returning the country to a full-scale lockdown for six weeks, reinstating restrictions close to those that were in place in the spring at the height of the first wave of the pandemic.
The new lockdown will raise restrictions from Level 3 to Level 5, banning all house visits, closing all but essential retail stores, and requiring people to stay within a 3 mile radius of their homes. The new guidelines represent one of the strictest national lockdowns in Europe. Considering the way covid 19 cases are rising, these lockdowns are a necessity. Our negligence towards this pandemic during the past few months has given birth to a second wave of the virus. The fear of ease in restriction and ignorance of the preventive measure by the public could make the second wave more disastrous.
A second wave pandemic constitutes an imminent threat to society, with an immense toll in terms of human lives and a devastating economic impact. Based on the past pandemic’s experiences, covid 19 can return with even more lethal force, hence it could be assumed that second wave of the pandemic could be more lethal. Whether the second wave will be a devastating tsunami or just a ripple may hinge on continued social distancing, masking, widespread testing, hospital preparation and vaccine development.
~ Risika Singh
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