Pradeep Singh

Odisha Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra on Friday said that the mortality rate is higher among Covid-19 patients who are on ventilator support and the State too has patients on ventilators. 

As per the statistics, the mortality rate is as high as 90 per cent among the patients on ventilators. "We also have patients on ventilator support, but death risk is more in the case of comorbid patients," said Mohapatra.

Speaking on the higher positivity rate in Odisha, he said, "Presently, the positivity rate is higher as there is higher detection. But, we have not decreased testing, it's underway as per the guidelines and the target set by us."

The increase in positive cases only signifies that the State's detection and surveillance system is good, he said. 

More testing and detection help contain the spread of the virus by keeping the infected people in isolation, he stated.

On Odisha showing a downward trend in Covid-19 cases, Mohapatra said though the numbers have decreased, it is not persistent. "We need at least two weeks to study the statistical importance of the downward trend in the number of positive cases," he said.

On the possible emergence of new variants of Covid-19, the Health Services Director said that there is no data about the emergence of new variants, so far. 

"The behaviour of the virus depends on mutation. Research is underway across the globe, but we can hope that the future mutations will be weaker," he added.

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