Mumbai reports 135 per cent rise in Covid-19 cases in a week

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As per the state's public health department data, Mumbai has reported 135.75 per cent rise in new Covid-positive cases in a week, the second-highest after Palghar district in Maharashtra.

The data indicates that the city recorded a 135 per cent rise in Covid-19 cases - from 4,880 Covid-19-positive cases for the period May 30 to June 5, compared to 2,070 positive cases reported between May 23-29.

The data also highlights that besides Palghar (350 per cent rise in new cases), Mumbai and Thane (191.57 per cent rise) have seen an increase in the number of cases in the same period compared to all other districts of Maharashtra.

This week, as per the BMC's records, on June 7, Mumbai reported 1,242 new cases and 74 cases were hospitalised. The number of hospitalisations started to increase in the city on May 24 when a double-digital figure of 17 patients hospitalised was reported after two months (on March 9, 11 patients were hospitalised).

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The doubling rate of Covid-19 cases came down to 986 days on June 8 after the city reported an increase in the number of cases from May 7 which had a doubling rate of 7,316 days. The government officials have alerted citizens to follow Covid norms as the number of cases increases in the city.

The time taken for the total number of cases to double is referred to as a doubling rate. The rate depends on the reproduction number and the serial interval of a disease. It indicates the number of people a single patient could infect when the patient comes into contact with others.

Dr Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, said there are several factors due to which the doubling rate has dropped in the city which includes more number of cases detected and increases in the number of tracing of high-risk contacts to be suspected cases. The increase in testing samples is helping to detect more cases.

Cases with similar symptoms related to Covid-19 have increased in the OPDs of hospitals too. Dr Honey Savla, Consultant Internal Medicine, Wockhardt Hospital, says, "There is definitely an increase in patients consulting for cough, cold and sore throat visiting my clinic. I have been testing them for Covid and we are seeing an increase in positive cases from the last week. Commonly seen symptoms are loose stools, fever, cough and cold. Nowadays patients don't have a loss of smell and taste. They are dually vaccinated and recover earlier from their illness."