JOIN USCovid-19: Maharashtra has passed second wave peak, says Organised Medicine Academic Guild
Maharashtra, which has been the worst Covid-19-affected state, has passed the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, according to the Organised Medicine Academic Guild (OMAG), an umbrella organisation of professional medical associations of post-graduate doctors.
The Covid-19 peak in Maharashtra including Mumbai, may have passed possibly during April 11-25, perhaps on April 18 with the highest single-day figure of 68,631 cases, considering different parameters.
After almost 16 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, and almost 3 months into the second wave, Maharashtra, which had gone through horrifying three months, however, is still grappling with containing the spread of the virus in some of its districts.
“Mumbai has definitely passed peak, as well as several other districts,” said OMAG Secretary General Ishwar Gilada.
The districts that are still peaking are – Ahmednagar, Nashik, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Amravati, Buldhana, Beed, Chandrapur, Jalna, and Parbhani. Pune is still at top and volatile, though daily cases have reduced.
“After the goals of saving people from morbidity and mortality, passing the peak is indeed the most important goal. The caveat being - subsequent surges can come; some parts of the state may peak at different times as they are still posing serious challenges,” he said.
Similarly, the states of Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh may have also passed the peak, feels OMAG.
“Some states may have different peaks. We cannot loosen our guards. Mask remains the most important tool and prevents infections from any of the variants and mutants of the Coronavirus, and the next being the vaccine – the faster we do, better are the chances of a lighter third wave,” he said.
Many states are still witnessing a severe surge, with cases showing a 30 to 200 times jump in eight weeks and may see a peak only after a few weeks. Cases continue to skyrocket in states which went to poll — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal — alongside Uttarakhand, which hosted the Kumbh Mela, where scores tested positive for Covid.
Contrary to popular belief, Maharashtra ranks 8th among all states and union territories for cases per million population and 4th for deaths per million population. Goa stands at number one in both these parameters.