India on Friday reported the biggest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases at 386,452. However, the peak of COVID-19 cases in India is expected between May 3 and May 5, according to a mathematical model of a team of scientists that advises the government, reports Reuters. This peak is expected a few days earlier than a previous estimate by IIT scientists, who said India will see a rise of COVID cases by mid-May. 

As coronavirus is spreading faster than expected, the exponential surge in COVID cases has made the healthcare system stretch to its limit, as many states are facing a shortage of medical oxygen, medicines.

Also Read | A steep rise of hair fall in Post-COVID patients: Doctors

Amid the crisis, the government has sought help from countries around the world, and many nations have pledged the same, as shipments from the US and the UK have already started to arrive. 

Head of government scientists, who are modelling the trajectory of cases, M Vidyasagar told Reuters, “Our belief is that by next week, the daily new cases nationwide would have peaked.”

He said that the scientists’ group had previously, on April 2, told senior government officials that COVID cases would peak between May 5 and 10, Reuters reports. 

“We said (at that presentation) that it was not a matter of putting up some structures that would come up in July or August, because by then the wave will have ended,” Vidyasagar said, Reuters quoted.

Also Read | When should a COVID patient take medical support? Dr Randeep Guleria answers

Vidyasagar said that in the presentation they asked government officials to not find long-term solutions, but their message was to figure out how “we are going to fight the fight for the next four to six weeks.” 

He said that the real number of infections is believed to be 50 times more as many people, who get infected, don’t show symptoms.