Recent Covid cases pose no major threat: ICMR director
In India, 257 cases have been reported till Wednesday, but the situation cannot be termed as alarming.
Photo: PTI
Guwahati, May 24: Though some Covid cases have been reported from different parts of the country, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is of the view that there is no reason to panic as the virus has weakened to a large extent.
When contacted by The Assam Tribune, ICMR Chair Dr Rajni Kant said that some cases have been reported from countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. In India, 257 cases have been reported till Wednesday, but the situation cannot be termed as alarming.
Dr Kant said that the Union Health Ministry reviewed the situation on May 20 and none of the Covid-infected persons had serious complications. When asked about the reported death of two persons with Covid infection, he clarified that one was suffering from cancer and the other from some other disease. “They did not die of Covid but due to other diseases,” he asserted.
Dr Kant said that now KN1, a sub-variant of Omicron, has been found and that virus is much weaker than the previous ones. Moreover, majority of the people of the country have been vaccinated and almost all have come in contact with the virus. That is why almost all Indian citizens have developed herd immunity.
However, people facing breathing or lung issues should take precautions. “If someone is in a confined room and there are people coughing and sneezing, the others should be careful,” Dr Kant said.
However, he revealed that in most persons infected by Covid in recent times, the fever subsided within 3-4 days and no one faced serious complications. No one required oxygen support, he added.
Dr Kant revealed that Covid never vanished and it would stay for years to come. But the virus is becoming weaker, which is a good sign. He pointed out that the outbreak of Spanish Influenza took place more than 100 years back, but influenza cases are still reported and people are still taking vaccine. The virus never goes away and keeps on mutating. But after people are vaccinated or develop herd immunity, the virus cannot create serious issues.