COVID-19: At 0.46 per cent, Odisha's fatality rate among lowest in India

The recovery rate was also high at 48.25 per cent while the India average was 41.61 per cent. As many as 732 patients have recovered in the State so far. 

BHUBANESWAR: Despite witnessing a steep rise in Covid-19 cases, fatality rate in Odisha continues to be among the lowest in the country with only seven deaths reported from 1,517 people testing positive so far. Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said, case fatality rate in the State was around 0.46 per cent (pc) against a national average of 2.87 pc.

The recovery rate was also high at 48.25 per cent while the India average was 41.61 per cent. As many as 732 patients have recovered in the State so far. 

“It has been possible due to advance planning, governed by scientific inputs from health experts, and proper execution of strategies,” Tripathy said. On the downside though, case positivity rate in the State is on a rise. With an average 70 cases recorded per day over the past week, positivity rate has gone up to 1.15 pc from 0.5 pc, a fortnight back. The upswing is largely due to testing of migrant workers who have returned from other states.

Tripathy said, Covid incidence is also vastly lower with 33 cases in a million population in Odisha against 108 per million at the national level. “One positive case is found after 87 tests in Odisha while the average number of tests per case in the country is 21.49,” he said. Along with the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for testing of samples, Odisha has been conducting tests of vulnerable sections of the society like people over 60 years and with comorbidity, children less than five years and pregnant women in temporary medical camps (TMCs).