Visakhapatnam: As the Port City of Visakhapatnam nears 100 days of Coronavirus second wave on Friday, authorities have succeeded in bringing the dreaded disease under control.
From the time second wave began in March this year, Vizag Medical and Health officials say daily cases now being reported are between 100 and 120, compared to 2,000 cases a day when Covid-19 was at its peak in second half of April.
Similarly, less than 10 cases of mucormycosis or black fungus are being reported daily against 50 in May. Only five cases of fungus have been reported on Friday at all nine designated hospitals in the city, including KGH, ENT, and VIMS.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Visakhapatnam District Medical and Health officer Dr. P. S. Suryanarayana said, “Yes, the cases have been brought under control. People need not panic over the pandemic now. But they must take utmost care by properly following Covid-19 protocols, including maintaining physical distance, wearing masks and sanitising hands. They are the best preventive methods to completely eliminate this disease at the earliest.”
Andhra Medical College principal Dr. P. V. Sudhakar, who is the Covid-19 special officer for north coastal Andhra, said the positivity rate now being reported is less than 5 percent. It is a good sign that Coronavirus has been brought under control within 100 days in the second wave, much earlier than the first wave. “But people’s role will be now crucial to cut the chain of virus and prevent the third wave,” he underlined.
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) chief medical officer Dr. K. S. L. G. Sastry said the second wave led to a panic situation in April and May, when more than 10 deaths had been reported daily. Graveyard at Gnanapuram witnessed traffic jams with ambulances carrying the dead bodies.
“Now, we can heave a sigh of relief from the trauma. We attribute this to various factors like the state government’s curfew orders and extensive vaccination programmes at our 32 health units,” Dr. Sastry told DC.
The corporation administered nearly 12 lakh vaccines on a single day as part of the state-wide mega vaccination drive, he added.
