Covid-19 scare: Delhi sees nearly two-fold rise in hospitalisation

India

oi-Deepika S

New
Delhi,
Aug
17:
Amid
a
spike
in
COVID-19
cases
in
Delhi,
there
has
been
a
nearly
two-fold
increase
in
hospitalisations
in
over
a
fortnight,
with
officials
saying
those
with
comorbidities
are
getting
admitted
to
hospitals.

With
1,652
fresh
coronavirus
infections
in
the
national
capital
in
the
last
24
hours,
the
positivity
rate
currently
stands
at
9.92
per
cent.
Delhi’s
active
caseload
has
crossed
the
6,809
mark
with
1,702
recoveries
in
the
last
24
hours.
Meanwhile,
eight
Covid
patients
in
the
national
capital
succumbed
to
the
virus
in
the
last
24
hours.

Even
though
the
rise
in
infections
and
hospitalisations
is
not
yet
alarming,
experts
have
reiterated
the
need
to
wear
masks
and
follow
Covid-appropriate
behaviour.

Of
the
9,405
available
beds
for
coronavirus
patients
in
Delhi,
307
(3.26
per
cent)
were
occupied
on
August
1.
The
occupancy
rate
was
3.75
per
cent
on
August
2
and
four
per
cent
the
day
after.
It
kept
on
rising
on
most
days
thereafter
and
stood
at
6.24
per
cent
on
August
16.

The
bed
occupancy
rate
was
five
per
cent
on
August
6
and
5.97
per
cent
on
August
11.
The
occupancy
rate
was
6.13
per
cent
on
August
12
and
declined
marginally
to
5.99
per
cent
the
next
day.
It
rose
to
6.21
per
cent
on
August
14
and
stood
at
6.31
per
cent
on
August
15.

Dr
Vikas
Maurya,
Director
and
HOD,
Pulmonology,
Fortis
Hospital
Shalimar
Bagh,
said
in
the
last
one
week
or
so,
they
are
observing
a
rise
in
hospital
admissions
due
to
the
viral
infection.

“Most
of
the
patients
are
those
who
have
multiple
comorbidities
and
some
of
them
are
also
unvaccinated.
Some
patients
also
have
had
lung
involvement,
which
meant
that
they
required
anti-viral
treatment
and
other
Covid
drugs,”
he
added.

Dr
Suresh
Kumar,
medical
director
of
state-run
LNJP
Hospital,
concurred
with
Maurya.

“In
the
last
week
or
so,
the
number
of
patients
has
seen
an
increase.
Earlier,
we
would
get
four
to
five
patients
on
a
daily
basis
but
now
we
have
been
getting
eight
to
10
patients
every
day,”
he
said.

On
Tuesday,
the
government
said
that
hospitals
have
been
placed
on
alert.

Deputy
Chief
Minister
Manish
Sisodia
had
urged
people
to
get
jabbed
with
the
precautionary
dose
of
vaccine
since
it
ensures
people
are
more
protected
against
the
virus.

“Ninety
per
cent
of
corona-infected
patients
admitted
to
the
hospitals
are
those
patients
who
have
taken
only
two
doses
of
the
vaccine.

“At
the
same
time,
only
10
per
cent
of
the
patients
got
corona
infected
after
the
third
dose
of
the
vaccine.
It
is
clear
from
this
that
people
who
apply
precautionary
doses
are
safer
from
corona
infection,”
he
asserted.

With
1,652
fresh
coronavirus
infections
in
the
national
capital
in
the
last
24
hours,
the
positivity
rate
currently
stands
at
9.92
per
cent.
Delhi’s
active
caseload
has
crossed
the
6,809
mark
with
1,702
recoveries
in
the
last
24
hours.
Meanwhile,
eight
Covid
patients
in
the
national
capital
succumbed
to
the
virus
in
the
last
24
hours.