The Union health ministry on Sunday said India’s coronavirus case fatality rate is “progressively falling” and is currently at 2.49%. The ministry said this is the first time it has fallen below 2.5%, adding that it is one of the lowest fatality rates in the world.
The health ministry attributed the reduction to the focused efforts of the Centre, states and Union Territories in efficient clinical management of hospitalised cases. “With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardised clinical management protocols based on holistic standard of care approach, the case fatality rate has significantly dipped,” it said in a press release. “The case fatality rate is progressively falling and currently, it is 2.49%. India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world.”
According to the ministry, there are 29 states and Union Territories with a case fatality rate lower than India’s average. Five of them have a case fatality rate of zero and 14 have less than 1%, it added.
“Many states have conducted the population surveys to map and identify the vulnerable population like the elderly, pregnant women and those with co-morbidities,” the release said. “This, with the help of technological solutions like mobile apps, has ensured keeping the high-risk population under continuous observation, thus aiding early identification, timely clinical treatment and reducing fatalities.”
The ministry also credited the ground-level work done by frontline health workers, like Accredited Social Health Activists and Auxiliary Nursing Midwives. “[They] have done a commendable job of managing the migrant population and to enhance awareness at the community level,” it said.
States and Union Territories having case fertility rate below the national average include Tripura (0.19%), Assam (0.23%), Kerala (0.34%), Odisha (0.51%), Goa (0.60%), Himachal Pradesh (0.75%), Bihar (0.83%), Telangana (0.93%), Andhra Pradesh (1.31%), Tamil Nadu (1.45%), Chandigarh (1.71%), Rajasthan (1.94%), Karnataka (2.08%) and Uttar Pradesh (2.36%).
Meanwhile, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have zero case fatality rate.
India recorded 38,902 new infections on Sunday morning, taking the total to 10,77,618. This is the highest single-day rise in the number of fresh infections. The toll rose by 543 to 26,816.
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