Unlock Mumbai: ‘Freedom should be enjoyed responsibly’, say experts

Dr Santosh Bansode and Dr Ketan Vagholkar

Even as the state will allow people, who have taken both doses of the vaccine, to use the local train and enter shopping malls from August 15 onwards, health experts feel that people must proceed with caution amidst the looming threat of Delta variants.

Despite 289 new Covid-19 cases in Mumbai on August 12, the unlocking of commercial activity for longer hours in view of Independence Day and impending religious celebrations has worried many. The recent Covid-attributed singular deaths of fully vaccinated women in Mumbai and Raigad have also raised several red flags.

Dr Subhash Hira, Professor of Global Health at University of Washington, Seattle, says, "The Delta variant forms of Covid-19 that are highly prevalent in Mumbai and the world are seen to be bypassing vaccine-induced immunity in about 40 per cent people. Severe illnesses, hospitalisations, and deaths of vaccinated persons will become frequent in the third wave if people don't follow Covid protocol. The general public must continue to wear masks and maintain six feet physical distance."

Dr Hira further stated that at a recent WHO meeting in Geneva to review vaccine research studies, several vaccine follow-up studies had shown a declining immunity after eight to 12 months, especially among those exposed to Delta variants. "Several vaccine companies and some scientists suggested an additional booster injection after 8-12 months of the second dose. The review forum will wait to see more research studies, before taking a call on that."

Dr Santosh Bansode, Head of the Department, Emergency Medicine, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central, welcomed the move to ease restrictions, but said that "freedom should be enjoyed with responsibility". "The Delta strain spreads at a very fast rate, and if that happens, the number of Covid-19 patients may increase quickly as well. The healthcare system faced a lot of difficulties during the past waves, so we must strictly follow Covid protocol."

Dr Ketan Vagholkar, Professor of Surgery at DY Patil, Medical College echoed similar views. "The chances of acquiring infection with Covid-19 variants still remains high, even among the fully vaccinated."