BENGALURU:
Most of the Covid-19 deaths in Karnataka have occurred because elderly patients, especially those with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) or other comorbidities, have been brought late to designated hospitals, according to Munish Moudgil, chief of the state Covid-19 war room. In such cases, recovery becomes extremely difficult.
Moudgil said about 65 per cent of fatalities are SARI sufferers aged over 60. The death rate due to the presence of SARI is 43 per cent for those in the 40-60 age group, he said, while releasing Covid-related data to reporters.
In the 40-60age group, mortality due to Influenza Like Illness (ILI) was 17.4 per cent, whereas it was 11.1 per cent among people aged over 60 .
He said 25 per cent of symptomatic patients aged over 60 have succumbed to the virus, while it is 10.7 per cent in the 40-60 age group. Fatalities among those aged 60 are high even if they are asymptomatic, Moudgil said.
He said the average number of days spent at hospitals by those who recovered is about 15 days, compared to 3.5 days for those who died of the virus. “Hence persons who are elderly and who have comorbidities or SARI must reach designated hospitals at the earliest,” Moudgil said.
As of date, Karnataka has reported 69 Covid-19 deaths. As many as 6,041 people have tested positive for the virus, a figure which includes 2,862 discharges and 3,108 active cases.
