After a relative lull at the start of the year Karnataka, and capital Bengaluru, have recorded a steep increase in the number of new Covid cases that has overwhelmed the healthcare system.

Bengaluru is a medical hub and now also home to around two lakh active Covid cases.

"This is a socio-economic virus... and we`d anticipated a second wave. The technical advisory committee had given us a forewarning... that by the end of February we could see a second wave coming," Dr. Vishal Rao, the Dean at the HCG Cancer Center`s Centre for Academic Research and a member of the state`s Covid task force.

He added that there is a large, vulnerable population in the state too, pointing to the nearly 10 percent that is over 60 years old - which is widely considered the most vulnerable age group.

The city went from only 21,000 active cases at the start of April to around two lakh now - a nearly tenfold increase.

"It is primarily there because of the free movement of the people. What could have been done, though redundant now, is adherence to Covid norms even after the caseload had dropped," Dr. Aditya S Chowti, Chief of Internal Medicine at Specialist Hospital, said. 

"Lockdown, in my observation, is a way to prepare. It is not a solution by itself. Our key aspects of preparation include oxygen and manpower. While we have beds - the shortage is off oxygen and manpower. I think the next two weeks will be crucial for us to get ready," he said.

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