The number of reported coronavirus cases in India rose 7.5 percent over the last two days to 380,532, the latest data from the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) showed. This is faster than the pace in the preceding 48-hour period when the number of cases went up 6.5 percent.

The death toll has reached 12,573 after growing 5.6 percent over the last two days. Deaths had risen 25 percent in the preceding 48 hours. However, the drastic jump two days ago was due to the Maharashtra government’s decision to update its data after including 1,328 deaths that took place earlier in the outbreak. Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in India.

This week so far, the deaths have risen 32 percent, and the number of cases 14 percent.

The death count in India has nearly doubled in the last fifteen days. The number of infections is now twice what it was eighteen days ago, and given the rate of growth in this period, it could hit the 400,000-mark by Sunday and the 500,000-mark in eight days.

The continuing rise in cases poses a severe challenge for India’s strained medical capacity and overburdened health system.

Despite a much slower case doubling rate than earlier in the outbreak, new infections and deaths have been rising faster in India than in most other badly-hit countries. The national toll is now the eighth-worst in the world. India has also recorded the biggest increase in confirmed cases over the past week among countries with over 4,000 deaths.

Maharashtra now has 5,751 deaths, and Delhi’s toll has risen to 1,969. Gujarat is next on the list with 1,591 deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu (625) and West Bengal (518). These five states have recorded 83 percent of all COVID-related deaths in India so far. Deaths have surged the most in Haryana, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu in the last seven days.

The case fatality rates vary widely. At 6.2 percent, Gujarat has the worst fatality rate, followed by Maharashtra, where 4.8 percent of those who tested positive for coronavirus has died. Madhya Pradesh is next with 4.3 percent. India’s case fatality rate is 3.3 percent. Among all states that have had deaths, the case fatality rates are the lowest in Tripura (0.1%), Ladakh (0.1%), and Assam (0.2%).

It is worth noting that data quality on cases and deaths vary across countries and regions because of factors such as differences in testing standards, and in protocols being followed for recording COVID-related deaths.

Maharashtra has 53,915 patients still under treatment, the most in the country, followed by Delhi with 26,669 active cases and Tamil Nadu with 23,068. Gujarat is fourth on the list with 6,191 active cases and West Bengal fifth with 5,477 cases. Out of the 163,248 active cases in India as of Friday morning, the top five states together have 71 percent and the top ten states account for 82 percent. Active cases exclude deaths and recoveries from the list of confirmed cases.

As many as 204,710 patients (54%) have now been discharged in India.

Among the ten states and union territories with most active cases, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi have seen the highest percentage spike over the past seven days.

News Source: Livemint

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