Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s focus has been on recoveries and it highlights it prominently in the daily bulletin released every day. 2086 patients have recovered as on June 12 as per the data released officially. Of them, 266 patients were recovered and discharged from various hospitals on June 12.
Among other factors, the recoveries give some kind of consolation to frontline warriors, and for the people who run the health system in the Jammu and Kashmir. However, it is important to note that the total recoveries and the number of active cases are not comparable metrics. The total recoveries account for everyone who has recovered from the pathogen since the outbreak and it is no surprise that the number of recoveries will progressively increase, unless of course there is gross mismanagement of the health system.
Any patient discharged has to stay under home quarantine for a period of almost two weeks and they are strictly barred to move outside. The administration must ensure it and may take help from private players to do it.
Presently, the death rate in J&K is very low given the fact it is counted against the infections that have been confirmed, through testing. As the administration is aware, there are many more people, possibly even more than the confirmed number, who are carrying the infection, but are unknown because they have not been tested or remain asymptomatic. In any sizable population, the exact number of people infected during an epidemic may never be known. Some expert findings suggest that thousands of people across India including have become infected and have recovered from the infection without knowing it. In such a scenario, there is a need to distinguish people with mild symptoms or have no symptoms, from sick patients. Under all circumstances, the health system must be responsive to those who need it to help them recover. The government must keep the recovery rate high and death rate low. By now, the administration and doctors at the forefront of the fight against the covid-19 have got the measure on how to manage these issues.
