Over 1L people recuperate from COVID; 40 pc of total recoveries in July alone

More than one lakh people have recuperated from coronavirus infection in the national capital so far, the Delhi government's health bulletin said on Saturday as the recovery rate stood over 83 per cent. Meanwhile, some Delhi hospitals are treating young patients, mostly children, exhibiting symptoms of Kawasaki-like syndrome and there is presumably a link with COVID-19, doctors have said.

More than one lakh people have recuperated from coronavirus infection in the national capital so far, the Delhi government's health bulletin said on Saturday as the recovery rate stood over 83 per cent. Delhi has 16,711 active cases, the bulletin said, the lowest in the last 40 days.

According to the daily bulletin, over 1,475 fresh cases have been reported, taking the overall coronavirus tally here to 1,21,582. With 26 fresh fatalities, the death toll reached 3,597. This is the second consecutive day when the lowest single-day fatality count has been recorded since June 9. This is also the eighth consecutive day when fresh cases have been reported in the range of 1,000 to 2,000. On Friday, the national capital recorded 1,462 fresh cases. The total recoveries in the national capital stand at 1,01,274 – nearly 15 per cent of those who have recuperated across the country. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data, as on Saturday, the country had 10,38,716 cases, while 6,53,751 have recovered so far. Delhi has recorded significant recoveries during the last three weeks. July so far has alone recorded 40,963 recoveries. Of the 11,840 beds for coronavirus patients, only 3,635 remain occupied. Of the 9,824 beds in dedicated COVID Care centres, 2,291 are occupied.    More than 7,98,783 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the national capital so far. Meanwhile, some Delhi hospitals are treating young patients, mostly children, exhibiting symptoms of Kawasaki-like syndrome and there is presumably a link with COVID-19, doctors have said. Paediatric experts at a leading hospital here said in nearly fifty per cent of these cases, patients become "more serious" than those suffering from regular Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease is an illness with an unknown cause that leads blood vessels to become inflamed. It affects children, mostly aged below five. "In the past few months, particularly in the last six weeks, we have received patients who exhibited Kawasaki-like syndrome. There is a presumed link of this to past COVID cases, as either some of these patients were found to be COVID-19 positive or with antibodies in response to the disease," said Dr Dhiren Gupta, senior consultant, paediatrics department at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) here.

The SGRH has seen six such cases with Kawasaki-like syndrome. While four such patients got discharged, a two-year-old is in the ICU at the moment and a four-year-old in the ward. At Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital attached to the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), doctors said there were five to six cases in which children treated in COVID areas and COVID suspect areas had symptoms like those of the Kawasaki disease in which the blood vessels become inflamed throughout the body.  "There could be other reasons behind the ailment, but as we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic, the disease most likely is related to the novel coronavirus infection,” said N N Mathur, Medical Director of the LHMC.

Doctors said the symptoms of Kawasaki syndrome are fever for 3-5 days and redness of eyes and lips. In serious cases that have been presented at hospitals, the fever could last longer, blood pressure drops, and there is change in echocardiogram patterns, they said.

In a related development, AAP leader and Kalkaji MLA Atishi, who has recovered from COVID-19, donated her plasma to the 'plasma bank' of a state-run facility here on Saturday, and urged others to also do it. The step by the AAP legislator drew praise from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"The required tests and counselling was done at the ILBS this afternoon, and later she donated plasma," a senior official said. The first-of-its-kind 'plasma bank' in the country was recently set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS) in south Delhi.

A person who has recently recovered from COVID-19 usually develops antibodies against the coronavirus. The antibodies are collected and transferred to a sick patient through plasma. Each person can donate 250-500 ml of plasma. The first dosage of 250 ml is given to the recipient, and if needed a second dosage of 250 ml after 24 hours can be given. "Donated plasma at the ILBS Plasma Bank today! Would like to urge all recovered COVID patients to come forward and donate their plasma. It is very rare that one gets an opportunity to save someone's life; and plasma can do just that!," Atishi tweeted.

Chief Minister Kejriwal has been urging people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma. AAP spokesperson Akshay Marathe also donated plasma, and shared pictures on Twitter. Earlier, AAP's Karol Bagh MLA Vishesh Ravi had also donated his plasma after recovering from coronavirus.