There has been a rise in Covid-19 cases in India of late, but experts have reportedly said that there's nothing to be concerned about as the viral disease has entered an endemic stage.
Indeed, Covid-19 cases in India have more than doubled since a fortnight ago, from 125 new cases on February 21 to 379 cases as of March 8, despite a decline in global cases in the same period.
However, as per a Business Standard analysis, the number deaths have not risen in tandem with new cases, and has, in fact, fallen from 10 a week at the end of February to three as of March 7. In contrast, deaths have risen globally, from 875 on February 28 to 923 on March 7.
This divergence, according to experts, is because the viral disease is at an endemic stage in India, meaning it is consistently present and has predictable rates of transmission, as opposed to an out-of-control pandemic where transmission rates skyrocket.
That being said, while experts have not raised red flags over Covid numbers, they have advised caution, especially in view of the bad bout of influenza that is going around.
"It [Covid-19 cases] is nothing to worry about, but we have to be watchful of the situation as influenza cases are also increasing," renowned virologist Jacob John was quoted as saying by BS.
The publication, citing virologists, has also reported that the the strain of Covid-19 that is currently sprading in India is the Omicron variant, which is milder than some of the new variants that have emerged of late.
"The fortunate part is that the severity [of the Omicron variant] is less. New strains are continuously forming and the virus is getting less severe," epidemiologist Jayaprakash Muliyil told the publication, commenting on the current situation in India.