Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Despite an advisory issued by the Delhi government urging hospitals to prepare for COVID-19, health experts have clarified that there is no surge in cases and the current situation remains under control. As of May 19, India has only 257 active COVID-19 cases—almost all of which are mild and require no hospitalisation.
Experts say no cause for panic
Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said on Friday that the few detected cases are isolated and manageable. “There are, at most, sporadic cases, which are also rare. No one has been hospitalised or moved to ICU. The situation is not one of panic,” he explained. He added that COVID-19 has largely transitioned into a seasonal flu-type illness.
Echoing similar views, Dr Dhiren Gupta of Sir Gangaram Hospital said that while body aches, fevers, and cold symptoms are common, there is no major spike in hospital admissions. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, and we may begin testing more patients. But since 2022, we’ve not seen significant problems, except briefly among infants during the Omicron phase,” he noted.
Delhi government issues precautionary advisory
The Delhi government has advised all hospitals—public and private—to review their preparedness, including availability of beds, oxygen supply, and essential medicines. According to officials, this is part of routine surveillance and not a reaction to any alarming trend. The advisory asked hospitals to send positive COVID-19 samples to Lok Nayak Hospital for genome sequencing to track new variants.
Hospitals have also been directed to ensure that ventilators, BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and PSA plants are fully functional. Refresher training sessions for healthcare staff have also been recommended.
Data tracking and testing protocols updated
The advisory mandates that hospitals report daily cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). Confirmed COVID-19 and influenza cases should be logged using prescribed formats, and testing of 5% ILI and 100% SARI cases must be carried out as per ICMR guidelines.
It also reiterated the need for respiratory hygiene, including mask usage in healthcare settings and regular handwashing.
Union Health Ministry on alert
The Union Health Ministry continues to monitor the situation closely through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Officials stress that while the public should not panic, basic precautions such as hand hygiene, wearing masks in crowded areas, and avoiding unnecessary gatherings are still advisable.
