Virus spreading rapidly, but not severe: Experts

Kumaran P. | NT

Bengaluru: After Bengaluru reached 20-30k fresh cases on a daily basis, the cases in the rest of Karnataka have also started to rise. Districts such as Mysuru, Mangaluru and Tumakuru are reporting close to 1k and above cases a day.

However, state experts say that this is bound to happen and those who have not been vaccinated will be more vulnerable. Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD, pulmonology department at Manipal Hospitals and State Spokesperson said, “The virus (Omicron) is everywhere now. This is its course of action. It will now be infecting every single person and it is like vaccinating all the unvaccinated. The only way to escape the severity is to be vaccinated. This virus is teaching that you need to be vaccinated.”

“The good part about all of this is, people are consciously understanding that vaccination is important, people know that they need to wear the mask and what virus is doing is that it is mild and not serious. There is nothing to be worried about as of now as it is not affecting the lungs like what Delta did during the last waves. The lungs are safe and all that is being affected is the throat and nose,” he added.

Result of migration?

An official anonymously said, “Techies are taking work from home and they are shifting to their hometown again out of panic. While going out from the city, they are taking the virus along and infection is happening there. Many of them are returning from other countries and cities fearing lockdown or worst cases of Covid-19 numbers in their working place.”

Dr MK Sudarshan, chairperson of the Technical Advisory Committee of the government (TAC) said, “This is nothing but the usual late surge in the other districts. Not just that, people arriving at the International airport in Bengaluru are then moving to other districts, so the city becomes the epicenter to the rest of Karnataka. What we can say is that vaccination prevents hospitalisation.”