BENGALURU: Bengaluru has lost 19 people to Covid-19 in the last 12 days, the youngest being 23-year-old who passed away on Friday. The state health department bulletin shows that of the 81 people who have died in the state, 29 are from the city. While the death monitoring committee is yet to analyse the spurt in deaths in the city, medical experts said that they are due to late reporting, SARI/ILI cases, late referrals, self-medication and severe comorbidities, mainly diabetes and obesity.
“From what we have observed till four days ago, the mortality has been among patients aged above 60 and those who reported late to hospitals. Many have ignored symptoms assuming it to be a common cold. Private hospitals should have immediately reported and sent such patients for testing,” said Dr Sachidanand S, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, and head of the death monitoring committee.
Interestingly, more women than men in the 40-49 and 60-69 age group have died. According to the BBMP war room data, “In the 40 to 49 age group, four females and one male have died. The 60-69 age group has seen seven deaths of women and six men. Five people aged between 50 and 59 years have died, and of them one was a woman. Three men in the 30-39 age group and one man in the 20-29 years have died,”
Dr Nagaraja C, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, said, “Age doesn’t matter. SARI and ILI cases are the main culprits. In Bengaluru, because of the lifestyle, there are more cases of obesity, high BP, diabetes and lung issues which are also factors,” he said.
Late reporting too is an issue, he said, adding, “They go to private hospitals before coming to Covid-designated facilities. Some of them have been brought dead or have died the same day of admission.”
In Udupi district, which has recorded 1,005 cases but seen only one death, doctors treating Covid patients there said the success is due to three reasons. “First, the district administration is proactive and is conducting aggressive testing.
Second, case management in designated hospitals was based on clinical category. All symptomatic and vulnerable patients were treated at Dr TMA Pai Hospital Udupi, which is a hospital of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). Though it’s a private hospital, the treatment was free. Allocation of clinical expertise, manpower and resources was unhindered,” said Dr Shashikiran Umakanth, Prof and Head, Department of Medicine, Nodal Officer, Covid-19, Dr TMA Pai Hospital, Manipal.
He explained that in Bengaluru, there is all possibility of a community spread as there are more cases without travel history. “There should be a blanket rule that all private clinics and doctors should look for symptoms like fever, chills, and breathlessness and treat all such patients as Covid cases. Such patients should be referred to fever clinics,” he said.
State’s mortality rate low: Sudhakar
Raichur: The Covid-19 recovery rate has improved significantly in Karnataka in the last few days, said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar in Raichur on Saturday. Chairing a meeting with district officials on the steps taken to prevent the spread of the virus, Sudhakar said that of the 6,516 positive cases in the state, 3,440 have recovered - 52.8 %. A total of 79 people have died due from Covid-19, and the state’s mortality rate is 1.2 per cent, while the national figure is 28 per cent. The recovery rate in Karnataka is 52 per cent, while it is 49.8 per cent at the national level, the minister pointed out. “There is no need to panic as of the total 2,995 active cases in the state, 2,531 patients have no symptoms.