Hyderabad: Two Covid-positive patients died at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital on Monday, triggering mild concern even as doctors insisted the deaths were unrelated to the virus itself. One of the deceased had oral cancer, the other suffered from nephrotic syndrome a chronic kidney condition.
Meanwhile, a fresh Covid surge is taking hold across parts of Asia. Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and Thailand are all reporting a noticeable uptick in cases.
Singapore logged 3,000 new cases between May 1 and 19. That’s a 28% rise from the 11,100 reported at the end of April. In Hong Kong, 81 infections have been recorded since January, with 30 fatalities.
China and Thailand have issued health alerts, though neither has disclosed official case counts. In India, only 257 cases were reported between January 1 and May 19, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The ministry maintains that the situation remains under control.
Doctors in Mumbai have noticed mild cases among young adults but say there’s no sign of a fresh wave. Still, Indian health experts are urging caution, pointing to rising trends in neighbouring countries and advising the public to stay vaccinated.
This current spike is being attributed to new Omicron sub-variants JN1, LF7, and NB1.8. So far, officials have found no evidence that these strains are more severe or infectious than earlier ones. Still, they may pose a higher risk to those with weakened immunity.
In China, hospitals are reporting twice as many Covid detections among patients visiting for other illnesses. The Chinese CDC has advised booster doses amid fears that a stronger wave could be on the horizon.
Thailand too is reporting localised surges in at least two regions, prompting similar alerts.
