COVID-19: India's R-value drops to below 1; Mumbai, Chennai still high

The spread rate of coronavirus in India has dropped to safer levels, according researchers, who however cautioned that it was still high in some major cities.

The R-value or reproductive number, dropped to 0.92 in mid September from 1.17 in August for the whole country, and it was below 1 for Delhi and Pune. But it was more than 1 for cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bengaluru.

Interestingly the R-value was below 1 for Maharashtra and Kerala. The two states have been contributing a significant number of cases to the country’s total active cases recently.

“The good news is that India’s R has continued to be less than 1, as is that of Kerala and Maharashtra, the two states having the highest number of active cases,” said Sitabhra Sinha of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, which is calculating the R-value across the country.

As per the data they put out, the R-value of Mumbai was at 1.09, Chennai 1.11, Kolkata 1.04, Bengaluru 1.06.

Also read: COVID ebbing? R-value has dropped even in Kerala, North-East: Study

An R-value of 1 denotes that one person spreads the infection to one other person and is taken as an average.

The R-value had shot up to 1.37 during the second wave of COVID-19 in India. During this period, in March-May, thousands of people had died and lakhs of others were critically ill, with many unable to access hospital care, oxygen supply or necessary medicines. However, it quickly declined post that period and has shown a gradual rising trend in recent times.

However, the R-value started showing a decline from September and has come down to 0.92 in mid-September.

In another good news, the Health Ministry has also said that the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients was per cent.

(With inputs from Agencies)