Covid-19 Factoid: India has the world's second-best recovery rate

Recoveries still not beating new cases enough number of times in India, while Delhi seems to be losing its early gains

The global count of coronavirus cases has now crossed the 26-million mark. Over 18 million people have recovered globally, while roughly 6.8 million remain infected. There have been over 863,000 deaths due to the virus worldwide, with two countries – the US and Brazil – accounting for more than one-third of it.

In India, there are now over 3.8 million reported cases, of which roughly 21 per cent, or over 801,000 cases, are currently active. At 66,333 deaths, India’s mortality rate is at 1.7 per cent, with Maharashtra the worst-hit state.

Here are some data points on the spread of the virus:

1. Delhi’s is losing its early gains

After managing to flatten the curve over the month of July, Delhi is again seeing a spike in daily new cases. This is similar to the levels seen in late-June when Delhi was at the peak of its first wave. The national capital reported 2,312 cases on September 2, almost twice as much as early August. At over 4,400 fatalities, Delhi has the fourth-highest death toll in the country.

2. India’s recovery rate is on the rise

The country’s recovery rate is now inching towards 76.98 per cent. In India, 2,901,908 people have successfully managed to beat the infection. However, daily new recoveries are still not exceeding daily new cases enough times to affect a significant decline in active cases. Among the top five countries by confirmed cases, India has the second-best recovery rate.

3. Maharashtra and Gujarat’s death rates are the highest

At 3.1 per cent each, Maharashtra and Gujarat have the worst death rate in the country. This is slightly less than twice the national average of 1.8 death rate. Maharashtra and Gujarat are followed by Punjab, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal, all of which have more than 2 per cent death rate at least.