Number of elderly Covid patients on the rise in state

Number of elderly Covid patients on the rise in state

Mayilvaganan.V@timesgroup.com

10.06.2020

On Tuesday, 257 of Tamil Nadu’s elderly population were added to the nation’s Covid tally. This is perhaps the single-day highest spike in the number of people who are above 60 testing positive in the state. Twelve of the 21 people who died in the state on Tuesday were above 60.

A cursory look at the daily bulletins issued by the state health department shows that there is a slow but steady rise in the number of people above 60, categorised as vulnerable, getting infected by the virus.

The increase in Covid incidence among 60-plus people is not seen just in absolute numbers, but in proportion to overall spread of the virus too. On May 10, there were just 503 people in the 60-plus category who tested positive, accounting for 6.9% of the total Covid count in the state. But their share has surged to 10.9% of the cases across the state on June 9.

The state health machinery, perhaps, has taken cognisance of the fact that there is a disproportionate rise in Covid cases among the elderly population and have rolled out precautionary measures for the aged.

Health officials are on a mission to screen and provide special medical attention to the aged as well as other vulnerable sections like those with diabetes and hypertension.

In Chennai, Coimbatore and Salem, officials have collected data of vulnerable populations in April and will be providing them kabasura kudineer and immunity boosting tables. Madurai Corporation has started distributing kabasura kudineer and the tablets to the 1.5 lakh population identified as vulnerable. In addition to homeopathic immunity boosters like Arsenicum Album 30, multi vitamin tablets and zinc sulphate tablet, Madurai Corporation has planned to give ivermectin tablet to the elderly.

“Research has proved that the drug prevents replication of SARS – Cov 19,” said an official.

Health officials have started second round of enumeration of high risk group in Salem, where 1.05 lakh people above 60 were identified as vulnerable in the first round.

“We have simultaneously started distribution of kabasura kudineer and multi vitamin tablets with the help of anganwadi workers,’’ said Salem collector S A Raman.

Health officials in Chennai said they have begun distribution of kabasura kudineer and immunity boosting tablets in containment zones.

Officials, however, are uncertain if the vulnerable population could be constantly monitored. “The movement of frontline workers, who are also part of high risk group, could be tracked. But we are too short staffed to keep a tab on entire vulnerable population which comprises aged and comorbid people,” said a health officer.

Officials have insisted the elderly not to step out of their houses unnecessarily. “They can go out for morning walks, in places that are not crowded. If they go out of town, we have told them to inform us so that our workers could track them thereafter,” said the health officer.

(With Inputs from Pushpa Narayan, Senthil Kumaran, V Devanathan)