3rd wave: No O2 crisis in city hospitals yet

According to city doctors, though the city witnessed 314 hospital admissions and around 15,000 cases, the current situation is still manageable but caution should be adopted.

Kumaran P | NT

Bengaluru: While the number of Covid- 19 cases in the city are rising day by day and have touched 15, 000, patients requiring oxygen is still less. According to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) report on the city’s hospitalisation - out of the 314 patients hospitalised 111 patients are on HDU (High Density Unit) oxygenated beds, 36 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and 12 patients are on the ICU-V (ventilator) beds.

On Wednesday a total of 15,617 COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Bengaluru. According to city doctors, 314 hospital admissions and 15, 000 cases are still manageable but with lot of caution.

A senior doctor, said, “Currently hospitalisation rate is 1 to 2% and we are expecting it to continue to be low going further. Those that were hospitalised with serious illness were aged above 60 years and were from the comorbid groups. “Also we need to understand that there has not been a single case requiring oxygen support”, he added.

“This is because vaccination has kept people safe from severe forms of infection that Delta variant could cause. Omicron by nature is less virulent as per the current data. This makes it clear that the current situation is not worrisome.”

Doctor added that staying cautious and following Covid appropriate Behaviour (CAB) is important to ensure we not only stay safe from catching infection but also we break the chain.

Another doctor said, “Although there are a few cases reported to be hospitalised, the severity is less. Although we need not worry, we still must not forget to strictly adhere to CAB. Any negligence, especially in areas where the delta variant is dominant, would lead to stress on the healthcare system of the country.”

We now have to focus on cutting down on the chances of spread of infection, he added.

“It is important that the public at large must be aware of their share of responsibility in curbing the spread of infection. This is the only way we can end the current third wave at a lighter level.”

In Maharashtra, the government there has declared that the usage of oxygen should go upto 800 metric ton and only then they will declare a lockdown. The experts from the medical fraternity have also said that all Omicron cases do not require much oxygen, but, however, people who are not vaccinated are at risk.