With the active Covid-19 caseload currently standing at 65,286, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Covid Flash update on April 20, 2023 stated that in the last 24 hours, 12,591 new cases were recorded in India. Further, the daily positivity rate stands at 5.46 per cent as against the weekly rate of 5.32 per cent. Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh continue to report more than 250 cases, according to the Ministry’s Covid-19 State-wise Status check. While the active cases stand at 0.15 per cent, the recovery rate has been recorded at 98.67 per cent.
Despite these numbers, doctors, however, suggest that there is no need to panic.
“Respiratory viral infections tend to increase with the change in weather. There is no need to panic as there is no increase in the rate of hospitalisation or deaths. Patients who are eventually getting hospitalised are those who have got co-morbid conditions like diabetes and cancer. Importantly, it is required for all of us to understand that we are well-prepared. We are predominantly seeing the XBB variant of Covid which is mild and is not a cause of concern for now. None of us have seen a rapid increase in cases in the hospitals. The vaccines, too, provide enough coverage,” Dr Sanjith Saseedharan, consultant and head-critical care, SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim-A Fortis Associate told indianexpress.com.
A recent study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research suggests that the dietary habits of Indians could be one of the reasons for the low death rate during the Covid-19 pandemic in India.
The research, first published on April 13, involved an international team of scientists from Brazil, Jordan, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and India. Authors of the study, Dr Debmalya Barh and Professor Nirmal Kumar Ganguly, who was also former Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), have revealed that apart from vaccination and other measures, Indian food habits and food ingredients probably have played an important role in reducing the severity and chances of a high death rate from Covid-19 in Indians.
Dr Barh conceptualized and led the research as an honorary Scientist at the Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), West Bengal and a Professor of Bioinformatics and Precision Health at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil.
