India recorded the deadliest day in its battle with Covid-19 even as new cases continued to drop in the world’s second worst infected nation.
4,329 people succumbed to the illness in a matter of 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on May 18. India’s total death toll from the pandemic now stands at more than 2.78 lakh.
To be sure, data on Covid-19 cases and related deaths may be severely deficient as several states have inadequate testing, chronic underreporting and have been attributing the casualties to other causes.
More than 2.63 lakh people tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Recoveries during the same period was significantly higher at 4.22 lakh, taking active cases below 34 lakh for the first time since May 2. They still account for more than 13% of the country’s total caseload.
Key figures:
- Total confirmed cases: 2,52,28,996
- Total number of active cases: 33,53,765
- Total patients cured/discharged/migrated: 2,15,96,512
- Total deaths: 2,78,719
- Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 2,63,533
- One-day recoveries: 4,22,436
- One-day deaths: 4,329
- Total vaccine shots administered: 18,44,53,149
Meanwhile, National AEFI Committee found a minuscule but definite risk of thromboembolic events after taking the Covishield vaccine.
Adverse events like bleeding and clotting have occurred within 20 days of receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. However, the reporting rate of such cases is around .61/million doses in India.
The committee found no potential risk of thromboembolic events from Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
POPULAR