Delhi govt checks Covid prep; don’t panic, say experts

Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday held a meeting with the heads of hospitals and health experts to take stock of the city’s health infrastructure in view of a spurt in Covid-19 infections, even as experts cautioned that there was no need to panic as the number of hospitalisations remained a minuscule fraction of the total cases reported in the past week

Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday held a meeting with the heads of hospitals and health experts to take stock of the city’s health infrastructure in view of a spurt in Covid-19 infections, even as experts cautioned that there was no need to panic as the number of hospitalisations remained a minuscule fraction of the total cases reported in the past week.

Delhi health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

As on Thursday, Delhi has 932 active Covid cases, of which only 66 needed hospitalisation.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Bharadwaj said the government is closely monitoring the situation in the city. “We are taking all the necessary steps to control the spread of Covid infections in the Capital. Along with conducting meetings with hospital heads and experts, we are also conducting drills regularly. We are fully prepared to handle a surge in cases,” Bharadwaj said.

In a special data story on Thursday, HT reported that how the number of hospitalisations and availability of beds are two key metrics to interpret any rise in the numbers. HT reported that of the combined active cases in Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Delhi 1,865), only 4.3% of the Covid patients currently need hospital care. Also, the bed occupancy data from three cities that publish it - Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai --- showed that 99.94% of the city’s 30,617 available Covid beds are currently lying vacant. In Delhi, Covid-19 bed vacancy is at 99.41%, while it is 98.8% in Mumbai.

Bharadwaj said that the spike in Covid infections was also because the state had increased daily testing. He said that there was no reason to panic as severity of infections were mild to moderate. However, he also advised people to wear masks if any symptoms of Covid or influenza were experienced.

He emphasised that there was a pattern to the spread of the Covid infections in metropolitan areas, such as Mumbai and Delhi, with cases often increasing in Delhi a few weeks after a surge in Maharashtra.

“As both cities are major hubs for international travel. I urge citizens to continue following Covid-19 guidelines and protocols to prevent further spread of the virus,” he said.

Dr SK Chhabra, head of the department of pulmonology at Primus Super Specialty Hospital also urged people to follow all precautions.

“So far, we have suspected two to three cases recently and sent them for further investigation as the surge in cases can be attributed primarily to the XBB.1.16 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, which may be capable of evading acquired immunity. With each new case a person, a family, or a community is affected,” he said.

Dr Chhabra added, “The positivity rate has increased in Delhi but there is no need to panic. It is up to each and every one of us to do our part to slow the spread of the virus by following public health guidelines, getting vaccinated, and continuing to practice physical distancing, hand washing and wearing mask.”