‘Delta cases, vax shortage concerns’

MUMBAI: Even as Maharashtra government has relaxed Covidrelated restrictions, officials from public health department are faced with two main concerns — rise in Delta and Delta Plus cases, and acute shortages of vaccines. Anticipating a third wave, public health experts said these two issues could contribute to aggravating Covid-19 cases.

While medical experts have described the relaxations as a ‘calibrated thought’, they are emphasising on robust mass immunisation which is lagging behind due to shortages of vials.

Since the start of the second wave in mid-february, the state has sent over 8,000 samples for genome sequencing to identify variants of Sars-cov-2 — the virus that causes Covid-19. Almost 80% of samples tested positive for the Delta variant.

On the other hand, Delta Plus (AY.1), a mutation of Delta variant (B.1.617.2), was detected in the state during the second wave. In June, the Union health ministry declared it as the variant of concern.

The number of Delta Plus variant cases in the state increased from 21 in June to 65 in August.

At present, the positivity rate of Maharashtra stands at 2.11% which is higher than the national average of 1.34%. Six districts in the state — Beed, Pune, Sangli, Satara, Sindudhurg and Solapur — are still recording seven-day high positivity rates between 7% and 4.6% while the state’s average is 3.3%.

The Delta variant is more transmissible while the Delta variant has been reported makes it not a variant of concern yet. But we do need to be vigilant and monitor its spread closely.”

Vaccine shortage across the state is hindering the immunisation process. An analysis of the data shows that in the past 11 days, the number of inoculation dropped to 3,165,269 compared to 4,670,787 between July 20 and 30.

When HT inquired with peripheral civic-run hospitals, many said they do not have vials for the past two days. Dr Pratima Patil, medical superintendent of Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivli, said, “Though people are coming forward to get vaccinated, we can’t inoculate them as we don’t have the stock. We don’t know when we will get vials again.” The situation was similar with Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli and Bhabha Hospital in Kurla.