India records over 4 lakh new Covid-19 cases, 4,092 deaths

India recorded over 4.03 lakh new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Sunday, taking the country’s total caseload to over 2.18 crore. Out of these, over 37.36 lakh cases are currently active while over 1.79 crore people have recovered. With 4,092 new deaths, the toll now stands at over 2.38 lakh.  Maharashtra reported 56,578 cases while Karnataka had 47,563. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were the other top contributors.

In a first of its kind data released by the government, on Covid patients requiring critical care, shows that nearly 50,000 people are currently in ICUs while over 14,000 on ventilator support, reports The Indian Express. 

Keeping up his interaction with chief ministers over telephone to take stock of the pandemic situation in their states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke with the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh.

In the absence of a nationwide lockdown a number of states have imposed complete lockdowns to reduce the spread of the coronavirus virus. Tamil Nadu was the latest to impose a state wide lockdown from May 10 to May 24.

In the second wave, a Covid ICU ward is a distinct world. Gone is the commotion of the hospital, replaced by the sound of muted, shuffling feet, dragging of metal wheels, and beeping of monitors. The Sunday Express spent 7 hours in the ICU of a Delhi hospitals at the heart of the capital’s covid crisis.

In another development, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved an anti-Covid oral drug developed by DRDO in collaboration with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories for emergency use. Clinical trial showed that the drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients, reduces supplemental oxygen dependence.