CHENNAI: With around 21.3 per cent of its population falling under the “vulnerable” category, the Teynampet zone of the Chennai Corporation is a high-risk zone, according to the data in a survey conducted by the civic body. The zone has the highest population of those suffering from co-morbidities, which corresponds with its Covid-19 fatality rate also being the highest in the city (2.98 per cent).
The corporation had carried out a detailed “Vulnerable and High Risk Population Survey”, surveying nearly 61.73 lakh people across all 15 zones, who were present in the city during the lockdown period. The survey revealed that Teynampet also had the highest number of people above 60 years of age – 97,636 senior citizens, and 20,040 people with diabetes.
However, other zones, which had similar number of senior citizens and those with co-morbidities, did not have case fatality rate as high as Teynampet zone. “Even among the ones that are in the 60+ bracket, the zone has a high population aged between 80 and 90 years. That aspect needs to be considered too while taking the case fatality rate into account,” an official in the Teynampet zone said.
Alandur zone had the second highest senior citizen population (38,144), and an overall 21.6 per cent of its population suffering from co-morbidities. It’s case fatality rate stood at 1.39 per cent. With a case fatality rate of 1.94 per cent, the Kodambakkam zone has about 15.5 per cent of its population aged above 60, and about 20.45 per cent people with co-morbidities.
On the other hand, Tiruvottiyur zone, with a comparatively lower percentage of senior citizens and people with co-morbidities (14.6 per cent), had the second highest case fatality rate of 2.91 per cent in the city.
A senior official monitoring Covid related works in the zone said, “We are aware that the death rate here is a cause of concern.
We are taking all measures to reduce it including early detection.” Meanwhile, Sholinganallur zone was the youngest in the city, with just 1.89 per cent population being classified as senior citizens. Correspondingly, the zone’s death rate was also the lowest in the city, at 0.75 per cent. Apart from age, the co-morbidities taken into account for the survey included diabetics, hypertension, a combination of both diabetes and hypertension, cancer, heart, kidney, liver and lung ailments.