COIMBATORE: Among the 185 Covid-19 deaths in the district till Sunday, 143 died within 48 hours of hospitalisation.
According to health department sources, delayed hospitalisation coupled with comorbidity led to the rise in the number of fatalities.
As Coimbatore's caseload surpassed the 9,000-mark on Monday, the district saw 24 patients succumbing to the virus within a day of hospitalisation.
The Deputy Director of Health Services G Ramesh Kumar said, "The patients got hospitalised after they suffered breathing trouble. There is a need to get tested for the virus if anyone exhibits any Covid-19 symptom."
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The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Dean P Kalidas claimed the patients and their family members have limited awareness about the dangers posed by COVID-19. The patients must be guided properly in a way that they could come forward to get themselves tested, he said, adding that early diagnosis could prevent fatalities.
The former Director of Public Health K Kolandhasamy said that there are so many misconceptions about the admission process circulating among the public, which he advised them not to believe.
"There is a common understanding that the whole family and neighbours would bear the brunt of quarantine if a person tests positive in a locality. The people with symptoms also show intense reluctance to get admitted to the hospital," Kolandasamy added.
He further suggested people keep a tab of the oxygen saturation in their body using an oximeters.
Conditions with which the deceased were diagnosed:
-Chronic kidney disease
-Pulmonary edema
-Systemic Hypertension
-Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
-Pneumonia
-Respiratory failure