
Andhra Pradesh has seen a significant spike in COVID-19 cases with 12 infections and four fatalities confirmed from June 26 to July 16. Numbers are still low, but the State government ramped up surveillance to make sure there is no additional spread. Health authorities said the problem was contained and there was no indication of a major epidemic, but they were watching attentively.
Health authorities said all four persons who died had major pre-existing medical issues, including disorders such as diabetes, hypertension and kidney-related diseases. Officials said such underlying ailments may have contributed to the deaths, and they urged people with chronic health issues to stay careful and seek medical assistance if they develop COVID-like symptoms.
The recorded infections are not confined to a certain region. Eight confirmed cases were registered in Kadapa while two instances were recorded in Guntur. 1 instance each in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada
Officials said the cases appear to be isolated and not tied to a single chain of transmission. This means there is no indication of a community-wide cluster at this time.
The Andhra Pradesh Health Department has submitted certain chosen samples of the patients to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for genome sequencing to have better understanding of the virus causing the latest outbreaks. The study will assist identify the circulating variation and whether there is any new strain involved.
Health professionals are asking residents to be calm and are repeating that the number of illnesses is quite low at this point. But particular measures have been urged for older people, pregnant women and those with weak immunity and chronic diseases.
Wash your hands properly, avoid going to busy areas if you are sick and use a mask at health facilities if you have a respiratory illness, health experts say.
The recent numbers have caught the eye, but officials are keen to highlight that the issue is being closely watched. People are advised to keep abreast of health developments and to observe simple precautionary steps to lessen the chances of being infected.
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