PUDUCHERRY: Covid infections with UK and South African variants of the virus have been reported in Puducherry in the second wave amid a surge in cases. The UT on Saturday registered 1,379 new cases and and 12 deaths, with Puducherry region accounting for 1,100 cases.
The UT has been seeing infections from various variants including 11 cases of UK variant and two cases of South Africa variant, Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr S Mohan Kumar told Express. Puducherry has sent samples to NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and amid a spike in cases, the Health Department is not concentrating on the strains and variants, but on cure and management, he added.
Despite the many variants of Covid, very few people have been reinfected in Puducherry. Only one among 500 to 600 cases are reinfections. Also, vaccines are effective against these types of the virus and give the same kind of protection, said the Health Director
O2 plants at outlying regions
Oxygen production plants have been installed in the outlying regions of Yanam, Mahe and Karaikal. A PSA (Pressurized Swing Adsorptions) oxygen plant at Yanam will be operational in 10 days and will provide all the oxygen required for Yanam region, Health Secretary Dr T Arun said.
Meanwhile, at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, an oxygen storage tank with 6 lakh litre exits and another tank with 10 lakh litre is being put up and there is no oxygen shortage anywhere in the UT, he said.
Also, as instructed by Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, a three member Medical Audit Committee (MAC) under Director of Health has been constituted to check the utilization of Remdesivir.