Noida reports 19 Covid cases, 15 in three days. Health officials on alert. What doctors said

“The total number of cases is 19, with eight males and 11 females. The age range is between 24 and 71 years. All are in home isolation,” said deputy chief medical officer of Noida Dr Tikam Singh.

Over the past three days, Gautam Budh Nagar has reported 15 Covid cases with one on Saturday, eight on Sunday and six on Monday, prompting the health department to remain on alert.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and prepared to respond swiftly if numbers increase,” said Dr Narendra Kumar, chief medical officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Among the confirmed cases, a 43-year-old resident of Sector 119 had recently returned from Chennai, while the remaining patients have no travel history and are residents of Noida or Greater Noida.

According to health officials, all the infections were detected at private hospitals or diagnostic labs. Only one patient required hospitalisation before being shifted to home care. Contacts of the infected individuals have not exhibited symptoms and have not been tested yet, but will be if symptoms appear, officials added.

Samples for genome sequencing have been requested from private hospitals and will be sent to laboratories in Delhi or Lucknow. Follow-up testing for the infected patients is scheduled after seven days.

District authorities have confirmed the operational readiness of seven oxygen plants at government hospitals, which underwent mock drills last month. A dedicated COVID-19 ward at the district hospital can also be activated within a day, if necessary.

Amid concerns over rising cases, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Rajiv Bahl said, “There is no need to hit the panic button just yet on the rising cases of Covid in the country.”

He explained that the circulating sub-variant is a descendant of the Omicron variant, to which Indians have already been exposed.