Mumbai sees Mild Covid-19 Cases, doctors say no need to panic

Mumbai: Amid reports of rising Covid-19 cases in global hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, doctors in Mumbai have observed an uptick in mild Covid-19 cases in the city. However, they emphasise that the situation remains far from the severity of the earlier waves that caused widespread devastation between 2020 and 2022.

According to the Union Health Ministry's Covid dashboard on Saturday, there are 93 active cases across the country at the moment. BMC executive health officer Dr Daksha Shah said there is no cause for concern as far as COVID is concerned. "We do see seven or nine odd cases every month as the Covid-causing coronavirus is endemic in the country," she said. However, the BMC public health department has already asked its doctors to be alert about fever cases, TOI reports.

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Dr. Hemant Thacker, a senior consultant at Breach Candy Hospital, also reported a few positive COVID-19 cases among his patients. However, he mentioned that the symptoms were not severe. According to TOI, "While there is news of a fresh Covid wave in high-density areas of Hong Kong and Singapore, one of my patients just arrived from London a couple of days ago and has a severe throat infection and cough,'' he said, adding that the second patient has no immediate travel history.

Similarly, Dr. Pratit Samdani, a leading consultant in the city, revealed that he had seen over half a dozen Covid-positive cases in the last few days. He said that most of them seem like patients with the common flu, but the test results showed COVID-19. He also mentioned that these patients are young, not elderly, and are known to be more susceptible to the virus. 

On the international front, the situation seems more concerning. Singapore's health ministry has reported a 28 per cent increase in estimated COVID-19 cases, reaching approximately 14,200 in the first week of May. Hospital admissions there have also risen by 30 per cent during this period. Despite these alarming statistics, doctors in India stress that there is no cause for panic.

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Although it's still too early to discuss COVID-19 revaccination, doctors suggest that getting the flu vaccine could be beneficial. Dr. Thacker mentioned that the flu vaccine would also provide protection against other viruses. Dr. Samdani advised people to follow universal precautions, such as wearing masks and staying at home if they develop a fever.