Covid-19 is on its way to become an endemic seasonal disease: DPH

Hyderabad: There are clear indications that the Covid-19 pandemic is fast reaching an endemic stage and it is time for people to treat the infection like any other seasonal disease. Despite the rise in daily Covid-19 infections and the surge in active cases to over 5,000 in Telangana, the total number of hospital admissions is […]

Hyderabad: There are clear indications that the Covid-19 pandemic is fast reaching an endemic stage and it is time for people to treat the infection like any other seasonal disease. Despite the rise in daily Covid-19 infections and the surge in active cases to over 5,000 in Telangana, the total number of hospital admissions is just between 40 and 50 with no fatalities, Director of Public Health (DPH) Dr G Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday, said.

The Covid-19 infections have just become like a normal flu with people able to recover within five days of infection. Moreover, unlike previous Covid waves when fatalities were common, this time around not a single Covid death has been reported in Telangana, he said.

---

“At present, it is clear that Covid infections have become akin to seasonal diseases like the normal flu. Unless a new virulent form of coronavirus emerges, we are not anticipating any threat from the many variants of Omicron. We also believe that vaccinating eligible individuals has gone a long way in weakening the impact of coronavirus among the population,” he pointed out.

Almost all the individuals, who are admitted with Covid in the last few weeks, belong to vulnerable population. “People with pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, chronic diseases of the heart, kidney and liver, morbidly obese individuals must be cautious because they carry the risk of hospitalisation, if they test positive for Covid,” he said.
There is a need for people in urban centres, especially areas falling under GHMC, Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, which have traditionally reported maximum Covid infections, to ensure they wear masks at public places and get booster doses.

“We believe the days of Covid-19 infections paralysing our daily lives are well and truly over. However, people also must realise that they have the responsibility to follow Covid appropriate behaviour at public places,” Dr Rao added.