Over 4,600 Covid cases recorded in Prayagraj district from September 1-13

PRAYAGRAJ: Prayagraj’s novel coronavirus (Covid-19) caseload might be inching closer to the 15,000-mark, but the first 13 days of September accounted for 32.4% (4,649) cases recorded in the district. Till Sunday, 14,317 Covid-19 cases had been recorded in the district since the beginning of the pandemic.
Prayagraj reported its first Covid-19 case on April 5. The patient was a 35-year-old Indonesian man who attended the Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi on March 12-13 and arrived in the city on March 22. He was later diagnosed with the disease. The first Covid-19 casualty in the city was a Lukerganj-based civil engineer who tested positive for the virus on May 1. He died in Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital’s isolation ward on May 5.
Health department statistics show that Prayagraj district recorded a spurt in Covid-19 cases June onwards.
Till May 31, 87 cases and three deaths were recorded in the city. In over a month, the number had risen by 199 to 286 patients along with eight deaths. The statistics also showed that July and August recorded 2,142 and 7,540 cases respectively.
In July, 44 patients succumbed to the disease, taking the toll to 52.
By August 31, the continuous rise in Covid-19 cases took the tally to 9,668. The toll rose by around 66% to reach 154 in August as 102 more patients lost their lives to the infection.
On September 1, Covid-19 cases in the city crossed the 10,000-mark. Between September 1-13, 4,649 more residents were diagnosed with novel coronavirus in the city. The toll has risen to 207 till September 13.
A senior health department official said that Prayargaj district’s recovery rate is around 72%. “The recovery rate among patients opting for home isolation is higher than that of residents being treated in hospitals. Till September 13, 6,723 Covid-19 patients have completed home isolation.” he added. The state government allowed home isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients on July 24.
Health department officials said that asymptomatic patients can opt for home isolation if they have the requisite self-isolation facility at home, while avoiding contact with other family members. They also said that patients opting for home isolation must have a home quarantine kit comprising a pulse oximeter, a digital thermometer, masks, sterile gloves, sodium hypochlorite and, tablets of aswagandha, giloy and vitamin C.