More beds free up in Capital , fewest admitted with Covid-19 since Jan 10

Covid-19 hospitalisation in the national capital is at an over two-week low amid a downturn in the city's infection tally and active case count, shows data from the Delhi government, which doctors across the city's health care facilities said is an indication that the fifth wave of the pandemic in the city is well under control.

- Soumya Pillai

Delhi government data shows that while Covid-19 hospitalisations started plateauing around 10 days ago, a visible fall in admissions started from January 19, when 2,734 dedicated beds in the city's hospitals were occupied. This number dipped to 2,698 beds on January 20, then to 2,656 on January 21, then to 2,504 on January 22, and to 2424 on January 23.

The trend continued on January 24, when 2,394 hospital beds were occupied, and on January 25, when 2,304 beds in the city were taken up. As on Wednesday, of the 15,420 Covid-19 beds in Delhi, just 2,137 (13.86%) were occupied, the fewest since 1,999 on January 10, showed state government data.

The drop in the number of occupied hospital beds between Tuesday and Wednesday was the largest so far during the fifth wave, with 167 beds freed up in 24 hours.

The seven-day average of infections in Delhi fell to just over 9,000 on Wednesday, the lowest since 8,370 on January 7 this year.

Data shows that the highest proportion of beds occupied in the city was on January 17, when 18% of the city's 15,505 available beds were in use.

Doctors at the city's major Covid-19 hospitals confirmed that these numbers mirrored the downward trend of infections in the Capital.

Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director, Lok Nayak Hospital, the largest Covid hospital in the city run by the state government, said the facility has 98 positive patients admitted, as against 140-150 patients around a fortnight back.