Latest news with #SevereAcuteRespiratoryInfections
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Active Covid cases in India cross 3,000, Kerala leads the surge
India's active Covid-19 cases have crossed the 3,000 threshold, with Kerala reporting the highest number of infections, according to data released by the Union health ministry on Saturday. The number of active cases has risen sharply from 257 on May 22 to 3,395 as of May 31. In the last 24 hours alone, 685 new cases were recorded, and four deaths were reported, one each in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Health officials maintain there is no reason for alarm. 'The severity of infections is low, with most patients under home care,' an official source told news agency PTI. Dr Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said on Monday that genome sequencing from affected regions in the west and south of India confirmed that the variants driving the latest increase are all Omicron subvariants — LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1. 'We should monitor and be vigilant, but there is no cause to worry,' he said. The rise in active cases is most pronounced in Kerala (1,336), followed by Maharashtra (467), Delhi (375), Gujarat (265), Karnataka (234), West Bengal (205), Tamil Nadu (185) and Uttar Pradesh (117). Delhi reported the death of a 60-year-old woman who had acute intestinal obstruction, while Karnataka reported a 63-year-old cancer patient who had co-morbidities including tuberculosis. Odisha health secretary Aswathy S urged residents not to panic, assuring that all seven patients in the state are stable and the situation remains under control. 'The latest ICMR report says that the present variant does not exhibit severe symptoms, and most cases are mild,' she said. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta has reiterated that the city's hospitals are well-prepared. 'Nineteen patients are hospitalised in Delhi, but there is no need to worry. The government is alert,' she said. An earlier advisory instructed hospitals to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, and vaccines. Karnataka issues precautionary guidelines As active cases continue to rise in Karnataka, the state's health and family welfare department has issued a detailed advisory aimed at preventing further spread. Healthcare workers have been directed to report all Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) cases, especially those with co-morbidities. A portion of these cases will undergo RT-PCR testing, and symptomatic individuals among vulnerable groups — including children, the elderly, and pregnant women, must be tested. The advisory also mandates the tracking of positivity rates and CT values, genome sequencing of severe cases, and sewage surveillance where applicable. With schools set to reopen in June, a separate circular instructed schools to send symptomatic children home and ensure that teachers and staff do not work while ill. 'Avoid crowded or poorly ventilated areas, especially for immunocompromised individuals,' the circular said.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
As COVID-19 cases rise, Kerala steps up monitoring
Kerala has stepped up monitoring and surveillance of influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) across the State as COVID-19 cases have begun to show an uptick . According to Ministry of Health and Family Affairs data, as on May 31, Kerala has 1,336 active cases of COVID-19. One new death, of a 59-year-old with known coronary artery disease and who had been admitted with pneumonia, was also reported. 'No doubt, case numbers will go up because directives have been given to enhance testing. Public sector hospitals will do more of RT-PCR tests because we are sending these samples for genomic sequencing too, whereas the private sector seems to be doing more of Rapid Antigen tests,' a senior Health official said. 'We are keeping a close eye on hospitalisations and ICU admissions but as the variant LF.7, which is currently in circulation, is mild, we do not expect hospitalisations to go up over 0.5%. We expect this spike in cases to run its course as a normal wave, a phenomenon that will probably recur in another six months as newer variants emerge,' he added. The new normal Public health experts maintain that COVID-19 has been part of the new normal since June 2023, when co-circulation of COVID-19, along with influenza virus began to be reported. 'It is very difficult to distinguish between influenza and COVID-19 symptoms, just by clinical signs alone. However, in the case of influenza, administration of antivirals like Oseltamivir within 48 hours has beneficial effects. Hence, in the case of people with severe respiratory infection or are hospitalised with pneumonia, we have to test for both viruses. In the case of outpatients, clinicians may test depending on the symptoms and specific circumstances if the patient belongs to the vulnerable category,' a senior clinician said. Three categories Kerala will continue to follow its ABC categorisation guidelines for treating patients with ILI. Category A patients will not need treatment and can be managed at home, whereas in the of case of B1 (severe symptoms including high fever) and B2 (mild symptoms, but those with comorbidities), patients should be tested for influenza or COVID-19 and started early on Oseltamivir. Category C patients would be the sick ones — those with fever, respiratory symptoms and red flag signs like breathlessness, chest pain, and in children, irritation and drowsiness. They have to be hospitalised, tested, and treated. Unnecessary testing — as in testing those without any respiratory symptoms prior to surgeries — or screening for COVID-19 is not recommended. The vulnerable group Health officials maintained that the variant LF.7 caused only mild illness but was highly transmissible. Hence the public needed to be aware that COVID-19 was still around and take standard precautions to prevent transmission, so that those considered to be the vulnerable population — young children, elderly, pregnant women and those with uncontrolled comorbidities — were not compromised. 'We have stepped up our surveillance for ILI and it is possible that in the next few weeks, COVID-19 cases will overtake influenza cases. But we will continue to stick to our treatment guidelines. Masking, maintaining physical distancing and hand hygiene should be maintained by the public, especially when they visit hospitals. The illness caused by LF.7 — fever lasting 2-3 days, sore throat which may be accompanied by cough and extreme fatigue — is mild and only those with uncontrolled comorbidities are being admitted in hospitals now,' Health officials said.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
COVID-19: T.N. health officers told to ensure early detection, reporting of ILI and SARI cases
With cases of COVID-19 being reported in various parts of the country, health officers have been told to step up disease surveillance and implement proactive measures to ensure early detection, reporting, and response to cases of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI). The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, in a communication to district, city, and municipal health officers, said that recent reports indicate a resurgence of COVID-19 cases across various parts of the country, with a noticeable increase in several States, including Tamil Nadu, during May. District Surveillance Units should ensure consistent daily monitoring and reporting of ILI and SARI cases from all healthcare facilities in their jurisdictions. They should report any unusual clustering of cases, without delay, to the State Surveillance Unit to enable timely public health response. Once clusters are identified, close monitoring should be maintained and necessary follow-up actions must be carried out in coordination with field-level teams and Primary Health Centres. The directorate has said that all healthcare facilities must verify the availability of essential medical supplies, including antiviral drugs such as Oseltamivir and necessary diagnostic consumables for managing ILI. They should also assess and ensure sufficient bed capacity in fever wards, with contingency plans to accommodate any surge in patient numbers. Field staff should be mobilised to promote public health messages within communities. This includes promoting hand hygiene, encouraging wearing masks in crowded places to reduce transmission, and maintaining cough etiquette and a safe distance from individuals showing symptoms of respiratory illness. They should urge individuals to seek medical care early in case of symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, or body pain. They should also reinforce the need for seasonal influenza vaccination, particularly among high-risk groups. The staff should advise regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces such as phones, door handles, and light switches. The officers were told to instruct all health institutions in their administrative control to report all ILI/SARI cases on the Integrated Health Information Platform portal without fail.
