India’s new crown epidemic is still at its peak. According to official statistics, the number of deaths in a single day broke another record in the last 24 hours, reaching 4,205, bringing the total number of deaths since the start of the outbreak to more than 250,000. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization announced on the 12th that the Indian variant of the virus that caused this explosive rebound in the Indian outbreak has been found in at least 44 countries around the world.
According to official statistics, nearly 350,000 new cases of infection have been reported in India in the last 24 hours. The total number of deaths from the infection crossed the 250,000 mark on the 12th, equivalent to one-third of the total number of new crown deaths worldwide.
But experts estimate that the official Indian figure is likely to be much lower than the actual number. In a country of 1.3 billion people, the actual number of infections and deaths is likely to be five or even 10 times higher than the official figure. In an interview with local media outlet The Indian Express, Shahid Jameel, a leading Indian virologist, said it was too early to say that the epidemic had reached its peak. While there are signs that the number of infections may be reaching a plateau, it is important to know that it is a very high plateau. The number of new cases is around 400,000 per day. He believes that although the number of new infections is slightly flat, the curve of new cases per day is likely to decline very slowly.
The second wave of India’s aggressive outbreak has also caused much consternation in the international community. The World Health Organization said Wednesday that the mutated virus that has caused the surge in India has appeared in at least 44 countries around the world. The WHO expressed concern about this.
The mutated virus first appeared in India in October last year. Currently, the country with the highest prevalence of the mutated virus outside of India is the United Kingdom.
Globally, the spread of the new crown outbreak remains strong. U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that leaders of nearly half the world’s countries have turned to the United States for help to ease the vaccine shortage dilemma they face. Biden said he would work toward that end. But he did not specify what measures he would take, instead emphasizing that he would continue to prioritize vaccination of Americans.
The current U.S. vaccine policy has sparked discontent in some countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has previously called for the free flow of vaccine manufacturing components and the opening of vaccine markets. French President Emmanuel Macron has also called on the United States to end the export ban on vaccines and vaccine manufacturing components.
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