Double blow looms large

Heat stress and summer illnesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic can be quite debilitating and life-threatening to vulnerable sections, say experts

Just when the government and people were beginning to believe that the COVID-19 virus surge was easing and life was finally returning to normal after enduring a gruelling year, the sense of relief turned out to be short-lived with the resurgence of the pandemic. For the States like Andhra Pradesh with a tropical climate, the second wave, coupled with the crippling summer fatigue and burnout, comes as a double whammy. The virus spread at a time when the scorching sun is wreaking havoc, is adding to the misery of people living in poorly-ventilated, crowded homes. Low income slum-dwellers who have poor or no options for self-quarantine for maintaining the required hygiene levels and vulnerable sections like older people who are susceptible to both, heatwave conditions and the virus, face a potent threat.