Mumbai, May 12 () The coronavirus tally in the cityshot up to 14,781 on Tuesday with the detection of 426 newcases, while the toll rose to 556 with 28 more deaths, theBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
The BMC said civic-run hospitals, including KEM andNair, have started administering a new medicine, tocilizumab(an injection), to help improve health condition of severeCOVID-19 patients and claimed the result has been encouraging.
It said 613 new suspected coronavirus patients wereadmitted at various hospitals in the metropolis, the worst hitby COVID-19 in Maharashtra.
Also, 203 more patients recovered from the disease anddischarged from hospitals, taking the number of such peopleto 3,313, it said.
According to a BMC release, 1,006 patients have beendischarged so far from civic-run Seven Hills Hospital insuburban Marol, which has a capacity of 898 beds.
The hospital's bed capacity will be increased to 1,300soon, the civic body said.
The BMC said of the 28 fresh deaths due to COVID-19,17 patients had co-morbidities.
The use of tocilizumab in COVID-19 patients who are inserious condition has been encouraging, the civic body said.
"It has been used in approximately 40 severe COVIDpatients so far. Encouraging results were seen in more than 30patients and 14 such patients have recovered anddischarged,"said the release.
The civic body claimed the medicine has improvedcondition of patients, prevented patients from going onventilator and also aided in their recovery.
According to the BMC, this drug has been used based onexperience of many physicians and hospitals world over.
Meanwhile, the BMC has decided to pay an"encouragement allowance" of Rs 500 to each employee who wrapsthe bodies of COVID-19 patients in plastic sheets. Usually,two persons are required to wrap one body.
Mumbai COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases14,781, new cases 426, discharged: 3313, deaths, 556, activecases 10,912. KKRSY RSY