DNA Special: How increasing Covid-19, H3N2 cases pose a threat for India

Do you remember the time when there was a lockdown in India for the first time due to Covid-19? Many people have forgotten the dates of the lockdown and with that the precautions that needed to be taken to keep one safe. 

Today we are going to talk about coronavirus because the speed of the infection has increased again in India, which is a sign of great danger. 

People, all over the country, have stopped wearing masks and have forgotten about social distancing. Overall, we have forgotten the precautions taken during the Covid-19 times.

However, the question today is if we are going down the same path again. This question is at the forefront today because many states of the country are reporting a rise in Covid cases. The Central government and Health Ministry has also issued guidelines to several states regarding the rise of Covid-19 case in India. 

In Maharashtra, there are a total of 926 cases out of which 265 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours. There are currently 435 cases of corona in Gujarat, out of which 119 cases have come in the last 24 hours.
There are 61 corona cases in Uttar Pradesh, in which 19 new cases have been reported in 24 hours. 107 cases have come in the country's capital Delhi, 32 new cases have come in the last 24 hours. There are 587 cases in Karnataka, 76 new cases have come here in 24 hours.

Kerala is in the worst condition with the total number of cases at 1625, out of which 104 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

This is the first time in 109 days that the number of active cases has crossed 5000 in India. 

Till March 8, the total number of Covid cases in India was 2082 which increased to 3,264 by March 15. On the other hand, on March 16, more than 700 cases of Covid were reported.

Now, the active cases in the country are more than 5 thousand so between March 8 and March 17, the speed of the deadly virus has more than doubled.

The rising cases of Covid and H3N2 can be a very deadly combination

The spread of Covid again has also increased the stress on the Central government. The Central government has advised caution by writing letters to the governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

In this letter, the Center has advised the state governments to take stock of the situation and increase surveillance, testing, and monitoring at the micro level. In his letter to the states, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan stressed that a large number of Covid cases are coming to the fore in some states and cases are increasing due to negligence.

The speed with which the cases of Covid have doubled has raised apprehension about the next wave of Covid epidemic in India. There is a possibility of its sub-variants XBB.1.16 and XBB.1.15 being behind the increase in new cases of Covid. 

Genome sequencing has been done all over the world regarding this variant. In this sequencing, the maximum number of 48 cases of the XBB.1.16 variant has been found in the Indian sample, while this sequence has been found in 22 samples in Brunei, 15 in America, and 14 in Singapore. 

Strong immunity is very important for the body to stay healthy and function smoothly, but the new virus is directly attacking the immunity so it is a big danger for those whose immunity is weak.

The sudden doubling of Covid cases is a sign of new danger, that too when H3N2 is already spreading rapidly. This attack of two viruses at the same time can be very dangerous for a person. 

We are here to give you all the updates regarding Covid and H3N2, but the rescue is only in your hands, It is important to take care of cleanliness, wear a mask, follow social distancing, and keep washing hands frequently. This is the most economical way to defeat both viruses. These measures and precautions can also stop the new wave of Covid from wreaking havoc.