THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Active Covid cases crossing 25,000, along with indications that the spread of infection is high, suggests that Covid is back in the community, but in a milder form. The test positivity rate (TPR), has inched closer to 17%, which is similar to the TPR recorded during the descent of third wave in mid-February. It took just 10 days for active patients to cross 25,000 from 15,000.
This time, however, the panic is less as the severity of disease has reduced drastically. Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said that the current infection is due to sub-variants of Omicron and there is no cause for concern. The health department’s N C Krishnaprasad, who has been closely following Covid data, said the rise in active cases in the state is likely to become stagnant soon in line with the trend visible in states that conduct honest testing.
The state reported 3,981 new Covid cases on Thursday. There were seven deaths due to Covid on the day. Health experts said that the deaths are mostly due to co-morbidities. “There has been a steady increase in Covid cases. We have increased the number of testing in private hospitals. Most of the admissions are in category A. As far as I know, most of the Covid deaths are due to other complications,” said Dr Gopikumar P, vice-president of Indian Medical Association, Kerala.
“People with liver and kidney diseases are found to be most vulnerable. The complications are more in people who have not taken Covid vaccine,” he added. Even when the deaths due to complications of Covid have become lesser, health experts warned that the situation could turn anytime with the emergence of new variants. They advised caution against lowering Covid protocol.
“Even when it is true that people are showing reluctance to wear masks, it is not time yet to discard the protocol altogether. There is a need to be careful for some more time because the chances of reinfection are real,”said Dr P S Shajahan, professor of Pulmonary Medicine at Government TD Medical College, Alappuzha, and president of Academy of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (APCCM). “We cannot ignore the complications of post-Covid issues that may worsen with reinfection,” he added.
