India misjudged the pandemic: Dr Fauci tells US Senators

America’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci told the US senators that India made the “incorrect assumption” that it was finished with the Covid-19 pandemic and opened up prematurely that in turn has left the country in such “dire straits”

India has been severely affected by the overwhelming second wave of the pandemic and hospitals in numerous states are fraught with the shortage of health workers, vaccines, oxygen, and myriad other medical amenities.

“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,” Fauci told the US Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee during a hearing on Tuesday on the Covid-19 Response.

Senator Patty Murray, chairing the hearing, said that the surge of Covid-19 that is testing India is a painful reminder really that the US couldn’t end the pandemic here until it ends it everywhere.

“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,” she said.

“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,” Murray said as she asked Dr. Fauci what the US can learn from India’s outbreak.

“One of the important things is don’t ever underestimate the situation,” Fauci said as he referred to India’s incorrect assumption and premature opening up.

“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.” he added.