COVID-19 recovery rate 63.33 pc; of 3.42 lakh active cases less than 1.94 pc in ICU: Health ministry

Less than 1.94 per cent of the 3.42 lakh active COVID-19 cases in India are in ICU, 0.35 per cent on ventilators and 2.81 per cent are on oxygen support, while the recovery rate has improved to 63.33 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

The actual COVID-19 caseload in the country was 3,42,756, while 6,35,756 patients have recovered till date, with 22,942 being cured and discharged in the last 24 hours, according to a health ministry data updated at 8 am.

The recovery rate improved to 63.33 per cent with India witnessing a steady rise in the number of patients recuperating from the disease, the ministry highlighted.

On Thursday, the recovery rate was 63.25 per cent.

The number of tests for detection of coronavirus cases has crossed the 13-million mark with 3,33,228 samples being tested on Thursday. The cumulative 1,30,72,718 samples tested so far has resulted in 9,473 tests per million, the ministry said.

India, the second-most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million, which is four to eight times lower than some European nations, it said.

Also, according to it, the country's case fatality rate at 18.6 deaths per million is one of the lowest in the world.

"It is also notable that less than 1.94 per cent of the cases are in ICU, 0.35 per cent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 per cent cases are on oxygen beds," the ministry said.

Collaborative efforts of all states and Union Territories in house-to-house survey, contact tracing, surveillance of containment and buffer zones, perimeter control activities, aggressive testing and timely diagnosis have resulted in early identification of the infected persons. This has helped in early treatment too, it said.

India has followed a standard care protocol for differentiated categorisation of COVID-19 patients -- mild, moderate and severe -- as clearly formulated in the Clinical Management Protocol of the health ministry, it said.

Effective clinical management strategies have shown to yield positive results. Almost 80 per cent of the asymptomatic and mild cases have been advised home isolation under medical supervision, the ministry said.

Moderate and severe patients are being treated at either Dedicated COVID Hospitals or Dedicated COVID Health Centres.

"The strategy of home-isolation for mild and asymptomatic patients has ensured to keep the hospitals unburdened, where the focus has been on treatment of severe cases and reduction of fatality," the health ministry said.

Medical infrastructure to ensure quality treatment of admitted patients is being continuously augmented across the country. As a result of concerted efforts, hospital infrastructure for treating COVID-19 patients is stronger today, it said.

The country has 1,383 Dedicated COVID Hospitals, 3,107 Dedicated COVID Healthcare Centres, and 10,382 COVID Care Centres with a total of 46,673 ICU beds. As many as 21,848 ventilators are deployed in hospitals of all states and UTs, according to the health ministry statement.

"The 'test, track and treat' strategy of the Centre being implemented by the state and UT governments is proving to be an appropriate strategy to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic," the ministry said.

While the strategy to deal with the spread of infection remains focused on early detection with widespread and easily accessible testing, the intensive contact tracing is aimed at restricting the spread, it said.

The strategy implemented across the containment and buffer zones stresses on house-to-house survey and surveillance of SARI and ILI patients with a focus on the elderly and people with co-morbid conditions, the ministry said.

"This has ensured that the COVID-19 cases are identified in a timely manner and treated as per the severity of symptoms either at home or in hospitals." Ramping up of testing capacity has resulted in more than three lakh tests being conducted per day. A total of 3,33,228 samples were tested on Thursday.

Starting from one diagnostic lab in January, there are 1,244 such facilities now, with 880 government and 364 in the private sector.

The ministry also stressed that there is no shortage of N95 masks and personal protective equipment kits. The Centre has supplied 235.58 lakh N95 masks and 124.26 lakh PPE kits to state, UTs and Central institutions, it said.

With a record single-day surge of 34,956 cases, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 10 lakh on Friday, just three days after it crossed the nine-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll mounted to 25,602 with the highest number of 687 fatalities recorded in a day, the data showed.