India’s COVID hospitalization rate 5-10% in third wave: Centre

The country is witnessing a hospitalization rate of 5-10 per cent in third wave as opposed to 20-30 per cent in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Centre said on Monday.

The government, however, said that the situation was “dynamic” and that the need for hospital care may change in the course of the third wave.

India on Monday saw a 13.29 per cent surge in COVID cases compared to Sunday as 1.79 lakh people tested positive in the past 24 hours. The daily positivity rate now stands at 13.29 per cent.

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With the new and highly transmissible variant Omicron along with the previous Delta variant suspected to be driving the third wave, the government has warned of a surge in cases in the coming days, stating that there could be 400-500 Omicron cases for every 100 instances of Delta.

“The rise, it appears is being driven by the variant of concern Omicron and the continued presence of another VoC Delta in large geographies across the country,” the Health Ministry said.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday held a review meeting with the health ministers of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Maharashtra, and advised them to keep medical oxygen ready for exigencies.

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The ministry has also instructed all states and Union territories to ensure that COVID care centre upgrade oxygen-supported beds when required and see that junior doctors, nursing and MBBS students are integrated into the COVID workforce to take the load off healthcare workers.