5 days ago
Doctors urge mask use as amid spike in Covid-19 cases
Mumbai: As Maharashtra reports a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases, health experts are urging people to start using face masks again in high-risk settings. Though most current infections are clinically mild, senior citizens and those with pre-existing ailments remain vulnerable, and three-layer or N95 masks can be life-saving in such contexts, say doctors.
According to data from the state health department, confirmed Covid-19 cases climbed from 106 on May 20 and to 959 on June 3. On June 3 alone, Maharashtra reported 86 new cases, including 26 from Mumbai.
Dr Vimal Pahuja, consultant physician (internal medicine) at Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, emphasised the continued need for personal protection.
'We're seeing more incidental Covid-19 cases with mild symptoms like low-grade fever or throat irritation, but high-risk individuals—those with diabetes, cardiac illness, or asthma—should not take chances,' he said. 'Wearing a mask in closed or poorly ventilated areas, including lifts, hospitals, clinics, and on public transport, is a low-effort, high-impact intervention. It's not about fear, it's about smart protection.'
Dr Gautam Bhansali, senior consultant physician at Bombay Hospital, also stressed on the critical role of masks.
'We're recording 2–3 Covid-19 cases a day, with many testing positive during admission for unrelated procedures. Most don't need hospitalisation, but vulnerable people do fall sick more seriously,' Dr Bhansali said. 'A simple three-layer or N95 mask can significantly reduce transmission – especially in high-density places like OPDs, crowded clinics, or homes where elderly or immunocompromised people live, masks can be life-saving.'
Though most current infections are clinically mild, Maharashtra has reported 14 Covid-related deaths since January. Medical records show they all involved comorbid patients with underlying conditions like interstitial lung disease, diabetic ketoacidosis, cerebrovascular events, and severe respiratory problems with cardiac complications.
Mumbai remains the epicentre, accounting for 510 of the 959 cases reported from across the state between May 20 and June 3. Experts warn that the ongoing monsoon may lead to an uptick in respiratory infections and diagnostic confusion with illnesses like influenza or dengue.
Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar recently chaired a review meeting to assess the Covid-19 situation in Mumbai and review the city's healthcare preparedness and response mechanisms. An official who attended the meeting said the minister stressed on the importance of preventive measures for vulnerable groups, saying that those with diabetes, hypertension and other comorbidities must resume wearing masks and consider re-vaccination, if eligible.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the state health department have stepped up surveillance and genome sequencing, and instructed health facilities to replenish antiviral drugs, oxygen cylinders, and PPE kits in view of the spike in cases.
Meanwhile, doctors stress that basic, consistent measures like mask-wearing and early testing can prevent another wave from spiralling.
'The virus may not be as lethal now, but it still seeks the vulnerable,' Dr Bhansali said. 'Let's not give it that chance.'
