By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 22 Aug: Recovery rate of Corona patients has fallen significantly in Uttarakhand as the state witnesses a sharp spike in new cases. In past 30 days, the figure in respect of Corona infections has gone up sharply and more than 350 cases are being reported everyday on an average basis in past ten days. The total number of cases has already crossed 14,000 and yet the testing rate has not risen comparatively in the state particularly in districts Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar where maximum cases are being reported everyday for past fifteen days.
One more worrisome fact is that while last month, only 4.18 percent of test reports were turning out to be positive 30 days before, now 5.16 percent of the test reports are turning out to be positive. The testing needs to be hiked significantly in the state particularly in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts and to some extent in Dehradun and Nainital too. This can be seen from the fact that while in most hill districts, the infection rate as compared to the total tests done continues to be below 2.5 percent, in Nainital it is 8.53 percent, in Haridwar it is 7.43 percent, in Udham Singh Nagar it is 6.50, in Dehradun, 5.91 percent of tests have turned out to be Corona positive. Clearly, there is lot to worry and some urgent measures are required not only to boost testing but also to create additional Covid care centres and facilities to deal with any eventuality in coming days.
What should be another reason for worry in Uttarakhand is the fact that the state is grappling with the challenge of clearing the backlog of the Corona tests done. Test results are awaited for more than 16000 cases as on 21 August. There is a backlog of around 7 percent in past two months. In the absence of the awaited test results, a clear picture of the actual situation of the pandemic spread is not very easy to emerge. The state government needs to find out ways to clear the backlog at the earliest and boost the testing facilities.
As far as recovery rate is concerned, there are reasons to worry. The recovery rate has fallen significantly in past twenty days. While the national recovery rate as on August 21 is 74 percent, Uttarakhand’s recovery rate has fallen to 69 percent, which is 5 percent lower than the state’s average. This significant fall of recovery rate is worrisome as just fifteen days ago, the state government was boasting of above national average performance in dealing with the pandemic.
Social and Health Activist Anoop Nautiyal also reminded that death rate has also risen in the state. While the national death rate according to him is 1.91 percent, the state’s average death rate is lower at 1.27 percent but some districts like Dehradun have higher than the national death rates. In Dehradun, the death rate has gone up to 3.59 as on August 21 where as it was lower than 2 percent about 20 days before. It may be recalled that the Government of India has targeted a death rate of below 1 percent so there is a gap there in case of Uttarakhand and particularly in case of Dehradun.
