Mumbai, Pune account for 70 per cent of Covid-19 infections this year
Mumbai and Pune account for 70 per cent of the Covid-19 infections this year. A statewide analysis of 1,700 cases reported from January till June 10 this year also found that the dominating lineage in Maharashtra is the XFG variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes Covid.
The Whole Genome Sequencing of 184 Covid-19 samples from across Maharashtra found that 84 samples had the XFG variant, making it the dominating lineage. The LF.7 variant was detected in 34 samples while 27 samples reported the JN.1 variant.
The NB.1.8.1 variant was found in one sample from a 29-year-old woman in Pune, who had previously travelled to Hyderabad on May 16 and later had symptoms like fever, sore throat, headache and stomach pain. Her sample was collected on May 26 and sent for genome sequencing, according to state health authorities.
Overall, a total of 18,885 suspected samples were tested this year of which 1,700 were Covid-19 positive. Of these, 753 Covid cases were reported from Mumbai and 443 from Pune and the Covid positivity rate stands at 9 per cent. The maximum number of cases were reported in May (742) and June (951).
Presently, 105 patients have been hospitalised of which 34 are from Pune, 22 from Navi Mumbai, 15 from Mumbai and 11 from Thane. Fifteen persons require intensive care while one is on ventilator support. A total of 21 deaths have been reported. As per the report a total of 1,064 persons have recovered.
Meanwhile, of the 1,700 cases, an equal number of men and women had the infection while an age-wise analysis found that 291 persons are in the age group 21 to 30 years, 360 in the 31-40 age group, 262 in the 41 to 50 age group and 190 in the 51 to 60 age group. There were 208 persons in the 61-70 years age group, who had Covid infection, while 170 were in the 71-80 age group.
Since 2020, Maharashtra reported over 81.80 lakh cases and 1.48 lakh deaths.
The state authorities conducted a review of the Covid situation and as per the report since 2020, Maharashtra has reported a total of 81,80,064 Covid cases and 148,623 deaths. Last year there were 5,528 Covid cases and 35 deaths while in 2023 Maharashtra had reported 36,173 cases and 137 deaths. A mock drill of the state's preparedness to deal with Covid cases also indicated that there were 2572 ventilator supported beds, 3781 ICU beds, 13871 oxygen supported beds and 9658 beds without oxygen support.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition.
... Read More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 minutes ago
- Time of India
Delhi govt to discontinue bike ambulance service
N ew Delhi: Delhi govt has decided to discontinue the bike ambulance service launched by AAP govt in Feb 2019 after finding it unsuitable in the city's extreme weather conditions. The bike ambulance service was started in 2019 by the previous AAP govt. It was aimed at providing first aid for emergencies at home. The then govt launched 16 first-responder bikes, which operated in east, north-east Delhi, and Shahdara as part of a pilot project. The scheme was halted because of the Covid lockdown in 2020, but there were plans to give it a fresh push last year. Senior officials, however, said that they have now handed over the bikes to the general administration department of Delhi govt, and there have been suggestions if they can be used by the fire department. "Delhi mostly has extreme weather conditions. Also, there is a tendency among patients to call emergency services like ambulances mostly when they are critical. For critical patients, it is difficult to sit on a bike," an official said. The official mentioned that govt would instead focus more on expanding vans as ambulance services. Officials said govt plans to enhance its emergency medical response capabilities by incorporating 103 additional ambulances into the Centralised Accident and Trauma Service (CATS). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The expansion, which aims to bolster urgent healthcare services across Delhi, includes the procurement of 50 geriatric-friendly advanced life support (ALS) ambulances that will be operated by an outsourced agency, officials said. Private ambulance operators have been invited to submit applications for 53 basic life support (BLS) vehicles, including drivers and qualified paramedical staff. While starting the bike ambulance service, the then AAP govt had said that two-wheelers can reach places where four-wheelers cannot. In many cases requiring medical attention, a few minutes can mean a difference between life and death. "These bike ambulances are handy as they can reach the site quickly in congested areas, provide first aid, and stabilise a patient's condition before an ambulance arrives. They also inform the control room about the case, if required," it said. Officials, however, said that the bike ambulances are more useful in areas with rough terrain where cars cannot reach at all, but in Delhi, that is not the case. These bike ambulances were equipped with kits, weighing 30kg, that contained air splints to immobilise joints, ambu bags for assisted breathing, a glucometer and a pulse oximeter to check a person's blood glucose and oxygen saturation. They also had a manual suction machine to clear airways and foldable transfer sheets to move patients in a narrow stairwell or from a narrow lane to the ambulance. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Third Covid-related death recorded in MP this year
Indore: A 52-year-old COVID-19 positive woman from Ratlam died late on Wednesday in Indore, marking the third coronavirus related death in the state this year. The woman had severe pre-existing conditions, including TB, bronchitis and high blood pressure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Indore health department officials said that the patient was admitted to a private hospital on Sunday after she complained of breathing difficulties. On Tuesday, she was tested positive for COVID-19 infection, after which she was transferred to the isolation ward of govt-run MRTB Hospital. She succumbed to the illness late on Wednesday. While the death occurred in Indore, it will be recorded under Ratlam district's official records. This fatality follows the death of a 44-year-old woman from Khargone on June 6 at MRTB Hospital. She tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after delivering a baby at MTH Hospital. Prior to that, a 74-year-old kidney patient from Indore died at Aurobindo Hospital on April 27. "On Thursday, a total of seven new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Indore," the district epidemiologist Dr Anshul Mishra said, adding that with these new cases, the total number of COVID-19 patients detected in Indore this year has reached 88, including around a dozen patients who are residents of other districts. "Besides, COVID-19 related death toll has reached at three in this calendar year. Of them, one was a resident of Indore while one each were from Khargone and Ratlam," Dr Mishra said. Most of the active patients are currently in home isolation and are reported to be in stable condition, she added. Among the nine COVID-19 patients identified on Tuesday, a 67-year-old elderly person with co-morbidities has been admitted to a private hospital. Similarly, another 50-year-old individual, experiencing breathing difficulties and other complications, has also been hospitalised in a private facility. Indore CMHO Dr Madhav Hasani reassured the public that current COVID-19 patients are exhibiting very mild symptoms, and there is no cause for panic.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
25 new Covid cases in city; state reports 112 patients
Mumbai: On Thursday, the state reported 112 Covid-19 cases, of which 25 were in Mumbai. Health officials said all the patients had mild flu-like symptoms. Until earlier this month, the city accounted for most of the state's cases on a daily basis. However, the trend has started to shift since late last week, with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) reporting either nearly equal or more Covid-19 cases daily. On Thursday, the PMC recorded 48 cases. Since the surge in cases began in mid-May, there have been 21 deaths, four of which occurred in Mumbai — all patients with severe comorbidities. Doctors said most of the deceased patients were elderly. A few patients are admitted at Seven Hills Hospital, where the BMC has created a separate Covid ward. All patients there are elderly and stable. Similarly, KDMC commissioner Abhinav Goyal told reporters that as part of Covid-19 preparedness, 10 isolation beds have been kept ready at Bai Rukmini Bai Hospital and five at Shastri Nagar Hospital. TNN Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
