As the number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi has reached an all-time low, the national capital is now under a new menace- the dengue virus. The number of dengue cases in Delhi is increasing each day, with the total number of cases reported till now being 2,700.
As per a report released on November 8, the total number of deaths due to dengue in the national capital is now 9, the most recent fatality being a three-year-old girl. This became the highest number of fatalities reported in a year since 2017 when a total of 10 deaths were reported due to dengue in Delhi.
Out of the 2,700 dengue cases reported in Delhi this year, the cases logged in the past one week have crossed the 1,100 mark, as per the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), the nodal agency for tabulating data on vector-borne diseases in the city.
Most recently, three people succumbed to the dengue infection in Delhi, bringing the total death toll to nine for 2021. This included a 63-year-old man from Rohini, a three-year-old girl from Saurabh Vihar in Badarpur, and a 12-year-old boy from Durga Vihar in Deoli.
The rate of spread of dengue in Delhi is rampant, with the total number of cases reported in just the first week of November being 1,171. The number of dengue cases reported in the national capital in the month of October was 1,196.
According to the SDMC report, the month-wise distribution of dengue cases in 2021 stands as- zero in January, two in February, five in March, 10 in April, 12 in May, seven in June, 16 in July, 72 in August, 217 in September 1196 in October and 1171 in November till now.
Recently, the Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had directed all the hospitals to divert one-third of their COVID-19 beds to dengue patients as the demand is increasing with the rising number of cases.
The spike in dengue, malaria and chikungunya cases across Delhi is leading the local bodies and authorities to increase their fogging and spraying drives. The citizens are also being directed to make sure that there is no stagnant water collected near or inside their houses, as it provides a breeding space for the disease.
