Maharashtra’s Amravati is yet again showing an upsurge in the number of COVID-19 cases for the second time amid the second wave. Experts said that the spurt in infections was likely due to the mutated variants of the coronavirus.
The district recorded over 1,000 new cases daily in the week from 8 to 14 May, as compared to 426 daily infections in the week from 9 to 15 April.
Amravati ranks second in the list of districts with the highest number of active COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, right behind Mumbai.
According to a report by The Indian Express, after a 10-day lockdown in March, the district saw a decline in cases. But the cases increased again later.
Maharashtra is the worst-affected state in the country, both in terms of the number of COVID cases and the death toll. The state is now showing an overall decrease in the number of daily cases.
The state imposed a full lockdown on 16 April when the situation was going out of control. “There are 19 districts that have shown a rise in active cases since. But our concern is Amravati, Buldhana and Yavatmal in the Vidarbha region. They have shown a significant surge despite a lockdown,” epidemiologist Dr Pradeep Awate was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
The Amravati Pattern
Amravati was among the districts where the second wave of the pandemic first took hold.
As much as 83 per cent of the new infections in the district have been reported from the rural areas, according to The Indian Express. Across India, too, concerns are being raised over the shift of the infection from the urban to the rural areas now.
On 18 May, Amravati district had 10,205 active COVID cases and 1,208 deaths.
Experts’ Opinion on Surging Numbers
Speaking to The Times of India, epidemiologist Dr Chanddrakant Lahariya said Amravati was seeing an ‘M-shaped’ curve.
Most of the district’s samples being sent for genomic sequencing are showing the presence of the B.1.617 variant.
Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the state COVID Task Force, cited mutations as the likely reason behind spurt in infections in Amravati.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)