Rapid antigen tests throw up more Covid cases in Vidarbha; 4 deaths reported

Nagpur: Most of the districts in Vidarbha, especially those from Amravati division, have started using rapid antigen tests which is resulting in detection of more number of Covid-19 positive cases.
After highest single-day spike of 363 cases on Thursday, the region registered 237 new cases on Friday. With over 500 cases reported in just two days, the caseload surged to 6,557.
Amravati and Nagpur also reported two deaths each on Friday, taking Vidarbha’s death toll to 194.
A 49-year-old man from Manish Nagar and 62-year-old SARI patient from Hansapuri died in Nagpur. In Amravati, a 53-year-old man and a 60-year-old man died during treatment.
All 11 districts of the region reported cases on July 10, which is rare. District-wise cases are: Nagpur (88), Bhandara (6), Wardha (5), Gondia (7), Chandrapur (12), Gadchiroli (16), Akola (21), Amravati (14), Yavatmal (18), Buldhana (36), Washim (14).
For the first time in July, 204 patients recovered in a day. Highest 81 patients recovered from Akola, followed by Nagpur (39), Amravati (34), Chandrapur (13), Gondia (12), Yavatmal (11), Buldhana (9), Washim (3), Gadchiroli (1), and Bhandara (1). Recovery rate of Vidarbha is 68.66%, which is better than state’s 56% and national 63%.
AMRAVATI: Two Covid-19 deaths took the district’s toll to 30. The caseload reached 795 after 14 new positive cases were reported on Friday. The district went under a 60-hour curfew from 7pm on Friday in a bid to break the Covid chain.
Both the deaths were reported from Best Hospital on Waslgaon road, a government approved private Covid Hospital, which is under scanner for alleged exploitation of patients, disregard for Covid protocols, and lack of trained medical staff and technicians.
The hospital has registered 3 Covid deaths so far. The district committee led by collector is yet to check facilities and services at this hospital.
A 53-year-old man from Habibnagar, who tested positive on July 3, died on Thursday. Another deceased was a 60-year-old man from Gausnagar. A SARI patient, he had tested positive on July 7, and passed away on Friday.
According to information provided by the civil surgeon’s office, eight of the 14 new cases were reported from SGBAU lab while six tested positive in rapid antigen test.
Hotspot Badnera recorded three new cases to take its count to 94 while Arun Colony reported its first case. Azad Chowk in Teosa reported two cases, taking the rural count to 103.
In city, Chaprasipura, Tarkheda, Shegaon Naka, Bhimnagar, Yashodanagar and Sanjay Gandhinagar added a case each.
As many as 34 patients were discharged to take the count of recovered patients to 565. The district now has 200 patients under treatment, including 13 in Nagpur.
CHANDRAPUR: The district recorded 12 new patients, taking the total to 162 on Friday. Five of them contracted the infection at a marriage ceremony, said health department officials.
Officials said four patients belong to Bhanapeth, Indira Nagar and Dadmahal wards. A 29-year old man from Bhanapeth, a 21-year-old woman from Indira Nagar, both Hyderabad returnees, a 21-year-old woman from Dadmahal ward, who had Jalgaon respectively, tested positive.
Two others included a 21-year-old Secunderabad returnee and a 45-year-old Patna returnee. They all were in institutional quarantine.
Four cases were detected from a family at Somthana village in Warora tehsil. They had been to a marriage ceremony in Jalna. One person from Bhadrawati town, who was at the marriage, too tested positive.
A 27-year-old person from Warora who had returned from Madhya Pradesh too tested positive.
A 7-year old boy from Ballarpur town was found positive. Four other members of his family, who had returned from Mumbai with him in car, tested negative.
After 93 recoveries, there are 69 patients under treatment in the district.
AKOLA: Out of the 230 reports received in Akola on Friday, 21 tested positive. Record 81 patients were discharged, taking the recovery rate up to 77%. Akola has total 1,849 cases, out of which 1,450 have been discharged.
The district has registered highest 91 deaths in Vidarbha. Health department has selected Akola as one of the first recipients of stock of Remdesivir injection, an antiviral medication currently being studied for treatment of Covid-19. Akola GMCH will now use these injections to curtail mortalities.
BULDHANA: Buldhana received results of 446 swab samples on Friday. Of them, 319 were of rapid antigen test while 91 were done through RT-PCR method in different labs. Out of the 36 positive cases, 26 were through rapid antigen testing and remaining 10 from labs. Cases are from rural areas of Nandura, Malkapur, Shegaon, Khamgaon, Sindkhed Raja and Deulgaon Raja tehsils. Total cases in district surged to 413, including 224 recoveries and 15 deaths. Currently, 174 patients are under treatment.
YAVATMAL: With 18 new cases and 11 recoveries and discharged on Friday, Yavatmal’s tally reached 398. Two of the 18 cases were detected in rapid antigen tests while by RT-PCR in GMCH lab. Three patients are from Yavatmal city and eight from Digras. The remaining five are from Darwha. In rapid antigen test, one person tested positive in Wani while one person from Bhopal who came to Pandharkawda too tested positive. Total 100 patients are under treatment.
GONDIA: Seven persons tested positive in district on Friday. Out of them, six are from Tirora tehsil and one from Gondia tehsil. Among them, three are Qatar returnees. All were in institutional quarantine. The day saw 12 patients getting discharge.
WARDHA: Four relatives, including wife and mother of newlywed man who was found positive in Pipri (Meghe) area on Wednesday, also tested positive on Friday. Reports of 15 close contacts are awaited. Administration has imposed curfew in city and adjacent 9 gram panchayats for three days. A 65-year-old woman from Wani in Yavatmal district tested positive on Friday. She was admitted to Kasturba Hospital on July 8 for treatment. As a result, 5 positive were registered on Friday.