Rise in Cov cases with mild symptoms, outbreak nears plateau: Docs

Time of India

5 hours ago

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Kolkata: The number of Covid patients with mild symptoms shot up in Kolkata over the last week, indicating that the outbreak is about to reach a plateau and taper off with a subsequent dip, say experts.
Several hospitals have already seen a drop in patients testing positive at their outpatient departments (OPD), while those testing positive now have very mild symptoms. Although very few of these patients were admitted, the rise in transmission would help to halt the spread, doctors said.
"Once half the city's population gets the infection, numbers will start dipping. We saw a spurt last week, while the numbers have started dipping over the last three to four days.
Most patients have very mild symptoms — low fever and cough — with a few getting respiratory tract infections that are manageable at home. The elderly with comorbidities continue to be admitted, but now their number should start dropping," said Manipal Hospital Dhakuria infectious diseases physician Sayan Chakrabarty.
Peerless Hospital has seen a drop in number of patients for the first time since June 1. The hospital tested 65 patients between June 1 and 15, of whom 35 were positive.
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"While some, including kids, needed admission, most had mild symptoms and were treated at the OPD. The positivity rate was above 50% till Friday when just one tested positive. None tested positive on Saturday and Sunday," said Peerless chief microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhury.
CMRI Hospital has nine patients admitted, down from an average of 14 till last week. The current strain is very transmissible but triggers mild symptoms that led to a quick spread, said CMRI pulmonology director Raja Dhar.
"Symptoms have been restricted to mild fever and cough for the vast majority, and they, of course, don't require admission. We have seen a proliferation of young patients with symptoms, which indicates that the spread has hastened and a plateau is imminent," added Dhar.
He added that the hospital admitted just two patients in last four days and plans to start reducing the number of isolation beds by next week from the current 14 to six if the trend persists.
Even though several patients are admitted at Fortis Hospital Anandapur, many more have been treated at the OPD and did not require admission, said Fortis pulmonologist Sushmita Roychowdhury. "Severe cases are still happening but have slid. Many more have mild symptoms now, which is an indication that we are finally heading towards a plateau," said Roychowdhury.
Manipal Hospitals have multiple patients across its four units, including four at Dhakuria.
"Barring a couple, the rest have severe lung or cardiac ailments or have hypertension and diabetes. They tested Covid positive on admission, but their symptoms are largely mild and manageable," added Chakrabarty.
While the Dhakuria unit now has 10 Covid beds, including five at the ICU, the Mukundapur unit has five isolation cabins, and the Salt Lake unit has another five. Medica has isolation cabins with separate entry and exit points. Sources said both Medica and Mukundapur have elderly patients with comorbidities who tested positive on admission.