The SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19, has reached many places in India, from Kerala to Kashmir. With local spread occurring from infection seeded by importations, a nationwide epidemic of unprecedented seriousness is imminent. The Prime Minister should assume leadership immediately and a full-time war-room, run by a task force with the best national experts, must be set up, and immediate, medium- and long-term strategies designed and implemented. We have lost one month already.
Whether a black swan or a scapegoat, Covid-19 is an extraordinary event. Declared by the WHO as a pandemic, Covid-19 has given birth to the concept of the economic “sudden stop.” We need extraordinary measures to contain it.
While the chances of the Ebola virus entering India are low, Ebola and pandemic flu teach us to expect the unexpected and be prepared. New diseases are appearing in the world again and again. We live today in a "global village". Ebola-infected bats are probably present in Asia. Nipah virus-infected bats are widely prevalent in east Asia; there is no guarantee their territorial flight paths will not extend to peninsular India. Is India prepared? Who exactly is in charge?
The H5N1 virus, commonly referred to as bird flu, must be viewed as a serious threat to India and all possible precautions must be taken to guard against disaster. Countries with robust public health systems are gearing up to face a H5N1 global pandemic. India's weakness in public health is, however, a cause for worry. Our defences could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the pandemic.
