E-Paper
Pune’s active Covid cases drop to 17, zero hospitalisations
Dr Abhay Tidke, additional district health officer, Zilla Parishad, Pune, said this is for the first time in the year we have reported the lowest active cases and zero hospitalisation due to Covid-19
There are now 17 active Covid-19 cases in the district, but no hospitalisations for the infection. Earlier in March this year given the predominant XBB1.16 sub-variant in circulation, Pune district reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra.
In 2023, Pune district recorded the lowest Covid-19 cases load of 11 patients on January 29. This was before the XBB1.16 sub-variant was in circulation. Later when the Omicron sub-variant started to circulate, the number of patients in the district increased in March. Pune in March recorded 571 active Covid-19 cases, the highest caseload in Maharashtra. The number further increased to 788 active cases ( on April 20). However, in April, Covid-19 cases hit a plateau in the district as the active cases continued to remain in one range, said officials.
Dr Abhay Tidke, additional district health officer, Zilla Parishad, Pune, said this is for the first time in the year we have reported the lowest active cases and zero hospitalisation due to Covid-19.
“The lowest number of active cases of around 16 were recorded in February, but it was before the surge started. It was after the XBB 1.16 was detected that cases started to increase in the district. However, now that the cases have declined, we hope no new Covid-19 variant is detected,” he said.
Dr Tidke, further added, given the large number of the population being vaccinated the possibility of a spike in cases after a new variant is found in circulation is less. But we cannot precisely predict how a virus will mutate and circulate,” he said.
The district reported five fresh Covid-19 cases on Thursday( June 15) and three patients were discharged after recovery from virus infection. The district currently has 17 active Covid-19 cases, of which 12 are in Pune Municipal Corporation, 2 in Pimpri Chinchwad and 3 active cases in Pune rural and Cantonment Board limits. All 17 active cases are in home isolation.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, head of microbiology department at BJ Medical College, and state Covid-19 task force member, said this year the spike in Covid-19 cases started due to XBB1.16 sub-variant.
“The sub-variant became most predominant in Maharashtra and India in March. During our preliminary studies it was found hospitalisation and oxygen required for Covid-19 patients infected with this sub-variant is less,” he said.
Dr Karyakarte, said during the study we found that clinical features and outcomes in patients with XBB.1.16 subvariant are similar to those infected with other Omicron lineage in circulation in Maharashtra.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has also documented this study. As the wave declines the hospitalisation and cases will decline. As Omicron was mild due to which the XBB 1.16 being its recombinant sub-variant is also mild,” he said.
