Jharkhand has likely crossed the peak of the ongoing third wave of Covid-19, doctors dealing with the pandemic since 2020 have said, citing the steady increase in recoveries that have outnumbered fresh infections daily for a fortnight. On Wednesday night, Jharkhand reported 1,009 new cases, 2,921 recoveries, besides five fatalities.
On January 14, the state logged 3,749 new cases, besides three deaths and 2,807 recoveries. On January 15, for the first time since the onset of the third wave in the last week of December 2021, the state witnessed more recoveries compared to fresh cases. That day, 3,351 people were cured compared to 3,258 new cases. Since then, recoveries kept on increasing compared to new infections per day. Currently, the number of active cases in the state is 13,098.
“We can now substantially conclude that the state has crossed its peak and the third wave is now on the wane. As per my understanding of the situation, by mid-February, the state will likely get 40-50 cases per day,” remarked Dr Devesh Kumar, associate professor of preventive and social medicine at RIMS and a member of the state Covid task force.
“In terms of positivity rate, we can say that the state crossed the 3rd wave peak on January 15. In terms of cases, it could either be January 22 or 23,” he added. On recurring deaths, Kumar said that in most of the cases, death was not becauase of Covid, but that these patients tested postive in the course of treatment for comorbidities. “Since they also tested positive, the deaths are counted as Covid deaths. However, the majority are not Covid induced deaths,” he remarked. An official at the IDSP cell in the state health department also conceded that the peak of the third wave had passed. But he differed on the timing.
“I think, we had touched peak on January 8 as we reported 5,081 new cases in a day, the highest single-day infection in this wave so far. But the good thing is that the curve is flattening at a greater speed, like the way it peaked with rising cases since around Christmas last year,” said the official.
