Bhubaneswar: Since the post-Covid state in the ongoing third wave is not known despite people getting milder infections, therefore Covid appropriate behaviour is most important, cautioned Prof & HOD Internal Medicine, SCB Medical College & Hospital, Dr Jayanta Panda.
“Maybe several are getting afflicted with the mild form of the disease but we do not know yet how it is going to affect us in the post-Covid state,” said Dr Panda taking part in a sensitization programme on Covid-19 third wave organized by the I&PR Department of the Odisha government today.
Citing experience drawn from facing the pandemic for over the last two years Dr Panda pointed out the importance of wearing a mask.
“It is only the mask which is protecting us. So we should always wear a mask and wear it properly by covering our mouth and nose. Wash our hands frequently, maintain social distancing of 2 meters and avoid gatherings,” said Dr Panda.
In the context of the third wave, its importance has further increased, he added.
While emphasizing that no vaccine is foolproof against infection, Dr Panda urged people who have taken both the doses of the vaccine to religiously adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour since several cases of breakthrough infections have been noticed during the third wave.
“I appeal all who have not got vaccinated to get themselves vaccinated at the earliest since we do not know what is going to happen in the coming days keeping in mind the rising number of infections. For negligence can make this wave prove dangerous for us,” Dr Panda warned.
Explaining on the symptoms noticed in the Omicron driven third wave of the pandemic, Dr Panda informed that generally it has been observed that it starts with pain in the throat, pain while swallowing, scratchy feeling in the throat accompanied by blocked nose, headache, pain in the limbs which lasts for 2-3 days and gets lessened early in comparison to the previous two waves.
Loss of smell and taste as felt in earlier waves has not been noticed in this wave, he added.
However, there is a new symptom of stomach ache and loose motion which is being experienced by many infectees during this wave, Dr Panda informed.
Further, explaining the high transmission of infection during the third wave, Dr Panda said that as a virus gets mutated its transmissibility capacity enhances and the Omicron variant has a transmissibility rate of 6-7 times more than the Delta variant.
