Covid 2.0: Spread of infection slows, but high positivity, death rates continue to trouble India

The last week has thrown up some scary numbers for India on the Covid front. Daily cases and deaths have reached record highs almost every day, as positivity rates continue to spiral amid a healthcare crisis.

The last week has thrown up some scary numbers for India on the Covid front. Daily cases and deaths have reached record highs almost every day, as positivity rates continue to spiral amid a healthcare crisis. In fact, there is one confirmed case out of every five tests conducted in India at present compared to one in seven only a week ago. An analysis by India Today Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) shows that seven-day average of test positivity rates (proportion of confirmed cases out of total tests conducted) in the week ending April 24 crossed 19 per cent. It was a little over 14 per cent a week ago. This shows the extent of the nationwide transmission of Covid-19. As many as seven major states reported TPR in excess of 20 per cent. Delhi and Chhattisgarh reported a weekly average of above 30 per cent. States that saw a big spike in TPR over the last week are Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. On the other hand, the TPR seems to be improving in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab.