Late reporting major cause for spike in virus cases

Kolkata: The city-based virologists and health experts believe that late reporting of suspected symptoms by a section of people and a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) might have led to the steep rise of COVID-19 cases in the state.

A research conducted by the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics along with National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) in Kolkata to ascertain the cause of a sharp rise in the number of affected persons and also in the mortality rate.

A senior official from NICED said that since the appearance of the disease in Kolkata, mutations have taken place which might have led to an increase in the number. It is to be examined if any major characteristics of the virus have changed. Mutations of the virus at a rapid pace often leads to some changes in the nature of the virus, but it is yet to be confirmed if the mutation of the virus has any major implications on the patients. The researchers are trying to track the nature of the virus. Sometimes rapid mutation of the virus also weakens it.

Sources in the Health department said that some of the potentially COVID-19 suspects in the containment zones, more specifically in the slums of North Kolkata and the adjoining areas, were found to be reluctant to report their symptoms to health workers only to avoid institutional quarantine or hospitalisation in the early stages.

"This is probably because they have developed some kind of fear relating to the quarantine centres. Many preferred to stay at home and therefore concealed the initial symptoms," said a city-based virologist Dr N Bhattacharya.

It has not only complicated the situation but a stumbling block has been caused to address the crisis properly by the government in some cases due to the lack of awareness and fear about the disease among a section. Late reporting of cases in the city and also in the districts might have led to a rise in the number of COVID-19 patients, Dr Bhattacharya added.