COVID-19 recovery rate 63.33 pc, less than 1.94 pc in ICU: Health ministry

The Union health ministry said on Friday that 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 ventilator support and 2.81 per cent are being given oxygen, while the recovery rate has improved to 63.33 per cent.

It said the actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country as on date is 3,42,756, while more than 6.35 lakhs patients have recuperated from the disease.

India, the second-most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million population, which is four to eight times lower than some European nations, the ministry 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, adding that 63.33 per cent of the total cases have recovered.

On Thursday, the recovery rate was 63.25 per cent.

The 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, the ministry said.

India has followed a standard of 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.

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-19patients 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 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 total tally of coronavirus cases in the country surged to 10,03,832, while death toll mounted to 25,602 with the highest number of 687 fatalities recorded in a day, the data updated at 8 am on Friday showed.