Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Currently, India has 257 active COVID-19 cases, and our country is monitoring the situation with increased vigilance. As per the health officials the cases are mostly mild, not associated with unusual severity or mortality. The new JN.1 variant and its related descendants, which belong to the Omicron family, are believed to be the driver behind this surge in Covid-19 cases across Asia. COVID virus seems to have a made a comeback with cases being reported in different parts of the country, but scientists insist that there is nothing to be worried since those affected are only showing mild symptoms of low grade fever and cough while hospitalisations too have been less.
Most infected individuals experience mild upper respiratory symptoms. Some common symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, exhaustion and minor gastrointestinal problems. In some cases, the new variant may also present with a loss of appetite and persistent nausea.
Expert doctors says that most cases are mild and can be managed at home. However, high-risk individuals-such as the elderly, people with diabetes or heart disease should remain extra cautious. As the cases are rapidly increasing and the authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Though it’s genetically clever, doctors say it’s not necessarily more severe. Still, its ability to evade immunity is what makes it tricky.Covid-19 hasn’t disappeared. It has become endemic and will likely cause periodic spikes. What important is to monitor these carefully, especially through genomic surveillance.
Although there is no uniform or coordinated environment surveillance for COVID across the country, there is a need to keep a close watch on the developments. We have to keep a watch on the severity of the symptoms lest we are caught unawares if there is a rush for hospitalisations due a more potent strain that could arise. Let us maintain “physical distancing” keeping at least 1 meter. This distance helps to avoid direct contact with respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. In order to protect ourselves from COVID, we have to continue to do the hard, albeit tedious, work of keeping ourselves safe and healthy-by wearing facial coverings, keeping our social distance, practicing good hand hygiene, and staying home. People must celebrate festivals, Birthday, Wedding Anniversaries at their homes, as this would help in breaking the Covid-19 chain and preventing a fresh wave of the pandemic. Let us make sure that we are well sanitized and follow all the necessary steps before you approach an elderly person to help. Wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining distance are a must if one wants to protect oneself, If one is careless, walking out without a mask, then we are putting ourselves, our family, our children, the elderly in trouble. ? This is the time that we have to show the true value of our education and listen to experts and behave responsibly. Your sanitizer and your mask are like your shield. Why not to use It?.