Some good news: Covid recovery rate in India crosses 50 PC for first time
Amid the gloomy scenario of the coronavirus pandemic, there is some positive news — the recovery rate has for the first time crossed 50 per cent in the country. On Sunday, the health ministry said 1,62,378 Covid-19 patients have been cured so far, of which 8,049 were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the recovery rate to 50.59 per cent. Currently, 1,49,348 cases are under medical supervision.
However, high numbers are still detected and are a cause of concern. In a new high, close to 11,929 fresh cases and 311 new deaths were reported in one day by Sunday morning, taking the overall count to 3,20,922 and deaths to 9,195.
However, Covid19India.org said there were 3,22,837 cases and 9,209 deaths in India, of which 1,50,515 are under treatment and 1,63,076 had recovered.
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi still report very high numbers. The health ministry said testing was intensified in these places and now house-to-house surveys will begin in containment zones. “ICMR’s testing capacity for detecting coronavirus in infected persons is continuously being ramped up and the number of government labs has been increased to 646 and private labs to 247, taking the total to 893. In the last 24 hours, 1,51,432 samples were tested,” the health ministry said.
Meanwhile, the health ministry clarified that the use of anti-viral drug Remdesivir has been included as an “investigational therapy” as part of clinical management of Covid-19, and is only for restricted emergency use purposes, along with off-label use of Tocilizumab and Convalescent Plasma. “This drug has still not been approved (market authorisation) by the US Food and Drug Administration, where like India it continues only under an emergency use authorisation,” the health ministry said. Gilead was on June 1 given permission to import and market the drug in India.
However, this drug will soon be made in India as six Indian companies — Hetero, Cipla, BDR, Jubilant, Mylan and Dr Reddy’s Labs — have applied for permission to manufacture and market Remdesivir. Five of these companies have also entered into an agreement with Gilead.
