Failure to wake up will be catastrophic: Chairman of the committee of scientists

Dr M 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.

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 contributed to the 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.

Can it be assumed that the government has ignored these warnings?

Not exactly. The government collects information through various agencies and committees. Codifies it and takes policy decisions.

What precautions should people take?

If about 60-70 per cent of the population is vaccinated against the infection, the danger may be averted. It was initially decided to carry out a limited vaccination procedure for those over 60 years of age and extend to the age of 45 years. Now, the inclusion of the population from the age of 18 allows everyone except children to be vaccinated. The government has initiated action to overcome the vaccine shortage. No matter how fast pharmaceutical companies accelerate production, this process can take a long time to complete. In the meantime, people should take control measures as much as possible. The habit of wearing masks should continue till the end of 2021.

Is there no way that your suggestions are known to the outside world except to the government?

Manindra Agarwal is sharing this information on Twitter. Those who are interested can find out through it.

What is the cause of the present condition?

The reason for this is that majority of people believed that the severity of the Corona has decreased and that care is no longer necessary. When Corona first broke out last year, the majority infected were poor people. Appropriate care was taken in apartments and gated communities at that time. Everyone has ignored it now. This time the virus attack is severe on the wealthy. The poor rely heavily on government hospitals for medical care, while the rich rely heavily on private hospitals. Now all of a sudden the pressure has increased on both of them and the system is damaged.