New Delhi: Amid a spurt in the daily cases of COVID-19 in Delhi and the infection rate exceeding two percent, the number of home-quarantined patients here has increased by nearly 48 percent in the last week. This information was obtained from official figures. The number of patients living in isolation at home was 574 on Thursday, while 325 new coronavirus patients were reported and the infection rate was recorded at 2.39 percent.
Official sources said that patients of all age groups and both working professionals and students are getting infected and are living in home isolation. However, he did not specify which age group was specifically being affected. The daily cases have been increasing in the last few days, while the infection rate here has been recorded at more than one percent since April 4. It was 1.34 percent on April 4.
As the COVID infection rate in the national capital has increased from 0.57 percent on April 1 to 2.39 percent on April 14, the number of patients in home isolation has increased in the last one week. According to data shared by city health department officials, on April 8, 146 new cases were reported in the city with an infection rate of 1.39 percent and 388 patients were under home isolation.
There has been a steady increase in the number of home-quarantiners during this period, which increased to 574 on 14 April. On 11 April this figure was 447 and on 13 April it was 504. In the last week, there has been an increase of about 48 percent in the cases of isolation at home.
Official sources said, “Very few people are going for a Covid test now, and only those with extreme symptoms are getting tested. Testing cannot be imposed on people and transit testing is not being done at stations, bus depots, and shelters, etc. People who have symptoms are also not going for tests, and only people with co-morbidities are going to hospitals, that too if the situation is serious, hence the number of cases of home isolation has increased.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi Health Minister’s office said in a statement in the evening that if a “significant increase” in cases is observed, home isolation will be implemented to prevent the spread of the infection. The home isolation system proved extremely beneficial for patients during the previous waves of the corona pandemic. In view of this, if the cases increase again, then this system will be implemented.
“Patients with mild coronavirus symptoms will get better treatment at home,” the statement said. CDV teams, along with ANMs, ASHA and paramedical personnel, will visit the homes of coronavirus infected patients and inform them about home isolation and necessary precautions. These teams will assess the health of a patient and provide a home isolation kit with an oximeter. The tele-caller team will call them in the morning and evening to get the patient’s health information. If the patient’s condition is critical, they will be immediately admitted to the hospital.”
According to an official statement, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the government is closely monitoring the situation. He stressed, “The number of people admitted to the hospital is not increasing, so there is no need to panic. There is nothing to worry about now.” The health bulletin issued on Thursday said that hospitals in Delhi have 9,745 beds for COVID-19 patients and 48 (0.49 percent) of them are full.
Doctors on Tuesday said it was “nothing to panic” as the daily number of cases was still low, but cautioned people not to give up taking precautions. Many doctors had also said that very few people are going for COVID tests after the onset of symptoms and people are now preferring to recover at home. But with the increase in infection rate, there has also been a parallel increase in the number of cases of home isolation.
According to official figures, Delhi’s total number of Covid-19 infected and the death toll due to the disease stood at 18,67,206 and 26,158 respectively on Thursday. The infection rate in the national capital stood at 2.7 percent on Monday, the highest in two months. On February 5, this figure was 2.87 percent.
