VADODARA: The second wave of Covid-19 may have ended, but even when it was on its way out, it puzzled doctors.
The trend of new symptoms and spread of infection continued on the steep downward slope too.
Doctors in the city observed that when the wave was at its peak gastric irritation and diarrhoea were mostly seen with other symptoms commonly associated with Covid-19.
But off late, many who had merely an upset stomach tested positive.
“The only complain they had was that they were having pain or discomfort in the stomach or diarrhoea.
When we tested them for Covid-19, they were found positive,” said infectious diseases expert Dr Hiten Kareliya.
Kareliya and Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) health department officials said that another major change in trend was that entire families were not infected when the wave started receding.
“This was a major respite,” said Kareliya.
A VMC official said that the second wave saw multiple members of the same family getting infected at its peak.
“But this stopped when the numbers started going down,” the official said.
Kareliya said that it was becoming necessary to study the virus as and when such things happened.
He added that another possibility was that vaccination may have led to the change in the pattern.
Covid-19 advisor to the district administration Dr Sheetal Mistry said that the possibility of the patient suffering from digestive system discomfort could not be ruled out.
“There are reports that the virus was found in water and also regarding faecal-oral transmission,” he said.
Mistry added that the progress of vaccination in the city was also good.
He said this may have ensured that the infection did not spread to entire families when one person tested positive.
He, however, pointed out that the virus still remained unpredictable and throws up surprises.