Hyderabad: In the wake of a spike in the Covid cases and 26 deaths so far in the country, health experts in the city have cautioned common people to wear masks for at least four weeks.
Dr Madap Karuna, consultant at EMRI Green Health Services, who deals with preventive healthcare, stressed on masking up. She said that there were many unreported Covid cases in Telangana as a few of the fellow doctors were mentioning. Karuna said that people need to wear masks for at least four weeks in crowded places, hospitals and diagnostic centres. “If you have fever, cough, cold, please wear a mask to protect your family, colleagues and near and dear,” said Dr Karuna.
According to the dashboard of the Union Health Ministry, there were close to 4,000 positive cases in the country. The total positivity rate was 0.2 per 1 lakh population and the total fatality rate was at 0.8 per 100 cases. The Kerala state alone accounts for 42.3 per cent of total active cases. Maharashtra follows with 15.6 per cent, Delhi (294 cases) and Gujarat (223) together making up 19 per cent of the total burden.
The South Indian states (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana) together account for over 58 per cent of all cases. Maharashtra reported the highest number of deaths (7), accounting for nearly 32 per cent of the total deaths followed by Kerala with 5 deaths (23 per cent), Delhi and Karnataka each reported 2 deaths, jointly contributing 18 per cent.
Dr Karuna further said that the government alone can’t control, and the public should oblige with precautions. “These illnesses can be controlled if we become alert when we see fumes, not when we see fire. Most important antibiotic abuse for these viral infections can be stopped by knowing the case pattern in our surroundings,” she explained.
Concurring with her views, Dr Kiran Madhala from the Telangana State chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said that following precautions was always a better option. He said that after May 2025, a total of 72 Covid-19 genome sequences were recorded in the country. Among these, the JF.7.9 variant accounted for the highest proportion, comprising 25 sequences or approximately 34.72 per cent. The XFG variant followed closely with 24 sequences (33.33 per cent), and the XFJ variant was found in 15 sequences (20.83 per cent). The JN.1 variant appeared in two sequences (2.78 per cent), while the remaining six sequences (8.33 per cent) were classified as others.
