CHENNAI: Most of the persons who died of COVID-19 -- and did not have co-morbid conditions -- were admitted late to hospitals. They were also over 50 years of age, putting them in the vulnerable category. As per the government statistics, 16 per cent (19 people) of those who died due to the virus, had no co-morbid conditions.
The New Indian Express followed up on the data and found that at least 15 of these were late admissions, and 14 of them were aged over 50. Experts are of the opinion that risk of death due to COVID-19 is less in patients who do not have co-morbid conditions.
“However, nobody should take it lightly. Early identification and risk assessment can reduce mortality,” says doctor Subramanian Swaminathan, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Gleneagles Global Health City. “If admissions are late for catastrophic illnesses, then the efficacy of treatment too will be poor,” he says, adding that even in young people there could be unusual manifestations -- in the form of a stroke, heart attack, or other conditions.
“You should get tested if you have symptoms,” Dr Swaminathan stressed/
On May 23, a 33-year-old man died at the Royapettah GH of septic shock. He was among the youngest to die in the State and had no co-morbid conditions.
The safer side?
Does the virus affect those with co-morbidity differently from those without it?
Doctor Senthur Nambi, Infectious Diseases Specialist at Apollo Hospital says that the virus rarely kills the patient; most often, it’s our body’s inflammatory response that causes death.
“When virus enters the body, the immune system takes control of the virus. When the inflammatory response is exaggerated, it can become a problem. In a normal, non-comorbid individual, this response could sometimes be over-acting,’’ says Dr Nambi.
“To know the rate of death, one needs to know the denominator. It should be viewed with respect to how many co-morbid people have died and how many were non-co-morbid,’’ he adds.
“Co-morbid patients with fever, cough or sore throat must get tested at once,’’ says Nambi.