As Covid fourth wave fears loom, here's what India's renowned surgeon has to say

Fears over the fourth coronavirus (COVID-19) wave are looming in India with a rise in cases, especially in some regions like New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana etc. 

The country recently dropped several Covid-related restrictions and measures, but with an evident uptick in the number of cases, some rules have been re-imposed, such as mask mandate, etc. 

A country that was impacted immensely during the second and third waves of Covid, is apprehensive about a possible fourth wave of the pandemic. 

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Amid concerns, India's renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Prasad Shetty on Monday (April 25) said that there is no need to fear or have panic reactions. He also added that the concentration should be on the number of hospitalisations and not the positivity. 

"Third wave was not that serious, so there is no need to fear or have panic reactions. We should only go by the number of patients admitted in hospital. One lakh people or 50,000 people getting positive does not mean anything," Shetty said. 

While speaking to reporters he further said, "The whole country may be positive, but if there are no COVID patients in hospital, it doesn't make any difference. So concentration should be on the number of patients in the hospital, not the positivity." 

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Shetty, who is the founder-chairman of Narayana Health, advised people to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing. He suggested that people should consult doctors if there are any health issues. 

According to India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare bulletin on Tuesday (April 26), India recorded 2,483 new COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. 

It is a slight decline from the previous day's 2541 cases. The active caseload has also dipped from 16,522 to 15,636, while the positivity rate declined to 0.55 per cent. 

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