Amit Shah to discuss COVID-19 with Delhi LG, CM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to hold a meeting on Sunday with Delhi LG Anil Baijal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and members of the State Disaster Management Authorities to review the situation in the national capital regarding the novel coronavirus.

New Delhi:Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others on Sunday to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the national capital.

The meeting comes in the wake of rising cases of the coronavirus in Delhi which reached 36,000 and the pandemic so far claimed more than 1,200 lives in the capital.

"Home Minister, Shri @AmitShah and Health Minister, @drharshvardhan to hold meeting with @LtGovDelhi, CM Delhi & members of SDMA to review situation in the capital regarding COVID-19 tomorrow, 14th June at 11 am. Director AIIMS and other senior officers would also be present," Home Ministry's office tweeted.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kejriwal met Shah and discussed the COVID-19 situation in the national capital in detail. Kejriwal told the media that the Home Minister assured him of all cooperation.

Sources in the Home Ministry told ETV Bharat that Shah has taken a strong note of the increasing number of COVID cases on a daily basis.

Sources said that Sunday's meeting will also highlight the availability of beds and other health infrastructure following reports that a large number of patients have been denied of getting beds for admission.

Meanwhile, a fresh clinical management protocol issued by the Union Health Ministry has suggested that the causative virus (SARS-CoV-2) has a zoonotic source closely related to bat-origin SARS-like Coronavirus.

The protocol also suggested applying airborne precautions "when performing an aerosol-generating procedure."

"Loss of smell (anosmia) of loss of taste (ageusia) preceding the onset of respiratory symptoms has also been reported," the protocol said.

Until now, symptoms like fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, expectoration, myalgia, rhinorrhea, sore throat and diarrhoea were found in Covid19 patients.

The protocol said that drugs like Ramdesivir may be considered in patients with moderate disease (those on oxygen).

It said that Convalescent Plasma may be considered in patients with moderate disease who are not improving despite the use of steroids.

The protocol further said that drugs like Tocilizumab may be considered in patients with moderate disease with progressively increasing oxygen requirements and in mechanically ventilated patients not improving despite the use of steroids.

The protocol said that Hydroxy-chloroquine should be avoided in patients with severe disease.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)