No novices when it comes to Covid, Health News, ET HealthWorld

New Delhi: It’s not a wave – thankfully. But it’s a warning. Two new Covid subvariants, NB.1.8.1 and LF.7, both from Omicron lineage, are quietly making the rounds, a reminder that the virus never truly left us.

Cases have jumped from 257 to 1,010 in just a week, with Kerala and Maharashtra accounting for the bulk, followed by Delhi. There’s no need to panic. But experts do urge caution. The subvariants are more infectious, even as symptoms remain mild.

Response to the current resurgence demonstrates that India has built up robust and agile mechanisms for monitoring zoonotic and infectious diseases.

Health authorities have increased genome sequencing and surveillance to track the spread. They have issued advisories recommending mask use in crowded places and strict hygiene measures. At the same time, the surge draws attention to waning vaccine immunity.

With Covid now part of the pantheon of viral and zoonotic diseases we must live with, GoI must, in consultation with experts, assess the efficacy and need for annual booster shots, ensure vaccines remain effective and available, and ramp up monitoring. It must also spur the development of therapeutics critical to making Covid just another manageable viral disease.

Given the country’s high population density, India must mainstream preventive actions, which means cleaner cities and habitations, a premium on sanitation, better tracking of stray animals, and improved crowd management in public places.

Also, lest we forget, availability of oxygen. While these measures may not wipe out zoonotic and infectious diseases, they will slow their spread.

Improving air and water quality will further help bolster population immunity. Covid taught us many things. But its most important lesson is to not lower our guard.