In second wave, India has twice the number of 2020's active Covid-19 cases: Govt
"There are 21,57,000 active cases in India currently i.e. twice the number of maximum active 19 Covid-19 cases last year," Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a press conference.
India's second wave of coronavirus is more virulent than the first wave as the country is witnessing twice the number of maximum active Covid-19 cases seen last year, officials said on Wednesday.
"There are 21,57,000 active cases in India currently i.e. twice the number of maximum active 19 Covid-19 cases last year," Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a press conference.
The government, Bhushan said, plans to increase supplies of medical oxygen in the coming days even as a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases soaks up supplies. The government was also evaluating applications from suppliers overseas for oxygen imports, Bhushan said, adding that state leaders in the country should plan its use.
On Wednesday, India witnessed a jump of 295,041 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 2,023 deaths in the last 24 hours, both figures are the highest ever since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest data released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
Comparing both waves, the health ministry officials said that the severity, virulence and demography of the victims in the ongoing second wave of Covid-19 are about the same as the first wave.
A total of 146 districts reported Covid-19 positivity rate of more than 15%, while 274 districts reported case positivity between 5 and 15%, Bhushan said.
According to the figures shared by Bhushan, 4.03 per cent Covid-19 cases were reported in the first wave in those below 10 years, while 2.97 per cent cases were registered in the second wave.
"In the age group 10-20 years, 8.07% Covid-19 cases were reported in the first wave, while 8.50% cases were registered in the second wave. In the age group 20-30 years, 20.41% cases were reported in the first wave, while 19.35% cases were registered in the second wave," he said.
Bhushan further shared data which showed that in those aged 30 and above, 67.5% Covid-19 cases were reported in the first wave, while 69.18% Covid-19 cases registered in second wave.
The officials explained the breakthrough infection, where a person tests positive for Covid-19 after taking the vaccine doses, and said that it is not worrisome.
More than 21,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 after taking the first dose of either Covishield or Covaxin, while over 5,500 contracted the infection after taking the second dose, the officials said.
ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said 0.04% of 17,37,178 individuals, who received the second dose of Covaxin, were positive for Covid-19, while 0.03% of 1,57,32,754 people, who took the second dose of Covishield, contracted the infection.
"After vaccination, if one gets infection then it is known as breakthrough infection," he said. According to the data, 5,709 people contracted the infection after the second dose of either of the two vaccines.
"This is a very small number and not at all worrisome. Secondly, the highly transmissible second wave also contributes minuscule to the percentage so this could have been even zero percent," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
