Third wave comes knocking at Maharashtra's doorstep: COVID-19 cases doubling faster than first and second waves

Is Maharashtra heading towards the third wave of COVID-19 infections? The western state reported a 75-day high in new COVID-19 infections with 2,172 cases on Tuesday. Mumbai, which is largely driving the surge, saw its highest daily detection (1,333) in seven months.Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally has now risen to 66,61,486, of which, 11,492 are active cases.According to the official figures, during the first wave, Mumbai took 12 days to see 1,367 daily cases from 706, while during the second wave, the city saw a rise of 1,325 single-day cases from 683 in 20 days.However, fuelled by the Omicron variant, Mumbai has seen 1,377 daily fresh infections from 683 in just four days, leading health experts to believe that the financial capital is already witnessing the beginning of the third COVID-19 wave.Moreover, according to the health bulletin put out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the growth rate of the virus in the city has risen to 0.09 percent in the period of 21 December to 27 December.The growth rate between 17 December to 23 December was 0.05 percent, clearly displaying a rise in infections.Similarly, the doubling rate in the financial capital has reduced from 1,536 days on 24 December to 841 days as of Tuesday.For the unversed, the doubling rate represents the number of days it takes for the number of COVID-19 cases to double, an indicator of how quickly cases are increasing. The doubling rate can also be applied to assess the trajectory of hospitalisations and deaths related to COVID-19, providing key information on whether a region is slowing the spread of the disease. The longer the doubling rate, the slower the disease spread and the flatter the curve becomes. Conversely, a shorter doubling rate indicates the disease is spreading more quickly.The positivity rate in Mumbai, which stands at 4 percent, is also the highest since May when the second wave had started to recede.Omicron variant in MaharashtraNo new case of the Omicron variant of coronavirus was reported in Maharashtra on Tuesday, while 91 of the patients previously infected by the strain have recovered, the state health department said.The state has so far reported 167 cases of Omicron, of which, Mumbai has reported the highest at 84, followed by Pimpri- Chinchwad (19), Pune rural (17), Pune and Thane municipal corporations (seven each).The Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation (in Thane district), Aurangabad and Nanded have recorded two cases each of the new variant. Satara, Osmanabad and Panvel municipal corporation have recorded five infections each. Buldhana, Latur, Ahmednagar, Akola, Vasai-Virar, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporations and Palghar district have seen one case each.'COVID spike in January'On Tuesday, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told the Assembly that COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra are likely to see a sharp increase in January and February 2022.The minister said, “Omicron multiplies very fast. It doubles in a day or two. Since the numbers are low, it is not reflecting. But once it increases, the cases will multiply faster. The number of cases in the next two months will rise sharply.”He refrained from indicating that further restrictions would be imposed in Maharashtra, but cautioned that the guidelines issued cannot be compromised. Precautionary measures have to be followed at all levels at all times, he asserted.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.