Experts suspect a new variant is fuelling infections worldwide, say health systems must alert populations to return to masks and physical distancing
Health workers test passengers arriving on a long-distance train at Dadar station. File photo
While Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra and across the country have dipped, a sudden surge in cases has been reported from across the world. Health experts have raised concerns as they suspect a new variant is fuelling infections. Dr Wiqar Shaikh, Professor of Medicine, Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, said that a recent letter by state health officials regarding the possibility of a surge in Covid-19 cases in the coming weeks is a matter of concern.
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Dr Shaikh said that as per the WHO, there were approximately 1.1 crore new Covid-19 cases worldwide reported during the past week. The worst-hit countries have been South Korea (more than 6 lakh new cases per day), Germany (1.25 lakh), the UK (90,000), Italy (74,000), Japan (49,000), Australia (46,000), Austria (42,000) and the Netherlands (41,000). Besides, cases continue to surge in the USA, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and several other countries around the world.
Dr Shaikh added that both the Deltacron variant and the Omicron subvariant BA.2 could fuel the fourth wave in India. He said that the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron is more transmissible and spreads faster than the original Omicron variant. He also said that the hybrid variant, Deltacron, which is a combination of the Delta variant and the Omicron variant, could create havoc around the world, including India.
Fourth wave alert
Dr Shaikh recalled his statement on Sunday mid-day on March 6, 2022, in which he had opined that the 4th wave will hit India by June 2022 and said that we have to learn from history; the past pandemics, be it plague, cholera, measles, influenza, etc., all had multiple waves before they finally abated.
Dr Subhash Hira, Professor of global health at University of Washington-Seattle and advisor to WHO-TDR said, “This time, the epicentre for the fourth wave is war-torn Ukraine, with cases spreading rapidly to the UK, Germany, China, and South Korea. Looking at the clinical spectrum of diseases, consisting of sore throat, respiratory distress, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and fatigue, experts speculate that the fourth wave could be caused by recombinant Deltacron.”
Dr Subhash Hira, Professor of global health at University of Washington-Seattle and advisor to WHO-TDR
He added, “The emergence of the recombinant variant Deltacron should start to ring alarm bells across the world. The health systems should quickly alert populations to return to masks and physical distance.”
‘We must be careful still’
Dr Ketan Vagholkar, Professor of Surgery, at DY Patil Medical College, said, “With the relaxation in Covid restrictions, there has been an enormous increase in people visiting public places such as markets and malls. It is observed that most citizens ignore precautions including the use of a mask. Various countries such as South Korea and Germany have seen a sudden increase in the number of cases during the past few days. This has to be taken seriously as newer strains with variable pathogenicity are known to emerge after viral pandemics.”
Dr Santosh Bansode, Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wockhardt hospitals, Mumbai Central said, “Maharashtra government issued notice on March 17 about rising Covid cases in many countries. We must keep a close watch on the world situation regarding Covid and act well in advance to prevent the fourth wave in our country.”
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