There is another increase in the number of coronavirus infection cases across the country. In Andhra Pradesh in South India, four patients died in recent days, and the area of virus spread continues to expand. Cases of infection have also been found in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Cases of COVID have also appeared in Bihar: an infected father and daughter were identified in the city of Bhagalpur and hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
The rise in morbidity and mortality has caused serious concern among medical specialists and has raised many questions among the public: can the coronavirus spread throughout the country again? Is the virus becoming more dangerous than before? Are booster doses necessary?
Professor Dr. Jugal Kishore, Director of the Internal Medicine Department at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, and public health expert and epidemiologist Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya provided detailed answers to these questions.
Dr. Jugal Kishore noted that the notion that the coronavirus has disappeared is incorrect. The virus has not been completely eradicated and is still present not only in India but also in many other countries around the world. The virus constantly mutates, leading to the emergence of new subvariants such as XFG (Stratus), NB.1.8.1, and Cicada (BA.3.2).
According to Dr. Kishore, the virus continuously changes its genes to evade the body's immune response. These changes and new variants cause infection. However, a positive aspect is that the current variants generally do not cause severe illnesses; most infected individuals experience only mild symptoms, similar to the flu, without respiratory problems or oxygen deficiency.
Dr. Chandrakant explained that during the monsoon season, many different viruses become active, leading to an increase in respiratory illnesses, including COVID cases. He emphasized that although there is an increase in morbidity with flu-like symptoms, there is no need to panic.
According to Dr. Kishore, most COVID cases in India are currently caused by the XFG and NB.1.8.1 variants. Although these variants are old, they can spread rapidly. Typically, their symptoms resemble the flu: fever, dry or regular cough, sore throat, body and muscle aches, headache. These signs may be similar to common viral flu or seasonal allergies, but immediate hospitalization is required in case of persistent fever and breathing difficulties.
Regarding the deaths registered in South India, Dr. Jugal Kishore clarified that in most cases, the primary cause of death is not the virus itself. He specified that patients who die often suffer from pre-existing serious conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, or cancer. Since COVID testing is conducted in hospitals as part of the protocol, and if the result is positive, the death is registered as COVID-related, even though the true cause of death may be related to another serious illness.
In response to the most important question about the possible spread of the virus across the country, Dr. Kishore replied that the probability of the coronavirus spreading across the country as widely as before is extremely low. This is because people still retain immunity against the virus, and most infected individuals experience only mild symptoms. People with pre-existing serious illnesses pose the greatest risk. Nevertheless, since the virus continues to mutate, caution is necessary. Dr. Chandrakant also believes that the probability of widespread COVID is low; even if cases increase, the symptoms will predominantly be flu-like.
Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya stated that booster doses are not currently required in India. However, COVID prevention remains important. To achieve this, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary visits to crowded places, not take antibiotics without consulting a doctor, avoid spitting in public places, and temporarily avoid visiting infected areas.
Dr. Lahariya added that the current situation is completely different from the situation in 2020 or 2021. Most people experience mild infections, and the number of severe cases remains limited, so there is no need to panic.
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