‘Majority of people unaware even when they are infected, strain behaving mildly'
Jahangeer Ganaie
Jammu Tawi/Srinagar, Jul 20
The Covid positivity rate in J&K is increasing with each passing day and it is likely that sub lineages of Omicron are behind it, however, it can be fully confirmed in genome sequencing labs. Yesterday it was 333 with one death; today it is 432 with one more death.
Health experts believe that the current spike in Covid cases in the Union Territory of J&K is likely caused by the Omicron sub-lineages, mainly BA.2, BA.2.38, BA.4 and BA.5.
On the face of it, it is usually mild form presenting with fever, body aches, sore throat and cough and it resolves in a few days.
The variant doesn't seem to be aggressive as the hospital admissions haven't increased as of now, however, people must not be complacent and must use masks at least in outdoors.
Experts observed that these new sub variants are indicating higher transmissibility and dominating currently in most of the places but most cases are of mild infection that includes cold, cough, fever and body ache.
Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, Head of Department Community Medicine at GMC Srinagar said that the number of Covid cases is seemingly on rise over the last few weeks, but the symptoms are mild and self-limiting lasting for a few days only.
It is worrying that the majority of affected persons don't know if they had Covid as they do not go for test for it. Despite being positive, they keep on doing their routine activities and the virus kept on spreading.
Experts also expressed that there's no severity of currently circulating strain as it mainly affects the upper respiratory tract and as such the hospital admissions are minimal with those having co-morbidities and involvement of lungs, which rarely occurs with the circulating strains of Omicron variant.
Similar situation has been emerging at national and the world level.
India on Wednesday reported 20,557 new Coronavirus cases and 40 Covid-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours. Country's active caseload currently stands at 1,45,654.
Many states has sounded alert over the sharp increase of Covid infection and ordered the resumption of earlier SoPs.
The Centre urged the states and Union territories on Wednesday to strictly monitor the home isolation cases of Covid-19 so that these patients do not intermingle in the community, while stressing on awareness regarding home-test kits through the rapid antigen test (RAT) for a timely identification of the disease. (KNO)
