KOCHI: Amid the rising Covid graph in Kerala, the comparatively lower recovery rate is a concern. The total recoveries crossed the three lakh-mark recently, but the state’s recovery rate stands at 77 per cent, much lower than the national average of 91 per cent.
In fact, Kerala has one of the lowest recovery rates among the 10 worst-hit states. Though daily recoveries have now started exceeding the daily new cases, the experts say the days ahead are going to be a real challenge for the state as the health workers are over-stretched and the hospital beds are almost full with Covid patients.
“One of the main advantages of our state is the healthcare system. When the Covid outbreak started, Kerala had prepared for the worst. Even when rich countries, including the US, struggled to fight Covid, Kerala managed to keep the mortality rate low. Starting from primary health centres, our health system is better compared to the other states.
It is a real achievement, but we cannot let our guard down now at this point,” said Dr Monu Varghese, a pulmonologist based in Kochi.
In Kerala, over four lakh Covid cases have been reported and 3,25,166 persons have recovered so far. The healthcare workers have been working for almost eight months at a stretch without any leave. Battered and tired, their fight against the virus
goes on.
“Whatever the criticism against healthcare workers for the lapses reported in several parts of the state, the achievement of low mortality rate has been attained with the help of them. They are frontline warriors. If they let their guard down, the Covid deaths will go up. Therefore, it is very important for the public to understand them,” said a health official.
The Covid containment and treatment strategies adopted by the state government have been applauded across the world. “Natural recovery happens in most people. In the case of seriously ill patients, they have access to antiviral medicines and later steroid-based therapy. We will need to encourage home management of mild and asymptomatic cases to ease the pressure on healthcare workers. If pressure does not ease, recovery rate will come down,” said infectious disease expert Dr Anup R Warrier.