Any Xmas, New Year complacency may fuel short case surge early Jan: Experts

By Ashish Srivastava New Delhi, Dec 24 : As the year of the pandemic seems set to conclude with a week of festivities which could kick-off from Christmas, health experts apprehend that a possible coronavirus case surge, although shorter than earlier ones, may hit the national capital in the first two weeks of 2021.
As per the experts, traits observed among the public such as a wilful ignorance to Covid-appropriate behaviour, pandemic fatigue with health directions, travel and impulse to indulge in large gatherings for celebrations likely to exacerbate the disease burden in Delhi which might lead to a short surge of the cases.
Dr Neha Gupta, Consultant, Infectious Diseases at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said that though Christmas and New Year are not majorly celebrated in India, the laxity in this period can possibly emerge as the next surge in the capital city.
“The major reason for the surge in Delhi was ditching the Covid appropriate behaviour. The festivities which started from Durga Puja were merely a trigger. Since Christmas and New Year is coming, it is still probable that people will go for shopping, intermingle more than often, and will travel to holiday destinations and hometowns as well… the situation that could be predicted is that there is a possibility of surge in cases within the first two weeks of January,” she warned.
“However, it will be short and wane off earlier than previous ones,” Gupta added.
Dr Geeta Mehta, former director of microbiology at Centre-run Lady Hardinge Medical College, said that the laxity in following social distancing norms has resulted in a surge in the past and could repeat in the future as well.