logo
Alappuzha sees surge in Covid cases, steps up vigilance

Alappuzha sees surge in Covid cases, steps up vigilance

New Indian Express10 hours ago

ALAPPUZHA: The health department has imposed strict surveillance in government hospitals across Alappuzha district following a fresh surge in Covid cases. Over 200 people have tested positive in the latest outbreak, prompting the imposition of restrictions and enhanced safety protocols.
At Alappuzha Medical College Hospital and various taluk hospitals, strict visitor control measures have been implemented. Wearing face masks has been made mandatory for all visitors, and in most hospitals, the number of bystanders per patient has been limited to one. Those showing symptoms of fever or suspected Covid will not be permitted entry.
Dedicated Covid wards have been reopened at Alappuzha Medical College Hospital, and nodal officers have been appointed in all major hospitals to coordinate Covid management. Patients showing symptoms will first undergo antigen testing. If the antigen test result is negative, an RT-PCR test will be conducted, officials said.
In addition to the Covid alert, the district medical officer has issued a public health advisory warning residents of increased risks of rat fever, dengue, and other waterborne diseases.

Hashtags

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Covid surge in Asia sparks concern about emergence of more infectious variants
Covid surge in Asia sparks concern about emergence of more infectious variants

The Independent

time23 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Covid surge in Asia sparks concern about emergence of more infectious variants

India, Thailand, Indonesia, and several other countries in Asia have seen a surge in Covid cases since mid-May, sparking concerns about the emergence of more infectious variants of the novel coronavirus. India, which currently has more than 5,700 active Covid cases, reported four deaths from the infection over the last 24 hours. Although hospitalisations due to Covid remain low, India's health ministry is urging the public to remain careful, get tested quickly when symptoms appear, and continue to use masks in crowded spaces. In Thailand, hundreds of Covid patients have required hospitalisation since the beginning of June, while at least one has succumbed to the virus. The country reported 28,300 cases over just the first two days of this month, with the Bangkok metropolitan area accounting for the bulk of them. According to the Department of Disease Control, at least 70 people have died from Covid in the Southeast Asian country so far in 2025, mostly in large cities. The death rate has hovered around 0.106 per 100,000 people, suggesting the virus has not become deadlier. Indonesia has advised its healthcare institutions to remain vigilant and boost Covid surveillance amid a surge in infections attributed to new highly transmissible but less deadly variants of the coronavirus. "Cases are indeed increasing, but the rise is caused by variants that are relatively less deadly,' health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told reporters earlier this week. Health authorities are monitoring Omicron subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 for driving the ongoing surge in infections in Asia. These strains are not yet labelled as variants of concern but are only suspected to be causing an increase in Covid cases. The NB.1.8.1 subvariant has previously been reported in Thailand, Australia, China, Britain and the US. It's already known to be a recombinant virus formed from the merging of two coronavirus variants. Lara Herrero, a virologist from Griffith University in Australia, suspects that NB.1.8.1 spread more easily than other variants. Studies of the variant on cultured laboratory tissues reveal that the new strain has the strongest ability to bind to human cell receptors, facilitating its entry into cells. 'Using lab-based models, researchers found NB.1.8.1 had the strongest binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor of several variants tested, suggesting it may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains,' Dr Herrero wrote last month in The Conversation. Fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion, and gut discomfort are widely reported to be the main symptoms of infection by the new strains. According to the World Health Organisation, current Covid vaccines should protect against severe symptoms caused by the newly reported variants. In India, though, nearly 50 per cent of the new infections are still caused by the older JN.1 strain, according to data from the country's SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium. Most people who get infected experience only mild symptoms that disappear on their own or with over-the-counter drugs such as cough medicines, analgesics and decongestants. However, vulnerable groups such as the elderly or those with comorbid conditions are being urged to seek hospital care if symptoms appear. Healthcare experts urge infected individuals experiencing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue or blood oxygen levels below 95 per cent to immediately seek medical attention.

Two new Covid-19 variants are spreading through Wales with cases multiplying week on week
Two new Covid-19 variants are spreading through Wales with cases multiplying week on week

Wales Online

time39 minutes ago

  • Wales Online

Two new Covid-19 variants are spreading through Wales with cases multiplying week on week

Two new Covid-19 variants are spreading through Wales with cases multiplying week on week Public Health Wales has issued advice as two new Covid variants circulate Public Health Wales has urged for all eligible people to continue to receive Covid-19 vaccinations after data released by them has shown two new variants sweep through Wales within the past five weeks. This news comes after a variant named NB.1.8.1 made headlines more than five years after the initial outbreak of the virus that put the world on pause. The new strain now accounts for just over 10% of global infections with cases now confirmed in Northern Ireland and Wales. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. ‌ While there is no evidence that the new strain causes more severe symptoms, experts have said that it can infect cells more efficiently and can cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation, and nausea. ‌ Only four cases of the NB.1.8.1 have identified in Wales so it is not necessarily the variant anyone should worry about. Data shows that variants XFB and XFG are the ones sweeping through our nation as confirmed cases of this strain have grown by 52.5% within a timeframe of 28 days. Article continues below Variants XFB and XFG made up 60% of all Covid-19 cases in Wales on May 19. Just five weeks earlier, on April 21, they accounted for only 7.5% of infections. Healthcare professionals say this acts as a reminder that the virus has not gone away and that those considered vulnerable will continue to be seriously affected by these variants if necessary precautions are not taken. Dr Christopher Williams, consultant epidemiologist for Public Health Wales, said: 'The emergence of the XFB and XFG variants are a reminder that Covid-19 has not gone away and it is still important to take precautions if you develop symptoms such as fever, persistent cough, or loss of smell or taste, in particular to avoid spreading the virus to vulnerable people who can be severely affected. Article continues below 'There is no evidence to suggest that these new variants are any more or less severe than other previous variants and the vaccine is effective against them. 'If you are in an eligible group and have received an invitation for a Covid vaccination please take it up as it remains the most effective way to avoid serious symptoms from Covid.'

Why rescue centres in the South West are still struggling to cope with a rise in abandoned kittens
Why rescue centres in the South West are still struggling to cope with a rise in abandoned kittens

ITV News

timean hour ago

  • ITV News

Why rescue centres in the South West are still struggling to cope with a rise in abandoned kittens

Cat rescue centres across the South West say they are struggling to cope with 'huge' numbers of kittens being abandoned. It's thought an overhang from the pandemic five years ago is partly responsible, with fewer cats being neutered or spayed at the time. The Moggery Cat and Kitten Rehoming Centre in Bishopston received more than double their normal intake of abandoned kittens in 2024. They say volunteers rescued an additional 220 cats to what they'd expect during kitten season. Founder Christine Bayka told ITV West Country huge numbers of people adopted cats during the 2020 lockdown but later changed their mind about owning pets. She added that fewer cats were neutered or spayed too. 'During the Covid lockdown, the PDSA and RSPCA stopped doing neuters as normal because they could only have one vet in the operating theatre at a time,' said Bayka. 'We continued to neuter cats, but we were only able to do about a quarter of the amount we usually would,' she added. A lot of rescue centres and animal shelters are now facing a backlog of cases on neutering operations. This year At the beginning of this year, the Moggery Rehoming Centre rescued 50 cats and kittens from one flat in Weston-super-Mare. The cats and kittens filled the centre's capacity for the first three months of 2025, limiting their ability to help other cats. The issue is being felt in Gloucestershire too. At Cheltenham Animal Shelter, the team has received 34 kittens since the start of this year, while usually at this point they would have usually taken in two to four. At Bristol and Wales Cat Rescue, a campaign has allowed staff to neuter 50 cats, at no cost to their owners. A spokesperson for the organisation said the campaign has stopped them from receiving an excessive amount of kittens, reducing pressure on their service. Best practice - advice from Cats Protection Cats Protection says it's best to neuter cats at around four months old- the age female cats can get pregnant- to prevent them from having unwanted litters. It adds that neutering/spaying cats also has multiple health benefits for them. Neutering male cats prevents them from wandering far from home in search of a mate, which lowers the chance of them getting injured while roaming. It also reduces the chance of them contracting diseases like Feline AIDS (FIV) and prevents them from getting testicular cancer. Similarly, spaying female cats can also reduce the chances of them contracting FIV. It also eliminates risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store