THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala reported two Covid-related deaths in May, the first fatalities after a prolonged gap, taking the death toll from the virus in the state to 72,141 since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Active cases have doubled in just two days, reaching 182 as of May 21. However, health officials say the situation is not alarming.
The two victims, men aged 59 and 64, died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The 59-year-old, a resident of Thalavur in Kollam, was admitted with respiratory issues on May 19 and passed away the following day. The second victim, a native of Vazhayila in Thiruvananthapuram, died on May 16. The Union Health Ministry’s Covid dashboard has not yet updated the most recent fatality.
Health department sources confirmed that both deaths were due to Covid, though the patients had underlying heart conditions and other comorbidities. Health officials said the situation was not alarming and the reporting of cases only reflects the robustness and alertness of the health system.
“Hospitals still follow the protocol of testing pregnant women and surgical patients for Covid, leading to incidental case detection. Routine fever patients are generally not tested,” said an official.
Kottayam (57), Ernakulam (34), and Thiruvananthapuram (30) reported the highest number of recent cases in the state.
Health dept sends samples to Pune to confirm variants
The increased case detection may also be linked to heightened surveillance due to a rise in Covid cases across Southeast Asia. “Most infections remain mild, but individuals with pre-existing health conditions are still vulnerable to severe illness,” the official added.
The recent uptick in cases is believed to be driven by fast-spreading Omicron JN.1 sub-lineages, including LF.7 and NB.1.8. The health department has sent samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for genomic sequencing to confirm the circulating variants.
Dr Althaf A, epidemiologist and professor at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, noted that the current surge could be linked to waning herd immunity. “The situation is not alarming. If the virus were truly highly transmissible, we would be seeing far more cases given the lack of restrictions. Still, it’s important to stay alert,” he said, adding that diseases like leptospirosis, which killed 33 people this year alone, deserve more urgent attention.
Health analyst N C Krishnaprasad, who has tracked Covid trends since the pandemic began, said the current wave in Asia has already peaked. “The surge began in late April across countries like Thailand, Hong Kong, China and Singapore, but has since subsided. Importantly, no deaths have been reported in those regions and hospitalisations have decreased significantly post-vaccination,” he said.
Health Minister Veena George, after chairing a meeting of the state-level rapid response team on Wednesday, cautioned that the risk of Covid transmission in Kerala remains high, especially in light of the recent surge in cases across Southeast Asian countries. The meeting recommended reinstating mask mandate in hospitals and ensuring adequate availability of Covid test kits.
Covid deaths in Kerala
2020 - 3,073
2021 - 44,368
2022 - 24,219
2023 - 403
2024 - 76
2025 - 2
Total 72,141
(Source: N C Krishnaprasad, health analyst)