First COVID patient reported in NCR: Woman tests positive in Noida

Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 24 (ANI): A 55-year-old woman from the National Capital Region has been tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first case in Uttar Pradesh's Noida amid the recent surge in cases in India, as per the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Gautam Buddha Nagar.
According to the CMO, Narendra Kumar, the woman from Sector 110 in Noida has been placed under home isolation, with her husband and maid, who are part of the household, testing negative for the virus.
He further added that the woman had travelled by train a few days back.
Earlier, AIIMS Rishikesh had reported three COVID cases, adding to the recent surge in cases across the country. Speaking with ANI, Rishikesh AIIMS Director Meenu Singh informed that one of the three patients has already been discharged.
"Three COVID patients have been reported in the AIIMS... One has been discharged... Another patient is one of our residents. She has been kept in isolation. Another patient is from Gujarat who came here for the Badrinath Yatra," Dr Meenu Singh said.
Dr Singh also mentioned that this variant of COVID is not very harmful, but people should be cautious.
"The state has kept us on alert. We have implemented COVID-appropriate behaviour in our institute... This variant is not very harmful, but if someone has any comorbidities... then they should get themselves checked," she said.
Meanwhile, in view of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in various parts of the country, the Delhi government has issued an advisory directing all hospitals to ensure preparedness for the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines, and vaccines.
However, according to the experts, the situation is under control.
Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, said on Friday, "At the moment, the situation is under control. There are, at most, sporadic cases, which are also rare. Even the present cases are being managed very easily."
"They are not being hospitalised. This is what we were expecting: that when COVID happened, it would remain a seasonal flu which could be treated very easily. The situation is not one of panic..." he further said.
"We haven't seen any hospitalised or ICU Covid-19 cases in the hospital. Only hype has been created, but there is no need to panic," he said.
As of May 19, the number of active COVID-19 cases in India stands at 257 - a very low figure considering the country's large population. Almost all of these cases are mild, with no hospitalisation required. The government also has a robust system for surveillance of respiratory viral illnesses, including COVID-19, through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the ICMR. (ANI)