Changing COVID India map: Odisha 4th with 96% rise in active cases in 10-days!

Bhubaneswar: During the forty days lockdown, India's COVID map has gone through a change. In the last 10-days, new states are emerging as the COVID magnet in country.

States with large migrant worker population have risen over the COVID horizon. Odisha now occupies the 4th slot with 96 per cent rise in active nCoV cases.

As per the data available with Union Health Ministry, between April 23 and May 2, active novel coronavirus positive cases in Odisha have risen by a massive 96 per cent. The active cases in the State on April 23 stood at 50, which went up to touch 98 on May 1. The active cases today increased to 100. Total confirmed cases per million population in the State increased to 3.4 from 2.5 a week ago. (see the image below)

The key inference here is if the current growth rate continues in Odisha, the State will displace Haryana to become the 16th State with most active cases. The current ranking of Odisha is 17th nationally.

An analysis of Health Ministry data reveals a major trend. Active cases are rising fast in eastern India. The first COVID wave in India was mostly dominated by southern, western and northern India. If the growth rate in last ten days is to be seen, then it seems n CoV is now moving to the east. (see the image below)

The COVID cases are growing exponentially in states having large migrant workforce. Bihar leads the chart with a growth rate of 270 per cent between April 23 and May 1. Jharkhand follows with a rate of growth of 120 per cent. It's 96 per cent in Odisha. And the growth rate is 72 per cent in West Bengal, when it has the lowest sample test rate in the country.

Only Maharashtra, which has turned the COVID capital in the country with a whopping 9,142 active cases, is ahead of Odisha with a growth rate of 99 per cent during the period.

As the Modi government has extended the lockdown till May 17, a glance at the COVID chart shows a downturn in active cases in three major COVID hit states like Kerala, Rajasthan and Telengana. Active cases in two other high-burden states like Haryana and Karnataka grew by mere 8 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.

Moreover, a slower rate of growth in active cases is witnessed in other high-burden states like  AP (28%), UP (25%) and MP (39.8%).

Still the worrisome high-burden states are Punjab (89% rise in active cases), Gujarat (76% up), West Bengal (72 %), Maharashtra (99%) and Delhi (67%).