Covid cases see an uptick In India amidst spike in H3N2 infections
21 Mar 2023
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The number of active Covid-19 cases in India, currently estimated at 6,350, is expected to show a spike with more cases being reported in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and elsewhere. About 918 new cases were recorded across the country in the last 24 hours while 479 recoveries were also recorded in the last 24 hours.
The spike in Covid cases comes along with a similar rise in the number of H3N2 infections in most states.
In Maharashtra, state health minister Tanaji Sawant said all hospitals across the state have been asked to be on alert. "H3N2 virus is spreading in the state, but there is no need to worry. People must not go in crowded areas, wear masks and maintain social distancing. H3N2 and Covid cases are on the rise again in the state", he added.
Till now 2 people have succumbed to H3N2 infection in the state.
The first death of a 23-year-old male medical student occurred in Ahmednagar and the second death of a 72-year-old man has been reported from Nagpur.
In both the cases, the victims were suffering from various ailments including Covid-19 and H3N2 and the exact causes of their deaths would be available in another 24 hours, he added.
There is a third suspected death due to H3N2 from Nagpur, but the official confirmation is awaited.
So far, the state has notched 352 cases of H3N2 patients who are under treatment in different hospitals, said Sawant.
The change in the weather is affecting health, the minister said and advised people to reduce going to crowded places, use masks, wash hands and maintain distance, consult a doctor only if they have a fever etc.
Meanwhile, the union ministry of health and family welfare has written to six states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka - which have reported significant rise in the Covid cases in last week - to examine the Covid 19 situation at the micro level.
Among the symptoms of H3N2 are prolonged fever with body aches, cough, running nose, and in extreme cases, even breathlessness or wheezing and health authorities have advised immediate treatment.
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