Odisha

Will COVID Cases In Odisha Increase By 65K This Month?

Bhubaneswar: Going by the rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Odisha, it is being anticipated that the state’s caseload may increase by 65,000 this month.

The total number of positive cases rose to 36,297 on Monday after 1384 more tested positive, reported The Times Of India (TOI).

What the team of experts says

A 10-member team of experts led by the Additional Director of Medical Education and Training, U. K. Satapathy has arrived at the figure based on a continual analysis of the anticipated increase. It is also working on the infrastructure required for this anticipated figure. An IAS officer, Aravind Agarwal has been specially deputed for the purpose besides experts from WHO and UNFPA, TOI reported.

“The team works on various scientific models by studying the trends. Since the situation is dynamic, the projection gets revised every five days,” Additional Chief Secretary (ACS health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra told TOI.

What projection based on the prevailing trend says

A projection based on the prevailing trend of fresh cases and fatalities so far anticipates that the state’s caseload in August will increase by 50,000.

“At this stage of the pandemic, numbers will rise. We may add another 50K cases in August with around another 200 deaths,” Prof Jayant Panda, technical advisor to the Health and Family Welfare Department, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times (HT).

Stability on the anvil?

On the flip side, since more than 23,000 patients had recovered from the viral infection in the state till now, people should “not be worried,” he added.

However, the pandemic will be stable in Odisha by the last week of August after reaching its peak, Hindustan Times (HT) quoted Dr. Ajay Parida, Director of the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) as saying.

Dr. Parida 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 further said in the report.

Four districts a cause for worry

Except for Ganjam, Khurda, Cuttack and Gajapati, the situation in other districts may stabilise with no huge increase in the number of positive cases, Mohapatra told TOI.

“These four districts, however, may add significant number of the anticipated new cases. We are revamping the infrastructure in these districts accordingly,” he said.

Revamping of infrastructure

The state government is gearing up to meet the projected caseload. Mohapatra told TOI that the government is planning to add 200 ICU beds in Bhubaneswar. There are a total of around 500 ICU beds in the state. “The ICU beds in Bhubaneswar will also take care of critical care needs of patients from other parts of the state who may be referred here,” he was quoted as saying by TOI.