KOLKATA: Bengal logged the highest single-day Covid spike in more than a year with 27 fresh cases reported in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases has crossed 200 in the state now. According to health officials, most of these cases are in Kolkata and a further rise is expected in the coming two to three weeks before the waning phase starts.
After close to a year, the state started reporting frequent Covid cases from the end of December. From single-digit spike, the numbers shot to double figures for the first time on December 28 with 14 cases. Since then, the daily count has remained around 10, before jumping to 27 on Wednesday, taking the active cases to 213.
A further spike is expected in the next few weeks. The current infection is not causing severe disease in healthy individuals. But we have to worry about people with significant comorbidities as they are still susceptible," said a senior health official.
With states like Kerala, where the spike started this time, already in the declining phase, experts expect the down graph in Bengal to begin after about three weeks.
"Whatever may be the number of fresh cases, only those with multiple comorbidities are likely to get severe infection. In immunocompetent individuals, the infection will be like cold cough or like any other mild influenza, Hence, the current spike should not cause any public health challenge," said chest specialist Kausik Chaudhuri, former Covid-19 nodal officer at Beliaghata ID Hospital.
Experts including Chaudhuri advocated testing only those symptomatic with significant comorbidities and those who are or will undergo a surgical procedure. "We have started testing symptomatic patients - both inpatient as well as those visiting our OPD. Currently, there is one positive patient - a child - admitted," said Peerless CEO Sudpita Mitra.
"We have one patient admitted with Covid. Our Covid occupancy has varied between one and two for the last fortnight," said Woodlands MD & CEO Rupali Basu.
Doctors said that most of the current cases were incidental and secondary findings, like the four admitted at AMRI Dhakuria. None is in a critical condition.
"Despite the spike, people needing hospitalisation are still restricted to those with comorbidities. In fact, among this susceptible group, we could send a positive patient with conditions like intestinal obstruction and chronic kidney and liver ailment home. Hence, the current spike is unlikely to cause an uptick in mortality rate," said internal medicine specialist Rahul Jain of Belle Vue Clinic.
Officially, there has been only one death during this current spike. While JN.1 has been found only in two samples in Bengal so far, health experts said this strain is likely to become dominant in the state like elsewhere in the country.