Delhi reports 23 Covid deaths, highest in 208 days
Delhi recorded 21,259 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, an increase from Monday’s tally of 19,166 new cases. The infection rate -- the number of samples returning positive from among the total tested -- has also spiked to a little above 25%, the data showed
With Covid-19 cases continuing to surge, the national capital on Tuesday recorded 23 deaths from the disease, the highest toll in 208 days, according to the government’s daily health bulletin.
Delhi recorded 21,259 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, an increase from Monday’s tally of 19,166 new cases. The infection rate -- the number of samples returning positive from among the total tested -- has also spiked to a little above 25%, the data showed.
However, it is important to note that on Tuesday, 82,884 tests were conducted across the city as opposed to just 76,670 tests on Monday.
The city also recorded 23 deaths by Covid infections, which is the highest toll since June 16, 2021, when the Capital had reported 25 deaths.
Experts, however, said because of the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, people whose immunity is already compromised by other ailments, including terminal diseases, were also testing positive of Covid-19 in hospitals.
“The spike in deaths cannot solely be because of the virus; it is also because of the high transmissibility of this variant among the comorbid and the already compromised sections. Everyone is testing positive, including doctors and caregivers at hospitals, so this is a problem in the quality of care rather than the seriousness of the variant,” said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of community medicine department, Safdarjung Hospital.
The test positivity rate on Tuesday touched 25.65%, just marginally up from the 25% reported the previous day. According to government records, this was the highest positivity rate in the city since May 6, when 26.3% of all samples returned positive results.
Government data also showed that of the total 14,621 beds available in dedicated Covid hospitals, only 2,209 were occupied as on Tuesday, leaving 12,412 (84.89%) vacant.
The numbers are heartening, said experts, as despite the surge in cases, only 2,209 were admitted to hospitals. Of them, 84 required ventilator support and 523 patients were admitted to ICUs (intensive care units), according to the health bulletin.
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is fuelling the current wave of infections in the city, while being more transmissible than previous variants, is mostly causing mild infections, thereby lowering hospitalisations, according to trends observed in India and elsewhere, medical experts said. Most patients have only mild symptoms, and are able to recover at home.