COVID O2 demand drops drastically in Pune

In less than six months, the number of Covid-19 patients requiring oxygen has fallen drastically as compared to what it was in April.

Back in April, the city had 6,685 active Covid-19 patients requiring oxygen. This number has now fallen down to 212 active patients requiring oxygen, as of October 13 – a number 31 times lower than the April figure – as per data with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department.

The number of Covid-related deaths has also fallen from 1,495 deaths in April to 35 by mid-October. The positivity rate in the city was above 23.17% in April and is now 2%.

Dr Ashish Bharti, PMC Health department chief said, “In addition to the number of new Covid-19 cases coming down, the number of tests being conducted by the PMC has continued to remain high despite the fall in new cases. For example, in April, when the city saw its worst with regards to Covid19, Pune city reported a total of 150,175 Covid-19 cases of the 648,085 tests conducted which put our positivity rate at 23.17%. Now despite the fall in cases the positivity rate has gone down to 2% because we reported only 2,149 cases by mid-October, of the 106,260 tests conducted.”

Dr Bharti added: “In October alone we conducted 88,000 RTPCR tests as against 17,000 Rapid Antigen tests, so that we avoid any false negatives. Although the second wave is receding even now, the PMC has not let its guard down.” Hindustan Times