Coronavirus continued to maintain its grip in Nellore and Prakasam districts as seven people from each district succumbed to the pandemic in the last 24 hours.
As many as 2,220 persons contracted the virus in the two districts, taking the cumulative number of confirmed cases to 74,605. Prakasam district topped the State by reporting 1,271 new cases in the last 24 hours.
The combined death toll in the two districts rose to 704 with Nellore district accounting for 360 deaths so far and Prakasam district 344 deaths, according to a health bulletin released by the State Government on Wednesday night.
With 949 new cases, the total number of positive cases rose to 42,384 in Nellore district.
In Prakasam district, the total number of positive cases rose to 32,221 so far, with 1,271 new cases.
A positive aspect was that 2,227 patients were cured of the disease in the two districts in the last 24 hours with Nellore district accounting for 1,111 cured patients and the rest from Prakasam district.
As many as 12,000 patients were provided treatment at their homes in Prakasam district as all hospitals were operating at full capacity. As many as 600 of the 1,334 patients undergoing treatment at COVID-19 hospitals were provided oxygen/ventilator support.
Meanwhile, Nellore District Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu launched a ‘Plasma platform’ by the Indian Red Cross Society in collaboration with Maapra Technologies Private Limited to bring together donors and recipients of plasma. The call given by the district administration for COVID-19 plasma donation had evoked a good response with over 370 cured persons chipping in to donate plasma. As many as 100 patients had availed the plasma therapy.
Plasma for all blood groups was being kept ready at COVID-19 hospitals for use by needy patients, the Collector said after felicitating two plasma donors B. Srinivasulu and Padma Niveditha. He wanted cured patients in the age group of 18 to 60 years to donate plasma as it would get regenerated quickly. Cured patients can donate plasma once in 15 days, he said.
The Collector exhorted people to abide by social distancing norms in order to keep COVID-19 at bay. Primary and secondary contacts of infected persons should compulsorily confine themselves indoors, he said.
