Journal of Infectious Diseases & Therapy
Open Access

Like the 1918 Spanish flu, the second all India surge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been more devastating than the first. It has also seemed to vary from last year’s surge in several ways, increasing worries and anxiety. Here is what you would like to understand about five apparent trends during the second wave. Why have I still got COVID-19? Because an asymptomatic person, who carries the virus, would have spread the infection. In India, experts say, 80-85% of the populations are asymptomatic. They still be the most important carrier of the virus, and during a closed indoor setting, asymptomatic person will transmit the virus even when he or she is talking. Also, asymptomatic people don’t isolate themselves during a home setting. A combination of an outsized asymptomatic population and therefore the presence of more infectious variants of the virus during the second wave, which is far steeper than the primary wave that peaked in September, continue to transmit the virus even to people who are staying indoors. For instance, the United Kingdom strain detected during a significant proportion during genome surveillance in Delhi and Punjab has shown a 50% higher transmission, consistent with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The L452R mutation found within the variant B1.671, first detected in India, too has been related to increased infectivity. Second, within the present wave, the marking of containment zone has been less strict. In cities, the govt. has asked civil authorities to adopt micro containment: with perhaps just a floor or a house defined as a containment zone. If there is no effective monitoring in micro containment zones, containing the virus becomes a challenge. Earlier, a whole apartment or area would be made a containment zone, reducing the probabilities of transmission of the virus. Now, central teams have red flagged the very fact that high risk contacts in workplace, social and family settings weren't investigated and listed in Maharashtra, leading to a surge. This is happening across the country. Unlike last year, I see entire families down with COVID. Has something changed within the nature of the infection? Super spreading events in indoor settings house parties, social gatherings can trigger local outbreaks if COVID appropriate behaviors aren't followed. Because some virus variants are more infectious, and since micro -containment zones aren't being monitored as effectively as containment zones last year, we are seeing entire families taking place with the virus. Contact tracing guidelines aren't being followed as rigorously as last time. All asymptomatic direct and high risk contacts of confirmed cases are to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact, but they're going to continue spreading the infection if they return a false negative result. Also, during this surge, there has been an extended waiting period for testing. Until the results are available, many asymptomatic persons violate isolation guidelines and spread the infection. Unlike last year, many children are becoming COVID this point. Did the young not have more robust immunity? The infection is spreading at a faster pace in all age’s group. At present, there's little or no data that shows how long immunity lasts within the younger population. However, those have comorbidities at a young age at high risk. Data released by the Centre shows that in seven age groups up to 70 years, the prevalence of deaths during this wave is just like the prevalence within the last wave. However, within the age groups 70, 80 and above 80, mortality rates are higher within the second wave are higher. It is still the older population who is at higher risk and needs to be protected. However, the amount of deaths are high altogether age groups because there are more cases. And with the Page 1 virus becoming more infectious and a couple of mutations escaping the immune response, the younger population must strictly follow COVID appropriate behaviours.