Number of critical Covid patients drops to 28

Active cases in state likely to drop to 500 by next month, 100 in Mumbai

From witnessing a high number of critical Covid patients during the three waves, the figures have now come down to 28 in Mumbai, until March 13. Doctors said the number of patients has come down significantly and that the demand for ICU and ventilator beds have also dropped.

As per the health department official, active cases in Maharashtra would decline to about 500 by next month and active infections in Mumbai, which stood at 347 on Saturday, could drop to 100 by next month. “It (active cases) will not become nil as we will continue to report sporadic cases. But we are at the lowest minimum and the third wave has completely receded,” said state surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate.

Meanwhile, a senior doctor from the state task force said the criticality of the disease has reduced and so the active cases have come down. “It is time to return to our drawing boards and focus on the three basic Ts – testing, tracing and treating. Also, it is crucial to continue masking and for people to take both shots of the vaccine,” he said.

Member of the national Covid task force and director (critical care) of Fortis Hospitals, Mumbai, Dr Rahul Pandit said most of the patients whose immune systems are weak are more vulnerable to Covid and those who also have comorbidities, which constitutes a major chunk of the population above 50-60 years of age.

“Senior citizens need to take extra care as they are more prone to contract Covid-19 infections. Moreover, they should not delay their treatment if they show any symptoms similar to Covid. We need to protect them from the ongoing pandemic,” he said.

A senior health official from the civic-run hospital said though they had a less number of patients during the third wave, most of them had serious health issues. “The third wave fuelled by Omicron only affected the throat and caused a mild fever. Among all deaths, comorbidities and old age were the crucial factors and Covid was a side feature,” he said.