Boosted COVID-19 immunity, vaccination coverage leading to fewer hospitalisation  

Delhi past peak of current wave, say health experts

With Delhi witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases for the past one month, health experts cite increased vaccination coverage and boosted immunity to COVID-19 as the reason for fewer hospitalisations this wave.

Doctors said hospitalisations are still very low and most patients admitted to hospitals for the disease have comorbidities. A few also mentioned that Delhi might have moved past its peak for the current wave. The cases this time are different from those detected during the Delta wave but similar to the Omicron wave, the doctors added. 

Dr. Ritu Saxena, Deputy Medical Superintendent of Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital, said that most of the COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital have comorbidities. 

As most of the patients admitted to LNJP Hospital are referred from other hospitals, several of them are serious cases, she said. “However, patients’ condition is not turning critical quickly as we saw in the Delta wave last year. The symptoms are similar to the Omicron wave and people are experiencing fever and headache; some have diarrhoea too,” Dr. Saxena added. 

Doctors from two other hospitals also shared a similar opinion.  

Dr. Sumit Ray, head of the critical care department at Holy Family Hospital, said only four COVID-19 patients were currently admitted at the hospital, which was running at full capacity during the Delta wave last year.

“None of them requires oxygen support and they are undergoing treatment at the hospital because they are aged between 84 and 94 years. Also, we don’t have any COVID-19 patient admitted to the ICU,” Dr. Ray said.