COVID-19 India Roundup: 354 new cases and 8 deaths reported, 11,795 more tests conducted and action plan for hospitals announced

The Ministry of Health said yesterday evening that there are now 4,421 confirmed cases in the country, including 117 deaths and 326 recoveries. In the previous 24 hours, 354 new cases were reported along with 8 deaths. Maharashtra continues to have the highest number of cases, followed by Tamil Nadu and New Delhi.

Early last month, India has paused the exports of certain drugs, including hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol, anticipating a shortfall due to the novel coronavirus. Yesterday, it was announced that limited export of these medications will be resumed.

Representational image. PTI

Many states, including UP, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir have announced that they will start rapid tests soon. Odisha recorded its first COVID-19 related death on Tuesday, April 7. Sanitisation of the area outside Markaz in Nizamuddin was undertaken by the Delhi Fire Service and South Delhi Municipal Corporation. 

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According to the ICMR chief, Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, 1,07,006 tests have been conducted in India so far, of which 11,795 were conducted the day before and 2530 were conducted in private labs. A total of 136 government labs are involved with testing as are 59 private labs. An interesting part of the numbers is that 836 tests have been ‘repeat tests’. These are done on the same individual to confirm a negative result.

Action plans for hospitals

The government also issued a new action plan for hospitals. They will be divided into three categories to enhance performance and better manage cases:

• COVID-19 care centres: These are reserved for mild cases of COVID-19. They can be makeshift structures - government buildings such as student housing, lodges, hotels, stadiums and quarantine facilities can be made into first-tier COVID-19 establishments. They will also act as a referral point for those who require more dedicated care.
• Dedicated COVID-19 health centres: These are for those experiencing moderate symptoms. Either full hospitals or blocks within hospitals will be used for this purpose. If it is a part of a regular hospital, there will be a separate entrance to lower the possibility of the infection spreading. Oxygen support beds will be provided at the facilities. 
• Dedicated COVID-19 hospitals: For severe cases, dedicated hospitals will be set up with fully equipped ICUs and ventilator support. These facilities will provide holistic care to COVID-19 patients.

Essential capacity building

The Home Ministry said that Indian Railways will turn 2,500 coaches into makeshift medical facilities, with up to 40,000 beds across 133 locations in the country. Currently, around 375 beds a day are being set up. 

Under the UDAN scheme, 152 flights have transported over 200 tonnes of cargo across the country to combat issues in the supply chain. 

Under the SMART city scheme, surveillance systems, quarantine management, home quarantine tracking, predictive analysis using heat maps, and tele-counselling and training is also taking place.

ICMR study

According to an ICMR study, an infected person can transmit the disease to over 406 people in a month if not in lockdown, and only 2.5 people if lockdown is maintained. The ICMR has said that the rate of transmission is between 1.5 to 4; this means than an infected person can transmit the disease to between 1.5 to 4 people on average.

For more information, read our article on How to avoid getting COVID-19 infection if you are a healthcare worker.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.