Mumbai recorded 1,566 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, its third-highest single-day jump, pushing its tally to 28,817. The city also recorded 40 more fatalities, taking its death toll to 949.
Of the latest victims, 25 were men and 15 were women. Of them, 22 had co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. While four victims were below 40 years, 14 were between 40 and 60 years, and 21 were above 60 years.
As on Saturday, 583 patients were admitted to various intensive care units in the city, while 198 were on ventilator support. So far, 5,392 patients have been admitted to dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and health centres. Of them, 1,336 are in private hospitals. As many as 3,658 are undergoing treatment at the COVID-19 Care Centres meant for mild or asymptomatic patients.
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Remdesivir hopes
Patients admitted in the civic-run Nair hospital will soon receive the anti-viral drug remdesivir. Dr. Mohan Joshi, the hospital’s dean, said several vials reached the hospital on Saturday. He said, “We will start administering it to moderately severe patients who qualify for it depending on their health condition.” Dr. Joshi said one patient requires about 11 vials. “We are procuring the drug at ₹85,000 for a course of 11 vials,” he said.
An IAS officer admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra was administered the injection on Saturday. Doctors said the officer’s family procured the drug on compassionate grounds.
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33 cases in Dharavi
Dharavi, the city’s largest and densest slum pocket, recorded 33 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing its tally to 1,514.
A patient who had tested positive from the area succumbed on Saturday, taking the death toll to 58. The youngest to test positive on Saturday was a 12-year-old girl from Kumbharwada, which continues to report many cases. Other localities such as Matunga Labour Camp, Kalyanwadi, Social Nagar, and Mukund Nagar continue to report more cases every day.
On Saturday, 396 patients were discharged, taking the city’s recovery rate to 26%. A total of 7,476 patients have recovered from the virus so far. Recently, a 90-year-old woman from Dharavi had recovered from COVID-19. In a Facebook post, Manisha Mhaiskar, principal secretary on special deputation to the BMC, wrote that the elderly patient had hypertension and was admitted to Sion hospital with severe respiratory distress.
Doctors win praise
“Doctors at Sion did all that they could clinically to help her survive.. improve .. and miraculously she did improve, after 16 days of Sion care,” Ms. Mhaiskar wrote. She also praised the doctors at Nair hospital for treating over 100 COVID-19 patients undergoing dialysis.