Covid case spike leads to rise in deaths

Covid case spike leads to rise in deaths

Delay In Treatment Ups Toll

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:04.05.2021

The 122 deaths reported on Monday pushed the Covid death toll this week to 817 –a daily average of 117 – and the cumulative death toll in the state touched 14,468. The increasing number of cases is not only keeping hospitals crowded and healthcare providers over worked, but also increasing deaths, particularly in high incidence districts across the state.

When cases were increasing, in the week between March 22 and 28, the state reported an average of 1,655 cases and10 deaths every day. During that week, the average daily case fatality rate – number of deaths among the total number of people tested positive – was 0.6. Although average daily cases climbed to 8,288 in the week between April 12 and 18 along with 26 deaths, the week’s CFR dropped to 0.34 as people reached hospitals on time and sought treatment. But for two weeks after that, the state has been seeing a steady rise in the case fatality rate. Between April 19 and 25, when cases rose to 12,934 and deaths rose to 58, the weekly average of CFR rose to 0.47. In the week between April 26 and May 2, when the daily cases rose to17,875 deaths averaged to 113 and CFR was hovering around 0.63.

“Most people who come to hospitals early recover despite age and comorbid conditions,” said Government Corona Hospital director Dr K Narayanaswamy. “Delaying treatment despite having symptoms can lead to severe complications, extend hospital stay and may also be fatal,” he said. With cases going up, treatment is delayed either because they can’t find beds. Some hospitals delay treatment as they have severe shortages of drugs such as antiviral remdesivir.

Public health officials said the state reserves tertiary care beds for people who are sick, in need of oxygen and intensive care. “Others are sent to health centres, care centre or home,” he added. At at 7.30pm on Monday, the state website showed only six of the 1,766 oxygen beds and none of the 919 ICU beds in the five government tertiary care hospitals were vacant. The situation was similar in several private hospitals.

In the past seven days, Chennai, the most affected district, has reported 255 deaths, including 38 on Monday. Every day, Chennai, has been reporting an average of 36 deaths. “The situation can become worse in tier-II cities and towns if cases continue increase,” says a senior epidemiologist.