After getting applauds for Active Case Finding (ACF) campaign, Himachal Pradesh has added another feather in its cap by bettering the national recovery rate of COVID-19 patients.

The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in Himachal stands at 57.1 as compared to national average of 49.21 percent.

Himachal has recorded 458 COVID-19 cases till date out of which 262 patients have been cured and there are still 179 active cases in the state.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health, R D Dhiman said there were 458 cases of Coronavirus in the state and Himachal has surpassed national recovery rate of 49.21 percent as the state’s recovery rate stands at 57.1 percent.

“The recovery rate indicates that the Himachal Pradesh government has been able to contain COVID-19 situation effectively and successfully. The state government is taking sufficient precautionary measures to control and break the chain of transmission of the deadly disease,” he added.

Dhiman said the testing average for finding COVID-19 patients too was high at 6,580 tests per 10 lakh population as compared to national average of 3,600 tests per 10 lakh population in the country.

A total 48,923 persons had been tested for the infectious disease in Himachal while a total of 50,64,332 persons were tested for Coronavirus in the country.

Besides this, the confirmation rate of COVID-19 disease among samples taken from persons was 4 percent while the confirmation rate stands at 6 percent at national level which indicates that the state government was testing a substantial number of population.

“There are 179 active cases of Coronavirus in the state which are being treated in Dedicated COVID Care Centre and Dedicated COVID Health Centres,” Dhiman said, adding no patient needed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services in the state.
So far, six persons had died of COVID-19 infection which was 4.32 percent of total cases in Himachal while the national death rate stands at 2.43 percent.

The Additional Chief Secretary said of the total COVID-19 cases recorded in the state till date, 90 percent patients were asymptomatic or had very less symptoms of the disease.

These persons were being treated at 43 Dedicated COVID Care Centre and Dedicated COVID Health Centres established across the state and there were sufficient number of beds to treat these patients.

The state government had also constituted a medical experts team at Medical College level and they were assisting these 43 COVID Care Centres in treatment of patients.

He urged the people of the state not to panic and follow the advisories and guidelines of the state government in letter and spirit as the COVID-19 situation is under control in Himachal.

It is worthwhile to mention here that the state government had started an Active Case Finding (ACF) campaign on 3 April under which the entire population was screened for any Influenza Like Illness (ILI) symptoms.

The Himachal Pradesh government had engaged a team of 16,000 officials including Asha workers, Anganwadi, para- medics and police for the ACF campaign and all persons with ILI symptoms were tested for Coronavirus.

The ACF campaign was even appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he had urged all the states to follow Himachal in this initiative to combat Coronavirus pandemic.