Delhi recorded its first two COVID-19-related deaths in the past 48 hours, during the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The fatalities include a 60-year-old woman who underwent abdominal surgery and a 71-year-old man who developed respiratory complications.
As of May 31, 2025, Delhi has reported a total of three COVID-19-related deaths this year, including the two recent cases.
Official data states that the 60-year-old woman died at a city hospital due to a severe intestinal blockage, a complication that arose after she underwent a laparotomy — a major abdominal surgery.
“The death is unlikely to have been caused by the viral infection alone,” said Dr. Meet Gonia, a respiratory physician at the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD), when asked about the Delhi woman’s case.
He explained that patients who undergo surgical procedures are often placed on immunosuppressants for a period ranging from one week to a month, making them vulnerable even to mild bacterial infections.
Meanwhile, speaking about the second fatality, a 71-year-old man from Delhi, Dr Gonia said the patient’s advanced age likely made him more susceptible to the viral infection. “The symptoms of pneumonia, along with septic shock and acute kidney injury, were complications caused by the COVID-19 virus and led to the patient’s death, primarily due to his age,” he added.
However, Dr Gonia maintained that the currently circulating Omicron variant is not as lethal as the strains seen during the earlier COVID-19 waves between 2020 and 2022. Most of the recent deaths, he said, can be attributed to complications arising from pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, AIDS, or chronic kidney and lung diseases.
Advanced age, weakened immunity in patients undergoing chemotherapy, and those with organ transplants are other factors that increase vulnerability, he added.
Meanwhile, the capital has seen a sharp surge in COVID-19 infections, with cases rising nearly 75-fold, from just 5 on May 19 to 375 by May 31. Delhi continues to rank among the top three states in active cases, with Kerala leading at 1,336 infections, followed by Maharashtra with 467. Government data also showed that 52 patients in Delhi were cured or discharged in a single day.
Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, doctors have advised the public to follow basic hygiene practices such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and maintaining a balanced, healthy diet.
They recommend increasing protein intake while moderating carbohydrates and fatty foods, and including fresh fruits and vegetables to boost antioxidant levels, particularly vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity.
“Diabetic patients should manage their blood sugar levels more carefully, as uncontrolled sugar creates fertile ground for the virus to multiply, weakening the body’s defences and increasing the risk of infection,” Dr Gonia added.