Maharashtra: Coronavirus could be becoming ‘fitter’, endemic, say health experts

On Wednesday, India reported 3,712 new cases, about 1,000 more than the previous day. Maharashtra reported more than 1,000 infections for the first time since February. Mumbai alone accounted for over 700 of these new cases.

“There is more intermingling of people as normal economic activities have resumed and masks have been dropped. People who get cough and fever-like symptoms are taking it lightly and not getting tested, thereby passing on the infections to others,” Dr Pradeep Vyas, additional chief secretary (health) in Maharashtra government, said.

Maharashtra surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate said the virus was in all likelihood reaching the endemicity stage. The weakening of immunity amongst previously infected people could also be contributing to the rising numbers.

“Apart from factors like mobility of population and large gatherings, seasonal patterns, waning of immunity due to natural infection or vaccination and emergence of new sub-variants are other factors that could be contributing to the rise in infections,” Dr Awate said.

He said the increase in infections could continue for about a month or two. “Though all clinical studies show that Omicron is still causing only mild diseases, people in vulnerable age groups, especially those with comorbid conditions, need to be careful,” he said.

Dr Amit Dravid, infectious diseases consultant at Noble Hospital in Pune, said an uptick in the number of cases of upper respiratory tract infections was being reported from various hospitals.

“It is possible that because the virus is mutating (due to continued circulation), it has gotten fitter over time. It possibly now possesses a greater capability of escaping immunity. The uptake of booster doses of vaccinations is modest, so that the overall level of antibodies in the larger population is going down. These could all be contributing to the rise in cases,” he said.

The number of Covid-19 infections in the state had first shown a rising trend in the middle of April, possibly triggered by the ending of the mask mandate and all other restrictions imposed by the Epidemics Act which had been withdrawn at the end of March. That trend, however, continued for less than a month, after which the numbers had begun to come down. But barely two weeks later, infections have begun to rise again.

There was no cause of alarm, however, Dr Awate said, considering that the rate of hospitalisation was still very low. But there was a need for increasing genetic surveillance to look for the emergence of newer, potentially more dangerous, variants, he said.

The Maharashtra government has also reinforced its efforts to get people vaccinated, with a door-to-door campaign. Nearly 1.74 crore people in the state are yet to take their second dose of the vaccine, Dr Sachin Desai, state immunisation officer, said.

Will keep watch for 15 days, people should follow Covid norms: CM

Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday advised the people to follow pandemic appropiate behaviour if they don’t wish to face restrictions again. Thackeray also asked the state Covid-19 task force to keep a watch on the pandemic curve for the next fortnight.

Maharashtra on Thursday recorded 1,045 new Covid-19 cases and one death, taking the active tally to 4,559. “If people don’t want restrictions again, they should follow discipline on their own. Use masks, observe physical distance, sanitise and vaccinate. We will keep watch for the next 15 days. People should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour to avoid further spread of the virus,” he said. —ENS