Bhubaneswar: The viral load in the fresh Covid-19 infections has come down substantially as compared to the cases reported during peak period of the pandemic, said Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) director Ajay Parida here Monday.
Parida said that the CT (cycle threshold) value in the RT-PCR test reports was ranging from 14 to 15 while it has now increased up to 28. The lower the CT value, the higher is the viral load and the higher the CT value the lower is the viral load.
Parida said that not only children but also people from other age groups may get infected in the possible third wave of the Covid-19. However, there is no concrete information shared by any nation and international medical research organisation till now about the third wave, he added.
On the infectivity of the virus during the probable third wave, Parida said, “The possibility or infection rate of another wave of Covid-19 would depend on the human behaviour, adherence to Covid guidelines, anti-Covid vaccination and mutation of the virus, which is an ongoing process.”
Genome sequencing of the novel coronavirus is being carried out at 28 laboratories across India. The result may ascertain the nature of the strain and its consequences, he stated.
As the daily positive cases have come down to below 5,000 now, the senior public health expert opined in favour of a gradual unlock process in Odisha.
Meanwhile, the state reported 4,339 new Covid-19 cases Monday, taking the tally to 8,56,121, a Health department official said. Forty-four more people died in the state, pushing the toll to 3,346.
