Here’s when Omicron-driven Covid infections are set to decline in India

Covid-19 infections, led by the Omicron variant, are expected to decline across the country by February 15, with a wide vaccination coverage having played a key role.

An ANI report, quoting government sources, said vaccination helped majorly in reducing the impact of the third wave in the country, which was comparatively mild in comparison to the second phase of the pandemic that saw an immense increase in hospitalisations putting the health infrastructure on the verge of collapse.

“Covid cases in the country to decline by Feb 15. The cases have started reducing and stabilising in some states and metro cities. Vaccination has reduced the impact of the third wave. The Union health ministry is coordinating with the states and UTs. About 74% of the adult population is fully vaccinated,” the report quoted a source as saying.

India registered 3,06,064 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Monday, adding about an eight per cent decline from the average daily cases reported in the last four days.

As many as 439 related deaths were registered in the same time span, the lowest in five days.

At present, Karnataka has the highest number of active cases with 3,57,826 infections, followed by Maharashtra ( 2,97,115) and Kerala (2,65,349).

Over 162 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive thus far.

Last week, the government said deaths are significantly less in the third wave of the pandemic in comparison to the second wave, and the current surge is not witnessing an increase in severe illness or death following high vaccination uptake, reported news agency PTI.

It also said that 94 per cent of India’s adults have been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine, while 72 per cent are fully vaccinated.

A study conducted by a private healthcare group has found 60 per cent of the patients who died during the current wave of the pandemic were either partially or fully unvaccinated. The study by Max Healthcare further said the deaths reported were largely among those aged over 70 and those suffering from multiple comorbidities such as kidney diseases, heart diseases, diabetes and cancer.

“In our hospitals, 60 per cent of the 82 deaths so far were seen among the partially or unvaccinated population,” news agency PTI quoted the hospital as saying in a statement.