BENGALURU: With the number of Covid-19 cases rising in Karnataka, the number of deaths has also shot up.
A comparison of Covid death figures from January 5 to April 5 shows an exponential rise in the mortality rate.
In the past month alone, Karnataka recorded 298 deaths, and experts have advised people to stay cautious.
According to health bulletin statistics, 112 Covid deaths were recorded from January 5 to February 5, and 121 from February 6 to March 5.
However, from March 6 to April 5, mortalities rose to 298.
A majority of deaths in the past month were in the 40-90 plus age group, with ILI and SARI symptoms, and many had comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
Dr HM Prasanna, president of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes’ Association, stated that hospitals have started ramping up ICU beds, but the second wave has shown the disease as unpredictable, so people need to stay cautious.
“Many hospitals had converted their Covid ICU beds to non-Covid beds, and are now bringing back Covid ICU beds. This time, we see the disease behaving differently with each age group, and it depends on the individual responding to the disease. Unlike the first wave, where more deaths were reported among the elderly, now we are seeing them in younger age groups,” he said.
He also pointed to a variation in symptoms this time. People suffering from headache, blocked nose, diarrheoa and abdominal pain are not coming forward to get themselves tested, and are also reporting late.
“People are reporting late as they are unable to understand the symptoms of the second wave. With many, health condition deteriorates very fast, even with medication. One needs to report early,” he added.
Dr Giridhar Babu, member of the state’s Technical Advisory Committee, pointed out that with a rise in cases, there are bound to be more deaths.
“We have made recommendations to the government, firstly, that no crowding should be allowed. However, many of the orders are being revoked. People need to follow safety norms to help keep cases under control.”
On the number of deaths in the middle-age group, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar stated that mortality among the young and mid-age groups is a cause of concern.
“Mortality among the young and middle-aged is a serious matter. I have directed the Technical Advisory Committee to conduct a death audit. The second wave is spreading faster than the first one. While we cannot predict the severity of the situation right now, we are prepared for it,” he said.