One of the distinctive features of the apocalyptic second wave of Covid-19 was that the crisis used to deepen during the evening. However, after weeks of battling the chaotic situation of over flooded beds and out of space wards, the Covid surge seems to be settling in the hospitals.
The Statesman went to check the situation on the ground at one of the largest Covid cares in the national capital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB) on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. In contrast to what we witnessed 21 days ago, the holding area of its emergency ward where the Covid patients are kept to stabilise before shifting to the wards wore an empty look.
Barring one patient, all the beds in the emergency lied vacant while its courtyard which used to be flooded with the patients as they found no space inside was empty and peaceful. “Nearly after a month, we are able to sit back and relax,” said a doctor on duty in the casualty ward while sitting calmly on a chair.
On April 21, the tragic scenes were witnessed at the Delhi government-run GTB when the emergency ward went full and scores of patients were given medical care at stretchers that queued up right outside the emergency ward.
However, the doctors there now said that the patients rush has reduced in the last two three days. “We are now seeing fewer patients arriving than a week ago. The situation seems to be improving at last,” another doctor said.
The doctors there estimated that the patient’s rush has reduced by 20-25 per cent while the fatalities have also fallen considerably.
“We are now seeing quite fewer patients. The major rush happens during the day, the night remains calm, at least in my last two duties,” the doctor quoted earlier said.
The healthcare staff present there credited the ongoing lockdown for the declining Covid surge. “If it continues further, the situation will come under control rapidly since people will be interacting less,” a senior doctor said.
While all the doctors spoke freely, they requested anonymity as the hospital’s protocol don’t allow them to speak to the media.
Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain said on Tuesday that while the second wave of Covid is still very much on, the national capital is past the peak and the number of cases and the positivity rate are both on their way down.
Delhi on Tuesday continued to witness a dip in new Covid-19 cases, with 12,481 fresh infections recorded in the last 24 hours, which was the lowest since April 12. The positivity rate also came down to 17.76%, the lowest since April 14 this year when it was 15.92%. On April 22, a positivity rate of 36.2%, the highest so far, was recorded.
“The positivity rate has been reducing from the highest 36%. This is a positive sign but we cannot get comfortable. We can’t rest till the positivity rate drops below 5% and the number of new cases below three or four thousand. The reversal of the trend began in April last week, but now it is confirmed that Delhi has crossed the peak,” said Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain in a press briefing on Tuesday.