Around 50% of the total daily deaths due to COVID-19 in the country belong to Kerala. In an alarming situation, the state now reports the highest fatalities per million per week in India with an average daily death of about 20% to 25% of the countrywide toll.
On Monday, the state recorded the most number of deaths in India as 28% (118) of the total 420 fatalities was reported from Kerala. On the other hand, Maharashtra surpassed Kerala on Tuesday with a grim 177 number of fatalities against Kerala’s 148.
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“Kerala’s case fatality ratio (CFR) on May 15 was 0.3% and it increased to 0.49% by July 31. But Kerala continues to have one of the lowest CFRs in the country,” public health expert Dr Padmanabha Shenoy told The Times of India.
Kerala, Maharashtra and Odisha have reported the most number of deaths in the last few weeks. While Kerala reported 24 deaths per million per week between July 25 and 31, Maharashtra recorded 12 deaths per million per week. Meanwhile, Odisha reported nine deaths per million per week.
However, the country’s average is about 2 deaths per million per week.
“Kerala’s Covid-19 mortality rate is going up and it is a matter of concern. The mortality rate in the second wave has been bigger than that in the first wave,” the report quoted health economist Rijo M John.
“When there is a surge in cases, deaths will be reported, however, Kerala has been able to control preventable deaths – due to lack of oxygen, ventilator, vaccination etc – to a large extent,” Dr Arun N M, internal medicine expert who has been tasked with analysing Covid trends in Kerala, told TOI.
A central team that went to Kerala, in its report to the Union health ministry, has said contact tracing of COVID-19 patients in the state is low, home isolation guidelines are not being followed and the number of tests conducted to detect the infection is showing a downward trend.
According to official sources, the report pointed out that people are becoming more complacent regarding Covid-appropriate behaviour and highlighted the need for ramping up vaccination.
Dr Sujeet Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), P Ravindran, former DDG, Dr SK Jain, Advisor (PH) NCDC, Dr K Regu, Additional Director, Kozhikode branch of the NCDC, Dr Pranay Verma, Joint Director, NCDC, and Dr Ruchi Jain, Public Health Specialist, Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare, Thiruvananthapuram, were part of the central multi-disciplinary team.
To increase the number of districts to be covered, the team members who reached Kerala on August 30 were divided into two groups — one for the southern districts and another for the northern districts.
The first group reviewed Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram districts, while the second group visited Malappurum, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.
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