With rise of Covid-19 cases in Kashmir valley over the last few days, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Friday said there is no need to panic.

“There is no increase in hospitalization, so the rise in cases should not be a cause of worry” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

Dr Hassan said case counts have lost relevance; hospitalization numbers are now reliable markers when it comes to assessing the threat from pandemic.

Daily case count was used as a barometer early in the pandemic because that time a rise in cases inevitably led to increase in hospitalizations.

“But that has changed now,” he said.

“With most being immune either by way of vaccination or natural immunity, even with large number of infections we see miniscule numbers in hospitals.”

The DAK President said if we continue to highlight only the increase in cases, we run the risk of causing unnecessary public panic.

“The thinking around the pandemic and how we characterize and measure it needs to change,” he said.

“Covid-19 has entered into the endemic stage and the rise and fall in cases is going to be a routine process,” Dr Nisar said.

“What we are seeing in terms of a spike in Covid cases is on expected line,” he said adding the current surge is not a wave but an endemic spike and we expect these fluctuations in future too.

“People need to learn to live with Covid-19 as the virus is going to stay with us,” said General Secretary DAK Dr Arshad Ali.

“Covid-19 has become yet another infection joining many other diseases that humanity has learned to live,” he said.