New Delhi: Admission to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is not required for most Covid-19 patients in the current scenario, a top doctor at a Delhi hostipal has said.
The symptoms are milder this time, and there is no major concern, though people should be vigilant as the virus is continuously mutating, Dr Ashish Khattar, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, at Delhi's Venkateshwar Hospital, said in an interview to news agency ANI on Wednesday.
People Need To Be More Vigilant: Dr Khattar
ANI shared a video of the interview with Khattar on Twitter Wednesday.
Asked if there has been any incresse in the ICU admissions of late, the doctor replied that there was not a single ICU admission at the Venkateshwar Hospital.
He said that the hospital currently had 11 to 12 patients who were positive for Covid-19, adding that all of them are stable and none of them is in the ICU.
Asked if it can be said that ICU admission is not required in most of the cases in Delhi, Dr Khattar said the current perception is that ICU admission is not required in the current scenario. However, he added, it is important to understand that Covid-19 is a viral infection and mutations have been happening, and hence one needs to be vgilant. He cited examples such as Delmicron and Florona.
"We really don't know when the mutations turn up again and the illness becomes severe," he said. Suggesting that people need to be vigilant whether it is a mild infection or severe, Dr Khattar said it is never known when a minor situation takes a turn for the worse.
He said though the symptoms were definitely milder this time, and there was no major concern, people must take the same precautions that everyone was asked to take during the first two waves of Covid-19, and stay cautious.
Dr Khattar said wearing double masks and maintaining social distancing are recommended, adding that people must avoid crowded places unless it is an emergency.