Kolkata: The third covid wave has seen the fastest wave and falls in new daily cases in Kolkata with a number of rising eight times in just 11 days and gliding back for the next 13 days.
It’s much sharper than the surge witnessed during the second and second waves.
During the second wave last May, the city had seen cases up ten more than one and a half months and it had taken more than two weeks for the number to slide again significantly.
The number of new cases is far less during the second wave.
The peak of the first wave in October, 2020, had seen everyday cases crawl to the highest for almost one and a half months.
In Bengal, everyday case jumped 12 times between December 30, 2021 and January 9 when the country reached the third wave peak with 24,287 cases.
While Kolkata recorded 1,090 new cases on December 30, 2021, it jumped to 4,759 on January 4 and 8.712 on January 9 – a one-day surge in the highest wave at this time.
On January 15, the number has dropped to 4,831 and up to 973 on January 23.
During the first wave, the increase was very small in terms of numbers with Kolkata which recorded the highest of 910 cases on October 25, 2020.
The second wave had seen a staggered surge as well, with new cases increased from 399 at 1 to 3,995 on May 14 – The highest is recorded during the wave.
The reason behind a sharp and fast increase in the case this time is a more transmitting virus that has affected more at a faster time with a very short incubation period, the experts said.
Although it will take 4-6 days for infected people to show symptoms over the first two waves, it is reduced to only this time, they said.
“Also, the symptoms are light and muted that have helped transmissions because some realize that they have infected people at home.
The whole family has been infected before they even say symptoms.
It is often late before the symptoms arise and an infected individual becomes isolation,” said Microbiologist Hospital Polong Bhaskar Narayan Chowdhury.
RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) Intensivist Sauren Panja agreed.
“The rate of infection has been much higher this time and the majority of cases have not been diagnosed at all.
Most have chosen to pass the test and therefore do not live in house isolation.
They have spread the virus to others, helping a quick surge in the amount affected,” he said .
Shorter and shorter spikes have become trends throughout the world during the current wave, showing Pulmonologist Raja Dhar.
“Omicron is a variant that is far more contagious but light that has led to a faster surge but a faster recovery.
So, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number, the case plateau followed by a decline,” Dhar said.