COVID-19 cases in Hyderabad to fall by August-end, says health official

Hyderabad: COVID-19 cases will begin falling in Hyderabad and the rest of the GHMC limits by the end of August, the state health department predicted on Saturday. It said that cases in the rest of the state will begin falling by the end of September.

According to Director of Health Services Dr G. Srinivasa Rao, the number of cases in GHMC limits was coming down. “The past few weeks, thanks to preventive measures taken by the government, cases have reduced in Hyderabad. There is no distress and panic in the city. This is a good sign for the GHMC area with its one crore population,” he said.

He, however, said cases in the neighbouring Ranga Reddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri districts were going up. Covid-19 cases were rising in several district headquarters, he said. Addressing a press conference, he said the government was focusing on decentralizing of identification of Covid-19 cases and treatment so people identified with the disease can start receiving treatment quickly.

The recoveries were almost 70 per cent of the total identified cases and, in absolute numbers, it amounts to 99 per cent. Cases are going up worldwide with a mortality rate of seven per cent while for the country, the mortality rate was 2.5 per cent.  In Telangana state, it is less than one per cent, he said.

Rao said the government was following and adapting to evolving Covid-19 treatment methods and protocols. “This is a two-week disease. Full recovery is possible in two weeks. Symptomatic treatment in the first week, along with HCQ tablets, is giving good results. The government is keeping all its doctors across the state updated on the protocols. Using these methods, we are controlling the death rate from the disease in the state,” he added.

The government has ensured stocks of medicines and disposables to meet the need for another two months. The government has made extensive arrangements. For people advised home isolation the government has stocked a total of 86,600 kits, with the required medicines, instructions and guidelines, in all the districts.

Of these, 33,000 are available for use in GHMC limits. He also said a total of 25,000 Remdesivir injections have been stocked in all districts of which 12,500 are available in government hospitals in GHMC limits,  Rao said.