Despite the rapid spread in Covid-19 cases in Delhi, there is no need to panic as the infections are mild, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said at a press conference on Sunday. Even with the three-fold increase in active cases in the National Capital since December 29, hospitaliisations have been minimal, he said allaying fears.

“Active cases were about 2,000 on December 29 and on January 1 they were 6,000. 262 patients were admitted in hospitals on December 29 and 247 on January 1. On Sunday only 42 oxygen beds are occupied. So, no patient is coming with oxygen requirement. Only 0.22 per cent beds are occupied,” Kejriwal said.

“On March 27 2021, the active cases were 6,600, which is almost the same as the present number of cases at 6,300. During the second wave in April 2021, 1,100 hospital beds were occupied as compared with 42 beds now. That time 145 patients were on ventilators and now only five are on ventilators and daily death count is hardly one or two now against 10 last year,” Kejriwal stated. .

“There is no need to panic this time. It is important to wear masks, wash hands and maintain distance,” Kejriwal stated.

According to Dr Suresh Kumar, Managing Director, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, “We have to be more careful and vigilant at this point in time. We all need to avoid mass gathering, wear masks and follow Covid appropriate behaviour.

Presently hospitalisations are few and limited with moderate cases. Symptoms are fever, cough, bodyache, breathlessness on exertion, throat itching and pain. No children have been admitted so far,” Dr Vikas Maurya, Head of the Department, Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh told BusinessLine .

However, teleconsultations have increased, say some doctors. "The numbers are growing at a rapid pace. There were no such patients in our hospitals just ten days ago and now the number of teleconsultations is on the rise. The majority of the patients in our Covid-19 ward have no severe symptoms, and most of them do not require oxygen,” Dr Akshay Budhraja, Senior Consultant, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Aakash Healthcare added. A doctor at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Delhi said that this time Covid-19 cases are being reported more frequently in elderly people than young people and they are coming in critical condition requiring high flow oxygen support.

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