39 international flyers test COVID positive: Should India worry about a new wave?

At a time when some countries including China, are witnessing a massive upsurge in COVID-19 cases, many have expressed worry about a possible fourth COVID-19 wave in India.The Centre has asked states to step up tracking and surveillance as official sources have stated that the next 40 days are going to be crucial.Let’s take a closer look:39 international flyers test COVID positiveNearly 39 international passengers were found positive for coronavirus out of 6,000 tests at airports across the country over the past two days, reported PTI.Over 6,000 flyers were randomly tested under the Centre’s fresh directives after the COVID surge.In the past 24 hours, 188 cases of COVID cases have been detected in the country, according to NDTV.The country's active caseload stands at 3,468, while the toll is at 5,30,696.NDTV quoted sources as saying that the BF.7 strain has 'been isolated' and that India's vaccines have been effective against it.A sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, the BF.7 is highly transmissible.It has a shorter incubation period and a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those vaccinated.India detected the first BF.7 variant strain first in July.Also read: It feels a lot like 2020: What India is doing to avoid a China-like COVID surgeWill India witness a COVID wave?Citing the previous patterns of outbreaks, health experts have said that India may see a surge in COVID cases in January.An official told PTI, “Previously, it has been noticed that a new wave of COVID-19 hits India around 30-35 days after it hits East Asia.... This has been a trend.”The health ministry sources told the news agency that even if there is a wave, deaths and hospitalisation will be very low.Also read: It’s not over yet! How worried should India be as China battles a surge in COVID infections?Taking to Twitter, virologist Gangandeep Kang said that India is unlikely to see a surge due to hybrid immunity.He said that the country already has XBB and BF.7 (the two variants that are touted as threats).He said, “They are, like all Omicron subvariants, very good at infecting people because they escape the immune response that prevents infection, but is not causing more severe disease than delta.”He admitted that even though Omicron results in severe diseases in a proportion of infected, it is “not as severe as delta.”IIT Kanpur professor Manindra Agrawal, who is a part of the IIT sutra COVID model, said that despite there is surge in COVID-19 cases in other countries, “there is no cause for alarm in India”.Also read: No Entry: Which countries are restricting entry of Chinese flyers as Beijing lifts COVID curbs?India steps up surveillanceThe Centre has directed all the states to ramp up COVID-19 testing, conduct genome sequencing and follow protocols to detect any unusual spike in infections or early detection of new variants.The central administration also made random coronavirus testing mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving on each international flight from Saturday.

They may consider making it mandatory for all if necessary, reported News18.

According to PTI, the sources said filling up of 'air suvidha' forms and 72-hour prior RT-PCR testing may be made mandatory from next week for international passengers coming from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore.The report suggests mock drills were held at health facilities across India on Tuesday to check operational readiness to deal with any spurt in COVID-19 infection, with Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya saying the country has to remain alert and prepared as cases are rising in the world.On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned people against complacency, and urged them to wear face masks in crowded places and get a precautionary (third) dose/booster, especially for vulnerable and elderly groups.“Covid is not over yet,” he emphasised while advising states to audit COVID-specific facilities to ensure operational readiness of hospital infrastructure, including oxygen cylinders, PSA plants, ventilators, and human resources.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.