Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country.
New Delhi: Covid cases in Delhi breached the 200 mark on Tuesday for the first time since September last year with the national capital recording 214 fresh cases of the viral disease. According to data shared by the city health department, the positivity rate climbed to 11.82 per cent.
Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country. The number of fresh cases had earlier seen a decline over the last few months. It had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the pandemic broke out.
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However, Delhi recorded 115 fresh coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday. The city logged 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on Sunday and 139 cases with a positivity rate of 4.98 per cent on Saturday.
It saw 152 cases with a positivity rate of 6.66 per cent on Friday and 117 cases with a positivity rate of 4.95 per cent on Thursday.
With the fresh cases, Delhi’s COVID-19 tally has increased to 20,09,061, while the death toll due to the viral infection stands at 26,524. The data also showed that 1,811 Covid tests were conducted on Monday.
No need to panic, says medical experts
Doctors said that despite a surge in Covid cases, hospitals across the country were not getting a rush of Covid patients as yet. They said that coronavirus patients were showing similar set of symptoms as during the third wave of the pandemic in India between January and March last year.
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Medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge. However, they maintain that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of the vaccines.
Dr NK Gupta, pulmonologist at the Safdarjung Hospital, who spoke to ANI, the reason behind the spike is people being negligent. He advised that people follow COVID-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks and maintaining social distance. He further said the Safdarjung Hospital is prepared and more than 200 beds have been kept ready for COVID-19 cases.
They also say this rise in the number of cases could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said there were not many influenza cases in the city hospitals and the situation was being monitored closely.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said the rise in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A sub-type H3N2 virus.
The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisations than the other sub-types. The symptoms include a runny nose, persistent cough and fever.
