Coronavirus Cases Today: Slight Dip As Over 9,000 Fresh Infections Recorded In 24 Hrs. Active Caseload Stands At 60,313

Covid-19 cases India: In the last 24 hours, there were 6,313 recoveries. As many as 198 Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered.

The number of active Covid-19 cases as of April 17, 2023, at 8:00 am IST is 60,313. A total of 4,42,35,772 patients hospitalised due to Covid-19 have been discharged since the beginning of the pandemic.  ( Image Source :Getty )

Covid-19 cases today: India logged 9,111 fresh cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. The number of active Covid-19 cases as of April 17, 2023, at 8:00 am IST is 60,313. A total of 4,42,35,772 patients hospitalised due to Covid-19 have been discharged since the beginning of the pandemic. 

In the last 24 hours, there were 6,313 recoveries. The total number of Covid-19 deaths that have occurred since the beginning of the pandemic is 5,31,141. 

As many as 198 Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. A total of 2,20,66,26,522 vaccine doses have been administered under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

As many as 1,08,436 Covid-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Over 92.41 crore Covid-19 tests have been performed so far. 

The current daily positivity rate is 8.4 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate is 4.94 per cent.

Why Covid-19 cases are increasing

Covid-19 cases in India have been on the rise since late February, despite over 90 per cent of the country's population being vaccinated against Covid-19. This is because XBB.1.16 Omicron subvariant is more contagious than other SARS-CoV-2 strains, and has developed the ability to breach the immunity conferred by Covid-19 vaccines, according to experts. 

Other reasons include waning immunity to SARS-CoV-2 due to a very small proportion of Indians getting the booster dose of Covid-19. 

Moreover, people are no longer careful, and go to public places without wearing masks. Also, public health precautions have not been sufficiently strict. 

Together, these factors account for the surge in Covid-19 cases despite the majority of India's population being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. 

Why current Covid-19 hospitalisation and death rates in India are less 

However, the current hospitalisation and death rates due to Covid-19 are less compared to those during the Delta wave, or the second wave of Covid-19. 

India saw a huge number of Covid-19 deaths during the Delta wave, which gripped the country from April to June 2021. During the Delta wave, Covid-19 claimed about 2,40,000 lives in India, according to the United Nations. 

The current Covid-19 death rate in India is 1.19 per cent, which is quite less compared to that during the Delta wave.

According to experts, the current Covid-19 deaths and hospitalisations are less compared to those during the Delta wave because the majority of the people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are experiencing mild symptoms and are recovering by isolating themselves at home. Most importantly, a greater number of people are vaccinated against Covid-19 than that during the Delta wave. While XBB.1.16 has a faster transmission rate than the Delta variant, the former is not as dangerous as the latter, and does not cause severe disease.

Since infection caused by XBB.1.16 is not as severe as that caused by the Delta variant, hospitalisation rates are less.