Ernakulam district has witnessed a steady decline in COVID-19 cases over the past four weeks, even as health professionals cautioned against lowering the guard.
An analysis of data on the past four weeks showed that the number of positive cases in the first week was 23,106. In the second week, it went up to 23,538 followed by a dip in the third week (19,873). The cases declined to 16,622 in the fourth week.
Among the confirmed cases, the highest number was reported among the 19-44 age category followed by those figuring in the age bracket of 45-59. In the first week, 45.7% of the infected were those in the age group of 19 to 44. In the second week, it was 44.7%, followed by 44.5% and 43.2% in the third and fourth weeks respectively.
Those in the age category of 45-59 constituted 21.8% of the infected in the first week. The corresponding figures in the second, third and fourth weeks were 22%, 22.4%, and 22.9% respectively. The number of children getting infected remained in the 18%-mark till the third week. It had a slight dip in the fourth week (17.8%).
“The district is seeing a decline in the number of positive cases. Hospital admissions have also reduced by around 50%,” said Dr. M.I. Junaid Rahman, nodal officer for COVID-19 management of the Indian Medical Association, Kochi.
However, Dr. Rahman advised stringent compliance with the SMS (social distancing, mask use, and sanitising) protocol to check a possible spike in cases. “With the relaxations coming into effect, the chances of overcrowding remain high in various places. People should be careful to avoid it, especially in functions like marriage and while having food in eateries,” he said.
Health officials said there would be a slight uptick in the test positivity rate (TPR), as the rapid antigen tests had been replaced by RT-PCR tests. Despite this transient rise in number of new cases, the declining trend will continue in the form of a slightly deformed wave, they said.
