India witnessing 5-10% hospitalisation rate in third wave, situation 'dynamic, may change rapidly': Govt
Despite the alarming increase, Delhi, Maharashtra, and other states have insisted that they are prepared to tackle the rise in infections by providing adequate hospital beds, despite the minimal hospitalisations thus far.
FollowAccording to the government, India sees a 5-10% hospitalisation rate in the third Covid wave. Still, the situation is "dynamic and fluid, and the requirement for hospital treatment may alter swiftly." According to government figures, the hospitalisation rate in the second wave was in the 20-30% range. Meanwhile, on Monday, a dramatic rise of 1.79 lakh new cases was registered; the daily positive rate was estimated to be 13.29 per cent. "It appears that the Variant of Concern 'Omicron' and the continuous presence of another 'Delta' in significant geographies across the country are driving the growth," the Health Ministry announced today.
Over 4,000 instances of the new type have been detected in India, fueling a recent surge in infections globally. All states and union territories have been requested to monitor oxygen beds, ICU beds, and ventilator support daily. The government has stated that the Covid Care centres must be upgraded to oxygen-supported beds when necessary while also emphasising recruiting junior doctors, nursing students, and MBBS students to ensure adequate healthcare staff.
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Despite the alarming increase, Delhi, Maharashtra, and other states have insisted that they are prepared to tackle the rise in infections by providing adequate hospital beds, despite the minimal hospitalisations thus far. Lessons have been learnt from the second wave when most of the country's main cities broke under the burden of increased demand for hospital beds and medical oxygen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assessed the country's Covid situation on Sunday. The virus is developing quickly, and genome sequencing is critical, he added, emphasising the need to accelerate the vaccination of teenagers, which began last week.
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