25% of patients could have caught Covid-19 in all 3 waves: Practo Report

The data collated by health tech firm Practo about the three waves of Covid-19 pandemic shows that about 25 per cent of the patients could have caught the Covid-19 in all three waves. The report ‘Understanding Covid-19: Comparing all three waves in India’ analyses how Indians accessed healthcare during the three covid waves. The average time spent by a patient with a doctor online during this time was 30 minutes, which is comparable to in-person visits.

In the last two years, digital healthcare has played an important role in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. With speculations about the impending fourth wave going on, it is necessary to understand the health trends from the first three waves so that we, as a community, are better prepared for it.

Report findings during all three waves:

70% of all online consultations for Covid-19

Second wave was the deadliest with a 690% surge in online consultations at its peak

57% of all telemedicine users experienced it for the first time 

54% of all online consultations were from millennials and Gen Zs

There was 50% growth in alternative medicine like Ayurveda and Homeopathy

Specialities like Dental, Psychiatry and Sexology saw growth in in-person appointments

Dolo 650mg, Zincovit, Limcee 500mg, Azee 500mg, Pan D capsule were the most ordered medicines

Covid-19 swab test, Complete blood count test, Thyroid profile and HBA1c were the most ordered diagnostic tests

SPECIALITY-SPECIFIC INSIGHTS

Top specialities during the three waves: 

General Physician 

Gynecology 

Pediatrics 

A few specialities grew sharply during the second wave due to severe side-effects of the Delta variant 

Cardiology 

Pulmonology 

Gastroenterology
 

Post-Covid Impact 
 

Diabetology

Ophthalmology 

Orthopedics 

City Specific Pointers:

Bengaluru contributed to 32% of all covid consultations in the third wave 

Highest consultations came from Delhi during the second wave contributing 29% of total covid consultations 

Hyderabad was the third most consulted city in all three waves

During the first wave, Mumbai contributed to the highest online covid consultations at 8% 

Among non-metros, Lucknow had the most online consultations during the first wave, contributing to 4% of all covid consultations

During the third wave, among non-metros Jaipur had the highest consultations contributing to 3% of all covid consultations

Practo’s Insights Report is based on transactions by 12 crore users. In the first wave the data was collected between September-October 2020. In second wave this was done between April-May 2021 and during the third wave in January 2022.

Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, chief healthcare strategy officer, Practo, said that India's healthcare system saw a paradigm shift in its approach to deliver care during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said in managing the crisis - especially through all three waves in India - there has been tremendous growth in telemedicine, raising the possibility of a future where digital healthcare services will coexist with in-clinic visits in a hybrid set-up. “At a time when hospitals and care delivery units were overwhelmed by the rising number of positive Covid cases, telemedicine served as an efficient and effective alternative, saving lives and critical resources like hospital beds,” said Kuruvilla. “Apart from the devastation that the pandemic brought, it also did reinstate the fact that quality healthcare can be made accessible and affordable to all.”

“This study reveals that digital health adoption is growing exponentially across urban, rural areas, specialities, and age groups,” said Prof. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Author of the best-seller: ‘Digital Health – Truly Transformational’ and Chairman – Digital Health Academy & Health Parliament. “As work from home (WFH) becomes a reality, Consult from Home (CFH) is also becoming prominent.  The hybrid model of care is a reality now.”