Five more die of virus in UP as infection tally rises to 3,467

Uttar Pradesh reported five more coronavirus deaths on Sunday as 102 fresh cases surfaced, pushing the state's infection tally to 3,467.

So far, 79 people have died of the infection in the state.

A health department official on Sunday said three deaths were reported from Agra and two from Meerut, the worst-hit districts in terms of fatalities.

Till now, Agra has reported the maximum 24 deaths followed by 13 in Meerut.

Vikasendu Agarwal, Joint Director, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, said in a statement that 102 fresh cases were reported across the state, taking the infection count to 3,467.

He said so far 72 districts in the state have reported coronavirus cases.

Of the fresh cases, the maximum 22 were reported from Meerut, 13 from Agra and nine from Ghaziabad.

So far, 1,653 COVID-19 patients have been discharged after treatment while the count of the active cases in the state stands at 1,753.

Earlier in the day, Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters that the Medical Education Department has devised a ''mentor institute system'' through which doctors can seek guidance for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

"If doctors at the Meerut medical college face any difficulty, they can speak to experts at Lucknow's Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences," he said.

Similarly, doctors at the Kanpur medical college, which caters to patients from central UP, can consult experts at King George Medical University in Lucknow.

Those at the Allahabad medical college can seek advice from the BHU team.

He said in order to strengthen the fight against the virus, an electronic COVID care support (ECCS) network has been established.

Through this system, medical advice will be provided to hospitals and doctors, he said.

If doctors at any hospital do not know symptoms of coronavirus and lack knowledge for its treatment, they can contact the ECCS team for advice, he added.