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Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu report rise in Covid-19 cases
Covid-19 cases in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu's Chennai are on the rise. While Karnataka has 16 active cases, Chennai has 40 active cases, reported TOI. Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao confirmed the state's numbers on Tuesday even though the broader situation remains under control. The announcement comes amid growing concerns over rising Covid infections in Singapore and Hong Kong. In Chennai, fevers in hospitals were largely attributed to influenza A and B until two weeks ago. However, they are now increasingly linked to Covid-19. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Air conditioners without external unit. (click to see prices) Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo The public health department, which says there are 40 active cases, is yet to confirm whether people with the viral infection have strains similar to Omicron JN.1 descendants—LF.7 and NB.1.8—observed in Singapore and Hong Kong. Most symptoms include fever, nasal congestion, respiratory distress, and a persistent cough, but there is no spike in admissions to intensive care units or deaths reported so far, health officials confirmed. Live Events "There is no need for panic," Director of Public Health, Dr T S Selvavinagayam, told TOI. "Like influenza-like illness, Covid never completely went away. We have been seeing sporadic cases of the viral infection with seasonal peaks," he added. On Tuesday, the directorate asked people to wear masks and maintain social distancing when they are in closed crowded spaces. "It is important for the elderly, pregnant women, and people with co-morbid conditions or immunity issues to take precautions," he said. The number of Covid-19 cases in India stood at 257 as of May 19, according to official figures cited by PTI. Health officials say the majority of these infections are mild and do not require hospitalisation. 'The current Covid-19 situation in India remains under control,' a senior government source said following a high-level review chaired by the Director General of Health Services. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the emergency medical relief division, and other key agencies. The central health ministry is closely monitoring international trends and remains proactive in its response, officials said. Hospitals across the country have been advised to keep a close eye on cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infections. India's surveillance network, which includes the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR systems, continues to track respiratory viruses including Covid-19.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Mask up: Covid-19 cases rise in Chennai
Chennai: Fevers in city hospitals, largely attributed to influenza A and B until two weeks ago, are now increasingly linked to Covid-19. This has prompted surgeons to cancel critical procedures like transplants, bypass surgeries, and heart valve replacements, doctors said. The public health department, which says there are 40 active cases, is yet to confirm whether people with the viral infection have strains similar to Omicron JN.1 descendants—LF.7 and NB.1.8—observed in Singapore and Hong Kong, where there is a rise in cases and hospitalisations. While healthy people with mild disease, treated as outpatients, are not tested, people with co-morbid conditions or those with severe disease requiring admission undergo tests. In most hospitals, including govt-run facilities, the panel of tests includes influenza, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus. "We test for these because treatment for these diseases varies," said Gleneagles Healthcity infectious diseases expert Dr Subramaniam Swaminathan. Since August 2024, there was a steady flow of patients with fever in the city due to various viruses. "We did not see a dip even when day temperatures were hovering near 40 degrees C. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Trend Lets Indians Access Benefits Up to ₹2,00,00,000 India News Learn More Undo Nearly 60% of cases we tested were influenza A and B two weeks ago. Now, it is Covid," he said. Most people report symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, respiratory distress, and a persistent cough, but there is no spike in admissions to intensive care units or deaths reported so far, health officials confirmed. "There is no need for panic," said Director of Public Health Dr T S Selvavinagayam. "Like influenza-like illness, Covid never completely went away. We have been seeing sporadic cases of the viral infection with seasonal peaks," he said. On Tuesday, the directorate asked people to wear masks and maintain social distancing when they are in closed crowded spaces. "It is important for the elderly, pregnant women, and people with co-morbid conditions or immunity issues to take precautions," he said. Educational institutions, workplaces, and public places must provide facilities for people to wash their hands with soap or cleanse them with sanitisers, he added. Doctors also advise people to take the flu vaccination. The flu vaccine prevents flu in up to 70% of cases. It also reduces the chances of severe disease, hospitalisation, and death, particularly among children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with comorbid conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, said Apollo Hospital's infectious diseases expert, Dr V Ramasubramanian. "We don't yet have the Covid vaccination to prevent the present variant of Covid circulating in Singapore. We recommend people at risk to take the existing booster dose if they haven't taken the vaccine for six months," he said. The immune response to the flu weakens after six months. The annual vaccination boosts immunity. Additionally, viruses are constantly changing, he added.
