India has been witnessing yet another Covid-19 surge in the past few days, and the Union government has reportedly directed five states to step up preventive action. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra are among the states which have reported a spike in coronavirus cases.
Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, has seen a recent increase in the number of daily and active cases. According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai on Sunday reported 961 new Covid-19 cases. The active caseload of the city stands at 4,880. To everyone’s surprise, the total cases of Covid-19 within the first five days of June are now actually double of the total number of cases in March (1,519), and around 60 percent and 50 percent of the total cases in April and May respectively. The numbers have become a cause of concern for both the state authorities as well as the general public.
To combat the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, the Maharashtra government has appealed to the public to wear masks in closed public spaces and has asked the civic authorities to amp up the testing.
Covid-19 bites Bollywood
A couple of days ago, actors Kartik Aryan and Aditya Roy Kapoor announced they have tested positive for Covid-19. Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif also reportedly fell victim to the virus. The actress even had to miss the an awards event which recently wrapped up in Abu Dhabi.
Also, read: Covid-19 spread 1,000 times more likely by air than surface, says new study
Even Akshay Kumar, who was supposed to make his Cannes Film Festival debut this year, was detected positive for Coronavirus and it jeopardized his plans.
Why is there a spike in Covid-19 cases?
The surge in the cases can be attributed to the lack of precautions people are undertaking.
“Everyone has now taken off their masks; the social gatherings have increased, and the social distancing is not being followed so vigorously now. People are not maintaining hand hygiene by using sanitizers and not getting tested for Covid-19 despite having viral infections. Children and other family members act as carriers for elderly people, who are more prone to getting sick in case of Covid-19,” Dr Pritha Nayyar, Consultant – Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, told Health Shots.
How can the general public prevent themselves from Covid-19?
According to Dr Nayyar, the following tips should be followed amid rise in Covid-19 cases in India:
- In case of any viral fever or infection, keep yourself isolated until you test negative for Covid-19 as infection can be spread to other people. Make sure to get yourself tested on time.
- Follow Covid-19 protocols to prevent the virus infection in the first place.
- Everyone should get vaccinated and if done, get the booster doses too.
- Spread awareness about the symptoms in the community.
- Always wear a mask and practice hand hygiene effectively.
So, let’s all beat the virus together!
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