Just as we thought the new year would see an end to Covid fears, Omicron appeared on the scene, upsetting plans and creating uncertainty once again. My brother and sister-in-law were looking forward to travelling to Amsterdam from Botswana. They were elated to know that there was a special category for grandparents who haven’t seen their grandchildren for two years.
So, the planning began. They were doubly vaccinated but the only problem was getting a Schengen visa as the consulates were closed. They decided to fly to India to get the visa and, after stopovers in South Africa and Dubai, they reached Hyderabad where they had managed to get an appointment for the visa interview. They had sheaves of documents and were prepared for Covid testing at Hyderabad airport.
However, when they arrived here, they were surprised to see that there was no RT PCR testing done. Instead, they were stamped on the back of the hand with ink that wiped off almost immediately! They asked several officials about quarantine but were told there was none. This was on November 8. Their interview went well and they were told that they would be informed in two weeks’ time if their application had been approved.
As news of the Omicron variant broke shortly after, their mood swung between despair and hope as they visualized all eventualities. To their bad luck, their journey began in Botswana and they transited through South Africa, the two countries where Omicron was first detected.
As frontline workers they had been fortunate enough to have been prioritized for vaccination when India sent Botswana vaccines. But now they were unsure of how the situation would unfold. Prepared to cancel their holiday plans, they were surprised to hear from the visa centre that their visas were ready. Was this a sign from above?
If the Netherlands imposed a travel ban, they would be stuck in India as they would not be able to fly back to Botswana as borders began to close. Their daughters in Amsterdam told them perhaps it would be better to postpone their visit to next summer.
So began the wait and see period. News of the new variant was avidly devoured with the latest inputs from Amsterdam. The inequitable distribution of vaccines across the world was discussed at length. As long as access to vaccines is restricted, new variants and mutations will continue to plague the world. The quick response of the African nations to this new threat must be applauded. Now is not the time for a blame game.
Many countries responded with a knee-jerk reaction, imposing travel bans immediately although WHO said it was too early for such a move. Vaccine manufacture is restricted to only a few countries although some African nations have the capability to do so.
Sadly, the wealthy nations have locked down millions of doses of vaccines for themselves. The situation is reminiscent of the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak, when a handful of nations secured most of the supplies of a vaccine, said Richard Hatchett, head of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations based in Oslo.
If Covid-19 vaccines are misallocated, more people will die and the disruption will be even greater than it needs to be.
Two years on, the stalls that sprang up almost overnight all over my city, manned by people who had lost their jobs, seem to have become permanent structures. The civic authorities turn a blind eye as they realise that these are hard times and everyone has a right to earn a livelihood.
On the brighter side, my brother and his wife flew to Amsterdam as per schedule and breezed through the airport there. In fact, they were out with their luggage in minutes and had to wait for the welcome committee who were not expecting them to finish all formalities so soon!
I am glad they had a happy ending after all the uncertainty and anxiety.
Vanaja Rao is a freelance writer based in Hyderabad, India
