Doctors report increased severe COVID-19 cases as some say peak yet to come
New delhi: As daily COVID-19 cases in Delhi cross 7,000, doctors here report that patients with more severe cases are being admitted, especially with the amalgamation of early winters and pollution. The health experts have called the situation worrying and have also pointed out that the trend is expected to continue in the coming days.
Speaking to Millennium Post Dr Vikas Maurya, Director and Head of Department, Pulmonology at Fortis Hospital said that this still cannot be called the peak as the city might see a further increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
He added, "Right now we are seeing more severe cases. Earlier, when it started people with mild symptoms would get themselves admitted. Now, the mild cases are taking care of themselves at home and we are seeing more severe patients at the hospital. If I compare my admissions of what we had in May, now, I am having more severe patients. So, most of my patients are in the moderate to severe category."
Meanwhile, medical experts have also spoken of COVID-19 and ICU beds filling up fast and warned against a crisis to come. "The fact that Delhi now leads the tally of COVID cases in India and has about 4,000 containment zones is a major cause of concern. The healthcare system is likely to be the first casualty - the number of patients in ICUs is already increasing and will fast reach the threshold. This will make managing severe COVID patients difficult - unlike mild and moderate ones, they need more specialised attention and intense monitoring and can't be treated at home," Dr Inder Kumar Kasturia, Consultant, Family Medicine, Aakash Healthcare said.
Dr HS Chhabra Medical Director at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre - a COVID dedicated hospital – said that according to Niti Ayog, Delhi could witness close to 15,000 cases per day. "With the festival season, winters, pollution and gradual lifting of all curbs, this is bound to increase. The predictions of Niti Ayog are quite accurate," he added.
He also said that this is a very crucial phase where "we can't afford to go wrong. We have to be very vigilant. You have to restrict the vulnerable population."
A senior doctor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) calling the situation dangerous said that as beds are filling up at a fast pace, policymaking decisions need to come at the forefront.
"We have to also realise that healthcare workers are also regularly getting affected and we might see a panic-like situation soon. The vaccine is not going to come anytime soon and people have to be vigilant and need to understand the gravity of the situation. We are also seeing numerous patients with severe symptoms just as we are progressing," the doctor said on the condition of anonymity.
