Hopeefully, a sigh of relief to say the least, that the second Covid wave has taken a downward trend in the country and our state of Jammu Kashmir too. However, the fading of the pandemic in no way means that the Covid-19 or its cousin-variants have taken their march out.
People with post-Covid symptoms and complications have been still facing its aftermath. Bouts of coughing, joint aches, insomnia, chest pain, mood fluctuations and general weakness are just a few of the lingering symptoms that continue to wrack the Covid-19 survivor.
These combatants need to rest, convalescing to manage the symptoms, mostly all by themselves. The gist is the Post-Covid Syndrome may prolong weeks and months after recovery from Covid-19. What’s more, some medicos from AIIMS have now come up with the revelation that the Delta variant of the Coronavirus can infect even the vaccinated! This doesn’t augur well for Covid-19 survivors, and also for those who are vaccinated.
Recently, the Principal and Dean of Govt. Medical College and Hospitals has said that as many as 68.5 per cent of the tested positive patients were reported to have B.1.617.2, which has been classified as being of concern by the World Health Organisation, Sharma said, quoting the recent epidemiological studies.
Experts believed that it was Delta instigated second Covid wave that caused the tens of thousands of deaths over 30 consecutive April-May days. Doctors, who are still studying Delta, say hearing loss, gastric upsets and blood clots leading to gangrene made the Delta variant more severe, and by far more infectious. These are not symptoms typically seen in Covid-19 patients in the first phase.
Delta, also named B.1.617.2, spread to over 60 countries in six months and forced Australia and the United States to impose travel curbs. It made the United Kingdom reconsider reopening its economy. The higher transmission rates and reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines made it difficult to understand Delta.
Recent epidemiological studies have linked the new SARS-CoV-2 variants to the raging second Covid wave in India, including Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the Principal and Dean, GMC & Hospitals, Jammu, the sudden increase in the number of Covid-related deaths in J&K, especially in Jammu, raised alarms about the fast-spreading delta variant (B.1.617.2) in the division and the analysis has found it to be the major cause deaths in Jammu.
The expert said Covid positive samples are routinely sent to Indian SARS CoV-2 Consortium of Genomics (INSACOG) for genomic sequencing and analysis of circulating Covid viruses and several variants were reported in Jammu.
The information available suggested that the increased transmissibility and deaths in the month of May were linked to the delta variant.
As per the recent data of positive samples sent from microbiology department, GMCH Jammu, to National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, for genetic sequencing, 62.5% of the infected patients died were reported to have B.1.617.2 variant, generally known as the double mutant and classified as a variant of concern by the WHO.
Data further revealed that among the hospitalised patients, 58.4 per cent were reported to have B.1.617.2 (double mutant), 22.47 per cent were reported to have B.1 mutation, 6.74 per cent were having B.1.1 mutant, 3.37 per cent had B.1.617.1 variant while 1.1 per cent had B .1.1.7 the UK variant and 2.247 per cent of admitted patients were reported to have no mutant at all.
Thus, when our enemy Coronavirus is well versatile to the prowess of every available vaccine and those being developed and smartly manoeuvres varied mutations accordingly, peoples and the governments should not down their guard and should not lead to easing norms.
