The revised restrictions issued by the J&K State Executive Committee on Disaster Management are clear indications that the Corona pandemic situation in Jammu and Kashmir is very grim here. All the Educational, Academic Institutions and Schools have been ordered to remain closed till May 15; social gathering number reduced further and compulsory Covid testing on entering the Union Territory a must. While the official SoPs are fine but the key to our safety lies in our own hands. Citizens should not close their eyes to the severity of the situation commonly witnessed in our hospitals and other medical institutions. Hospitals may not be capable to cope with a fast surge in Covid cases.
More worrying concern this time is that the second wave of Coronavirus is a mutated variant affecting fast and infecting more in a cluster than the earlier one last year. Further reports suggest that kids and younger people are more prone to its infection. Though the situation in a few of the states in India is alarming, the risk in Jammu and Kashmir is no less keeping in view UT’s low population and population density.
Until recently since the Covid pandemic broke out, the children were not seriously implicated by Covid-19 and this was the biggest psychological relief for parents and doctors.
As per reports, there were only a few documented cases worldwide, and most cases were asymptomatic. However, the second wave of Covid variant has come with different aggression, high rate of transmission, changed spectrum of illness and virus is impacting kids significantly.
Doctors opined that due to continuous viral replication, the virus develops different changes in its genetic code called as mutations, and subsequent alterations in its antigenic structure and virulence factors.
According to the experts, these varied mutations have led to different variants of the virus with increased capability to infect people across all age groups. The distinction in spike proteins, which the virus uses to attach itself to the body and multiply could also become more aggressive and thus, cause more infections. Therefore it seems kids are right now also prone to the dangers of COVID-19 since the virus has gotten stronger and ‘smarter’ in its attack.
Experts further said that newer COVID-19 strains, such as the double mutant strain (called as Desi-Variant) identified in India is for the same reason, also increasing symptomatic cases in children below the age of 16.
The second wave of coronavirus is causing a surge in cases. Most particularly, the B.1.1.7 and India’s B.1.617 variants are said to be quite scary for the kids too- who have been largely spared during the pandemic previously.
The decision to shut down schools in Union Territory were appropriate one as the kids and young ones are more prone to the new virus and children can easily fall prey to its danger. Usually, the children and elders contract the infection from adults who go outside home and don’t follow public health advisory religiously.
It is a matter of satisfaction that people now seem more alert and aware of the preventive measures which they were taking casually in earlier months. The behaviour towards vaccination also has changed and receptive that was missing a few weeks ago. So, it is important for all citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible. It would help a person to have some protection against the virus and if still infected, one may be able to bear the onslaught of Covid which may not be severe. The Sooner it is done better it would be. Thus we all should adopt Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) religiously including wearing face masks, hand hygiene and avoiding Public gatherings. Covid Appropriate Behaviour is particularly more important in closed spaces and Air Conditioned rooms and to avoid overcrowding and overcrowded places as much as possible.
