Increasing R-value of COVID in Odisha district raises concern

Bhubaneswar: Rising R-factor of COVID-19 in Sundargarh district raised concern showing early signs of third wave in Odisha.

According to a premier research institution, the R-value crossed 1 in Sundargarh district indicating how fast the pandemic is spreading amid decline in daily positive rate.

The Reproduction Number stood at 1.13 between July 4 and 15 in Sundargarh. The R-value was 0.82 between June 30 and July 4 in the district, informed Professor Sitabhra Sinha of Chennai-based Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc).

If the R-value value is above 1, there is a possibility of increase in infection. As Sundargarh is the only district to have registered the R-value above 1, it gives clear indication of third wave of Coronavirus in the State.

Professor Sinha raised concern over rise in daily infections in Sundargarh, one of the districts in western Odisha that has the highest number of patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

This apart, the R-value in worst-hit Khordha district is inching towards 1. Currently, the R-factor of the deadly infection stands at 0.81 in Puri and Balasore and 0.78 in Cuttack.

The R-value in Odisha was 0.86 between July 6 and 15, 0.94 between June 22 and July 5 and 0.74 between June 8 and 21, Professor Sinha said.

Meanwhile, the falling graph of TPR is showing signs of plateauing in Odisha, said ICMR’s former advisor Dr. Tribhuban Mahapatra.

Odisha is among the worst-hit States in terms of daily positive cases in the country. The R-value above 1 in Sundargarh indicates signs of third wave in the State, he said.