OdishaPlus Bureau
As India completes a month under lockdown that brought the world’s most populous democracy to a virtual standstill, with no or very minimal social and economic activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, several medical experts feel that these restrictions were crucial in preventing a “US or Europe-like” situation from materializing in the country.
However, most of the experts also cautioned that a “bigger challenge” awaits the country when it gradually moves towards exiting the nationwide lockdown, which has emerged as one of India’s biggest weapons so far in the battle against COVID-19.
India’s first case was reported on January 30, and 54 days later on March 25, with 519 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths, the country was put under a 21-day complete lockdown, hence starting the country’s full-blown battle against the pandemic.
At the end of the first month of the lockdown on Friday, the total number of coronavirus cases have crossed the 23,000 mark and there are 718 deaths due to COVID-19 in the country. Globally, the total number of cases of infections are over 27.3 lakh and more than 1.91 lakh people have died due to the virus with the US and the UK along with some other European countries among the worst-affected nations.
After a three week period that ended on April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the countrywide lockdown for 19 additional days till May 3 to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Though, the number of infections kept on rising through the period of the lockdown, experts believe it is not “alarming” and the situation seems to be under control in India as compared to the US and several other western nations where cases have skyrocketed and the death toll is mounting.
After a week into the lockdown, the tally of cases reached 1,397 and 35 deaths on March 31, a jump of 878 cases and 24 deaths, while at the end of two weeks of the lockdown on April 7, the cases had risen to 4,789 with 124 deaths, witnessing a spike of 3,392 cases and 89 deaths.
On the last day of the 21-day first phase lockdown, the death toll due to the coronavirus stood at 353 with the number of cases soaring to 10,815. The third week of the lockdown saw a jump of 6,026 cases and 229 deaths.
The next 10 days saw a spike of 365 deaths and 12,262 cases. As per the Union health ministry Friday update, the death toll due to COVID-19 is 718 and the the number of cases 23,077.
Though only a detailed study would be able to throw light on the success of the lockdown, medical experts feel it was necessary and India’s situation would have been even more precarious in its absence.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital surgeon Dr. Arvind Kumar said the lockdown is “immensely beneficial” for India.
