India records 20,551 new COVID cases in last 24 hours

India recorded 20,551 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday. India's active caseload currently stands at 1,35,364, informed the Ministry.

As many as 21,595 people recovered from COVID in the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries to 4,34,45,624. The recovery rate is currently at 98.50 per cent. A total of 4,00,110 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours taking the total number of tests to 87.71 crore.

The daily positivity rate and weekly positivity rate stand at 5.14 per cent and 6.14 per cent, respectively. More than 196.86 crore (1,96,86,41,625) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far by the Govt. of India, informed the Ministry.

India administered 36,95,835 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours. Till now India has administered 205.59 crore vaccine doses, including 93.46 crore are second doses and 10.09 crore precaution dose.

Besides this, more than 7.32 crore (7,32,14,660) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. Meanwhile, as COVID cases showed a rising trend across the country, an expert on Thursday said the majority of cases have mild symptoms.

Senior Pulmonologist at Apollo Hospital in Delhi, Dr Nikhil Modi said the COVID cases are definitely rising but symptoms are mild. "The COVID cases are definitely on the rise, Delhi also reported more than 2000 cases yesterday. But most of the patients are having very mild symptoms," Dr Modi said.

Taking about the risk to people who have comorbidities, Dr Modi said, "Patients with 80 to 90 years of age with diabetes and other issues have been reporting to us but all of them have mild symptoms." A senior consultant at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Dhiren Gupta said people who don't get tested themselves timely and don't follow COVID-appropriate behaviour land up with trouble.

"Some of the people don't follow COVID appropriate behaviour, people get them tested only when they land up in trouble," Dr Gupta said."The reasons for rising COVID numbers are reckless behaviour of people and not wearing masks. The changes in the weather also can be a reason," he said. Dr Gupta also said there are few deaths that have been reported, in which most of them died due to comorbidities rather than COVID infections.

"Most of the cases are mild and it is more like flu-like symptoms which we are seeing cough, fever and some sometimes high fever for two or three days. Symptoms are usually settling with the first five or in a week," he said. Dr Gupta further said the COVID is not done yet, people who tested positive for the infection three months back are testing positive again.