Some doctors say Covid-19 virus getting milder

Nagpur: After observing a striking similarity between dengue and Covid patients a fortnight ago, GMCH medical superintendent Dr Avinash Gawande on Sunday said patient readings from last week show the coronavirus was probably getting less severe with positive persons not reporting fever but mostly cough and cold.

“One inference can be that the virus is mild as it keeps mutating. I have been getting a lot of teleconsultation patients on a daily basis. Almost all say their entire family was having Covid. Most say they only have cough and cold. Even those having fever is not high grade as in the past,” he said adding that two weeks ago fever with chills was seen.

This is quite different from August-September, when, if a family got infected, at least one or two members would turn moderately or severely ill. Some doctors at city’s private hospitals also claimed to have seen a similar trend while others didn’t observe any change.

Seven Star Hospital’s Covid team in-charge Dr Mohan Nerker agreed now patients were generally reporting with cough and breathlessness. “We too observed fever in fewer patients. They are coming with bigger complications. They have a very short history of fever followed by weakness. Some have cough and are found positive in chest scan,” he said adding in August and September, high grade fever was common in Covid patients.

Dr Hema Dhoble, head of Covid Unit at Suretech Hospital, Jamtha, said they were getting a mix of patients. “Some elderly or comorbid patients are having cough and fever after three to four days of testing. But it is not high grade fever. I feel this is because people are taking self-medication and starting pills like Dolo and Azee on their own,” she said.

Dr Nerker too said younger patient were not needing hospitalization.

Kingsway Hospitals’ internal medicine expert Dr Harwardhan Bora said people with cough and cold were patients of common cold and shouldn’t be confused with Covid patients. “People shouldn’t panic and get themselves tested to confirm. Common cold is rising due to seasonal flu. If it is associated with diarrhoea, breathlessness, comorbidity or old age, then be careful,” he said.

Infectious disease specialist Dr Ashwini Tayade too said not noticing fever is one possibility. “We are still getting critical patients. With winter onset, Covid is overlapping with regular flu. But people shouldn’t neglect it and get tested. Virus has tendency to mutate and might give different symptoms not reported earlier. Only NIV data can tell if virus is actually undergoing change,” she said.