Odisha records 1,272 Covid deaths in June, case fatality rate up to 1 per cent

The statistics indicated that Covid-19 severity was significantly high in rural areas and among the youth and middle-aged apart from the elderly and people with comorbidities.

At an average of over 42 deaths a day, the virus claimed at least 1.7 times more lives than those recorded in May when the pandemic was at its peak. (File Photo | PTI)

BHUBANESWAR:  With 45 more patients succumbing to coronavirus in the last 24 hours, Odisha has recorded a high of 1,272 official Covid deaths in the month of June. The case fatality rate (CFR) has gone up to nearly one per cent during the month against an average 0.37 per cent in the second wave. 

There is no let-up in fatalities despite a sustained drop in new cases and test positivity rate which have come down to the level of April, the beginning of the second wave in the State. 

Official sources said the death figure may further go up to 70 per day as the State government is yet to reconcile all deaths. The death toll in one month has been around 67 per cent of the total fatalities of 1,876 reported during the first wave. 

At an average of over 42 deaths a day, the virus claimed at least 1.7 times more lives than those recorded in May when the pandemic was at its peak with highest 3,19,125 cases and 737 deaths. Khurda, Sundargarh, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Angul, Rayagada, Jharsuguda, Balasore and Mayurbhanj reported maximum deaths. 

The rural and urban divide and age-wise death numbers indicated that the Covid-19 severity was significantly high in rural areas and among the youth and middle-aged apart from the elderly and people with comorbidities. Of the 1,36,068 lakh new cases and 1,227 deaths recorded till June 29, as many as 1,00,960 cases and 744 deaths were reported from rural parts while urban areas accounted for 35,108 cases and 483 deaths. 

Shockingly, the number of infections and fatalities among the population in the 17-40 year age group in rural pockets was two and half times higher than urban areas. While 52,927 people who were infected and 200 who lost their lives to the virus in the age group were from villages, 17,095 cases and 87 deaths were from towns and cities.

As many as 28,969 people aged 41-60 years and 9,589 people above 60 years in rural areas and 10,908 and 4,477 in the respective age groups in urban localities had tested positive in June. 

Around 342 middle-aged persons in villages and 241 in towns along with 200 senior citizens in villages and 154 in urban pockets succumbed to the disease. Among children below 16 years, rural areas accounted for 9,475 cases and two deaths in villages while urban areas reported 2,628 cases and one death in the last month.

Additional Chief Secretary of Health PK Mohapatra said some deaths remained as backlog because senior officials entrusted with the audit of deaths had to prioritise treatment and monitoring of positive cases during the peak.