India has recorded the highest number of recoveries from coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the world and has overtaken the US, which is the country with the highest number of cases. India currently accounts for 18.83% of the total global recoveries as compared to 18.77% recoveries from the US, according to the data provided by the union health ministry on Saturday.
Followed by India and the US, Brazil has the highest number of recoveries accounting for 16.96% globally, the data shows. The top three countries are followed by Russia with 4.03% of global recoveries and Colombia with 2.08%.
India recorded the highest number of recoveries in a single day on Friday (95,880). They were higher than the 93,337 new cases recorded the same day.
Within India, 60% of the people, who recovered from the infection till Friday midnight, are from five states – Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra alone accounted for 23% and Andhra Pradesh 12.3% of the recoveries recorded in a day on Friday. These are also the states that have been reporting the highest number of Covid-19 cases – accounting for a total of 54% of the total cases reported in a day on Friday, according to the data.
The ministry has attributed the high recovery rate to the standardisation of clinical management based on the emerging global evidence and allowing the use of investigational therapies such as antiviral medication Remdesivir and the use of convalescent plasma.
“The health ministry has issued a comprehensive standard clinical management and treatment protocol. Drawing from global emerging evidence, these have been regularly revised and strengthened. India has allowed for rational use of investigational therapies like Remdesevir, convalescent plasma, and Tocilizumab and adopted measures such proning (giving oxygen while a patient lies facing down), use of high flow oxygen, non-invasive ventilation, use of steroids and anti-coagulants to aid recovery in the Covid patients,” a press release from the ministry said.
For those who are asymptomatic or have mild to moderate symptoms are supervised at home or are under facility-based isolation. There have been improved ambulance services for promptly ferrying patients to hospitals. These measures have also aided the recoveries, the ministry said.
Teleconsultation provided by doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, twice a week has also helped in the nation-wide increase in the recovered cases and low, steadily declining mortality. At present, the country’s case fatality ratio stands at 1.61%, much lower than the global average of 3.1%.
The Centre has also deployed multi-speciality central teams to several states to help them in strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, and efficient clinical management. A regular review of the availability of medical oxygen in hospitals and health facilities is also being done, the ministry said.
