Pune: Pune is seeing a visible uptick in Covid-19 cases as hospitals have been reporting a further rise in patients testing positive over the past few days. The state health department’s data corroborated this trend, with Pune district recording a steady climb in daily new cases: 20 on June 2, 30 on June 3, 41 on June 4, 48 on June 5, and 50 on June 6. Dr Pradeep D’Costa, HoD – ICU and consultant – intensive care, KEM Hospital, Pune, said they have definitely seen a slight increase in cases this week, with around four or five patients admitted. “Most of these cases are mild, but we had one severe case requiring ventilation; thankfully, that patient is now off the ventilator and recovering well. Notably, most of these patients were either incompletely vaccinated — having skipped the booster dose — or not vaccinated at all.” It is unclear how long vaccine-induced immunity lasts, especially for boosters taken a few years ago, as assessing this would require antibody testing, he said. “Additionally, we have observed that pregnancy is a risk factor; one of our Covid-19 positive patients, a pregnant woman, required careful management but is now improving.” Dr Vilas Gundecha, director of ICU, Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, said that in a week’s time, they have seen three positive cases at their facility. “Over the past two weeks, several hospitals in Pune have reported patients with upper respiratory symptoms, predominantly fever and myalgia. Some of these cases tested positive for Covid-19 via RT-PCR.” Hospitals are still awaiting clear govt guidelines on precautions or booster doses, he said. “Studies from the third wave (Omicron) showed that booster protection against infection wanes over time, and there is a potential for negative immune imprinting. However, boosters significantly reduce severe outcomes, especially in clinically vulnerable groups, underscoring their public health value. Rapid antigen tests could play a key role if we see a rapid spread, as we are likely missing several Covid-19 cases due to limited testing. However, such kits are no longer readily available.” Similarly, an infectious disease specialist from a city hospital said there were 2-3 patients last week, but for the last few days, he has been seeing 2-3 patients daily. “In our outpatient department, we have seen a noticeable increase in Covid-19 cases this week. A key indicator of the rising trend is the number of patients I have previously treated for various conditions reaching out via WhatsApp, reporting upper respiratory tract infection-like symptoms such as fever and cough. Some of these patients tested positive for Covid-19 at private labs. Fortunately, most cases are mild, with patients experiencing manageable symptoms.” Dr Jitendra Oswal, deputy medical director, Bharati Hospital, said this week, they have had nearly five Covid-19 patients, compared to just one the previous week. “Most patients have fever, cough, and cold-like symptoms. One of these patients had a respiratory condition severe enough to require oxygen and ICU care but has since improved.”
