45% Delhi-NCR Homes Have At Least 1 Person with Covid-like Symptoms, Indicates Survey

A survey by community social media platform LocalCircles has found that 45 per cent of Delhi-NCR households currently have 1 or more family members with symptoms of Covid or flu.

While experts say the daily caseloads of Covid do not matter any more as the majority of the people with SARS-CoV-2 symptoms are avoiding testing, what matters is the test positivity rate which indicates how prevalent is the virus.

At a national level, India has a Covid test positivity rate of slightly above 8 per cent but Delhi is reporting 32 per cent, a rate not seen in any of the three waves of Covid in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

To understand the prevalence of the coronavirus, whose variant XBB.1.16 or Arcturus is dominant in the capital currently and has nearly 120 patients in ICU with 116 needing oxygen, LocalCircles carried out a ground-up survey.

The study attempted to understand what percentage of families currently have one or more members down with Covid-like symptoms and what exactly are they doing to get better.

The survey received over 19,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad. 67 per cent respondents were men while 33 per cent were women.

In the first set of questions, the data shows that while 55 per cent of households surveyed have no one unwell, 18 per cent have four or more individuals unwell. Another 18 per cent have 2-3 individuals unwell and 9 per cent have one individual unwell with symptoms like fever, runny nose, cough, headache, joint pain, body ache, respiratory issues, pink eye, etc.

Some among the 10,098 respondents indicated more than one option in the survey. The largest group of 50 per cent indicated taking paracetamol. 38 per cent indicated also using cough syrup. 38 per cent indicated consuming home remedies like warm fluids with herbs, spices, tea, etc. 25 per cent said they are using ointments for cold or congestion. 25 per cent are taking anti-allergy tablets. 25 per cent are taking steam inhalation. 38 per cent others said they were taking AYUSH medicines/remedies and 13 per cent confirmed taking antibiotics.

The government and health experts have been warning not to take antibiotics for Covid unless advised by a doctor.

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