Cluster-buster: Docs say yes to caution, no to panic
Posted 30 Nov 2021 | Source: Timesgroup.com
After cluster at medical college in Dharwad grows, doctors dismiss fears of a third wave having begun
The covid cluster in SDM Medical College, Dharwad, has become bigger with 116 students testing positive on Friday. With this, a total of 182 students (out of 690 tested) have tested positive for Covid. All of them are said to be stable and asymptomatic. With another Covid cluster in Bengaluru City, many are now worried over the increase in Covid cases. However, doctors say that these are not signs of a third wave though one needs to still maintain utmost caution.
Dr. TR Hemkumar (Consultant - Internal Medicine, Sakra World Hospital) told Bangalore Mirror that the recent spurt in clusters is not widespread. There was a small increase in the number of cases after the Deepavali holiday period. But after that, there have not been many cases which indicate community spread, he said. “Even during teleconsultations, there are no patients presenting to emergency with serious symptoms. Most of the patients are influenza-like illnesses,” he said. Dr. SN Aravinda (Consultant, Internal Medicine, Aster RV Hospital) added that there is no reason to panic.
“If many such clusters start taking place then we will need to consider interventionary measures. Having said that, we should continue to take care of Covid precautionary measures, especially where there is scope of large gatherings. So far there haven’t been any cases here of the new South African variant, so there is no cause of concern yet.”
However, Dr Sachin D (Consultant – Interventional Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road) said doctors were seeing clusters of covid cases in the community more frequently as compared to last month. “Most of covid cases in the community more frequently as compared to last month. “Most of these clusters are seems to be a resurgence in Covid cases due to several factors- the changing weather brings about the infective season for the virus, changing social practices with social gatherings and overcrowding with minimal Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and to some extent the weaning immunity to Covid 19 vaccines.”
With the concern over the mutated virus found in South Africa, Dr.Swati Rajagopal (Consultant- Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine, Aster CMI Hospital) said that it was important to realise that a new variant B1.1.529 has been identified in South Africa that is more infectious than the delta variant. So, one has to be alert.
There was no room for complacency with CAB, vaccinations and testing, she said.Dr Sachin added, “There are also evolving mutations of concern occurring within the virus strain which makes it more effective in transmission and cause more severe disease while escaping the immune mechanisms developed from vaccines.The most recent of these is the B.1.1.529 strain in South Africa which has around 10 mutations and is driving the surge in the number of cases in this region. While it’s important to remain vigilant about the Covid clusters in the community, it’s also more important to enhance testing including genomic sequencing and follow CAB to prevent the occurrence of third wave.”
If many such clusters start cropping up, we will need to think of what interventionary measures to put in place –Dr SN Aravinda, Aster RV
SSLC syllabi to be cut by 20 per cent
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