[kiku007]

Hello folks,

I'm looking for some material on managing stress and anxiety related to COVID-19.

My parents are expected to travel from India to Australia in a month and my mother especially has been on self isolation for so many months that fear and anxiety are the highest levels. They are both vaccinated. I could find material from Australian government/universities like the ones below,

https://services.unimelb.edu.au/coun...ss-and-anxiety

https://psychology.org.au/for-the-pu...19-australians

https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/3...-normal-p1.pdf

However, it'll be good to access some material relevant for India. I'm not saying the virus behaves differently in the two countries but the SOPs and advice may differ considering the polar opposite situations. Any help/guidance will be much appreciated.

Take care.

[mtnrajdeep]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

Is there a reliable way to track daily and historical cases in all districts?

Asking since covid19india.org shut down in October.

There is a new website aiming to do what covid19india.org website was tracking. The Url is https://www.covid19bharat.org

You can track the numbers there.

[am1m]

The headlines out of Goa are a great example of how the media drives the narrative. All of us must have seen the 'viral' pic of tourists at a popular beach on new years. But what about the pics of various political rallies that every political party has been conducting in that state over the past 2 months? Those should have been highlighted and action should have been taken back then itself. The "26% positivity rate" also shows up prominently any news search result. What does not make headlines is that the rate fell to 14% immediately the next day because of additional testing. Or that testing is still nowhere near enough. Not saying these figures are not important, or that the issue is not serious in Goa and everywhere else, it certainly is- but when reported in this unbalanced, half-baked and sensational way all it does it induce panic and knee-jerk reactions aimed at the easy targets.

[giri1.8]

While there is always someone taking about how fast the new variants spread, other possible new ones, very little is being reported on reinfection. Does anyone have news related to this. It's vague online as far as I have seen.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

While there is always someone taking about how fast the new variants spread, other possible new ones, very little is being reported on reinfection. Does anyone have news related to this. It's vague online as far as I have seen.

True that. We don't have statistics on the reinfected patients. I think that's a difficult task too ?? However many of them are getting reinfected what I have seen in my experience. This is with post vaccinated young and fit individuals as well. However this was expected. Anyone who thought otherwise was underestimating the basic science of virology. Vaccination to a large extent prevents progression to severity. Reinfection will always be there since new variants keep emerging every now and then. That's the reason SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay forever. Period.

By the way, welcome IHU variant from France That has 46 mutations compared to 30 mutations of Omicron. It hasn't been classified as variant of concern yet. Lets keep our minds sane meanwhile.

--Dr. Vivek

[vivek95]

All us Mumbaikars, lets buckle up !! Today Mumbai has registered 15,166 fresh cases. Yesterday it was 10000 odd. Mayor had said that "lockdown" would be enforced if the city touches 20000 cases a day. I think we are just about 3-4 days away from that. As per one news report, the symptomatic positivity is however just 2%.

--Dr. Vivek

[PearlJam]

Can someone please enlighten me why, after 2 years, we're still going around testing asymptomatic people? As per reports, more than 90% of the positive cases have been asymptomatic. If you simply go to a big college and test the students, I am sure you will find a big number of cases - we have seen how students are, inside and outside colleges!

We have never in the past gone around and tested people aggressively for Dengue/Chikungunya/general flu/other respiratory diseases/communicable diseases/etc. I understand that in the initial days of Covid-19, not much was known, and there was a concern that asymptomatic people could infect the vulnerable. But after two years, we have vaccines (and partial immunity through prior infections), better treatment protocols, better understanding of the disease, antiviral drugs, monoclonal antobodies, and better infrastructure. Is it still justified to test asymptomatic cases today?

The only logic might be that aggressive testing and counting *might* probably give some kind of a pointer as to what hospitalization rates and death rates might follow in the days/weeks to come. But that's hard to digest too. Experts have already said that stringent lockdowns are a thing of the past, and have strongly discouraged it.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Can someone please enlighten me why, after 2 years, we're still going around testing asymptomatic people? As per reports, more than 90% of the positive cases have been asymptomatic. If you simply go to a big college and test the students, I am sure you will find a big number of cases - we have seen how students are, inside and outside colleges!

I don't think anyone is going around randomly poking swabs in people's noses and throats.

Reason for the increased number of tests, and consequently increased number of positives might be anything, but my guesses are as follows:
1. More rigorous tracking and tracing of close contacts of Covid positive patients is back due to the Omicron scare, leading to more tests, leading to even more positives, making it a self perpetuating cycle.
2. A sense of paranoia among the general populace, due to which a person might get tested simply due to a runny nose and sore throat even if his/her doctor hasn't recommended it.

Thankfully, we seem to have dodged the bullet till now, and hospitalization rates are still low. Hope this trend continues till the positivity rates come down (again).

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Can someone please enlighten me why, after 2 years, we're still going around testing asymptomatic people?

Part and possible reasons:

1. Medical staff need to be tested due to their high exposure and that they might carry infections to vulnerable people.

2. I suppose other sections too would have protocols in place for conditional routine testing.

3. Being a voluntary test, many would have it done on suspicion, especially when they rightfully want to protect elder/vulnerable people at home. Being detected before symptoms show up gives a much higher chance of protecting those vulnerable.

4. Patients getting medical treatment are tested. Besides other reasons, to know whether they are to be treated in a Covid or non-Covid area.

5. Travel needs Covid-negative certificates.

6. Contact tracing. Formal or informally carried out. If someone gets Covid and responsibility informs those they've been in touch in the past few days, it leads yo testing.

That getting only tested after significant symptoms (and considering about a day to get the report) would lead to more infections, hospitalisations and even deaths, IMO.

Early testing also gives data. Directly, and also by tracking those who tested positive. It provides invaluable insights in pandemic management and protocol development.

I see widespread testing as a very good idea.
.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by vivek95

Today Mumbai has registered 15,166 fresh cases. Yesterday it was 10000 odd.

Doc, In that how many are Omicron variant? Say some <1000? So then why is there a sudden surge in the non-omicron variant also, which was way less and under control all this while. What is being told is that the Omicron is the fast spreading variant at the moment, so wondering what is with the older variant that it is also increasing.

[madhav]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Doc, In that how many are Omicron variant? Say some <1000? So then why is there a sudden surge in the non-omicron variant also, which was way less and under control all this while. What is being told is that the Omicron is the fast spreading variant at the moment, so wondering what is with the older variant that it is also increasing.

Currently, they must be testing only a sample set to see if it is Omicron and in those samples, the number of confirmed Omicron cases is what they are counting. So we should look at 75-80% of all reported cases as Omicron cases. The old Delta could not have suddenly woken up and even if it did, the symptoms and hospitalization requirements are not like wave 2, so clearly all this is Omicron.

[BLACKRiVAL]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

Doc, In that how many are Omicron variant? Say some <1000? So then why is there a sudden surge in the non-omicron variant also, which was way less and under control all this while. What is being told is that the Omicron is the fast spreading variant at the moment, so wondering what is with the older variant that it is also increasing.

Thats because variant sampling takes time. This wave is due to omicron only, just that its taking time to process samples at the speed at which cases are growing.

Btw I have tested for covid as I had a runny nose for 3 days. My senior too got it from me and her test came positive. Eveyone in my home is asymptomatic and even I have recovered.

[Ankur@VNS]

Rapid surge in cases across India, confirms the 3rd wave of ongoing pandemic (SARS COVID 19).

Just within the 7 days (29 December 2021 to 4th of January 2022) the average growth rate of active cases has skyrocketed from 0.58% to 13.8%.

Situation is alarming but still, not as critical, as in times, during disastrous 2nd wave.
We are better prepared with adequate medical infrastructure is in place along with satisfactory pace of country wide vaccination drive.

See the alarming pace of average growth rate of active cases, reported at 13.8% as on 4th of January 2022



Just 8 days back from today, on 29th December 2021, the average growth was mere 0.58% only.



Daily confirmed cases (7 Day Moving Average)



Massive jump in active cases across several states, where infections are spreading rapidly :

!

Vaccination status (All India)




Percentage of eligible population (18+) fully vaccinated stands to 65.7% whereas partial vaccination rate is 91.4%.





Although, these are confirmed infections and are likely to rise fast.
(based on experiences of other countries).

The question of severity can only be answered in a few weeks when hospitalization & deaths data become clearer.

However, we know that it (Omicron Variants) is highly transmissible, but still, we need to keep calm and behave responsibly.

Therefore, apart from getting fully vaccinated and wearing mask, strict adherence to "Covid Appropriate Behavior" is the only way forward.


{ Due credit to Prof. Shamika Ravi's Twitter handle @ShamikaRavi }

[NiInJa]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Very little is being reported on reinfection. Does anyone have news related to this. It's vague online as far as I have seen.

On that note, my uncle got re-infected yesterday after catching the virus in 2nd wave. My Aunt's test has come negative, despite having weakness.
My uncle was asymptomatic when the sample was collected yesterday morning, but has started having fever almost 36 hours later.

This situation is tricky because he got it from his daughter who came to visit her parents and in-laws after two years. My cousin sister came from Bengaluru, stayed in Mumbai (in-laws) for a week and travelled to Pune (parents) and both her kids started showing symptoms just a few hours after reaching Pune in the afternoon, and by the time it turned dark, she and her husband started feeling weak.

Her kids did have high fever for three days starting Sunday and she and her husband too are down with moderate fever and scratchy throat for last two days. If the vaccines do their job well, they will be fine in the next two days. They all are doing well otherwise and have enough strength to do daily chores unlike I and my wife who were completely drained when we caught it back in April 2021.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by kiku007

My parents are expected to travel from India to Australia in a month and my mother especially has been on self isolation for so many months that fear and anxiety are the highest levels.

Almost everybody here is getting reinfected and at speeds much faster than previously. You should tell them to be prepared with the possibilities of getting quarantined in worst case.

I won’t be surprised if the International Air travels is halted by Australia once again in coming days.