Surge in Covid-19 cases: ‘Surveillance should be done not only for Covid-19 cases but also for other diseases,’ says health expert
Surge in Covid-19 cases: Amid the upswing in Covid-19 cases in India with Karnataka reporting 436 cases, Kerala 3096, Maharashtra 168, Gujarat 56, and Tamil Nadu 139 cases today, addressing media Pune health expert said that the surveillance should be done not only for Covid-19 cases but also for other diseases.
Noticing the uptick in spread of diseases, health expert said, "Surveillance always helps. I think surveillance is not only for SARS-CoV-2, but I think we should have surveillance for all kinds of different infections and the surveillance essentially means watching what kind of diseases are spreading, like antimicrobial resistance. In fact, you will know that JN.1 was picked up in many parts of the country from the wastewater surveillance system. So surveillance is a very good idea in any case."
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Highlighting that WHO is classifying the variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86, health expert added, "This is a variant of Omicron and this one already had more than 30 mutations in it.”
So all the world was watching very carefully to see whether that would spread very rapidly or not, but that particular one would not happen. But it has one additional mutation. This mutation appears to be interesting because it seems to be actually spreading faster than the parents did earlier,” he added.
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December, synonymous with holidays worldwide, historically played a significant role in Covid-19's global dissemination since its emergence in China. The festive season in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres, encompassing Christmas and the lunar new year, facilitated the virus's global traversal.
Amidst year-end festivities, fortifying our immune defenses with vaccines and masks becomes crucial. Recognising the lurking threat of the invisible nemesis, it's imperative to echo the proactive measures adopted previously, as vigilance remains paramount.
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