Rising Covid cases suggest rebound in tricity: Experts

Tribune News Service

Mohali, November 16

Medical experts have warned that with the number of cases increasing in the tricity, the second wave is proving to be more severe than the first one and there is a need to take all precautions.

Dr Parvinder Chawla, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, said: “At our flu clinic in Fortis Hospital, Mohali, the weekly footfall has shown a steady decline over the past few weeks from a maximum of 262 in the second week of September. The footfall, after falling to 47 in the last week of October, has started rising again in November. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 results reported positive has also shown a concomitant rise.”

Dr Chawla said: “80 per cent people contracting this infection have an asymptomatic or mild infection not requiring hospitalization, and 20 per cent people have moderate to severe infection requiring hospitalisation. We have seen elderly persons and those who have high-risk medical conditions are more vulnerable and tend to comprise the 20 per cent group. While the 80 per cent group contributes more to the spread of infection, the 20 per cent group contributes more towards the hospital and ICU occupancy and death.”

“Winter, anyways, is known to be harsh and unforgiving for the elderly. This winter is going to be especially risky for those with compromised health. Staying indoors in enclosed spaces is very likely to enhance the virus transmission from one person to another. The only thing that can work in the stage of community transmission is community action, each individual’s action,” said Dr Chawla.

Preventing the second peak will therefore need individual and family responsibility with the mantra being “Self-protection, self-isolation and reverse-quarantine”, she added.