India logs 53,476 Covid-19 fresh cases, highest daily spike in 5 months

Following the grim figures since the last few weeks, the central government on Tuesday decided to open vaccination for everyone above 45 years of age from April 1.

India’s cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) witnessed a jump of 53,476 in a day while the daily toll from the disease went up to 251, according to the data released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Thursday. This is the highest daily spike since October 23 last year when 54,366 fresh cases were recorded.

People being screened as they wait to give swab samples for Covid-19 tests at GB road in Thane on Tuesday, March 23. (Photo by Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

The nation’s infection tally has soared past 11.78 million. The fatality count, which has been rising over the last few weeks, has gone up to 160,692.

Following the grim figures since the last few weeks, the central government on Tuesday decided to open vaccination for everyone above 45 years of age from April 1.

Adding to the worries, a novel variant of the Sars-Cov-2 has been detected in seven states, and especially in high numbers in Maharashtra, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The emergence of the new variant partially explains the surge in cases, experts said. Officials, however, have said that it may be too soon to arrive at a conclusion.

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The variant carries mutations that include those denoted by the letters E484Q and L452R, which have separately been linked to making the virus spread more readily and defeat, to some extent, immunity from a vaccine or past infection.

“The analysis of samples from Maharashtra has revealed that compared to December 2020, there has been an increase in the fraction of samples with the E484Q and L452R mutations. Such mutations confer immune escape and increased infectivity. These mutations have been found in about 15-20% of samples and do not match any previously catalogued VOCs (variants of concerns),” the health ministry said in statment on Wednesday.

The director of the National Centre for Disease Control, Dr Sujeet Kumar said though 206 samples from Maharashtra had the new variant, “ data does not allow for us to make a direct correlation yet for the rise in cases.”

“Though VOCs and a new double mutant variant have been found in India, these have not been detected in numbers sufficient to either establish or direct relationship or explain the rapid increase in cases in some states. Genomic sequencing and epidemiological studies are continuing to further analyze the situation,” the government said.

Other experts, however, have said that the possibility of a correlation is very high.