Preparations for 'possible' third wave are in a full swing in J&K [Details]

On the recommendation of the expert advisory committee, Jammu and Kashmir government has started preparations for the possible third of COVID. Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta on Saturday chaired a meeting to oversee the preparation of an action plan for tackling a possible third wave of COVID in Jammu and Kashmir as per suggestions of the expert committee headed by Prof Mohammad Sultan Khuroo.

Health Department asked to constitute expert teams

The Health and Medical Education Department was asked to constitute a medical advisory team consisting of field experts in virology, epidemiology, and microbiology to provide multi-dimensional scientific recommendations for evidence-based scientific management of COVID.

The Chief Secretary directed the Department to conduct stratified serological surveys in Jammu and Kashmir for ascertaining natural/vaccine-induced seropositivity in the population and identifying susceptible groups and areas in the Union territory to be taken up under targeted vaccination drives.

He emphasized the need for strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behavior in addition to vigorous vaccination drives for successful containment of the disease.

Trajectory of disease to be put under surveillance to detect a trend of possible third wave
It was informed that in comparison to the first wave which was slow, gradual, and mostly affected the elderly/co-morbid population; the second wave was abrupt, steep, and severely infected the young and middle-aged population. As such, it was stressed that the trajectory of the disease must be put under meticulous surveillance for early detection of new trends towards a probable third wave.

COVID Delta variant ravages J&K

Recent epidemiological studies have suggested the role of the new SARS-CoV-2 variants for ragging the second COVID wave in India including Jammu and Kashmir. The sudden increase in the number of COVID-related deaths in J&K especially in Jammu raised an alarm about the circulating variant of concern (B.1.617.2) in Jammu, which was proved by the study, said Dr. Shashi Sudhan Principle and Dean GMC Jammu.

Dr. Sudhan further said that the COVID positive samples are routinely sent to the Indian SARS CoV-2 Consortium of Genomics (INSACOG) for genomic sequencing and analysis of circulating COVID-19 viruses and several variants have been reported in Jammu.

Unprecedented deaths in Jammu due to Delta variant

Dr. Sudhan said, "There is available information to suggest that the increased transmissibility and increased deaths in the month of May were linked to the variant of concern".

As per the recent data of Covid-19 Positives samples sent from the Department of Microbiology, GMC Jammu to National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, for genetic sequencing, 68.5% of the tested positive patients were reported to have the variant of concern i.e. B.1.617.2, generally known as the double mutant and been classified as being "of concern" by the WHO.

She further said that the mortality rate among patients admitted in the GMC, Jammu was 62.5% in those infected with the 'variant of concern,' with a very high number of young patients, indicating the higher public health implications of the variant.

Dr. Sharma further added that "among those patients admitted 58.4% were reported to have B.1.617.2 ( THE VARIANT OF CONCERN ); 22.47% were reported to have B.1 mutation, 6.74% were having B.1.1 mutant, 3.37% had B.1.617.1 variant while as 1.1% had B .1.1.7 the UK variant." Further, she added that 2.247% of admitted patients were reported to have no mutant at all.