Kolkata doctors keep eye on Covid case surge in other states – Times of India

KOLKATA: Even though the number of daily new Covid cases in Bengal has been restricted to two digits, doctors in Kolkata are keeping an eye on a spike in Delhi, Delhi NCR and Mumbai. However, they say there is no need to panic and even if there is another wave, it is expected to be milder. Experts said the surge in these cities could be due to the emerging variants and, hence, we need to be on our guard.
The number of daily cases started trickling down to two digits in the state since the second week of March. With the positivity rate swinging from 0.1% to 0.2% in the past two weeks, the state has been logging less than 20 cases constantly since April 13.

Doctors said while the situation here is far better than in many other states, people need to be vigilant. “There is also a surge in parts of UP. While this spike could be due to XE variant, only genome sequencing can confirm it. There is a possibility of a resurgence by June-July. We should keep using masks, intensify vaccination and expand genome sequencing,” said senior physician and Bengal’s Global Advisory Board member Sukumar Mukherjee.
According to associate professor of paediatrics at ICH Prabhas Prasun Giri, the surge in cases in some cities is very mild, and hence, it is not yet defined whether these are normal fluctuations of an endemic phase or the beginning of a new wave. “We could get similar fluctuations. People should wear masks, especially in closed spaces,” said Giri.
“Rising cases in densely populated areas like Delhi and Maharashtra will be alarming only when the infection rate rises constantly. As all the waves in India started from these states, others should be on alert. But even if we have another wave, it is expected to be milder due to high vaccination coverage and increased natural immunity,” said Anirban Dalui, public health specialist at Swasthya Bhawan.