Delhi records two Covid-linked deaths in a week, has third highest active cases after Kerala, Maharashtra

In Delhi, one of the deceased was a 60-year-old woman. “The woman was suffering from acute intestinal obstruction post-laparotomy. The COVID-19 finding was incidental,” an official said.

The other patient was a 71-year-old man who was also suffering from pneumonia, septic shock, and acute kidney injury.

As per the government data, the Capital added 81 cases since Friday, and has recorded three coronavirus-linked deaths since January.

The latest surge in coronavirus cases in India and other Southeast Asian countries has been linked to the spread of Omicron-related variants. The spread of sub-lineages of the JN.1 variant (LF.7 and NB1.8) has been confirmed by health authorities in some countries.

JN.1 is a descendant of the BA.2.86, also known as the ‘Pirola’ strain, belonging to the Omicron lineage. The strain can evade existing immunity and is more transmissible, as per experts. But so far, its symptoms do not differ much from those associated with the Omicron variant.

So far, a majority of cases reported in India are mild, according to experts. But Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, urges caution. “Deaths have been reported but it is not a situation to panic. Around 375 total active cases is not a big number for a city like Delhi. This also means that tests are happening. But we need to remain careful,” he said.

According to Dr Rommel Tickoo, Director, Internal Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, the cases are going up but that should not trigger alarm. “The strain might be more transmissible, so cases will increase, but the fact that it’s not causing complications like severe disease, pneumonia, respiratory failure, death, hospitalisation… there’s no need to panic. And even the deaths which have happened, as you’re saying, it’s happened to people who died of some other reason, and incidentally, they were Covid positive. It’s not a direct Covid-related death,” he said.

Among the patients who have died in Delhi, he said, one of the patients was suffering from pneumonia. “But that pneumonia… was it COVID-related pneumonia? We are yet to know. The patient had septic shock with acute kidney failure. This is not a strain that causes deaths in healthy young people. So , unless you have morbidities and you have other issues only then you will have a complication, and that’s what seems to be the case in these two,” he added.

To curb transmissibility, Dr Tickoo underlined, it’s important to wear a mask and wash hands. “If you’re 60 at home, do the same thing. All hospitals are also prepared to tackle any surge again, but it’s unlikely that we will reach such a situation where the hospital beds will be overwhelmed. Because the majority of the population is immune,” he said.

People with co-morbidities and low immunity should be wearing a mask, washing hands, taking all the precautions because there are chances that they will end up with complications if they get infected, he stressed.

An overview of NCR

Meanwhile, other neigbouriing cities in Delhi have also seen a rise in cases. The tally of active coronavirus cases in Faridabad in Haryana reached 16 on Saturday, while Gurgaon has 14 active cases, after seven patients recovered in May, said officials.

“All the pandemic-era precautionary measures and advisories, including mask-wearing, have been reissued and reiterated to hospitals. For now, we have made available 500 beds across isolation wards in government hospitals and other sites. We will increase the number if and when the need arises. We have told hospitals to conduct tests for those showing symptoms. There is no reason to panic, the situation is well under control,” Gurgaon’s Chief Medical Office,r Dr Alka Singh, had told The Indian Express last week.

Noida, on the other hand, has 57 active cases. “Of these, 30 are men and 27 are women,” said Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Tikam Singh. He said that a mock drill was conducted on Saturday in Noida to ensure that the administration and hospital are ready for any emergency. “All of the patients have common flu-like symptoms, and so no one is admitted, but we are keeping a tab on them,” said Singh.

Meanwhile, in Ghaziabad, there are 19 active positive cases. “Of these, 17 patients are at home and two of them are admitted to a private hospital,” said Chief Medical Officer Ghazibad Akhilesh Mohan. Mohan said that all hospitals in the district are in alert mode.