NEW DELHI: As the threat of a new Covid variant BA.2.86 or Pirola looms globally, a survey says that official data is underreporting cases in India, as people are avoiding RT-PCR testing. The survey, conducted among 32,000 people from 319 Indian districts by LocalCircles, said that despite the official COVID-19 figures remaining low, there is a need to comply with Covid norms as 22 percent of Indians were re-infected multiple times, spelling a long-term impact on their health.
The survey found that 63 percent have had symptomatic Covid, while 22 percent have had it multiple times in the last 40 months. In 20 percent of cases, the subsequent infection was more severe or persisting. Two percent said they were infected five times or more.
Of the surveyed people who have had multiple COVID-19 infections, a quarter have had it in 2022 and again in 2023. Of those who have had Covid to date, 46 percent of respondents were infected in 2023, while 93 percent were infected in 2022.
“A large majority of people are not getting RT-PCR tests done to validate Covid, and hence these numbers are not reflected in any state or Central government data. Government has been reporting that India has less than 100 cases a day for several months now,” the survey pointed out.
“Despite most infected people recovering from Covid, there are still many who are yet to recover fully or have developed new health problems,” said LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia told this paper.
He said that as new Covid variants like Pirola with over 35 mutations rise worldwide, the wise thing to do is to follow Covid norms. “However, with no government mandates on Covid compliance, no real-case data, and almost everyone writing off Covid and its impact, it is going to be a lot harder than ever before,” Taparia added.
Covid-19 cases have witnessed a surge in various countries, especially in the US, UK, and China, triggering fresh concerns about its resurgence. Though WHO has declared COVID-19 no longer a global threat, Pirola, as well as EG.5.1 or Eris, are causing a higher rate of infections across multiple regions globally.
According to Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association’s Covid Task Force, people tend to think that Covid has gone away, which is untrue. “Young and healthy people might see it only as a common cold, but the story could be different for elderly people and those with co-morbidities.”
The belief that ‘repeated Covid infections are good as it will generate more immunity’ is a myth, Taparia said, explaining, “This is wrong. The study confirms that the second infection was more severe in one-third of the cases. It has been established that a greater number of infections leads to poorer health.”
