Delhi adds 17,335 Covid infections, 9 more fatalities

The positivity rate in Delhi stayed below 5% for 227 days, but breached that mark on January 3.

The Capital added 17,335 cases of Covid-19 on Friday, as the daily spike in the city hit its highest level since May 9 last year, even as nine more people succumbed to the infection on the day.

A health worker collects a swab sample for Covid-19 test at Anand Vihar on Thursday. Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed the situation in Delhi-NCR on Thursday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo) (HT_PRINT)

The fresh infections on Friday came at a test positivity rate of 17.73%, showed data from the state’s daily health bulletin, as this statistic also continued to rise amid Delhi’s fifth wave of infections, which is likely fuelled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The positivity rate in Delhi stayed below 5% for 227 days, but breached that mark on January 3.

The nine deaths on Thursday is the most in one day since June 21, when 11 people died of Covid-19.

The city added 8,370 cases each day over the past week, up from 771 a week ago, and 116 the week before that.

Hospitalisations have not risen at the same pace or magnitude in that time, however, confirming global trends that have shown that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is more transmissible than the Delta variant, but does not cause severe illness or hospitalisations to the same degree.

However, just 1,390 hospital beds in the city are currently occupied, including by suspected Covid-19 patients, showed the state’s health bulletin. Of these, 1,159 are patients from Delhi. A vast majority of those admitted are not on oxygen support, while 31 patients are on ventilator support.

Experts affirmed that while the Omicron variant did appear to cause milder infection, residents should keep their guard up.

Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairperson and head of endocrinology and diabetes division, Max Healthcare, said, “When we say the Omicron variant causes ‘mild disease’, we mean mild in comparison to the deadly Delta variant. Omicron can result in just a mild cough, sore throat, but can also cause a full blown viral with severe headache, body ache, fever, cough lasting several days.”

Dr Lalit Kant, former head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases department at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said the peak of infections may likely be reached in the first week of February according to current trends.

“The experience of different Omicron-hit countries of the world shows that the number of cases will further increase in the country, especially in the weeks to come. Omicron spreads four times faster than the delta variant, but infection is mild and only 25% cases are required hospitalisation. The peak is likely to hit in the first week of February. People should avoid gatherings and comply with the guidelines,” said Dr Kant. He also stressed on the importance of using high-quality masks.