STAFF REPORTER GUWAHATI:
COVID Cases & Death in Assam: Hope not, but the pace at which COVID-19 positive cases are rising in the State points to a 'recipe for health disaster' when patients may cry for oxygen and COVID beds. The rising death toll in the State is not a good omen either.
In Guwahati, most of the private nursing homes have informed the State Government that their COVID beds have been full. According to sources in the State Health Department, the situation is escalating into their predicted detection of 7,000-8,000 COVID positive cases daily. The detection of over 4,000 positive covid cases on an average in the past three to four days is a pointer to such a disastrous situation.
When the COVID-19 situation was at its peak in 2020 the highest number of 23 people died of the virus on a single day in the State. However, this time as many as 55 people died of the virus on Wednesday when as many as 4,816 positive covid cases were detected. And the peak stage is yet to come. On average, 25 people died of the virus in the State in the past three to four days.
The State COVID Death Audit Board laid stress on containment to prevent the further spread of the virus. It said that home isolation should be stricter. The Board takes the rising number of youths succumbing to this COVID variant with a serious note.
Meanwhile, the covid vaccination drive for 18+ people was started symbolically at Guwahati Press Club in the presence of Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister expressed his concern over the violation of home isolation guidelines. "Every COVID patient in home isolation must have an oximeter to detect the level of oxygen. However, many patients don't have oximeters. They bring patients to hospitals when the level of oxygen is very low. Likewise, a section of asymptomatic patients takes the virus lightly till the condition is serious. When such patients are taken to the hospitals, the doctors get little time to save their lives.
"Oxygen and ICU (intensive care unit) beds will support us up to a certain level, but not beyond that. If the current pace of detection of COVID positive cases continues unabated, a Delhi-like situation can't be ruled out in Assam. This is why I repeatedly appeal to the public to strictly adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour. The government is doing all it can to prevent the virus from spreading further, and the public will also have to play their role. As many as 150 railway coaches are being converted into COVID care centres.
"Already 1.50 lakh of Covax doses have arrived in the State. We've started vaccination of journalists at Gauhati Press Club and Divyangs at the GMCH (Guwahati Medical College and Hospital)."
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