BENGALURU: Though Covid numbers have seen an upward tick lately, the number of Influenza-Like Infections (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI), especially Adenovirus, H3N2 and H1N1 (swine flu) cases have been going down by almost 50 per cent.
Summer has set in, and the number of ILI/SARI cases in Bengaluru is dropping compared to the previous two months. The changing weather has also brought in an upward trend in gastrointestinal-related infections, doctors added.
Dr Rajath Athreja, senior consultant and head of department (paediatrics and neonatology), Sakra World Hospital, said, “The rise in Covid cases is not significant, and those needing hospitalisation is also very low. As expected, the number of ILI/SARI cases has also come down by 50 per cent.” Until March, there were around 30 outpatients daily, but now that number has also come down, he said.
On stomach-related infections, the doctor said the summer season causes food to get contaminated and spoil faster. They have seen approximately 10 cases of vomiting, loose motions and stomach aches daily over the past few days.
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members have also ascertained that the spike in Covid cases seen lately is not likely to continue in the upcoming months and will not affect voter turnout in election-bound Karnataka.
TAC members said one of the reasons for the spike in Covid cases has been people’s negligence in following Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB). Keeping the current situation in mind, there is no need to enforce any new guidelines, and citizens must ensure they follow CAB and get tested, if symptomatic. Hospitalisation and Covid deaths seen so far have also been incidental, as the infected people suffered from comorbidities, which led to their death.