Mumbai’s recovery rate rises to 24% from 20.5% in 15 days
The city’s coronavirus recovery rate has improved to 24.33% from 20.55% in the past 15 days. As per the data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the number of patients discharged on May 1 was 1,567, which shot up to 3,791 as on May 13.
The civic body has attributed the rise in the recovery rate to its revised testing and discharge policy. According to civic officials, mild and moderate patients do not need to be tested before discharge from the hospital anymore.
Additional municipal commissioner (health) Suresh Kakani said, “This is one of the reasons but with our rigorous screening and testing method, we are identifying Covid positive patients at an early stage, which is helping in their speedy recovery. X-rays and CT scans have also helped in the early detection of coronavirus patients. Recently, we have started to administer the Itolizumab drug and the results have been encouraging.” On May 8, BMC had revised its discharge policy. Mild, very mild and pre-symptomatic cases will be sent to hospitals for regular temperature checks and pulse oximetry monitoring. The patient will be discharged after 10 days of the onset of the symptom and if fever is not developed for three days.
Earlier, patients have had to test negative twice prior to discharge. At the time of discharge, the patient will be advised to follow home isolation for seven days.
Dr Avinash Bhondwe, health expert and president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Maharashtra, said, “These are recovered patients not cured. In fact, change in the policy was made to make more beds available, considering a future outbreak.”
When asked about the impact of this policy, Bhondwe said, “There is one risk; the civic authority has to follow up with every discharged patient every day for the next seven days. If it fails to do so then the chances of the infection spreading is high.”
Meanwhile, the state has a recovery rate of 21.39% from 16.33%, with 5,547 patients having been cured and discharged until May 13, as compared to the 1,879 patients who had been discharged until May 1.
According to the state health department data, the recovery rate is highest in cities such as Mumbai and Pune, which also have the highest number of cases in the state. Of the total 5,547 patients who have recovered in Maharashtra, 3,959 are from Mumbai and Pune alone.