Covid-19 Cases Rising Fast; India Records Over 5,000 New Infections, Active Tally At 25,587

NEW DELHI: Amid fears of a rapid resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the country, India on Thursday recorded 5,335 cases of Coronavirus infection - nearly 20 per cent higher than yesterday, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated at 8 AM. With this, the active Covid-19 caseload has risen to 25,587, the Health Ministry data said. During this period, 335 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the country. The daily positivity rate is recorded at 3.32% and the weekly positivity rate stands at 2.89%.

With 0.06% active cases, the recovery rate currently stands at 98.75%, the data stated. India also witnessed 2,826 Covid-19 recoveries in the last 24 hours and, with this, total recoveries have risen to 4,41,82,538

According to the Health Ministry's website, 220.66 crore total vaccine doses (95.21 crore Second Doses and 22.87 crore Precaution Doses) have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive. Nearly 1,993 doses were administered in the last 24 hours, the data said. Meanwhile, 92.23 crore Covid-19 detection tests have been conducted so far; around 1,60,742 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, it added.

A day earlier on Wednesday, India reported 4,435 fresh cases of coronavirus infections - the biggest single-day jump in 163 days (five months and 13 days). The active Covid-19 cases in the country on Wednesday reached 23,091, the Health Ministry data said. 

With the fresh cases, India's overall Covid-19 tally climbed to 4.47 crore (4,47,33,719) on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 5,30,916 with 15 deaths, the data updated at 8 am stated. Four deaths were reported from Maharashtra; one death each was reported from Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Puducherry and Rajasthan; and four were reconciled by Kerala, on Wednesday.

India on Tuesday recorded 3038 fresh cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours and the active caseload reached 21,179. The Covid-19 cases in India have seen an upward trend in the past few days with the daily fresh infections ranging between 2,994 on April 1 to 3,824 on April 2 and 3,641 on April 3 to 3038 on Tuesday.

Need To Remain Vigilant, Says Union Health Minister

In the wake of rising COVID cases in India, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said that Omicron`s sub-variant which is circulating in the country has not led to an increase in hospitalisations and there is no need to worry.

The Minister said that there is a need to remain vigilant. "We need to remain alert but there is no need to worry. Currently, the sub-variant of Omicron which is circulating in the country hasn`t increased hospitalisations," Mandaviya said.

Govt Revises Covid-19 Guidelines 

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued revised guidelines for Covid-19 in the wake of the surge of cases in the past week across the country. "Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of COVID-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease," revised guidelines said.

"Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of COVID-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease," revised guidelines said.

"Seek immediate medical attention if difficulty breathing, High-grade fever/ severe cough, particularly if lasting for more than 5 days. A low threshold is to be kept for those with any of the high-risk features," guidelines discussed and prepared in January said.

Additionally, in moderate or severe diseases at high risk of progression, the guidelines recommend, "Consider Remdesivir for up to 5 days (200 mg IV on day 1 followed by 100 mg IV OD for the next 4 days)".

The Covid-19 pandemic set foot in India in 2020 and the country witnessed its first-ever lockdown in the month of March. In a bid to tackle the Covid-19 threat, the government started a Pan-India immunization drive for frontline healthcare workers followed by the elderly with comorbidities and then people aged 18 years and above.

After the DCGI nod, the government has also started Covid-19 vaccination for children to protect them from the deadly virus that first originated in China's Wuhan.