MEASURES TAKEN BY INDIA TO FIGHT SECOND WAVE OF CORONA VIRUS
                     MEASURES TAKEN BY INDIA TO FIGHT 
SECOND WAVE OF CORONA VIRUS?
What is the second wave of corona?
• From February 2021 onwards, corona cases began to rise exponentially, and 
in 1 month (February to March) India recorded as many cases as in 6 months 
of 2020. 
• This is the second wave because it is the second time that COVID cases are 
on the rise.
Source: pharmeasy.in
New strains of the coronavirus
• This second wave could have been triggered by a few new strains of the 
coronavirus including the UK virus, South Africa virus, and the double 
mutant.
• These mutants of coronavirus are very infectious and have a high R-value 
(the number of people who can be infected from one person). 
Source: pharmeasy.in
Why has the second wave spread like wildfire?
• People’s apathy towards COVID-19 precautions like not wearing masks, not 
washing hands, not using sanitizers. 
• Large-scale congregations especially during the election season and for 
certain ceremonies. 
Source: pharmeasy.in
MEASURES TAKEN BY INDIA TO FIGHT SECOND 
WAVE
Oxygen related efforts
• The government has ramped up its efforts to get oxygen to hospitals using special Oxygen 
Express trains, air force planes and trucks to transport tankers in view of rising number of 
Covid-19 cases in the country.
– Delhi allotted more than its oxygen quota
– Punjab shuts iron, steel industries to divert oxygen for medical use
– Odisha government banned the use of oxygen for industrial purposes
Source: indianexpress.com
Lockdowns in states
• Several states in India have imposed complete lockdowns to reduce the spread of the 
coronavirus virus amid a deadly second wave.
• Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal are such states as 
they have strict covid-19 curbs in place with additional measures like a weekend 
lockdown and night curfews in some of them.
Source: indianexpress.com
Vaccination Process
• To ramp up India's immunization campaign, more than 20 states, so far, have announced 
that they will provide free Covid-19 vaccines to their people.
• While some have made the coronavirus vaccine free for all, others have said that it will be 
free for people between the age of 18 to 45 only.
Source: livemint.com
Foreign aids
• So far, India has received 24 different categories of items, mainly BiPAP Machines, oxygen 
concentrators, oxygen cylinders, PSA oxygen plants, pulse oximeters, drugs such as 
faviparivir and remdesivir and PPE kits and N 95 masks numbering nearly 40 lakhs.
Source: livemint.com
DRDO's 2G drug
• The drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has been developed by DRDO's Institute of Nuclear 
Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's 
Laboratories.
• Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised 
patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.
Source: livemint.com
Surveillance and testing
• Contact tracing is done aggressively to identify case surges. Innovative ways including 
tests on sewage water, currency notes and blood bank samples for antibodies have  
explored.
Source: livemint.com
Ray of hope
    As cases has started to decline after 
reaching peak, it looks like with 
increased vaccination, awareness and 
restrictions, Covid 19 situation in India 
may soon be in control.