Covid Deaths Soar A Month After Infections Touch Peak: Niranjan Mishra 

With the deaths due to Covid-19 remaining high in Odisha despite a drop in the daily cases, a top health official on Monday said that the mortality rate usually increases one month after the infections touch the peak.

The State witnessed 18 more fatalities on Monday taking the toll to 8612 while 3329 fresh infections pushed the positive case tally to 1249240.  

Speaking to mediapersons, State Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said, “Usually, the number of deaths increases one month after the positive cases touch the peak. In January, over 2 lakh people got infected with Covid in Odisha. But if we calculate, we will find that the death rate is well below 0.50 per cent.”  

He said the Delta variant which caused the devastating second wave of Covid has not gone yet and there are several who are down with the strain and also succumbing.   

“The situation is improving as there is a decline in the number of daily cases. Consequently, the number of active cases is also falling. However, we have to follow all the safety protocols,” Mishra said.

Stating that the existing Covid restrictions have minimal impact on the life and livelihood of people in the State, he appealed to people to be careful.

 “The current situation suggests that we have not reached the bottom of the Covid graph yet. Till the time we reach there, we have to be careful,” he said.  

“Since the number of Omicron cases is gradually increasing and its transmissibility is much higher than Delta, the cases may bounce back at any moment. Therefore, we have to be cautious,” he added.