In a fortnight, daily Covid-19 cases down by 66%, active cases by 39%

In a sigh of relief, the state has witnessed a sharp decline in the daily cases of Covid-19 in the last 15 days.

The active cases also have declined during the period, according to the health department data.

In the last 15 days, due to effective implementation of lockdown, Rajasthan has witnessed a decline of 66% in daily Covid-19 cases and 39% decline in total active cases. The numbers of daily positive cases on May 8 was 17,987, which reduced to 6,103 on Saturday. Similarly, the cumulative active cases declined from 199,307 to 122,330 during the period.

However, Jaipur continuous to be a worry for the administration with fluctuating figures – the city on Friday recorded 1,251 cases, which increased to 1,900 on Saturday. The district administration has started a door-todoor survey looking for patients of black fungus and influenzalike illness.

Dr Dheeraj Verma, deputy superintendent, Kanwatia hospital, said the decline of cases in state is consistent with the trend seen in other epidemics, when there is a sharp increase and later a steep decline.

“Cases have declined due to lockdown and curbs on social gatherings. The decline in cases has also increased the availability of beds,” said Dr Verma, cautioning people that the worst is still not over and people should not let their guards down.

“The decline in cases should not lull us into complacency. People should continue to follow Covid-19 appropriate behavior,” he said.

Speaking on growing apprehensions of an impending third wave, Dr Verma said that the third spell may not arrive before October.

Doctors said that several hospitals which were swamped with patients are now getting a breathing space. as the daily admission rate has gone down significantly.

Dr Raman Sharma, a professor in medicine at SMS hospital, believes that the steady decline in daily cases can be attributed to the lockdowns and increasing awareness among people about the second wave of Covid-19 and its severity.

“People have become attuned to following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour,” Dr Sharma said.

When asked if the state had already weathered the peak, Dr Sharma said that such a conclusion could be drawn only if the current decline persists for two or more weeks. He added that the doddering recovery rate has now picked up a steady pace.

“Last year we saw recoveries reached a plateau but picked up pace very quickly. This year too we have seen a similar trend where recoveries finally surging ahead,” he said.

Unlike the previous wave, cases of mucormycosis or black fungus, are leading to a widespread apprehension that the debilitating illness will afflict everyone who contracts Covid-19. Doctors said that black fungus symptoms appear among patients administrated unregulated doses of intensive steroids.

“It is not as though everyone who is tested positive with the Covid-19 will eventually get black fungus. The illness is mainly also due to some quacks without understating medical protocols prescribing heavy steroids that lead patients developing black fungus,” Dr Dheeraj Verma said. JAIPUR: