The number of COVID-19 patients getting admitted to the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) across hospitals in the State has increased by 100% in just about two weeks. This clearly indicates that the number of people suffering from severe form of the infection is on the rise. The request for plasma collected from COVID-recovered persons has also been increasing.
From March 1 to 14 this year, around 340 to 375 COVID patients were being admitted in ICUs of government and private hospitals per day. It gradually increased to over 400, and then crossed 500 and 600 in a matter of few days. On Sunday (March 28), as many as 767 patients were admitted to the ICU, which is more than a 100% increase.
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Critical care specialists, too, have said that the hospital beds are getting fast occupied. The total bed capacity is a combination of beds in ICU, regular wards and those equipped with oxygen supply. The bed occupancy has increased from around 1,300 beds during the March 1-14 period to 2,768 on Sunday. Doctors feared that the numbers will continue to surge if people do not maintain precautions.
403 new infections
The State recorded 403 cases on Sunday with only 33,930 samples being examined, showing a high positivity rate. From the past two weeks, over 60,000 samples were being tested on a daily basis. This number usually drops during the weekend. Results of 1,421 samples were awaited.
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The new 403 cases included 146 from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation region, 40 from Medchal Malkajgiri, 34 from Rangareddy, and 24 from Sangareddy.
Zero cases
No case was detected in Kamareddy and Mulugu on the day. Two more COVID patients died.
So far, the State has tested 1,00,53,026 samples, leading to the detection of 3,06,742 positive cases. The tally includes 4,583 active cases with 3,00,469 having recovered. The death toll stands at 1,690.