Health experts cite 'multiple reasons' for COVID cases rise in national capital

By Shalini Bhardwaj
New Delhi [India], August 5 : Expressing concerns over the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the capital, health experts cited multiple reasons behind the rising trend in daily infections in Delhi.
The city breached the 2,000 cases mark on Thursday after nearly 180 days while the capital reported 2,202 new COVID cases yesterday. Meanwhile, India recorded 20,551 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours.
Speaking to ANI, Director Star Imaging and Path Lab, Dr Sameer Bhati said, "There are a number of reasons cumulatively resulting in an increasing number of cases. For instance, the genomic sequencing of positive samples is relatively reduced now, so the vigilance on circulating variants has decreased."
"Moreover, the known circulating Omicron subvariants are said to have an immune escape mechanism. Especially in comorbid patients, immunity seems to be low irrespective of the vaccination and even many young people have also avoided their booster doses while the COVID appropriate behaviour is followed the least," he added.
The expert also cited the viral infections during the post-monsoon season as one of the possible reasons for the rise in COVID cases in the city.
"Secondly, during the post-monsoon season, immunity gets lower, and other viral infections also prevail, so the chances of getting infections increase. Even further the COVID testing has decreased, due to which surveillance is decreased and hence steps to stop the transmission cannot be implemented effectively," Dr Bhati said while emphasising testing and surveillance.
The expert also cited the increase in international travel as a reason for the rise in the cases.
"International travel has increased now and unless the global immunisation with Covid Vaccines gets full coverage worldwide, the chances of increasing cases will remain a possibility," he said.
Another expert, Director and HOD - Pulmonology, Fortis Shalimar Bagh, Dr Vikas Maurya said that COVID patients who have cough and cold and fever along with throat itching as the symptoms recover fast.
"There has been an upsurge in covid cases both in OPD and those requiring hospitalisation. Symptoms mostly are high-grade fever lasting for three to four days alongwith throat itching, irritation, cough, and cold. These patients recover fast," he said.
Dr Maurya said that most patients who are admitted to the hospitals are with comorbidities.
"Hospitalisations mainly include patients with a large number of comorbidities and they are presenting breathlessness. Most predominantly have mild lung involvement with very few patients having severe lung involvement requiring ICU admissions," he said while explaining hospitalisations due to COVID.