HYDERABAD: Outbreaks of clusters of Covid-19 cases in the state have become a matter of concern even as some districts are reporting an increase in cases over the past few days. Also being viewed with some concern by experts is the apparent reluctance of the state health department in reporting sudden increase in cases when found, in its communications to the public.
It was on November 21 that nearly 30 students in a government-run girls’ school and junior college in Wyra town of Khammam district were found to have contracted Covid-19. This discovery of a cluster of 29 cases among students that was confirmed by the district health officials, however, did not figure in the daily Covid-91 bulletins the health department releases to the general public. On November 21, the bulletin reported three new Covid-19 cases in Khammam district, followed by 5 on November 22, 6 on November 23, and 5 each on November 24 and 25.
The cases in Khammam, however, tripled from 5 on November 25 to 15 on November 26. And on Saturday, the health department said the district reported 21 new Covid-19 cases, indicating that Coronavirus is once again likely spreading faster among people in the district.
Meanwhile, new cases in Hyderabad district too appear to be on the uptick with the health department saying it found 66 new cases on Saturday. On Friday, the new cases in the city stood at 75, which was much higher than 56 reported on Thursday. The previous day, on November 24, the department reported that there were 55 new cases in the city. Incidentally, it was on Wednesday and Thursday that Mahindra University had its students and staff tested and found 30 from its 1,700 people on campus had caught Covid-19.
So far, 3,988 people have lost their lives in Telangana to Covid-19 as per the health department, while a total of 6,75,479 people have contracted the disease. As on Saturday, the department said the state had 3,545 active cases of the disease.
Meanwhile, Dr Ranga Reddy Burri, who heads the Infection Control Academy of India, said people must not let their guard down and if anything, be even more vigilant against Covid-19.
Referring to the recently discovered ‘Omicron’ Covid variant, Dr Ranga Reddy said this new ‘variant of concern’ “is being considered highly contagious because of the high number of mutations it carries. The WHO says early evidence shows new Omicron possesses a higher risk of infection, and scientists are concerned that the new mutations could get over immunisation from both vaccines or previous infections.”
He said current vaccines may not protect from new variants and citizens should take responsibility for Covid appropriate behaviour, and the government, on its part, should pre-empt and devise strategies to contain the escalation of new variants, morbidity, and mortality.
