Hyderabad: In the last few months, Telangana has witnessed a relatively calm period in terms of new Covid infections. However, the drop in Covid positive cases does not mean that the SARS-CoV-2 has vanished, as senior public health professionals warn that in the coming days and weeks, cases of Covid-19 in Telangana are likely to rise, which is the case in Maharashtra and Kerala.
The virulence of SARS-CoV-2 virus might have weakend a bit. However it has continued to circulate within the community, not only in Telangana but across the country. The virus will gain strength whenever conditions are ideal. As a result, general public must not get complacent and must follow Covid appropriate behaviour, especially the use of masks, senior public health officials said.
“The SARS-CoV-2 virus may have weakened for some time but there is every chance that it will again regain its strength and start attacking in some new form. Whether one is vaccinated or not, it is imperative that individuals must follow thorough use of masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene to stop the virus. General public must follow Covid appropriate behaviour to avoid new infections,” says Director of Public Health, Dr. G Srinivasa Rao.
Anticipating a surge, the State’s Public Health wing has already started strengthening its surveillance to identify pockets of hotspots and regions where there is a chance of getting more Covid infections.
“We are not holding anything back in our efforts. We have already identified a few minor hotspots and our surveillance and field level teams are working overtime. All containment measures at the ground level have been taken-up. However, the general public must realise that fresh infections occur when we let our guard down,” says Dr Srinivasa Rao.
Senior health officials said that people in Telangana displayed a lot of discipline in following Covid appropriate behaviour in the latter half of last year when there were number of religious festivals like Dasara, Diwali and Christmas. A similar kind of vigilance towards the virus and sticking to precautions is vital, doctors said.
The Covid-19 pandemic will end only through vaccination, which is being rolled-out in a sequential manner, doctors said. “That’s the reason why we keep stressing on the need to get vaccinated. The pandemic will end only by vaccinating a sizeable population. However, till then we must follow Covid appropriate behaviour,” Dr. Srinivasa Rao said.
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