The district recorded over 19,000 COVID-19 cases and around 18 deaths in the last 20 days.
On Monday morning, as per the State COVID bulletin, the district recorded 1,728 cases, which is little lower when compared to the previous day of 2,258.
On Sundays normally the count is low, as the people reaching the testing sites are on the lower side, being a holiday. But as per the indications over the last one week, the district is heading towards the peak of the third wave, said a senior doctor from King George Hospital.
Comparing to the last two waves, Visakhapatnam district has been been leading the third wave with a higher count over the other districts.
In the last two waves, Visakhapatnam district stood between fifth and ninth positions. But ever since the State was hit by the third wave, the district has been in the first position. And the experts from the medical field attribute it to non-compliance with safety protocols by most of the people and opening up of public places during the festivals.
Meanwhile, with the increase in cases and the rate of transmissibility being very high, King George Hospital, which is the main COVID hospital and catering to COVID care through its CSR block, has been hit hard with staff shortage. Both doctors, especially the resident doctors, who form the frontline doctors, and the staff nurses, are getting infected at a vary rapid pace. “Every time, a doctor or a staff nurse falls sick or gets infected with the virus, we are isolating them for at least a week. But after treatment and many on duty are reluctant to take up COVID duty,” said a senior doctor from KGH.
Fortunately, this wave is not as severe as the second wave and both hospitalisation and fatality are on the lower side. Even demand for ICU beds and oxygen is low, said the doctors from KGH.
Well this can be considered to be the brighter side of the wave and as per a WHO prediction, it is likely to tapper down by the first week of February, said former principal of Andhra Medical College P.V. Sudhakar.
