Covid-19 infection spiking in Asia? Hong Kong, Singapore report several cases. Should we be scared?

Is Coronavirus or Covid-19 threatening the world again? Years after the pandemic brought the globe to a complete halt, the virus seems to be spreading again, especially in parts of Asia. Densely populated financial hubs of Hong Kong and Singapore are reporting the maximum number of cases, according to a Bloomberg report.

Covid cases inHong kong

In an interaction with the media this week, Albert Au, the head of the Communicable Disease Branch at Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said the virus activity in the financial hub is “quite high”. The percentage of respiratory samples being tested for Covid-19 are coming positive and is at the year's highest level, he revealed.

It is not only the high number of cases being reported but the number of deaths has also reached their highest point in approximately a year, with 31 deaths reported in the week ending May 3, the report further said, citing the data from the center.

However, the number of cases or deaths being reported in Hong Kong, which has a population of seven million people is not as high as the last two years.

Situation in Singapore

While in Singapore, another commercial hub of Asia, the estimated number of cases rose to 14,200 in the week through May 3 from the previous seven days, which is an increase of 28 per cent.

The city-state's first update on infection numbers in almost a year also said that the daily hospitalisation rose around 30 per cent.

Though the cases have been rising, it is not a matter of grave concern as the Singapore health ministry said there is “no indication that the circulating variants are more transmissible — or cause more severe cases — than during the pandemic."

Is the fresh Covid surge concerning?

Though, the Covid cases have been increasing in both the places and some of its adjoining areas, the pace at which it is spreading is not as high as the last two years. However, the recent cases are a departure from typical respiratory virus behaviour, which usually increases during colder months. There has been a slight deviation, the virus is now showing its capabilities of spreading and causing illness even during the summer months.