A healthcare worker administers a dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a beneficiary, at Gateway of India, in Mumbai. (PTI, file)DUE TO a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in August, the caseload surged by nearly two-fold compared to July when the pandemic curve had flattened in the city.
According to an analysis done by The Indian Express, 11,343 cases were reported in July, which climbed to 19,846 in August registering a nearly 75 per cent jump.
Officials in the civic body attributed the spike in cases to the new variant of Omicron-BA.2.75, which is more dominant than other variants of the virus and is more transmissible. “With the removal of Covid-19 protocols, people have put down their guards, which is making them more susceptible to the circulating subvariant,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). “Now, we are at the end phase of the pandemic so, it is expected to witness a sudden rise and fall in cases.”
Similarly, the number of deaths also rose from 39 to 47 during the same period. However, most of the deaths have been recorded among patients with underlying health issues.
“Due to the acquired immunity from previous infections and vaccination, the severity of the infection is less. We have hardly witnessed deaths among younger groups. Patients especially the elderly with health issues like diabetes and hypertension are more vulnerable to losing their lives,” said Dr Avinash Supe, in-charge of the Covid-19 Death Committee.
Now the daily Covid-19 cases are hovering around 300-400 for the past two weeks. The active cases in the city have dropped to 3,414.