There's a piece of good news for Mumbaikars as the number of active Covid-19 cases in the city has dropped by 41 per cent in a week, which is lower in the last seven months. According to the civic body data, the active cases have dropped to 7,362 until December 18 from 12,464 which was until December 12. Civic officials and health experts say that a significant factor in the improved recovery rates of Covid patients is that now, the treatment protocol is better defined as compared to the uncertainty that prevailed in the initial stages of the outbreak.
Active cases are the total number of patients who are currently receiving treatment in hospitals and Covid care centres or are home quarantined.
The civic body began maintaining a record of active Covid-19 cases in Mumbai when the tally was 19,745 on May 31. The active cases count peaked at 34,136 on September 18, the highest so far in the city since the outbreak of coronavirus in March. Mumbai, till October, had the most active infections in the state. However, the situation has improved for the city, while Pune (16,865) and Thane (10,897) continue to have a high active Covid-19 caseload.
Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner, BMC said though they have yielded good results in controlling corona cases in Mumbai, they will not compromise on Covid preparations, and citizens will have to follow all covid-19 protocols until they feel corona is completely under control. “We will keep the same level of preparedness – maintain the same level of oxygen supply, bed capacity, medicines and medical staff. The city needs to be prepared for any type of surge in cases in the future. Discussions on night curfew will be held by December 20 and a final decision will be taken on it. Moreover, the numbers have also reduced due to reconciliation as there were many duplications of active and fresh cases which were removed later,” he said.
Moreover, people have become much more sensitised when it comes to identifying their symptoms as likely to be Covid and seeking medical help immediately, which helps in faster recovery. Further, there were duplications of active cases, causing the numbers to surge, but after scrutiny, this number has come down. “We are following all protocols stringently and there is little or no uncertainty left with regard to the treatment protocol. This has also been a major factor in better recovery,” Kakani added.
Dr. Shashank Joshi, a member of the state's Covid-19 taskforce said there is a downward trend, due to which active cases have reduced across Mumbai and Maharashtra. Factors such as low moisture levels are also playing an important role in downward trends. “While the reduction in active cases is good news, we need more cooperation from citizens so that the number drops even further,” he said.
Meanwhile, health experts attributed this to a better recovery rate in the city and reconciliation of cases due to which numbers had increased in the past. “The city’s recovery rate is 93%, which is better in comparison with several other cities in India. Also, mobility has increased and the transmission of viruses has gone down. This is a good sign for the city, but this has to be maintained till the end of December,” said Sanjay Pattiwar, a public health expert.
