COVID-19 growth curve has been flattened: ICMR

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday said that the growth curve of COVID-19 has been flattened but it is difficult to tell when it will reach its peak.

“It is very difficult to tell that peak in COVID-19 cases will arrive by May 3 or when it will come. But it is very stable. The positivity rate has been 4.5 per cent throughout, one can say we have been able to flatten the curve. However, difficult to predict it (peak),” Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, ICMR said here while addressing a press conference.

#WATCH: It is very difficult to tell that peak will arrive by 3rd May or when it will come. But it is very stable. Positivity rate has been 4.5% throughout, one can say we have been able to flatten the curve. However, difficult to predict it(peak): Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR pic.twitter.com/DyyAUvMxJn

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2020

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria emphasised that it is important to not stigmatise those who have recovered from COVID-19, Guleria said, “This is a disease which is not that serious, 90-95 per cent people recover, if we have that stigma and we don’t come forward then we may land up in a situation where because of our delayed treatment we may have higher mortality.”

On March 23 we’ve done 14,915 tests across the country&on April 22 we have done more than 5 lakh tests. If a rough calculation is done it is about 33 times in 30 days.This is not enough&we need to ramp testing in this country:CK Mishra,Environment Secy&Chairman,Empowered Group-2 pic.twitter.com/fJBKeCdBSE

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2020

CK Mishra, Environment Secretary and Chairman of Empowered Group-2 which has been mandated with the availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities for COVID-19 said that India has been able to cut transmission, minimise spread and consistently ramp up COVID-19 testing in the last 30 days of lockdown. (ANI)