A BRADFORD TV doctor says the UK should learn lessons from the Covid infection surge in India as lockdown is eased here, adding his own family have been affected by the crisis in India.

India recorded more than 320,000 new cases of coronavirus infection today as the country's sinking health system started receiving much-needed support from foreign nations.

Today's 323,144 new infections raised India's total past 17.6 million, behind only the United States.

It ended a five-day streak of recording the largest single-day increases in any country throughout the pandemic, but the decline likely reflects lower weekend testing rather than reduced spread of the virus.

The health ministry also reported another 2,771 deaths in 24 hours, with roughly 115 Indians succumbing to the disease every hour. The latest fatalities pushed India's death toll to 197,894, behind the US, Brazil and Mexico. Experts say even these figures are probably an undercount.

 

Dr Amir Khan says the UK should be cautious as further lockdown measures, including indoor mixing, are eased on May 17.

Speaking on today's Good Morning Britain, he said: “There’s lessons to be learned.

“India has been criticised for easing lockdown early. There is this new variant in India.

“The dominant strain in India is the UK variant, the same variant we have in the UK.

“In May, we have the easing of lockdown measures, including indoor mixing.

“That’s going to be a real test for us, bearing in mind we are dealing with the same variant that they are.

“This virus has taught us, that wherever you live, the poorer people who suffer the most. We have seen that in India and over here, it is no different.”

 

Meanwhile, Dr Amir says his mother is in contact with her relatives in North India, who have given a first-hand account of the crisis there.

“It is hard, my mum speaks to them every day.

“They are calling this a very difficult situation, like many people in India are.

“They are being told to stay at home, but they can’t afford to stay at home. The state funding to get people to stay at home and stay safe, just isn’t there.

“From what I hear the situation is desperate. It matches up with pictures we are seeing.

“A lot of these pictures are from private hospitals.

“The public hospitals are much worse. People in rural communities, in particular, who can’t get access to testing are dying at home without a test.

“It’s a really sad situation.”