Corona started scaring again! Advisory issued after new cases in Delhi, Haryana, Kerala and Karnataka

New Delhi. There is a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in many areas of the country, due to which the governments have expressed concern and advised the citizens to be cautious. Meanwhile, in the national capital Delhi, the government has issued an advisory and instructed all hospitals to be alert and be fully prepared to deal with COVID. This is the first time that COVID-19 cases have been reported in Delhi after almost three years. At the same time, new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in many states including Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala and Karnataka.

In the advisory issued by the Health Department of the Delhi Government, all hospitals have been asked to be ready for the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccines. On Friday, Health Minister Pankaj Singh said that till Thursday, 23 cases of Covid-19 have been reported and the government is confirming whether the patients are residents of Delhi or have travelled outside the city. The Health Minister said that these positive cases have been reported by private labs and there is no need to panic. He said that this variant has symptoms like common influenza.

What did Delhi Health Minister say
Delhi Government Health Minister Pankaj Singh said in a conversation with Aaj Tak that today we have held a meeting with the Medical Superintendents of all the hospitals in Delhi, in which the hospitals have been instructed to make all preparations to fight Covid, whether it is oxygen beds or oxygen concentrate.

He also told in the conversation that there is no need to panic, the number of corona cases that have come in Delhi right now is 23, the government is monitoring that these cases have been registered in Delhi. They may have come through private labs, but are they from Delhi or have they come from outside. The government is monitoring all this and the public will be updated from time to time.

The Delhi government has directed health institutions to send all positive samples of COVID-19 to Lok Nayak Hospital for genome sequencing. Also, daily reporting of all parameters on the Delhi State Health Data Management Portal has been made mandatory.

The advisory issued by the government clearly states, ‘Hospitals will have to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, other medicines and vaccines. All equipment such as ventilators, Bi-PAP, oxygen concentrators and PSA (prostate-specific antigen) should be in working condition.’

According to the advisory, refresher training can be given to dedicated staff and daily reporting of cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) in all health facilities (OPD/IPD) should be ensured on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal. Confirmed influenza and COVID-19 cases should also be reported on IHIP under the L form.

The advisory also states that respiratory etiquette, including wearing masks, should be followed on hospital campuses and health facilities.

Dr Aviral Mathur of Sir Gangaram Hospital said, “With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases involving the JN.1 variant and its sub-variants, we must act with caution. This strain is highly contagious. However, the symptoms mostly remain mild. Still, prevention is important.

New cases reported in these states
At the same time, cases of COVID-19 are being reported in many states including Gujarat, Haryana and Kerala. On Thursday, 15 new cases of corona virus were reported in Gujarat, while three cases of COVID-19 infection were reported from Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana.
On Wednesday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that 182 cases of Kovid-19 were reported in the state in May.

Apart from this, on May 21, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao confirmed that there are 16 active cases of Kovid-19 in the state. Health department officials said on Friday that a nine-month-old child in Bengaluru has been confirmed to have Kovid-19.

Which variant is responsible?
The JN.1 variant of Omicron and its sub-variants LF.7 and NB.1.8 are responsible for this new wave. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared JN.1 as a ‘variant of interest’ in December 2023. This variant is more contagious, but experts say that it is not more dangerous than earlier variants. In most cases, mild symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat and body ache are being seen.

What is the situation in India?
The situation in India is under control. Active cases are very less as compared to the large population of the country. Most of the patients have mild symptoms. There is no need for hospitalization. The Health Ministry says that there is no sign of a new wave of Covid in the country, but vigilance is necessary.

Is it necessary to take a booster dose?
Health experts say that people who have weak immunity, such as the elderly, children or those who have diseases like diabetes, cancer. They are being advised to take a booster dose. In Hong Kong and Singapore too, people are being asked to take a booster dose, especially if it has been more than 6 months since their last dose or infection.

In India too, if you are going to travel to these countries where cases are increasing, then taking a booster dose can be a good step. According to the WHO, the XBB.1.5 monovalent booster vaccine can provide 19% to 49% protection against the JN.1 variant. But if you have taken the vaccine before. Are healthy, then there is no need to panic.

How to take precautions?

Wear a mask: Wear a mask, especially in crowded places.

Wash hands: Wash hands regularly or use sanitizer.

Respiratory precautions: Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

Travel precautions: If you are going to countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, China or Thailand, be careful. Avoid non-essential travel.

Keep an eye on symptoms: If you have symptoms like fever, cough or sore throat, get tested immediately.

Don’t panic, be cautious
Health experts say that this wave is not as dangerous as before. Most people are recovering with mild symptoms. The situation is under control in India too, but it is important to be cautious. If you are healthy. Have taken the vaccine earlier, then there is no need to worry much. But people with weak immunity should consider a booster dose and be careful. Covid-19 is not completely over yet, but with the right steps we can keep it under control. Stay safe, be cautious.