Luv Agarwal during the government's presser on the coronavirus situation in the country
India could keep itself from reaching a coronavirus peak in terms of infections in the months of June and July if the required dos and donts are followed strictly, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday, as it reacted to a warning by the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Dr Randeep Guleria on infections in the country peaking in the coming months.
"It is not necessary that we would reach a peak in June and July. If the guidelines are followed and there is community support, we may not reach the peak stage," said Luv Agarwal, the joint secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He was addressing the government's daily press conference on the coronavirus situation in the country.
Agarwal explained that the concept of peak analysis was based on different variables and projections, which were different for every second organisation. "It is slightly difficult to predict for sure if we would reach a peak stage, but we can follow the health guidelines," he said.
"We can strengthen our containment efforts. There can be a collective resolve. In the management of infectious diseases, one failure impacts the overall effort," said Agarwal.
The comments by the official came a day after Dr Guleria warned that India could reach its coronavirus peak in June and July, basing his estimate on modelling data. "According to modelling data and the way our cases are increasing, it is likely that peak can come in June and July. But there are many variables and with time only we will know how much they are effective and the effect of extending the lockdown,” Dr Guleria had said.
Agarwal said that 3,390 new infections had been recorded in the last 24 hours, while 1,273 patients had been cured of the virus during the same period. He said that the medical authorities had managed to cure 16,540 patients till date, which translated into a recovery rate of 29.36 per cent. "Every third patient in India has recovered from coronavirus," noted Agarwal.
Out of 37,916 coronavirus patients under active medical supervision, more than three per cent were on oxygen support, close to five per cent were in ICU and 1.1 per cent of the people were on ventilator support, said Agarwal.
Overall, India has recorded 56,342 new coronavirus infections, including 1,886 deaths.
