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News Topical, Digital Desk : Corona cases are increasing continuously across the country. There has been a 20-fold increase in active Covid cases in the last 15 days. The number of active Covid cases in the country has crossed 5,000. Four people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours.
Kerala remains the most affected state by Corona in the country. It is followed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Delhi. The total number of active cases of Corona across the country has reached 5,364.
What do the experts say?
Experts say that Covid-19 is getting weaker with time, but since this virus has now become endemic and is constantly evolving, a surge in cases can be seen from time to time.
They say that there is no need to panic. Expressing concern over the increasing cases of Covid in different parts of the country, experts said that this could be the result of weakening immunity and seasonal factors such as fluctuations in temperature, which forces us to spend more time in air-conditioned places.
"With each passing year, the Covid-19 infection is getting milder. Now it is just a common respiratory disease and less dangerous than the flu. There is no need to consider Covid as a special disease, it is not a matter of concern," global health expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya told PTI.
Cases on the rise, but severity less
The World Health Organization (WHO) freed COVID-19 from 'public health emergency' in May 2023. Experts have classified it as a 'seasonal' and 'permanent' disease, which is now limited to certain areas.
- According to the Health Ministry, as of June 6, active cases in the country have increased to more than 5,364.
- About 500 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.
- Of these, more than 4,724 people have recovered.
- The current surge, which began in January this year, has claimed 55 lives.
Dr Lahariya said, "People with pre-existing medical conditions and those above 65 years of age should take the usual precautions as they would for any other respiratory disease. This precaution is necessary not just for Covid, but for all respiratory infections."
Cases are also increasing in South-East Asia
This surge of cases in India is part of a wave seen in other parts of South-East Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. Wastewater monitoring by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) in Pune found the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in samples from 10 sewage treatment plants. Scientists say this pattern is similar to the one seen before the earlier surge.
Genome sequencing of samples in the west and south of India revealed that the cases were linked to Omicron's subvariants LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB.1.8.1. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director general Rajiv Bahl said the cases were not serious and there was nothing to worry about. The WHO has classified LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 as 'variants under monitoring' (VUM), which means they need to be monitored.
The infectivity of the virus has increased, but it is not dangerous: Experts
Immunologist Satyajit Rath said that the current subvariants have higher infectivity because they can attach better to human cells, even if antibodies formed from previous infection or vaccine are present. But he stressed that their 'virulence' i.e. their ability to cause serious disease is low. Rath said, "The selection process of the virus depends on infectivity and spread, not on severity. Therefore, there is no reason for the new variants to increase in severity, and this has not been seen either."
Experts say that since the Covid-19 virus is now stable and is constantly mutating, fluctuations in cases are natural. Anurag Agarwal said, “Unless a new 'variant of concern' emerges, people need not worry. VUM is relevant only for health officials, not for the general public.”
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