2nd Covid wave in Himachal Pradesh five times more severe

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 15

The second wave of Covid in the state has been about five times bigger than the first one, especially in terms of deaths and cases registered during their respective peaks.

According to a government spokesperson, 320 deaths due to Covid were registered in November last year when the first wave peaked. However, in May this year, when the second wave peaked, 1,643 persons died of the virus in the state.

The maximum number of 18,459 cases in a month during the first wave were registered in November last year while the figure in May this year rose sharply to 91,043.

The highest positivity rate during the first wave was 13.6 per cent in November last year while it was 22.1 per cent during the second wave this year. For a couple of weeks in May 2021, the positivity rate crossed 25 per cent, and rose to 28 per cent. In Sirmaur and Kangra districts, the positivity rate was bordering 40 per cent.

The other difference between the two waves is that the first one saw a steady rise in cases from three in March to 18,459 in November last year. During the second wave, the number of cases rose from 4,960 in March to 91,043 in May this year. Interestingly, the second wave, after hitting the peak, declined at an equal pace. While the number of fresh cases have dipped to 8,220 from 91,043 in just 15 days, the positivity rate, too, has nosedived to 3.5 per cent from a high of 22.1 per cent.

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