On Wednesday, Delhi recorded more than 8,000 new cases, the highest single-day count in the city since the outbreak of the pandemic.
What is more concerning is that Delhi-NCR is experiencing a new record when there has been a general decline in new active Covid cases across India.
India has so far reported around 8.6 million coronavirus infections, the second highest in the world after the United States, and 127,571 deaths. But overall, it has been adding fewer cases daily since a peak in mid-September, and its fatality figure of 92 per million people is well below America’s global tally of 160 and 711.
Delhi is the only state most affected where new cases increase
Compared to the worst affected states, Delhi was found to be the only place where the number of cases was increasing. Even in Maharashtra, the worst affected state in the country, new cases were declining.
In fact, Delhi has been the largest contributor of new active Covid cases among all states in recent days.
Delhi notes acute shortage of ICU beds
At the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, doctors have filled beds in ICU wards to the nearest limit allowed.
“We have increased the number of beds, but there are limitations of spacing and ventilation,” said Desh Deepak, a senior pulmonologist. “We are operating almost at full capacity in the ICUs.”
“God forbid if someone else needs hospitalization … what would happen two days later?” he said. “That is even scarier.”
In view of the increase in the number of Covid cases, the APP government had moved the Delhi high court urging it to authorize it to enforce the reservation of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients in 33 private hospitals for at least 15 days. .
On Thursday, the high court allowed the Delhi government to reserve 80% of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients in 33 private hospitals.
The holiday season and increased air pollution are likely to increase the burden of cases in the city. “We are fighting fires because Diwali is seen as a super spreading event in front of us and the public just doesn’t see the threat,” said a senior health department official in Delhi, who declined to be named. India has so far reported around 8.6 million coronavirus infections, the second highest in the world after the United States, and 127,571 deaths. But overall, it has been adding fewer cases daily since a peak in mid-September, and its fatality figure of 92 per million people is well below America’s global tally of 160 and 711.
Still, the state-run Medical Research Council of India says the recent drop in cases nationwide could be undone if there is a resurgence of infections around Diwali.
The Center has asked the Delhi government to prepare resources to handle up to 15,000 cases a day and to conduct testing more aggressively.
More than half of the city’s 16,511 Covid hospital beds were occupied as of Wednesday, government data showed, with more than 24,000 other patients isolated at home. There are no separate data for ICU beds.
The Delhi government said hundreds more beds have been reserved for Covid-19 patients in nearly two dozen private and government hospitals. More than 100 ICU beds are also being added in government facilities.
Not much change in seroprevalance
The prevalence of Covid-19 antibodies in Delhi citizens did not see a significant increase or decrease in the last month. The October serosurveillance report, the fourth in the series for which 15,015 samples from 272 wards were analyzed, revealed a prevalence of 25.5% of antibodies against 25.1% in September, which means that one in four Delhi inhabitants has been exposed and recovered from the novel. coronavirus. The report was presented to the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
There were significant variations between districts in seroprevalence levels.
Although seroprevalence decreased in the West district from 27.9% to 21.2%, it rose from 21% in September to 49% in October in Central, perhaps due to the numerous markets, such as Sadar Bazar and Chandni Chowk in the district.
(With inputs from agencies)
.
