Coronavirus Update: India records highest single-day testing

The number of active cases in India was at 586,298 as of August 4, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of those discharged was at 1,230,509, while 38,938 died from the disease. At least 803 fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours.

The country recorded at least 52,000 fresh cases in the last 24 hours. It saw single-day addition of 50,000-plus COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 3 said it would look into the recent seroprevalence studies conducted in Delhi and Mumbai to understand whether the data is an accurate reflection of the actual rate of infection in the population.
• Nearly 23 per cent of those surveyed between June 27 and July 10 in the national capital had developed antibodies against the virus SARS-CoV-2. In Mumbai, it was found around 57 per cent of those tested in slums had developed antibodies compared with only 16 per cent of those in residential societies, news daily Indian Express reported.
• The number of cases as of August 4 was 18,446,497, according to WHO. At least 697,217 people died worldwide.
• WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his August 3 media briefing said “there’s no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be”, but “stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control; and testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts”.
• The United States recorded 61,262 fresh cases, according to Johns Hopkins data. It was the fifth consecutive day with more than 60,000 infections recorded. Nearly 1,051 died in the 24-hour period, taking the total tally to 154,319. 
• Brazil recoeded 2,751,665 COVID-19 cases and 94,702 deaths as of August 4. 
• Scientists have started sewage testing at 44 wastewater treatment sites across England to monitor for fragments of coronavirus genetic material. The aim of the research is to give a head start on where new outbreaks could occur, said Environment Secretary George Eustice.