COVID-19 spike in Delhi mainly among young, says AIIMS Chief
What's the story
The recent coronavirus spike in Delhi has primarily affected the younger generation, AIIMS Chief Dr. Randeep Guleria has said. A sizeable number of patients are reporting "milder symptoms," he asserted. He added that there's a need to remain vigilant as the disease could spread to the older population, trigger serious symptoms, and eventually overburden the healthcare resources, reports Indian Express. Here's more.
Numbers
How serious is the coronavirus situation in Delhi?
On Monday evening, Delhi reported 1,904 new coronavirus cases, the highest since December 13. A day before that, 1,881 new cases were logged. However, on Tuesday, the daily cases tally witnessed a slight dip, owing to fewer tests on Holi. Reportedly, after 36,757 tests, 992 turned out to be positive. Delhi's total case tally stands at 6,60,611 and deaths at 11,016.
Statement
Dr. Guleria cited Maharashtra's example to alert citizens
Dr. Guleria said that residents in Delhi have to remain alert to avoid a situation like Maharashtra, the worst-hit Indian state. "We are witnessing a surge in cases in the younger age group. But this will spread to the elderly, as has been seen in Maharashtra, where it started with milder cases and then we found an increasing number of cases," he said.
Quote
Delhi isn't running out of hospital beds yet
"There is an increase in the number of patients getting admitted but it's not that we are running out of beds yet. As the cases go up, we will reach a situation where more and more patients will get admitted and that is the cause of concern," he added.
Prediction
'Cases will increase because of surge in neighboring states'
He underlined that people's behavior will determine the intensity of the current coronavirus wave. "In many ways, this is a situation we have got ourselves into. For some time now, the cases will increase because of the surge in the neighboring states as well," he went on. Dr. Guleria said the situation may stabilize with aggressive steps, like increased testing and marking containment zones.
Lockdowns
He claimed 'localized lockdowns' would be more effective
When asked about lockdowns, Dr. Guleria said they might not be as effective in stemming the spread as containment zones. "I think the solution would be to identify the areas where there has been a sudden surge in the clusters and have a containment zone which can be like a localized lockdown," he said, suggesting that people there must be tested, treated, and isolated.