Record cases in India with worse to come

INDIA has yet to hit the peak of its second wave experts warn – despite setting a global daily record for a third day running with 346,786 new Covid infections.

- Tony Whitfield

A leading virologist fears daily cases could hit 500,000 during the first week in May.

Yesterday overwhelmed hospitals scrambled for oxygen and patients died while waiting to be admitted. There were another 2,624 deaths, taking the total fatality toll to 189,544 in a country of around 1.3 billion people.

But as cases soar the healthcare system has been pushed to the brink with critics saying lessons have not been learnt from the first wave during the summer.

Experts said many people had been put off jabs because of European fears over vaccine safety. The country has recorded 16.6 million coronavirus cases.

Swamped hospitals in New Delhi and some of the worst-hit states reported a critical shortage of beds and oxygen.

Some have issued public notices saying they do not have medical oxygen and social media sites are awash with pleas for supplies.

There were reports of hospitals struggling to care for breathless patients or keep alive those lucky enough to have a bed. The lack of oxygen has particularly affected Jaipur and Amritsar.