Covid cases in Delhi may peak in couple of weeks

New Delhi: A newborn diagnosed with COVID-19 has been admitted to LNJP Hospital here, its medical director said on Thursday, as he cautioned that coronavirus cases in the national capital will peak in the next couple of weeks. Delhi's single-day caseload additions on Wednesday breached the 1,000-mark for the first time in over seven months while the positivity rate stood at 23.8 per cent, according to data shared by the Health department.

The national capital logged 1,149 fresh cases and one fatality on Wednesday. Dr Suresh Kumar, the medical director at LNJP Hospital, told PTI during an interaction that wearing masks has been made "mandatory" at the facility. The 2,000-bed British-era facility is the largest hospital under the Delhi government. "Children are not vaccinated, so we need to take precautions for them as they are getting symptoms like fever, cough, eye infection and stomach infection as well. This variant (XBB.1.16) is affecting children more.

An 18-day-old newborn has even been admitted to our hospital and the child is Covid positive," he said. Four more children are admitted to the hospital, Kumar said. It is better to wear masks in schools and public places and even senior citizens should wear masks. Precaution is surely better, he said.

"We will see the peak of Covid cases in one-two weeks and the graph will go down from thereon," Kumar said, adding, "We have made all arrangements in the hospital for patients, including children, as they are coming in more numbers with infection". Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Thursday said the government is reviewing the situation and guidelines for schools will be issued soon. The national capital has witnessed a spurt in single-day caseload additions over the last fortnight amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country. The number of fresh cases had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic. Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts have said the virus' new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the surge.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday said there were no indications that Omicron variant XBB.1.16 was leading to severe infection among children, and assured that the government was closely monitoring the situation. "Commonly, any illness affects the children and elderly. But there is no information coming in from experts that says that the Omicron XBB.1.16 variant infection is more severe among children. "I would advise people with low immunity or those with severe illnesses to avoid crowded places and wear masks."

AIIMS Delhi has issued an advisory making it mandatory for all hospital staff to wear masks inside the premises and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.