In Punjab, 300 test +ve post-vax in fortnight

AMRITSAR: Nearly 300 people, who had got their first or both doses of vaccine, were tested positive for the coronavirus in Punjab in the last 15 days, with the state health department claiming that none of them needed to be hospitalised.

State Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said most of these people had only mild or moderate symptoms and that vaccine was quite effective in preventing hospitalisation or fatalities.

“Earlier, we were not collecting data on the number of fully or partially vaccinated people being tested positive for Covid-19. But after the government’s direction, the health department started keeping tabs on such cases. The severity of infection was quite low in these people even as majority of them had received the first shot only,” he said.

Dr Bhaskar added, “Punjab is administering vaccine on thousands of people daily and 300 people testing positive is not a big number. But we are still keeping a close watch on them.”

So far, the state health department has inoculated 34 lakh eligible beneficiaries of which 6.7 lakh have received the second dose.

HT talked to an 85-year-old Jalandhar-based woman who was found infected after getting both doses. She said, “Despite suffering from hypertension and age-related ailments, I did not develop any severe infection.”

Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Amritsar, medical superintendent Dr KD Singh, a microbiologist, said, “Since vaccines boost immunity, antibodies are develop in people after inoculation and help them to fight the deadly virus. Covid-19 is spreading through air and it attacks the lungs and other organs after entering the nose. People are not developing major lungs infection after testing positive for Covid-19 even if vaccinated with a single dose.”

70 re-infection cases Seventy persons, who had tested positive for Covid-19 across the state last year but had recovered, have caught the infection again. “Low severity of the disease was found in them. Many did not develop antibodies even after recovery and can again catch the virus. The health department is monitoring their health conditions,” said Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.