SHIVAMOGGA: The district recorded 337 deaths in the second wave of COVID-19 as against 349 in the first wave. Alarmingly, it took mere 48 days for the number of deaths in the second wave to almost double when compared to the number of deaths recorded in the first wave. However, officials said the death rate is 1.48% when compared to the first wave’s 1.72%.
According to the district’s Covid-19 cumulative report, the first death in the second wave was on April 5, taking the total number of deaths due to the pandemic to 350. The number of deaths in the first wave was 349. Within over one-and-a-half months, the district recorded 337 deaths in the second wave till May 22. That means, the district recorded seven deaths every day on an average in the second wave.
The district has recorded 45,871 COVID-19 positive cases as on May 22. Even though the number of deaths has increased in the second wave, the death rate in the second wave is less than the first wave, according to the officials of the Health Department.
DHO Dr Rajesh Suragihalli told The New Indian Express that the death rate in the second wave is 1.48% when compared to 1.72% in the first wave. “The number of positive cases is more in the second wave when compared to the first wave. However, people dying in the second wave has come down. So, when compared to the positivity rate in the second wave, the death rate is still less in the second wave. The death rate in both the first and second wave is 1.56% on an average,” the DHO said.
The DHO said that the positivity rate has also come down to 38% in the district. He said that among those who succumbed to the deceased in the second wave, 25% belong to other districts. The district is testing 90% symptomatic patients and instruction has been given to increase the testing of asymptomatic people.
Vaccination
Meanwhile, the vaccination is moving at a slow pace in the district as only frontline workers and other family members aged between 18 to 44 years are being administered the vaccine. People above the 45 who received the first dose already are being administered a second jab. As many as 3,24,275 doses of vaccines have been administered to all categories of people since the rolling out of the vaccine. “We have around 16,000 Covishield vials in stock and zero Covaxin vials. The shortage of vaccine will be set right by the end of the month,” he said.