*3rd wave.

 *3rd wave...* With the new virus Covid Delta.. There is no cough, no fever. With a lot of joint pain, headache, neck and upper back pain, general weakness, loss of appetite and pneumonia, it's Covid Delta ! And of course, more virulent and with a higher mortality rate. It takes less time to go to extremes and sometimes without symptoms !! Let's be much more careful ! 

This strain does not live in the naso-pharyngeal region !! Now it directly affects the lungs, which means that the 'windows' (periods of time between getting infected & having pneumonia) are shorter. Several such patients are without fever, without pain, but reports show mild chest pneumonia on their X-rays. Nasal swab tests are very often negative for Covid-19, and there are more and more false negative results from nasopharyngeal tests.  

This means that the virus spreads fast and spreads directly to the lungs, causing acute respiratory stress caused by viral pneumonia. This explains why it has become sharp, more virulent and deadly !! 

Please, let's be more careful, avoid crowded places, keep *1.5 metre distance* even in open spaces, use *double face masks* and *wash our hands often* (and when we cough or sneeze). Please, no hugs, as it is very dangerous at the moment, as everyone is asymptomatic. 

This *"3rd wave"* is much more deadly than the first or second. So we have to be VERY careful and *take all kinds of precautions* .

Please also be an alert communicator for your near and dear ones. Do not keep this information to yourself. Share it as much as you can, especially with family and friends.

Dr P P Venugopal 

Head-Emergency Department, Aster MIMS

Kozhikode