Ensure extra care to Covid patients with comorbidities: Delhi govt

In the advisory, the government said that the Capital has witnessed an uptick in Covid-19 deaths, with over 70 fatalities being reported between the last week of December and January 10

The Delhi government on Tuesday issued an advisory asking all government and private Covid-19 hospitals to ensure that all patients with co-morbidities are duly attended to by specialists and extra care is ensured in their care.

Delhi recorded 21,259 fresh Covid cases on Tuesday, taking the active caseload to 74,881. The health bulletin also reported 23 deaths, pushing the Capital’s cumulative toll to 25,200. (Representational image/HT Photo)

In the advisory, the government said that the Capital has witnessed an uptick in Covid-19 deaths, with over 70 fatalities being reported between the last week of December and January 10. The advisory noted, “...most of the deceased patients suffered from comorbidities such as cancer, heart and liver diseases.

“It may be ensured that all Covid-positive patients admitted with various comorbidities or the patients admitted with other serious diseases who turn out to be Covid-positive are duly attended by concerned specialists and due attention is to be given to the patients,” the advisory said.

Delhi recorded 21,259 fresh Covid cases on Tuesday, taking the active caseload to 74,881. The health bulletin also reported 23 deaths, pushing the Capital’s cumulative toll to 25,200.

Data released by the Delhi government on Monday showed that of the patients who died due to Covid-19 in the city between January 5 and 9, 35 out of 46, or 76%, were unvaccinated, and 21, or almost half, were admitted for other reasons before they were detected as infected with coronavirus.

In all, 34 of the 46 patients who died had comorbid conditions known to raise the risk of severe Covid-19, and 23 – or 50% -- of all deaths were recorded within a day of the patients being admitted, suggesting their condition was already critical when they received medical attention.

The number of deaths classified as Covid fatalities has been rising over the last few days in Delhi. On Sunday, Delhi reported 17 Covid deaths—the highest since June 16. There were 17 deaths on Monday as well. On Tuesday, the count went up to 23.

“Medical directors/medical superintendents of all hospitals are directed to issue necessary directions to all concerned to put in place prompt and appropriate systems in their hospital to ensure compliance of timely management of hospital admissions as per protocol, proper treatment protocol, satisfactory levels of patient care and analysis of Covid-19 deaths,” the advisory said.

A senior official of the Delhi government’s health department said that while the Omicron variant of coronavirus is largely leading to milder symptoms, that last for a shorter duration than symptoms caused by other variants, senior citizens and patients with comorbid conditions are still at high risk.

“We still need more analysis of the reasons behind the spike in deaths due to Covid-19 over the last two-three days, but what we currently know is that these patients belonged to the high-risk category. This is why we have issued these special directions to put special focus on the care of comorbid patients,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Health experts also said that while infection from the Omicron variant might not cause deaths per se, but people older population, with conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions and liver and kidney problems, are more vulnerable to the virus.

“The virus has not created comorbidities, but India has a large share of a vulnerable elderly population, and also a generally high anaemic population, along with poor health-seeking behaviour. The combination of the three issues gives us a population that is vulnerable to collapse the moment they are infected. The death rate, vis-a-vis the infections, is still a small share,” said Dr GS Grewal, president of the Delhi Medical Association.