Image used for representative purpose onlyNEW DELHI: The current strain of the Covid-19 coronavirus may not be as deadly as the earlier ones. However, immuno-compromised individuals should still take precautions against infection. The daily fatality numbers may appear alarming, but doctors said most deaths were of people with comorbidities, whose conditions were worsened by infection. “Milder means most people will not be infected by the Omicron variant and the percentage of those suffering critical complications will be lower,” said Dr Sumit Ray, head of critical care medicine, Holy Family Hospital. Only in some cases, particularly among those who are immune-suppressed, may the infection prove strong.” Ray pointed out that the coronavirus would linger on, there would be infection spikes on and off and at some point, it might mutate to become dangerous. There have been 32 deaths in the past 10 days. But most of the deaths are of patients with co-morbidities and the fatalities cannot be fully attributed to Covid. Hospitals said that very few patients presenting with Covid were double vaccinated. “The majority requiring hospitalisation are not vaccinated or only partially immunised,” said Ray. Lok Nayak Hospital director Dr Suresh Kumar cited the example of a 73-year-old patient. “He was already suffering from tuberculosis and was in hospital when he was infected by the coronavirus,” said Kumar. “People admitted for Covid are cancer patients, chronic kidney patients, those requiring dialysis. But yes, admission of Covid-positive patients is rising. We currently have 73 patients, including two children aged 11 and 8 years.” Hospitals are also seeing incidental cases of corona infection, that is, patients arrive for help with breathlessness, diarrhoea, chronic kidney diseases, fluid overload and other ailments and then their Covid tests prove affirmative. There are also anxiety admissions, or patients with comorbidities reporting to hospital out of fear, according to Ray. However, there is no surge in patients requiring oxygen or ventilator support. The increased admissions reflect the need of people to be under medical observation as well as to isolate themselves from family. Among critical cases in hospitals are those who are already suffering from severe pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, etc, and who later tested positive for Covid. “Elderly patients with pneumonia and infected by the coronavirus have poor prognosis,” said Dr Avi Kumar, senior pulmonology consultant, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. Dr Akshay Budhraja of Aakash Healthcare similarly noted, “Of the few with severe Covid infection in our institutions, one is a known diabetic, another has congestive heart failure.” FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIAFacebookTwitterInstagramKOO APPYOUTUBE
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/omicron-not-mild-for-the-frail-32-deaths-in-delhi-in-10-days/articleshow/93487482.cms
