Last year when COVID pandemic began spreading, Bharat Times had flagged a potential disaster in the making in India due to lack of health infrastructure and the neglect it suffered for 7 decades since independence from the British. Now experiencing the surging second wave of COVID-19, India has recorded record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections – the highest to date which has taken India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,47,88,109. According to the Indian Health Ministry data updated on April 18, India now has more than 18 lakh active cases which is a reason for worry.
India’s death toll is rising too with another 1501 people dying in the corresponding 24 hour period. India’s total number of deaths to 1,77,150 although well below other countries in comparison to its infection rate.
Still it is 1,77,150 deaths too many.
The worry is, according to a report of the Lancet Covid-19 Commission by India Task Force members, India may witness 1,750 deaths per day due to Covid-19, surging to around 2,320 by the first week of June.
And the bigger worry is despite the experts have strongly recommending a temporary ban on gatherings of groups larger than 10 for the next two months, the politicians aren’t listening.
Also read: India’s COVID-19 challenges remain
With the second wave surging steadily every day, the active cases in India stand at 18,01,316. That is 12.18 per cent of the total infections in India.
The only good news Indians have is – the national COVID-19 recovery rate which is still strong although there is a slight drop to 86.62 per cent. And the fatality rate has dropped to 1.20 per cent.
1,28,09,643, people have recuperated from the disease.
Last year, India managed to do a fantastic job of recovery from the COVID pandemic onslaught. In 2020, India’s COVID-19 tally was recorded to have crossed 20 lakh on August 7 and then crossing the one-crore mark on December 19.
A snapshot of horror numbers:
COVID-19 deaths:
Global: 3,017,265
US: 567, 210
Brazil: 373, 335
Mexico: 212, 228
India: 177,150
COVID-19infections:
US: 31, 668, 343
India: 14, 788, 109
Brazil: 13, 943, 071
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) more than 26.6 core, ( 26,65,38,416) samples have been tested up to April 17. On Saturday, 17 April more than 15 Lakh (15,66,394) samples were tested.
Major infections in India are seen in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhiand West Bengal with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh closely following.