Covid-19 positivity rate dips below 10% for first time in November in Delhi

The daily positivity rate — proportion of samples that return positive among those tested –dipped below 10% for the first time in November on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the positivity rate stood at 8.49%, lowest since October 27 when the positivity rate stood at 8.48%.

Experts said that the spread of the infection can be deemed to be in control, if the positivity rate remains dips to 5% or lower for around two weeks.

Delhi on Wednesday also reported fewer than 6,000 new cases of Covid-19 , with more than 50,000 tests being conducted, for the first time since October-end. On Wednesday, the city saw 5,246 Covid-19 cases with 61,778 tests having been done in the city.

There had been dips in the number of cases during Diwali, Bhai Duj, Chatt, and the weekends when fewer tests had been conducted. On average, Delhi has been conducting about 60,000 tests a day. The Delhi government is currently working on increasing the number of tests to between 100,000 to 120,000 a day.

Delhi had also seen an increase in the number of deaths over the fortnight, with 106 deaths reported each day on average. In comparison, 59 deaths had been reported each day on average the fortnight before, data shared by the Delhi government showed.

Dr Vivek Nangia, head of the department of pulmonology at Max hospital, Saket said, “People have started taking Covid-19 very lightly, they have let their guards down because of which we are seeing higher number of cases. This is usually the time when people get common cold and seasonal flu as well so they are ignoring the symptoms. Everyone must get tested two to three days after they see any symptom. And, they should rush to a hospital if their oxygen saturation drops, they feel breathless, have fingers turning blue, or are disoriented.”

He suggested that those diagnosed with Covid-19 regularly check their oxygen saturation before and after walking for 6 minutes and rush to a hospital if the saturation dips below 95%. The normal oxygen saturation is between 95 and 100%.

“Another major problem is that people are returning to the circulation too soon. They should remain in isolation ideally for 21 days, and not 14 days, to ensure that there is no chance of infecting others,” he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain visited the Covid-19 wards in the newly constructed Burari hospital, which was made operational to treat patients with the viral infection. The hospital, which so far had only 20 non-ventilator ICU beds, added 20 ventilator beds on Wednesday, with 30 more to be added by Saturday.

In the four months since its operationalization, the hospital has treated 1,000 Covid-19 patients, according to the health minister. Jain on Wednesdayalso inaugurated the biomedical waste disposal unit at the hospital.

“Ventilator is an important facility, as patients feel that ventilator is a prerequisite, if need be. Burari Hospital is now fully equipped to treat patients. There will not be a need to shift patients and neither will patients have to look for other options for treatment,” Jain said at the hospital.