Bhubaneswar: COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in Odisha with over 1,000 new cases being reported daily since July 21. In such a situation, the state’s caseload may increase by 50,000 in August, a senior official of the health department said.
However, the director of a prominent research laboratory said, considering the rising number of positive cases now, the pandemic will be stable in Odisha by the last week of August after reaching its peak. So far 37,681 persons have been infected by the virus in Odisha while the death toll stands at 216.
“At this stage of the pandemic, numbers will rise. We may add another 50K cases in August with around another 200 deaths,” Professor Jayant Panda, technical advisor to the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha said in a tweet. However, people are asked ‘not to get worried’ as more than 23,000 patients had recovered from the viral infection in Odisha till now, the official pointed out.
The projection on fresh cases and fatalities in August was made on the basis of the prevailing trend. “If the present trend continues, one should not be surprised if about 50,000 more cases are added in the month of August,” said Panda.
Ten COVID-19 deaths had been reported August 1 and August 2 respectively and nine patients died of novel coronavirus August 3.
“Let’s not get worried… More than 23,000 patients have already recovered. Let’s try to save more and more people from COVID-19,” Panda stated.
However, Dr Ajay Parida, director of Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), told reporters, “It cannot be said right now as to what would be the total number of positive cases in August as the virus has different strains.”
The ILS is a research laboratory under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and plays an important role in COVID-19 policy making in Odisha.
In Odisha, most of the COVID-19 deaths are linked to pre-existing ailments or comorbidities, Dr Parida said. “Death of symptomatic patients with no comorbidity can be curbed if they are diagnosed and treated early,” the ILS director asserted.
