City doctors report slight rise in Covid cases, request vigilance without worry
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According to the Union health ministry's Covid dashboard on Saturday, there are 93 active cases across the country at the moment. BMC executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah said there is no cause for concern as far as Covid is concerned. "We do see seven or nine odd cases every month as the Covid-causing coronavirus is endemic in the country," she said. However, the BMC public health department has already asked its doctors to be alert about fever cases.
Dr Hemant Thacker from Breach Candy Hospital said that he received positive results for two patients on Saturday morning.
"While there is news of a fresh Covid wave in high-density areas of Hong Kong and Singapore, one of my patients just arrived from London a couple of days ago and has a severe throat infection and cough,'' he said, adding that the second patient has no immediate travel history.
Dr Pratit Samdani has already seen over half a dozen cases in the past few days.
"Most of them seem like patients of common flu, but the test results showed Covid,'' he said, adding that these patients are young and not elderly, who are known to be more susceptible to the virus.
Global news agencies said that Singapore's health ministry has reported a 28% jump in estimated cases, reaching 14,200 in the first week of May. Hospitalisations, too, rose by around 30% during the same period, the report cited.
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Dr Thacker, however, said there is no reason to panic as Indians have developed good immunity against the virus. Doctors said while it's too early to discuss Covid revaccination, people could benefit from taking the flu vaccine. "The flu vaccine would help with other viruses as well,'' he said. Dr Samdani said people should use universal precautions such as use of masks and stay at home in case they get fever.
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