ICMR data reveals five respiratory viruses triggered infection scenario over last five months: Report
Weekly data from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that H3N2 has of late taken the lead pushing Covid-19 aside. Latest official statistics reveal of the samples tested for the week (March 5 - 11), 37 are of H3N2, 10 of Victoria, eight of Covid-19 and one of swine flu.
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FollowIn what comes as a recent development, official data from the health experts claimed that an assortment of at least five respiratory viruses has been dominating the infection scenario over the last five months, causing mild to severe illness.
In September 2022, doctors witnessed unusual cases of fever, cough and cold, different from Covid-19, but most were left undiagnosed. Now, official data shows it was a bouquet of respiratory viruses, including swine flu that caused hospitalisation and deaths.
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According to the data, apart from Covid-19, swine flu (H1N1) that caused the 2009 pandemic, H3N2 of 1968 Hong Kong flu notoriety, and the seasonal Victoria and Yamagata lineages of influenza B viruses are in circulation, with each of these viruses dominating infection charts at one point in time.
For some time, Covid-19 was almost completely eliminated from the infection situation; however, the long-forgotten swine flu unintentionally filled the void by spreading to more people. For several weeks, even the Victoria lineage topped the infection rankings.
But, as the focus was more on Covid-19, these respiratory viruses, which are equally severe in nature, went unreported. Though influenza A strain H3N2 is currently dominating the infection charts, its sister influenza B lineage Victoria has also been in circulation in significant numbers since January.
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Weekly data from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that H3N2 has of late taken the lead pushing Covid-19 aside. Latest official statistics reveal of the samples tested for the week (March 5 - 11), 37 are of H3N2, 10 of Victoria, eight of Covid-19 and one of swine flu.
Prior to H3N2 becoming dominant since January 1 this year, swine flu was the leading cause of respiratory infections between April 18, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
From December 27, 2021, to February 27, 2022, the Covid-19 dominated, reaching its peak in mid-January 2022. Between August 16, 2021, and January 2, 2022, the Victoria lineage increased the number of infections, with a high in September 2021.
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