Hyderabad:Dr. M. Vidyasagar, Professor, IIT Hyderabad, opined that as the Covid will gradually decline, how careful will we behave after that will be a litmus test. He warned that the damage caused by repeating the mistakes of the past would be immense. Dr Vidyasagar is the Chairman of a Committee of Scientists appointed by the central government to study the spread of Corona. He said people were worried about the shortage of oxygen cylinders, beds, etc., as there was not enough preparation for the onset of the second wave. He explained to 'ETV Bharat' the work done by the Committee in the face of Corona severity, the current situation and future prospects.
Please tell us about the formation of your Committee and its performance.
In June last year, the central government appointed a committee of 10 members. It operates under the auspices of the Department of Science and Technology. Along with me, Manindra Agarwal from IIT Kanpur and Army Medical Officer Mathuri Kanitkar are constantly involved in the research. The other seven are also scientists. It is the job of the Committee to assess how Corona is spreading and in what area. The Committee includes experts from all disciplines. It has been named 'The National Covid-19 Supermodel Committee'. We are assessing the severity of Covid-19 and alerting the persons concerned in the government. We looked at the situation in some states in the first week of March and explained the impending threat in a report submitted on April 2.
Corona second wave is quite severe. At present,the daily cases have reached a record level of four lakhs. Could you anticipate such intensity?
No. The virus is currently spreading faster than we expected. Its intensity is beyond comprehension. Our assessment was only approximate. We believe that it will flatten with the same speed with which it peaks. We also believe that shortly it will peak and will start flattening.
People forgot Covid precautions and participated heavily in political and spiritual activities like elections, Kumbh Mela, etc. To what extent have these contributedtothe spread of the virus?
The second wave entered Maharashtra, Kerala and Chhattisgarh on March 8-9. The virus has been rampant by the time the Kumbh Mela started; the Mela alone was not the main cause. Election campaigns and spiritual activities could have contributed for the spread of Covid, but they only are not the reason for the escalation.
Did your Committee give advance warnings to the Centre about the second wave?
We have submitted a report on April 2 on behalf of our committee.