E-Paper
Covid-19: India’s death rate has reduced by 0.43% in a month
India’s case fatality ratio (CFR) -- the proportion of people who die among those who test positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) -- has dipped from 2.15% in early August to 1.72% on September 6
India’s case fatality ratio (CFR) -- the proportion of people who die among those who test positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) -- has dipped from 2.15% in early August to 1.72% on September 6.
The CFR has been declining even though the absolute number of deaths has gone up. India has been reporting over 1,000 deaths for almost a week now and the total toll crossed the 70,000 mark on Sunday.
So far, 71,647 people have died of Covid-19, according to the data of HT dashboard.
India’s CFR is much lower than the global average of 3.2%. The United Kingdom’s (UK) CFR has been the highest at 12%, followed by Mexico (10.6%).
Experts believe that even with the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, the CFR is unlikely to go up. “The number of tests being done in the country has gone up exponentially, which means we are detecting more cases. This is the reason we are reporting over 80,000 Covid-19 cases daily. However, a high proportion of this is those who are asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms and are unlikely to die,” said Dr Neeraj Gupta, professor, department of pulmonology, Safdarjung Hospital.
“Doctors have a better understanding of the disease and treatment protocols have been standardised. A capacity for oxygen and ICU beds has also been made. These measures are likely to keep the CFR in check,” he said.
The Union ministry for health and family health (MoH&FW) has been guiding six states such as West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Puducherry, Jharkhand, and Delhi that have shown a recent surge in Covid-19 cases.
The states and union territories (UTs) have been advised to implement stringent containment, ramp up testing, effective monitoring of those under home isolation, early hospitalisation for those in need of medical support, and efficient infection control in healthcare facilities.
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