Delhi has reported 23 active cases of Covid-19 as of May 22, confirmed Health Minister Dr Pankaj Singh on Friday.
Singh said all patients are stable. “Two to three patients are admitted to private hospitals while the others are being monitored… We will see if these patients are from Delhi or from outside Delhi. There is no need to panic because the strain is similar to influenza,” he said.
The minister said hospitals are prepared to tackle any surge in cases. “We have had a conversation with medical superintendents regarding preparations. Eight of our senior officials are visiting hospitals daily. Our hospitals are prepared with oxygen and oximeters,” he said.
The state health department has issued an order to all government and private hospitals to ensure there are adequate beds and supply of oxygen, antibiotics, and other drugs and vaccines.
According to health department officials, an advisory will also be issued soon.
The cases in Delhi, and other parts of the country, come after a spike was reported in Asian countries.
According to reports, the spread of Omicron-related variants has led to the rise. The sub-lineages of the JN.1 variant (LF.7 and NB1.8) have been confirmed by health authorities in these countries. JN.1 is a descendant of the BA.2.86, also known as ‘Pirola’ strain, belonging to the Omicron lineage.
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“This strain can evade existing immunity and is more transmissible. But so far, it does not differ much from symptoms associated with Omicron,” said Dr Jatin Ahuja, infectious disease specialist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi.
India has seen fresh cases of Covid-19 in recent weeks, with most cases being reported from Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. However, most cases are mild and not associated with severity or mortality.
According to Dr Rommel Tickoo, Director, Internal Medicine at Max Hospital in Saket, there is no need to panic as the strain is not leading to a spike in hospitalisations or episodes of pneumonia.
“It’s a new strain, but it is behaving like a seasonal flu. There is nothing to worry about. Patients with comorbid conditions and those who are immunocompromised need to remain cautious,” he said.
Patients have sore throat, cough and fever, all akin to symptoms of flu-like illnesses. Some may have nausea or conjunctivitis, like in earlier waves, said doctors.
Dr Tickoo said even testing has not been required for far because patients are not showing any severe symptoms.
Advisory for hospitals
According to the health department, hospitals have been told to ensure equipment such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, and oxygen concentrators are in functional condition.
“Refresher training of dedicated staff may be conducted. Report Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in all health facilities (OPD/IPD) daily on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal. Confirmed influenza and Covid-19 cases may also be reported on IHIP…,” the advisory added.
The order, issued by the Special Secretary, instructed daily reporting of all parameters on the Delhi State Health Data Management Portal and adequate testing as per Covid-19 testing guidelines.
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“Ensure Covid-19 testing of 5% ILI cases & 100% SARI cases. ICMR guidelines for testing are attached. Send all positive Covid-19 samples for whole genome sequencing to Lok Nayak Hospital to enable timely detection of new variants, if any,” said the advisory.
Neighbouring Gurgaon and Faridabad have also reported cases.
Two cases of Covid have been detected in Gurgaon, following which the district chief medical officer has assured the public that there is no cause for concern as yet. The cases involve a 62-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman who returned from Mumbai.
