Two yrs since first case, Covid on the wane in Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada: It is two years to this day since the first case of coronavirus disease was reported in Andhra Pradesh and the total count touched 23,18,751 as on March 11, 2022. AP now stands fifth in the country's Covid-19 chart behind Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in total number of cases. In two years, 3.32 crore sample tests were conducted that turned out an overall infection positivity rate of 6.9 per cent, medical and health department statistics showed.

On an average, 3,176.37 Covid-19 cases were reported in the state per day in the last two years. Of the gross cases, 2,461 were listed as those "from other states" and another 434 "from other countries".

So far, 23,03,361 infected persons had recovered, at the rate of 99.1 per cent, while 14,729 people succumbed, with a case mortality rate of 0.69 per cent. The state now has 661 active cases and the infection spread has drastically waned over the last few weeks, with the daily positivity rate falling to 0.5 per cent.

For the first time in two years, the state did not report any Covid-19 deaths since the beginning of this month. During the first wave of coronavirus in 2020, the highest single day infection count was 10,830 on August 26.

The second wave in 2021 was most ferocious, with a record number of 24,171 cases registered in a day on May 16, with a peak positivity rate of 25.56 per cent. May 2021 was the worst Covid-19 month in AP that saw the fastest spike of 1,09,822 cases in just five days between May 16 and 20. The month ended with a total of 5,71,973 positives registered, 5,46,063 recoveries and 2,877 deaths, after seeing a record number of 24,819 recoveries and 118 deaths on a single day. On April 23, 2021, AP registered the first million cases and on August 20 crossed the two million mark. The next lakh cases came in 148 more days, the longest spell since the Covid-19 spread began in the state.

All but one of 13 districts in the state so far registered Covid-19 cases in six digits, with East Godavari topping the chart with 3.16 lakh. Vizianagaram, which was the last district in the state to report its first case in May 2020, so far logged 92,231 cases, the lowest.

From zero during the initial days of the pandemic, a record number of 1,16,367 tests were conducted in a day on May 5, 2021 as the state government ramped up required infrastructure, creating over 150 laboratories in quick time.

Genome sequencing facilities were also created for identifying new variants like Omicron that rapidly spread during December 2021 and January 2022. The Covid-19 spread in AP first began with the return of natives from countries like UK and the USA and then through the 'super spreaders' in the form of Tablig-i-Jamaat attendees, which resulted in a spurt in cases initially in districts like Guntur, Kurnool, Kadapa and Anantapur.

The 'Koyambedu super spreaders' came next, infecting hundreds of persons in Chittoor, Nellore, Prakasam and even the far-off Srikakulam district that remained immune for more than a month-and-a-half.