194 deaths in a day, 72 in West Bengal alone

9% daily rate of growth in cases, the highest in 2 weeks

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 5

The country saw its highest 24-hour spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths today with the Centre attributing the surge largely to delayed reporting by states like West Bengal that had so far not been disclosing the data in detail.

The new cases of infection rose by 3,875 today, taking the national disease burden to 46,711 and the 24-hour increase in mortality was a whopping 194, more than double the count of 83 deaths reported yesterday. The death toll has risen to 1,583.

People’s support must

We need community ownership to break the chain of transmission. As lockdown is eased, the responsibility of both people and the govt increases. Lav Agarwal, Health Ministry Joint Secretary

In worrying signs, the daily rate of growth in cases today clocked 9 per cent, the highest in two weeks. Another concern was the gradually peaking disease graph that had flattened and stabilised for days until the eve of lockdown 2.0. For the fourth day in a row today, daily new infections have risen, setting new records and baffling experts who had predicted regression in the disease curve after a stable flat spell.

“We have noted the highest increase in cases and deaths today. Timely reporting of cases is very important. Some states did not report the data initially. These gaps have now been addressed and late reporting by states streamlined. You are witnessing this increase because of reporting of previously hidden cases,” Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said today, explaining the curious surge amid the ongoing lockdown.

Government sources said West Bengal was the main state hiding data from the central reporting system. Health Ministry sources said Bengal had not shared information with the Centre from May 1 until last evening, when the spike in cases and deaths became obvious.

The mortality figures in Bengal alone rose by 72 in a day – from 61 yesterday to 133 today. Although part of the case surge could be linked to lockdown relaxations with people queuing up outside liquor vends, and some movement becoming visible in green and orange zones, the Health Ministry said the increase in case burden was due to previously hidden data becoming public now.

Agarwal said timely reporting of cases was critical as it was the first step towards initiation of contact tracing, containment and management.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary also accused the TMC- led Bengal Government of instructing local hospitals against reporting Covid deaths or mentioning Covid as the reason in death certificates of patients.

Earlier the Inter-Ministerial Central Team that visited Bengal to help the state with Covid containment also faced hurdles in operation.

With the disease curve surging for four days now, the Centre today pressed for community responsibility to fight the virus.

“We need community ownership to break the chain of transmission. As lockdown is eased and relaxations set in, the responsibility of both the people and the government increases,” Agarwal said, not ruling out some of the infection surge to dilution in lockdown.

The national recovery rate increasing to 27 per cent. The mortality rate, however, surged beyond 3.2 per cent.

Israel lab develops coronavirus antibody

• Scientists in Israel have made a “significant breakthrough” in developing an antibody to the novel coronavirus, said Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett
• The “antibody attacks the virus in a monoclonal way and can neutralise it within the bodies of those ill”, said Bennett’s office.
• Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona on Monday wrapped up the development phase and moved to patent and mass produce the potential treatment.
• IIBR has identified the protein that is efficient in killing the virus in patient’s body
• The statement did not specify whether human trials were conducted. PTI

Indian-origin scientist ‘identifies’ 4 drugs

Indian-origin researcher Kamlendra Singh and his team have identified four antiviral drugs, including remdesivir, 5-fluorouracil, ribavirin and favipiravir, which may inhibit replication of coronavirus. Computer-aided design examined their efficacy.