Don't think current COVID-19 surge is fourth wave: ICMR ex-head
The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases does not seem to be an indication of the fourth wave of the outbreak, said Dr. Raman R Gangakhedkar, former chief scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). We are still seeing infections involving the BA.2 variant worldwide, said Dr. Gangakhedkar. He added that the withdrawal of mask mandates has been misconstrued by the general public.
Why does this story matter?
India is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases, which has more than doubled in the last 24 hours to over 2,000 infections. The total number of active cases has surged to over 12,000. Meanwhile, the central government has written to five states—Haryana, UP, Mizoram, Maharashtra, and Delhi—which have witnessed a significant increase in cases, instructing them to monitor the situation.
'No evidence of new variant so far'
No new COVID-19 variants have emerged so far, said the former head of the ICMR. He advised people to continue wearing face masks and follow COVID-19 appropriate behavior. "Those who are older, those who have not taken vaccines, those who have got infected so far, need to remember to use a face mask," he specified.
India witnessing surge in R-value for coronavirus
The reproduction number (R-factor) for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has crossed one for the first time since January 2022, when it was 1.28, PTI reported. The R-factor denotes how rapidly the infection spreads. For the week of April 12-18, India's R-value was 1.07, up from 0.93 the week before. The report was based on a researcher's estimate from Chennai's Institute of Mathematical Sciences.
Surge in R-factor not just because of Delhi: Sinha
"This increase in R-value is not just because of Delhi but also Haryana and Uttar Pradesh," Sitabhra Sinha was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. Sinha is a mathematician who has been studying and tracking India's R-factor since the pandemic began in 2020.
Delhi reports 26% jump in COVID-19 cases
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Delhi increased by 26% on Wednesday, with 632 new cases, and the positivity rate stood at 4.42%. The Delhi government made wearing face masks in public places mandatory again while imposing a Rs. 500 fine on violators. Authorities have been instructed to keep a vigil on social gatherings and to increase testing in the city.
