Irshad Hussain
The deadly second wave of covid19, has brought India’s health systems on the brink of collapsing at all levels. In last 24 hours, India reported 48,698 new covid cases at the same time 1,187 covid deaths taking the overall toll to 394,542. While the recovery percentage rate has also doubled from last two weeks which is currently on 2,91,93,085.
Delta virus hits in India
Before India could take a sigh of relief from the second wave, a new mutant variety of virus called ‘Delta Virus’ has emerged in many parts of India.
As per multiple reports health experts have expressed serious concerns over the Delta virus and said, “this variant might be capable of dodging immunities, from earlier Infections.”
On June 25th, Maharashtra reported first case of Delta virus. And 50 cases Delta plus variant have been reported across 11 states and most of them were reported from Maharashtra.
Kashmir lacks Genetic testing facility
The Kashmiriyat talked to Dr Nisar ul Hassan, the President of the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK), who said that recently a new Delta Plus variant has been detected in at least twelve Indian states including the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and it has been designated as a variant of concern as it seems to spread more easily and bind more easily to lung cells.
“The variant looms at a time when Covid-19 cases are declining and people are weary of precautions. People must realize that the downward trend could quickly reverse if the new variant takes hold,” he added.
Genome sequencing facility is tracing the mutant variants and amid deadly second wave Kashmir doesn’t have it.
He told The Kashmiriyat that many states of India has Genome sequencing facility that detects the virus, and that Kashmir should have this, too. So that the doctors can keep a check whether the variants are emerging.
“This technique does not only track the virus but it detects it and this disease has the same symptoms as covid,” he said.
When asked about challenges of third wave in Kashmir, he said that we cannot predict about severity of the virus. But genome surveillance is a must in this regard.