Covid-19 second wave grips India: When will it peak & decline
24 April, 2021 | newsx bureau
The second wave of coronavirus has gripped the entire country by its neck. In the last 24 hours, India has witnessed single-day spike of 3.32 lakh new Covid-19 infections and 2,263 deaths.
India saw a single-day spike of 3,32,730 (3.32 lakh) Covid-19 infections and 2,263 deaths on Friday. The active cases now stand at 24,28,616 (24.28 lakh). Top government officials acknowledged that India could be approaching the second high of the Covid-19 pandemic, they also added that tier 2 and 3 cities are the worst hit this time. The number of coronavirus cases has increased by 150% or more in 70 districts across 16 states in the last two weeks. On the other hand, 55 districts in 17 states have seen a 100-150% increase in the same time frame.
In a span of 24 hours, Delhi reported 348 Covid-related deaths, the capital’s highest-ever single-day death toll, on Friday. The city’s death toll rose to 13,541. As the rapid second wave of infections ripped through the region, the Capital also reported 24,331 new cases, bringing the total no of patients to 9,80,679. In addition, in the last 24 hours, the state reported 23,572 recoveries. 8,75,109 people have recovered from the deadly virus as of now. There are reportedly 92,029 active cases in Delhi. Though a lack of ICU beds, Covid-19 vaccinations, and oxygen cylinders has created a dire situation in Delhi, scientists believe that the pandemic’s raging second wave will begin to fade after the first week of May.
According to a mathematical module devised by IIT scientists, the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India may peak between May 11-15 with 33-35 lakh cumulative ‘active’ cases and then decline sharply by the end of May. The number of new cases in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Telangana could peak between April 25 and 30, while Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh may have already reached their peak.
In Maharashtra, new Covid cases have been stable or slightly decreasing over the past few days. According to experts, further deterioration will be visible in a few weeks. More than 10,000 COVID-19 patients were enrolled in Mumbai two weeks ago. However, this figure has been gradually declining. In the last few days, only 7,000 new patients have tested positive. Patients are being discharged in greater numbers than new patients. Experts predict that this trend will persist, with a further drop in the number of cases beginning in the second week of May.