Mumbai: Andhra Pradesh issued a state-wide alert after its Kadapa district reported 2 deaths linked to the Covid-19 virus and 8 active cases.
While the recent sporadic cases have sparked concern, doctors say this isn’t strange but something we should expect especially as immunity wanes and the virus mutates.
Dr Nidhin Mohan, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Health City, Bengaluru told ETHealthworld, “It is not strange to have some infections even years after the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak because the virus has been endemic for quite some time now, which means that it can cause some sporadic cases in certain periods.”
Dr. Kapil Iyer, Consultant Transplant Pulmonologist at Apollo Hospitals Navi MumbaiI agreed to this and said “It is important to distinguish between no reported deaths and no circulation of the virus. SARS-CoV-2 has continued to circulate globally at low levels, with periodic emergence of newer Omicron sub-lineages.”
He added, “What we are likely seeing in Kadapa is a combination of reduced population immunity over time, natural waning of vaccine-induced protection against infection, and better targeted testing among patients presenting with respiratory illness. Increased travel and community interactions can also facilitate sporadic transmission.”
While recent cases may appear like the virus is making a ‘comeback,’ this is only because we’ve begun testing again, said Dr Vamshi V, Consultant – Internal Medicine, Gleneagles AWARE Hospitals.
He said, “We stopped testing almost completely. Now when someone gets sick enough to go to the hospital and gets tested, those cases show up on record. It looks like a “comeback,” but it’s more like we’re finally looking again.”
A concerning detail of the recent events was that both patients who succumbed to the virus had previously been vaccinated. Doctors say this is the result of a weakened immune system, as both patients had underlying comorbidities, and it should not be perceived as a failure of the vaccination.
Doctors agreed that the cases in Kadapa seem to be an isolated cluster and the risk of spreading is low at the moment.
Dr Iyer explained, “Any respiratory virus has the potential to spread beyond the initial area through travel and close contact. However, based on the currently available information, there is no evidence to suggest widespread community transmission across Andhra Pradesh. Health authorities have appropriately intensified surveillance, testing and contact tracing, which are the right public health measures at this stage.
He added, “The key indicator to watch over the coming days is whether new cases emerge without identifiable links to the current patients. If transmission remains limited, this may remain a localized cluster. If unrelated cases begin appearing across multiple districts, then broader community spread would become a greater concern.”
Doctors said people in the affected areas must take precautions and watch out for symptoms like high fever, cough that won’t go away and trouble breathing.
Looking ahead, Dr Shivaraj A L, Lead Consultant and HOD – Pulmonology, Aster Whitefield Bengaluru, said, “I’ve seen a lot of patients in my day-to-day practice who have recovered at home. But as a preventive measure, it is important for high-risk patients with underlying comorbidities to get vaccinated at least once a year, as per WHO’s guidelines.”
