SRINAGAR, Dec 26: Modelling data from credible agencies do not foresee any major Covid wave in Jammu and Kashmir, a leading pulmonologist said, but advised people to take precautionary measures as models \u201dcan go horribly wrong\u201d.
In a series of tweets, SKIMS Director Dr Parvaiz Koul said, \u201dModelling data from credible agencies (like from University of Washington) predict a low circulation of the virus for coming weeks in JK (Jammu and Kashmir), but models can go horribly wrong.
\u201dSo stay calm, observe routine precautions and vaccinate if you haven\u2019t, as per the advisories. NO PANIC PLEASE. Safety saves. Better safe than sorry.\u201d Koul added that he had been receiving many calls from people about COVID-19 alerts in Jammu and Kashmir.
\u201dReceiving many calls for the COVID alerts. Please note that J&K (Jammu and Kashmir) and India as a whole are not experiencing an unusual surge as yet. However since it is winter, the time for circulation of respiratory pathogens in Kashmir, it is in one\u2019s interest to be alert and cautious,\u201d he said.
Koul said the situation in China, which is believed to be going through a massive resurgence of Covid infections, was different on various counts.
\u201dBut kindly do not panic. The situation in China is different. They resorted to strict lockdowns which resulted in lower exposure to the virus and a lower immunity by natural infection.
\u201dAlso the vaccine used predominantly in China is the inactivated Sinopharm\/Sinovac vaccine which is inferior in evoking a robust immune response as compared to the adenovirus vectored vaccine used predominantly in India,\u201d he added.
Dr Koul said as there was no data on the percentage of the Chinese population that had been immunised, China might have opened up \u201dabruptly\u201d. \u201dAnd we do not know the percentage immunized among those vulnerable to severe illness (like the old or those with comorbidities) in China, specifically about booster doses. Possibly they opened abruptly without adequate immunisation of the vulnerable,\u201d he said.
Dr Koul said the variants of Omicron circulating in China had a high transmissibility. \u201dThese BF.7 and XBB have been reported from India for a while but haven\u2019t caused any outbreaks so far. For any variant to survive it has to demonstrate some immune escape, which is why these sub variants of Omicron have survived. However, as a group, Omicron does not cause severe illness and most of the symptoms are those of the upper respiratory tract rather than the lower RT and the lungs,\u201d he added.
Dr Koul, however, warned that new and more virulent variants could emerge anytime. He also emphasised on genomic surveillance to stay on the lookout for emerging variants. \u201dThis is the reason for the advisory from MOHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India). India has a clear advantage of higher vaccinations and more natural infections during the Omicron surge,\u201d he said.
Asked if he recommended voluntary testing, Dr Koul said, \u201dIt is always better to be with \u2018eyes open\u2019 rather than \u2018closed.\u201d Dr Koul said those who were advised the precautionary dose but did not receive it would be helped by boosting their immunity.
\u201dInternational travel to countries with high Covid activity must be undertaken with caution and only if absolutely necessary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SRINAGAR, Dec 26: Modelling data from credible agencies do not foresee any major Covid wave in Jammu and Kashmir, a leading pulmonologist said, but advised people to take precautionary measures as models \u201dcan go horribly wrong\u201d.In a series of tweets, SKIMS Director Dr Parvaiz Koul said, \u201dModelling data from credible agencies (like from University of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jammu","category-kashmir"],"yoast_head":"\n