334 cases in 48 hours: Covid spike rings alarm bells in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: The rise in daily Covid-19 cases and a death in the past one week has come as an alarm bell which needs to be taken seriously, said experts while appealing people not to ignore safety protocols in the coming festival season.
In the last 48 hours, 334 people - 187 on Friday and 147 on Thursday - were diagnosed with Covid-19, taking the count of active cases to 773. At least 24 patients are admitted to various hospitals of whom the condition of 10, including a pregnant woman undergoing treatment at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) is serious.
Earlier, on June 22, 191 cases were recorded in a single day. Former head of microbiology department at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Prof Anil Kumar Gulati, said: "People have abandoned wearing masks, sanitizing hands and following Covid-19 protocols. They should know that a prominent variant (Omicron) is highly infectious and can escape the immunity generated through vaccination or infection."
"Although Omicron doesn't cause serious illness, it may prove fatal to elderly people and those with comorbidity. There is also a risk that rapid circulation may cause the virus to mutate into a dangerous new variant," he added.
Chief medical officer Dr Manoj Agrawal said, "Although vaccination reduces the chances of serious illness, people should understand that they can still get infected and pass on the virus to others. Hence, people must adhere to the protocol."
"The administration should make sure that people wear masks and sanitize their hands while taking part in festivities. People should also avoid bringing their friends and relatives who are comorbid to any event with large gathering," said Prof D Himanshu, medical superintendent, KGMU.
He further said that those who participate in such an event should sanitize themselves before mingling with their families.