76 new Covid-19 cases in state, 27 in Mumbai

Maharashtra reported 76 new Covid-19 cases on May 29, totaling 597 since January. Most cases remain mild, attributed to vaccination and natural immunity.

MUMBAI: As many as 76 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Maharashtra on May 29, taking the total number of cases in the state since January 1 to 597, according to the state health department.

76 new Covid-19 cases in state, 27 in Mumbai

Of the new cases reported on Thursday, 27 were detected in Mumbai, 21 in Pune, 12 in Thane, eight in the Kalyan Municipal Corporation limits, four in Navi Mumbai, one in the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation, one in the Ahilyanagar Municipal Corporation and two in Raigad district.

In Mumbai, the total number of Covid cases since January is 379, according to the department. Also, since January, 9,592 Covid tests were conducted in the state.

According to the state public health department, the spike in Covid-19 cases aligns with seasonal patterns of respiratory illnesses, and most infections remain mild or asymptomatic. Health officials have intensified surveillance and testing for Covid-19 in light of rising influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), especially in urban clusters.

The authorities attribute the low severity of Covid cases to widespread vaccination coverage and natural immunity in the population.

As monsoon-related respiratory illnesses rise, distinguishing Covid-19 from the flu has become a clinical priority. Dr Dhiraj Bhattad, consultant, internal medicine at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, said, “Both flu and Covid-19 can cause fever, sore throat, cough, cold, headache, body ache and fatigue. But loss of taste and smell is a distinct sign of Covid. Interestingly, flu cases currently seem to have more intense symptoms than Covid. This may be because most people are already vaccinated against Covid.”