Doctors dread Covid-monsoon viral overlap, advise caution
Kolkata: With the current Covid-19 situation showing no sign of slowing down, and with monsoon around the corner, health experts fear the surfacing of co-infections of Covid-19 with other viral, bacterial, and vector infections.
From one active case until the second week of May, Bengal had 747 active cases by June 9. However, the state has not updated its active data since June 10.
Doctors tending to Covid-19 cases said the infection is mild in most, and the majority of those admitted to hospitals have one or various existing health conditions. What is concerning is if patients get Covid-19 co-infections with other respiratory viruses, bacteria, or dengue and malaria, it will pose a diagnostic dilemma, complicating treatment and disease prognosis.
Microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhuri said that earlier, SARS-CoV-2 used to displace other respiratory viruses in circulation. But now, it has learnt to co-exist with other respiratory viruses, like influenza viruses, adenovirus, rhinovirus, RSV, and parainfluenza viruses, which flourish during monsoon. "Besides respiratory infections, this is a season for vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, scrub typhus, as well as diarrhoeal diseases and enteric diseases like typhoid.
All types of infections are expected to thrive during this monsoon along with Covid. People must adopt all precautionary measures," said Chaudhuri, microbiology head at Peerless Hospital.
Infectious diseases specialist Sayan Chakraborty of Manipal Hospital Dhakuria said the current Covid-19 outbreak is expected to continue for some weeks, making an overlap with other diseases of the rainy season. "With the onset of monsoon comes viral diseases like influenza and vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria.
Co-infection of Covid and other diseases poses greater morbidity. The illness becomes more complicated," Chakraborty said.
While SARS-CoV-19 displaced all other respiratory viruses during the two waves, with vector-borne diseases almost disappearing, a few cases of co-infection were reported in 2023. Doctors said in 2024, Covid-19 did not make a significant spike, and hence, cases of such co-infection were hardly found.
But the current spike happening just around the monsoon is quite noticeable. "The immunocompromised and individuals with comorbidity are at a higher risk of such co-infection.
This section of the population should be all the more careful in this season," said public health specialist Anirban Dalui.
Doctors said most of these infections have some overlapping symptoms, which can cause confusion. Doctors stressed the need to use masks in public places and maintain hand hygiene.
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