COVID-19: 'India opened up prematurely' says Dr Anthony Fauci amid second wave

In view of spiraling COVID-19 infections in India, America's top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci informed senators that India had made an "incorrect assumption" that it was done- with the COVID-19 pandemic therefore opened up prematurely. This has left the country in such "dire straits". Dr Fauci is the Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is also the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden.

India has been severely affected by the unprecedented second wave of the coronavirus and hospitals in several states are reeling under the shortage of health workers, vaccines, oxygen, drugs, and beds. Fauci told the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee during a hearing on Tuesday, 

"The reason that India is in such dire straits now is that they had an original surge and made the incorrect assumption that they were finished with it, and what happened, they opened up prematurely and wind up having a surge right now that we're all very well aware of is extremely devastating.”

'Don't ever underestimate the situation'- Dr. Fauci

Chairing the hearing, Senator Patty Murray said that the surge of COVID-19 is devastating India. It is a painful reminder that the US can't end the pandemic here until it ends it everywhere.

She said, "I'm glad the Biden administration is leading that global fight by rejoining the World Health Organization and funding global vaccine efforts and committing to donate 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines to other countries by July 4.”

"India's outbreak underscores the need for a robust public health infrastructure in the US to respond appropriately to this pandemic and future outbreaks, as well,” Senator Murray said as she asked Fauci what can the US learn from India's outbreak.

Fauci said as he referred to India’s incorrect assumption and premature opening up, "One of the important things is don't ever underestimate the situation. Because if it continues to have dynamics of virus anywhere in the world, we have a threat here in the United States, particularly with variants, and you know there's one variant in India that is also a new variant…So those are just a few of the lessons that I believe we can take from what's going on in India."

"The second thing is preparedness with regard to public health, preparedness, which we, as a lesson learned for future pandemics, have to realise that we need to continue to build up our local public health infrastructure, which over the last decades we have let actually in many respects go into disarray, likely because of our successes in controlling so many diseases,” he added.

Senator Murray said that the deadly outbreak in India is a heartbreaking reminder of what can happen when this virus spreads unchecked, when it mutates into more contagious, more deadly strains and when it overwhelms healthcare systems.

"It's a reminder this pandemic won't fully be over for our country until it is over for the world, which is why I'm glad the Biden administration is sending medical support to India, sharing some of our excess doses globally and even considering other steps to remove barriers to vaccines for countries that need them, including a targeted waiver of COVID-19 patent protections,” she said.

"These moves won't just save lives in India; they will ultimately save lives in Washington State, North Carolina and across the country because people get that when there is a fire down the street, it's in their best interest to put it out before it gets to their family's home. Not to mention that helping your neighbour is always the right thing to do,” Murray said.

COVID-19 in India

India saw a record rise in COVID-19 deaths with 4,205 fresh fatalities taking the country's death toll to 2,54,197, while 3,48,421 new coronavirus infections were reported, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The total tally of COVID-19 cases in India now stands at 2,33,40,938.