The Covid-19 cases in the union territory of Chandigarh crossed 5000-mark as a record single-day jump of 276 fresh infections were reported on Thursday.
Four more residents succumbed to Covid-19 taking the total toll to 63.
With the positive cases surging at a fast pace, it was Chandigarh’s fastest 1000 cases this time. The city had crossed 4,000-mark on August 30 and the total tally stood at 5,065 in just four days.
Earlier, it took six days for the city to move to 4,000 cases from 3,000. The positive cases had crossed 3000-mark on August 24, 2000-mark on August 15, 1,000-mark on July 30 and 100-mark on May 4. A day before, 239 positive cases were reported while the city had clocked its previous highest single-day spike with 261 cases on August 29.
There were 2116 active cases on Thursday, a day after the city had breached 2,000-mark of active cases. “The total positive cases were 5,065 which included 2,116 active cases and 2,883 recovered cases. 63 Covid-19 fatalities have been reported in the city so far,” stated Chandigarh Health Department’s evening bulletin.
The fresh positive cases were reported from Sectors 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 56, 63, 38 west, Behlana, Burail, Dadumajra, Dhanas, Hallomajra, Industrial Area phase I, Kishangarh, Maloya, Manimajra, Mauli Jagran, PGIMER campus, Raipur Kalan, Raipur Khurd, Ram Darbar, Khuda Alisher, Kajheri and Faidan, the bulletin stated.
Among those tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours included a one year old female child from Sector 10, two years old male child from Mauli Jagran and three years old female child from Behlana, as per the health bulletin. In the past 24 hours, a total of 213 patients were discharged including persons from home isolation who have completed ten days and are asymptomatic as per the Centre’s guidelines, the bulletin added.
PLASMA BANK SET UP AT PGIMER
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research has set up a plasma bank to facilitate the treatment of Covid-19 patients in the city. “The plasma bank will cater to the needs of patients admitted in PGIMER as well as other government and private hospitals of the city on a first come first serve basis. The PGIMER has asked other city’s hospitals to share a list of Covid-19 recovered patients and motivate them for plasma donation at the institute,” said an official spokesperson of PGIMER.
In the convalescent plasma therapy (CPT), plasma from a Covid-19 recovered patient (which is rich in antibodies to fight the virus) is transfused into another Covid-19 patient to help boost the recipient’s immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Earlier, seven Covid-19 recovered patients had donated their plasma at the PGIMER during the clinical trials held in June-July. Currently, the PGIMER does not have a single plasma unit. The recovered patients from Covid-19, who are willing to donate convalescent plasma (CP) can contact and fix their appointment for screening and testing with Dr Suchet Sachdev and Dr Divjot Singh Lamba on contact numbers 7087009487 and 7087003371 respectively, the spokesperson said.